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马刺中文论坛 » 环球刺讯 » 2.14 Spurs @ Nets Spurs take it easy: Kidd-less Nets offer little resistance

 
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 2007-02-14 13:54  #1
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2.14 Spurs @ Nets Spurs take it easy: Kidd-less Nets offer little resistance

Spurs take it easy: Kidd-less Nets offer little resistance

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA021407.01C.BKNspurs.nets.gamer.1b79f44.html

Web Posted: 02/13/2007 11:57 PM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — In these troubled times, the Spurs will take any pick-me-up that comes their way. So if Jason Kidd wanted to rest his ailing back Tuesday night, the Spurs decided that, for a change, they might as well make the most of the opportunity.

With a winter storm approaching and the Detroit Pistons waiting on them 500 miles west, the Spurs got their work done early, routing the New Jersey Nets 107-82 at Continental Airlines Arena.

Tim Duncan scored 21 points, and Tony Parker had 19 as the Spurs shot 53.4 percent to end their two-game losing streak.

"It was definitely a must win for us," Parker said.

Having lost four of their previous five games, the Spurs aren't in position to overlook any victory these days, regardless if it comes against another mangled opponent. And the Nets are more mangled than most: In addition to Kidd, they were missing two other starters because of injuries, forward Richard Jefferson and center Nenad Krstic.

"It's impossible to be successful with that many people out, and Jason Kidd is the head of the snake on top of the whole deal," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, "so it's a ridiculous situation to be in."

Told by a reporter about an hour before the game that Kidd would not be playing, Popovich said, "Oh, (bleep)!" Then he spun on his heels and walked into the locker room, head bowed.

Considering his team's record against previous star-less opponents, Popovich had reason to be concerned. The Spurs have lost to the Houston Rockets once without Tracy McGrady and another time without Yao Ming; to Utah without Carlos Boozer; to the Los Angeles Lakers without Lamar Odom; to Chicago without Ben Wallace; and to Orlando without Grant Hill.

The Nets, however, hadn't played without Kidd in more than two years, and his absence quickly short-circuited their offense. The Spurs limited New Jersey to 39 percent shooting and broke open the game by holding the Nets scoreless for the first 6 minutes, 31 seconds of the second quarter.

While Popovich called the victory a "throw-away game," he was at least happy to see the Spurs, who led by 21 at the half, not let up.

"We kept our focus, and we continued to respect them as a group and knew they would hustle and still be physical and try to win the game," Popovich said. "I thought that was the best part for us. But other than that, it's hard to take a whole lot away from it."

Rookie Marcus Williams, who had been playing well of late, started in Kidd's place and finished with nine points on 4-of-14 shooting and 10 assists.

But without Kidd to worry about (or Jefferson for that matter), the Spurs leaned their defense toward Vince Carter and essentially dared the rest of the Nets to beat them.

The Spurs blitzed Carter on pick-and-rolls and sometimes ran two defenders at him as soon as he passed midcourt. Carter finished with 18 points but didn't get much support.

"We didn't want to allow him to do anything easy, and it worked," said Manu Ginobili, who scored 14 points off the bench. "Sometimes he found the open guys, and that's going to happen, but the main goal was accomplished."

The Nets didn't have nearly as much success containing the Spurs' best player. Duncan made 7 of 9 shots and all seven of his free throws. He also had seven of the 20 unanswered points the Spurs scored to start the second quarter.

"It's great to play like that, but honestly right now, we're pushing as a team," Duncan said. "Consistency hasn't been there, and we're trying to develop that and get the guys playing the same way every night."

Popovich had questioned the Spurs' toughness after losses in Orlando and Miami, saying the performances were "too soft."

"Obviously, when a coach says that," Parker said, "he's going to want to see a reaction from his team."

The Spurs did that much, outrebounding the Nets 41-34.

Tonight, however, brings a significantly more difficult challenge. The Pistons have won seven consecutive games, and the Spurs will be playing the final game of their rodeo trip. A victory would allow them to salvage a 4-4 split on their travels and send them into the All-Star break with at least a little momentum.

"Every game right now for us is a big game especially with the way we're up and down," Duncan said. "We're going to approach tomorrow the same way we approached today with a lot of energy and not thinking it's the end of the trip, but that we need to get this game."



Spurs acquire forward in trade: Swap of reserves lands Ely, sends Williams to Bobcats

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA021407.07C.BKNspurs.ely.1b79ff0.html

Web Posted: 02/13/2007 10:37 PM CST

Johnny Ludden
Express-News

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — In a move that is more likely to impact the Spurs' inactive list than the balance of power in the Western Conference, the team acquired Charlotte forward Melvin Ely on Tuesday in exchange for Eric Williams and a 2009 second-round draft pick.

Ely, 28, averaged 2.9 points and 1.6 rebounds in 10.2 minutes over 24 games with the Bobcats this season. He is expected to join the team during this weekend's All-Star break.

Williams, who was acquired from Toronto in last summer's trade for Rasho Nesterovic, appeared in 16 games for a total of 88 minutes. He performed well during his longest stint on the floor, scoring 14 points and making 4 of 9 3-pointers in 18 minutes in a loss against Milwaukee, but was never given much of an opportunity in games to earn a spot in the rotation.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said two weeks ago if the team decided to make a trade, it would involve only a "peripheral player."

