This one was an unadulterated wipeout. Just about everything the Spurs tried to do worked to near perfection, while just about everything the Hornets attempted failed miserably.
2008 NBA playoffs
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Still, there were several strategic nuggets to be mined from the lopsided contest.
SAN ANTONIO
At the risk of repeating myself, the effectiveness of the Spurs offense depends on their ability to make perimeter shots. By Game 4, the Spurs were so accustomed to Tim Duncan's being doubled that two (and sometimes only one) passes inevitably located an open shooter — and the results were mostly bull's-eyes. In fact, when the game was still up for grabs in the first half, the Spurs shot 58 percent. Ball game!Bruce Bowen did an encore of his shut-down defense on Peja Stojakovic, this time limiting him to 3-for-9 and only 6 points.Likewise did Kurt Thomas contain David West — 4-for-15, 5 rebounds, 10 points. If the respective defensive efforts of Bowen and Thomas were not surprising, the way that Fabricio Oberto also clamped down on West was totally unexpected. Whereas West had previously chumped Oberto from every angle, in Game 4 Oberto held him to 2-for-6. Even worse, among West's misses were an air-ball and a twisting jumper that banged against the upper corner of the backboard — and Oberto also drew a charging foul on West!Moreover, in his brief encounter with Robert Horry, West was 0-1.The trick in defending West was to be physical, force him baseline and then turn him into help.As he had in Game 3, Tony Parker ran wild — 8-for-12, 8 assists, 21 points. Once again, the Parker-Paul matchup was a wash.The Spurs' snappy ball reversals created driving lanes for Manu Ginobili — 5-for-13, 8 assists, 15 points.For the first time in the series, the low-posted Duncan made a quick spin baseline, turning away from the incoming double-team and scoring an easy layup. The Spurs showed the Hornets something new when they occasionally fed Duncan from the top instead of from the wing. This new wrinkle, coupled with TD's being much more explosive with the ball, resulted in his shooting 4-for-5 from the pivot. From the high-post, Duncan hit the only jumper he attempted, and also bagged a pair of driving layups (one going right, the other going left).In addition, Duncan scored on a handoff-and-roll — another new twist.What else worked? Weak-side curls that turned into dive-cuts. Parker's jump shooting (3-for-4). Michael Finley's springers — 5-for-7. And Ime Udoka's also finding the range — 5-for-8.On defense, the Spurs concentrated on containing West and Stojakovic, while going under screen/rolls and accepting that CP3 was going to score his share of points. Which he did — 10-for-16, for a game-high 23 points.What didn't work? A Chop-a-Chandler that backfired when the big fellow hit both of his free throws.
NEW ORLEANS
Their two-timing of TD on the catch was a fiasco. At the risk of repeating myself once more, the only way to send an extra defender at Duncan without getting scorched is to wait until he puts the ball on the floor.If Paul was able to zip into the middle at will, his jumper didn't hurt the Spurs as much as it could have — 3-for-6 on these.The Spurs' defense executed immaculate rotations whenever the paint was penetrated. That's why the Hornets missed 10 layups.
Also, when CP3 was the penetrator, the Spurs were able to jump into his available passing lanes. That's why Paul registered only 5 assists (as against 4 turnovers).The Spurs also overplayed the wings and forced the intended pass catchers to step farther out to receive the ball. With their ball-reversals thusly limited, New Orleans totaled only 12 assists — which is what CP3 usually tallies by himself.The Hornets were out-rebounded (45-36), out-shot (51.3 percent to 40.2 percent), out-worked and completely out-played.Besides Paul's scoring, did anything else work for the visitors?
Late in the 2nd quarter they jumped into a 1-2-2 matchup zone that took the Spurs by surprise and led to a shot-clock violation. However, on the next two possessions, the Spurs dissected the zone for a layup and then an open mid-range jumper.
As the critical Game 5 looms, Byron Scott has to find a way to free-up both Peja and West, to cramp Duncan, to keep Parker out of the middle, to regain command of their entire attack zone, to play better weak-side defense and to close out the Spurs' perimeter shooters.
The defending champs have proven that they have the resources, the experience, the leadership and the skills to take the measure of an opponent and then make whatever adjustments are necessary.
Which raises a fundamental question, one that overrides any possible tweaking of the Hornets' Xs and Os: Have the confidence, enthusiasm, will power and collective psyches of the young Hornets already been irreparably damaged?
No matter what might be said in the meantime, neither Scott nor his players will be able to provide an answer until Game 5 commences in New Orleans on Tuesday.
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