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  1. #1
    SeaGOAT midnightpulp's Avatar
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    7th overall in Offensive Rating, ranked number 2 in raw FG%, 6th in TS%, and the TO% is at the league average.

    "So why does it "look" so bad?" It really doesn't. I think many here still expect too much after 2014's Finals perfection. The offense is still generating a lot of open looks from 3 (Danny just isn't hitting right now, aside from last night, and even then, the team is still shooting 37% from 3, which is 7th best in the league), Parker has much more spacing to operate with and looks the best he's had in 3 years, and Kawhi is getting any mid-range shot he wants. And if you think we're giving up a lot of 2nd chance points, the Spurs rank 5th in offensive boards allowed.

    "Our defense is great, so why aren't we blowing teams out more consistently if the offense isn't a problem?"

    The Spurs have the 2nd highest margin of victory in the league (the soft schedule has something to do with that, as well), but I agree that they let teams back in all too often and make it harder on themselves. The reason is: Freethrows. The Spurs rank dead last in in FTA (luckily their FT% is good and they've only been outscored at the line by 1 point this season. Interestingly, Golden State has been outscored by 33 points at the line this season and over 200 points last season, but you can throw out the book when you evaluate that team since their 3 point shooting is historically ridiculous). OKC, Lebron-era Miami, Cleveland, the Clippers (when they're good), all shot/shoot a lot more FTs than their opponents over a course of season.

    Silver lining here is that the 2014 Spurs only shot 1 more FT than their opponent over the season, but that team shot .27 higher from 3. More silver lining is that once Kawhi starts getting star respect, he'll go to the line much more. Kobe has made a living getting touch fouls in the post and fouled on jumpers. Kawhi will be getting those whistles soon. LMA will get his calls (he's near career FTA average already), and if Parker stays healthy and spry and continues to penetrate, he'll get calls.

    And once Danny emerges from his slump, this offense could be very deadly.

    The offense is fine, it's just not refined yet.

  2. #2
    Veteran SpursFan86's Avatar
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    To be fair, the offense is 13th when adjusted for strength of opponents' defense. Also, I think most of the complaints about the offense have to do with the starting lineup...the Parker/Green/Kawhi/LMA/Duncan lineup has an ORTG of 100.3, which would be nearly dead last in the league.

    Regardless, I agree with the sentiment that we're in good shape at this point. Like you said, there are a lot of good looks being generated, Green and Aldridge have just had trouble hitting early on. It'd be foolish to expect the team to be hitting on all cylinders this early in the season. Despite the struggles, we've still managed to look like the clear 2nd best team in the league...hard to complain about that.

  3. #3
    Believe. MultiTroll's Avatar
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    You really think Kwa will come anywhere near approaching Kobme levels of receiving calls?
    50% of Kobmes career foul calls were and still are bogus.

    Green i think it's like Duncan said. Other teams are playing him against the trey, forcing him to put ball on the floor. He needs to adjust and learn how to score or pass off the dribble.

  4. #4
    Work in Progress Fireball's Avatar
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    yeah, the point really is the weak schedule (Spurs, Warriors, Mavs had the weakest schedules so far) and just watching Danny Green clanking so many three pointers

  5. #5
    Kawhichael 100%duncan's Avatar
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    Good points. Best things from this are:

    1. When danny hits, we're golden
    2. Parker is looking good

    I think you also forgot to mention that Patty is "back", iirc he had a bad regular season last year.

  6. #6
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    Parker's offense probably isn't sustainable, realistically, but Green's 3-point shot has returned to form the past 5-6 games, should balance each other out, a little..

    Still need Aldridge to be integrated, it's far more important than anything else..

  7. #7
    Not in POs roster NameLess Scrub's Avatar
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    Green i think it's like Duncan said. Other teams are playing him against the trey, forcing him to put ball on the floor. He needs to adjust and learn how to score or pass off the dribble.
    I wonder why didn't this happen more after the '13 finals..

    Hope he gets better spacing with the SL. He can make the occasional drive, but needing to consistently counter with dribble penetration won't be easy for him.

    Last night he was great. That should help.

  8. #8
    Kawhichael 100%duncan's Avatar
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    Parker's offense probably isn't sustainable, realistically, but Green's 3-point shot has returned to form the past 5-6 games, should balance each other out, a little..

    Still need Aldridge to be integrated, it's far more important than anything else..
    I think it is. Unlike last year, when he looked good early. Most of it was because of his skewed best 3pt fg% in the league which literally translated to nothing. And besides he didn't have the luxury of Aldridge and West, both good midrange shooters that defenders need to respect. Basically, with how bad the 1st part of the RS last year, esp the lack of Patty Mills, Parker couldn't do much. Of course part of it is that he's declining but he's looking good.

  9. #9
    Veteran Mel_13's Avatar
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    Danny has been getting better from beyond the arc .

    1st 7 games: 22% on 32 attempts.

    2nd 7 games: 39% on 38 attempts.