"As I said, I wasn't going to make a trade for our top eight, nine, 10, 11 guys, but Eric was on the injured list," Popovich said. "We traded an injured-list guy for an injured-list guy."

Ely, who requested a trade in mid-December, is 6-foot-10 and athletic, giving the Spurs another big man. While Ely is considered a respectable low-post scorer — he averaged a career-best 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds in 57 games last season — he also has shown to be a poor defender and rebounder, two areas in which the Spurs are already lacking.

"He's another athletic big (man) for us to take a look at," Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said.

Popovich said Ely first needs to improve his conditioning.

"He's not in shape," Popovich said. "He hasn't played much at all in Charlotte. Once he gets in shape, we'll see what we have."

Ely's $3.3 million contract expires at the end of the season. Because Williams is making $4.3million, the Spurs agreed to pay Charlotte the pro-rated difference between the two.

The trade also moves the Spurs significantly closer to getting under the luxury-tax threshold, though Buford said that is not a priority.

Williams, who didn't return a message left on his cell phone, attended shootaround with the Spurs on Tuesday morning before Popovich notified him of the trade at the team hotel. The deal was finalized midafternoon, and the team was told on the bus ride from New York.

"We were not thinking there would be changes," Manu Ginobili said. "But we know that when the season is not going good, something may happen.

"Probably for both, it's a good thing. Eric was not playing much, Ely there either."

The Spurs also inquired about Portland center Jamaal Magloire before agreeing to the deal with Charlotte, and Buford said the team would "continue to evaluate opportunities as they present themselves" before the Feb. 22 trade deadline.

The Spurs, however, lost one of their better assets in Williams' expiring contract, decreasing the likelihood of them making a bigger trade. They could conceivably trade Ely by the deadline but only in a one-for-one deal.

Briefly: Matt Bonner has been cleared to play, but Popovich opted to "err on the side of caution" and keep him on the inactive list. He could be in uniform tonight.

Spurs acquire forward in trade: Swap of reserves lands Ely, sends Williams to Bobcats

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA021407.07C.BKNspurs.ely.1b79ff0.html

Web Posted: 02/13/2007 10:37 PM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News

在一宗更像是改变马刺的伤病名单、而非对西部联盟的形势产生影响的交易中,马刺用 Eric Williams 和一个2009年的第二轮选秀权从夏洛特山猫交易得到了前锋 Melvin Ely。

今年28岁的 Ely 本赛季为山猫出场24次,场均10.2分钟,得到2.9分和1.6个篮板。他将会在全明星周末后同球队会合。

而今年夏天在 Rasho Nesterovic 的交易中从多伦多来到球队的 Williams 本赛季一共上场16次,共88分钟。在败给雄鹿的比赛中,他打出了最好的一场比赛,18分钟内得到14分,并且三分球9投4中,但他从未真正地在轮换阵容中占据一席之地。

主教练 Gregg Popovich 两周前曾说过,如果球队决定交易,那么也只会是有关“边缘球员”的交易。

“就像我说过的那样,我们不会将队中前8、9、10、11的球员交易走,但 Eric 一直被放在伤病名单里面,”Popovich 说,“所以我们是用一个被放在伤病名单里的球员换来了又一个伤病名单的球员(injured-list guy)。”

身高6尺10寸、运动力出色的 Ely 此前曾于12月中旬要求被交易,他也使马刺的内线又增加了一名大个子。尽管 Ely 一直被认为是个不错的低位得分手——他上赛季出场57次,场均得到9.8分和4.9个篮板——但他并非优秀的防守者或篮板手,而这两方面正是马刺目前所急需的。

“他是我们得到的又一个运动力出色的大个子。”马刺总经理 R.C.Buford 说。

Popovich 说 Ely 的首要任务是改善身体状态。

“现在他的体型并不理想,”Popovich 说,“因为他此前在夏洛特没有怎么打球。而一旦他恢复体型,我们会(让他上场)来对其加以考察。”

Ely 价值330万的合同将于本赛季结束后到期。由于 Williams 的合同为430万,因而马刺将向山猫支付一笔现金来弥补两人薪水上的差距。

这次交易还使得马刺距离薪水低于奢侈税触发线的目标又近了一步,不过 Buford 说这并非他们在交易时首要考虑的事情。

周二早上,Williams 参加了全队的赛前投篮练习,此后 Popovich 在球队下榻的酒店中通知他已被交易。交易是于下午3点左右完成的,在球队大巴离开纽约开往新泽西的路上,其他球员得知了这一消息。

“我们之前并不认为会有什么阵容上的变化,”Manu Ginobili 说,“但我们知道当赛季不如人意的时候,总会有些事情发生的。

“或许对于双方来说,这都是一件好事。因为 Eric 在这里没有太多上场机会,Ely 也是如此。”

在同山猫达成协议之前,马刺还同波特兰商讨了得到中锋 Jamal Magloire 的可能性,另外 Buford 还说球队在2月22日的交易截止期到来之前,会“继续寻求交易的机会”。

然而,马刺已经失去了他们手中最有价值的筹码之一,即 Williams 的到期合同,因而也降低了他们之后完成大交易的可能性。在交易截止期前他们还可以将 Ely 交易出去,但只能是一对一的交易。

其他:Matt Bonner 已经完全恢复,可以上场比赛了,不过 Popovich 为了“预防万一”将他放在了伤病名单里面。他有可能会在今晚对活塞的比赛中复出。
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