From Courtside

There are certain nuances in any NBA game that only become visible when you’re sitting 10 feet away; notable little particulars that 99% of fans will never have the opportunity to see. Fortunately, I was able to be in the 1% for the Rockets/Spurs Sunday matchup, despite some god-awful traffic problems. Here are the some of the most distinctive things from Sunday’s game, as seen from somewhere between Eva Longoria and the “Valero Guy”.

While the Spurs talk a lot defensively, they never say anything unnecessary. No “good pass”, random jargon, or chit-chat with the opposing team (outside of Parker, who, for some reason, wants to be everybody’s friend). It’s unnerving how stoic and business-like they are on the court, which just goes to reaffirm the belief that they are all robots programmed for NBA domination.

I love Ime Udoka. He’s tough, confident, and a dogged defensive player…but not always a smart one. He was pulled twice by Popovich for defensive mishaps against the Rockets. The first time, he shaded Tracy McGrady on the wrong side and gave up an easy dunk. Pop subbed him out, gave him a pat on the ass, and calmly pointed out the miscue. Later in the game, Udoka inexplicably tried to double McGrady from the opposite baseline, allowing McGrady to swing the ball to a teammate for an easy 3. This time, Pop lit into Udoka, shouting at him in red-faced fury until Ime found a place on the bench. Good stuff.

Tim Duncan is a clever dude. Whenever the man he is defending goes to set a high pick, Duncan gives the screener a slight push along the hips/waist. It’s not much, but the screener always ends up setting the pick about 6 or 7 inches away from where he actually wanted to set it because of Duncan’s shove, occasionally even bumping into the ballhandler. I saw this tactic kill a pick-and-roll between Alston and Landry.

Duncan is also constantly touching someone. It’s like he doesn’t know what to do when he isn’t in contact with another player. He always had a hand on the guy he’s guarding or, on the other side of the court, leaning on the player guarding him. If he’s not touching someone, he specifically reaches out for the player closest to him. Watch for it, it’ll mess with you.