  10. #10
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    I think it is. Unlike last year, when he looked good early. Most of it was because of his skewed best 3pt fg% in the league which literally translated to nothing. And besides he didn't have the luxury of Aldridge and West, both good midrange shooters that defenders need to respect. Basically, with how bad the 1st part of the RS last year, esp the lack of Patty Mills, Parker couldn't do much. Of course part of it is that he's declining but he's looking good.
    Parker looked better last November, even without the 3s, against a much more difficult schedule than what the Spurs have currently faced(3rd easiest schedule in the NBA, so far)..he was easily getting to the rim and making his jump shots..

    Ginobili looked like a star last December, too, then fell off, although I suppose you could argue that the Spurs ran him into the ground with all the injuries..

    I'm not getting my hopes up with hot starts, especially regarding ancient players..hopefully they are both able to have something left in the tank when the games matter, but you have to prepare yourself for the worst IMO..

  11. #11
    SeaGOAT midnightpulp's Avatar
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    To be fair, the offense is 13th when adjusted for strength of opponents' defense. Also, I think most of the complaints about the offense have to do with the starting lineup...the Parker/Green/Kawhi/LMA/Duncan lineup has an ORTG of 100.3, which would be nearly dead last in the league.

    Regardless, I agree with the sentiment that we're in good shape at this point. Like you said, there are a lot of good looks being generated, Green and Aldridge have just had trouble hitting early on. It'd be foolish to expect the team to be hitting on all cylinders this early in the season. Despite the struggles, we've still managed to look like the clear 2nd best team in the league...hard to complain about that.
    Indeed, but even then, two of Spur 5-man units are featured among the top 15 best 5 man units (in ORTG) in the league. Both units include Tony Parker and LMA, interestingly enough.

    http://stats.nba.com/league/lineups/...F_RATING&dir=1

    That Manu-for-Green unit could be deadly. The unit with Anderson-for-Kawhi has potential, as well. You keep an elite perimeter defender on the floor in Green (as Kawhi was kept on the floor in the former unit) while adding a passer in SloMo, like Manu was added to the former unit.

  12. #12
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    Aldridge's jump shot has been uncharacteristically bad, too..it should positively regress, eventually..

  13. #13
    SeaGOAT midnightpulp's Avatar
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    Parker's offense probably isn't sustainable, realistically, but Green's 3-point shot has returned to form the past 5-6 games, should balance each other out, a little..

    Still need Aldridge to be integrated, it's far more important than anything else..
    I think it's going well. The eyes may be deceiving us since the offense doesn't seem to "flow" when LMA is on the floor, but all of our best units with regard to ORTG/DRTG spread feature him in the lineup.

    http://stats.nba.com/league/lineups/...EVIATION&dir=1

    That small ball lineup with him at C, alongside Boris, Kawhi, Manu, and Mills could be scary.

  14. #14
    Veteran r0drig0lac's Avatar
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    Danny has been getting better from beyond the arc .

    1st 7 games: 22% on 32 attempts.

    2nd 7 games: 39% on 38 attempts.
    great news

  15. #15
    You have no idea UZER's Avatar
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    Tony really needs to take the midrange this year like he did last night. This years team isn't creating the same spacing and it's the consistent open shot for him. Hes not quick enough to beat defenses even when they collapse like he used to, and they're really playing the kick out too.

  16. #16
    The OL' Perfessor wildbill2u's Avatar
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    Looks like the team is having an adjustment period from the 'beautiful game' to a 'front line centric' mid-range game with lots more ISOs by LMA and Kwahi into the paint area for short jumpers. Who knows, Pop may have started a new fad that the league will try to copy if we win another championship with it.

  17. #17
    Get Refuel! FromWayDowntown's Avatar
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    For all of the stuff that hasn't looked so great so far, if the Spurs beat Dallas on Wednesday to go to 12-3, there will only have been 2 better 15 game starts in franchise history -- 2010-11 and 2013-14 (both 13-2).

  18. #18
    Body Of Work Mr. Body's Avatar
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    Aldridge needs to hit his shots. Seems he's still thinking too much. Hopefully the break helps him take a breather and relax.

  19. #19
    Veteran spursistan's Avatar
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    And also for all ISO-centric offense talk, we are 4th in league in % of assisted field goals made 63.4 ..trailing only Warriors (69.7), Hawks (67.7), Cavs (64.4)..

    This team ceiling is scary if the offense catches up to D..

  20. #20
    Veteran sasaint's Avatar
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    Danny has been getting better from beyond the arc .

    1st 7 games: 22% on 32 attempts.

    2nd 7 games: 39% on 38 attempts.
    Good to see. Kinda meets the eyeball test, but he is still missing what seems like an unusual number of open looks. Thanks for posting.

  21. #21
    Veteran sasaint's Avatar
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    I think it's going well. The eyes may be deceiving us since the offense doesn't seem to "flow" when LMA is on the floor, but all of our best units with regard to ORTG/DRTG spread feature him in the lineup.

    http://stats.nba.com/league/lineups/...EVIATION&dir=1

    That small ball lineup with him at C, alongside Boris, Kawhi, Manu, and Mills could be scary.
    The ORTG kinda conflicts with the eye test, but the DRTG confirms what we've seen: LMA's D is a very pleasant surprise. Also, he is our best offensive rebounder in some time.

  22. #22
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    7th overall in Offensive Rating, ranked number 2 in raw FG%, 6th in TS%, and the TO% is at the league average.

    "So why does it "look" so bad?" It really doesn't. I think many here still expect too much after 2014's Finals perfection. The offense is still generating a lot of open looks from 3 (Danny just isn't hitting right now, aside from last night, and even then, the team is still shooting 37% from 3, which is 7th best in the league), Parker has much more spacing to operate with and looks the best he's had in 3 years, and Kawhi is getting any mid-range shot he wants. And if you think we're giving up a lot of 2nd chance points, the Spurs rank 5th in offensive boards allowed.

    "Our defense is great, so why aren't we blowing teams out more consistently if the offense isn't a problem?"

    The Spurs have the 2nd highest margin of victory in the league (the soft schedule has something to do with that, as well), but I agree that they let teams back in all too often and make it harder on themselves. The reason is: Freethrows. The Spurs rank dead last in in FTA (luckily their FT% is good and they've only been outscored at the line by 1 point this season. Interestingly, Golden State has been outscored by 33 points at the line this season and over 200 points last season, but you can throw out the book when you evaluate that team since their 3 point shooting is historically ridiculous). OKC, Lebron-era Miami, Cleveland, the Clippers (when they're good), all shot/shoot a lot more FTs than their opponents over a course of season.

    Silver lining here is that the 2014 Spurs only shot 1 more FT than their opponent over the season, but that team shot .27 higher from 3. More silver lining is that once Kawhi starts getting star respect, he'll go to the line much more. Kobe has made a living getting touch fouls in the post and fouled on jumpers. Kawhi will be getting those whistles soon. LMA will get his calls (he's near career FTA average already), and if Parker stays healthy and spry and continues to penetrate, he'll get calls.

    And once Danny emerges from his slump, this offense could be very deadly.

    The offense is fine, it's just not refined yet.
    I guess you only get free throw if you aren't taking open shots. Too many open shot opportunities.

  23. #23
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    The offense is still efficient, but it's not explosive and it's doubtful as to whether that's going to change, since it's now been a season plus of this and seven of the top eight have been intact throughout.

    The three-point percentage is fine right now, but they're 22nd/23rd in makes and attempts. Combined that with being dead last in free throw rate and playing at a slow pace and you've got a limited offense.

    It's abundantly clear that they're going to have to upgrade fourth wing at some point. They essentially need a Neal/Belinelli type (I brought up Ellington a few weeks ago; he's having a terrible season, but I still like the fit). Someone who can hit threes in bunches and do so off the dribble/screens.

    Since this team is struggling mightily to blow teams out and can't afford to waste many meaningful minutes on Anderson/Butler, they're having to resort to playing Leonard high 30's every game and a Parker/Mills back court for stretches, which can only work in certain match-ups.

  24. #24
    Chopper Ed Helicopter Jones's Avatar
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    I think it looks bad because the Spurs are struggling against crap teams and allowing the opponents back into games rather than shutting the door on folks. Our 3 point shooting has been suspect and unreliable. It will all improve though.

  25. #25
    Hope springs eternal. SAGirl's Avatar
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    The offense is still efficient, but it's not explosive and it's doubtful as to whether that's going to change, since it's now been a season plus of this and seven of the top eight have been intact throughout.

    The three-point percentage is fine right now, but they're 22nd/23rd in makes and attempts. Combined that with being dead last in free throw rate and playing at a slow pace and you've got a limited offense.

    It's abundantly clear that they're going to have to upgrade fourth wing at some point. They essentially need a Neal/Belinelli type (I brought up Ellington a few weeks ago; he's having a terrible season, but I still like the fit). Someone who can hit threes in bunches and do so off the dribble/screens.

    Since this team is struggling mightily to blow teams out and can't afford to waste many meaningful minutes on Anderson/Butler, they're having to resort to playing Leonard high 30's every game and a Parker/Mills back court for stretches, which can only work in certain match-ups.
    What you state here has more to do with Danny being in a shooting slump (that has been trending on the positive side by the way), than with Rasual or Anderson.

    I do think Rasual has been off, but he's also played irregular minutes and shooters need to keep shooting to break through. He may catch a rhythm yet. His defense has been solid and he's been giving the Spurs quality minutes.

    We already knew Anderson was not a 3 pt threat except from the corners and he is not a prolific shooter anyway. His best feature is passing and he is not exactly the best fit in the bench which already has many players who can pass the ball at an elite level and his skillset becomes more redundant.

    I think the most significant with Anderson is that he's been at his best in the SL, which has lacked ball movement and playmaking, and the past couple of games he has provided solid play with them, both defensively and offensively.

    He's a project for the future sure, but contending teams already have very solid rosters, and can afford to have 1 or 2 young players to develop in order to refresh and renew talent. Last year those two project players were terrible (Ayres and Daye), so to have Anderson, Simmons and Boban to develop at the end of the bench is a huge improvement.

    What the team really needs is for Danny and Lamarcus to play better offensively.

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