Game Grades: Nuggets @ Spurs Sponsored By The Hand Hitting The Fathead

[elbamba]

Why do people call Danny Creen LDN?

[TheDoctor]

Why do people call Danny Creen LDN?

Same reason they call Tony BWB tbh. Because they can.

[Cry Havoc]

Why do people call Danny Creen LDN?

Are you asking what LDN stands for or why they picked that name for him?

[cutewizard]

Guys, beloved fellow Spurs fans, I have a unique nickname proposal for Murray:

TUMBLEWEED!!!!!

[cutewizard]

TUMBLEWEED, Welcome to the Spurs:

[cutewizard]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumbleweed

[cutewizard]

Damn dude, I posted my grades at the same time as you. Didn't expect you to have them out so fast. You's a beast.

ing Dejounte Murray. Is there any doubt the Spurs are light-years above the rest of the league at developing young talent? He is the ing future and I can't wait to see how far this kid goes.

[cutewizard]

Ill call Murray TUMBLEWEED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Laughing Gravy]

Cant wait to see Murray after his body matures. I want to see 10-15 lbs on this kid. For a nickname, I like "Joint".

[elbamba]

Are you asking what LDN stands for or why they picked that name for him?

I'm asking what it stands for.

[tholdren]

More of it has to do with the kind of guys they draft. Without an elite work ethic, great character, and passion for the game within the player, development from Kawhi or DeJounte isn't possible. From the time he was drafted, DeJounte would post pictures of himself on snapchat at around midnight, drenched in sweat at the Spurs practice facility at least 3-5 times a week. All he does is talk about how great he aspires to be, it reminds me of when Kawhi was a rookies. Both not only aspire to be great, but both have freakish size and length for their positions which gives them a rare, yet solid foundation w/ a huge edge to build on.

It's very hard for NBA teams to quantify work ethic, character and passion for the game months/weeks prior to the NBA Draft. Most college coaches will vouch for their guys to help their players get drafted and to help their programs shine.

Those three things are so huge with player development and whether or not a player will be a bust. Spurs seem to have a great grasp on gauging it better than most teams.

Nice post.

[Perry Mason]

I'm asking what it stands for.

PM Harlem and he will show you. If you like that sort of thing.

[Cry Havoc]

I'm asking what it stands for.

Long ed Person of Color.

[Cry Havoc]

More of it has to do with the kind of guys they draft. Without an elite work ethic, great character, and passion for the game within the player, development from Kawhi or DeJounte isn't possible. From the time he was drafted, DeJounte would post pictures of himself on snapchat at around midnight, drenched in sweat at the Spurs practice facility at least 3-5 times a week. All he does is talk about how great he aspires to be, it reminds me of when Kawhi was a rookies. Both not only aspire to be great, but both have freakish size and length for their positions which gives them a rare, yet solid foundation w/ a huge edge to build on.

It's very hard for NBA teams to quantify work ethic, character and passion for the game months/weeks prior to the NBA Draft. Most college coaches will vouch for their guys to help their players get drafted and to help their programs shine.

Those three things are so huge with player development and whether or not a player will be a bust. Spurs seem to have a great grasp on gauging it better than most teams.

I think that's a bit of a false narrative. I've spent a good deal of time around D-1 athletes. Most players work harder at their craft than anyone can imagine.

Guys who make it to the league and aren't 6'8"+ with crazy athleticism are guys that have poured more sweat and blood into basketball than most of us will ever work at anything in our lives. They work hours a day every single day to be better. And that's on top of already being elite athletes by the average person's standards anyway. Yes, there are players out there that only do the mandated practices etc and still succeed at making it to the League, but MOST have lived and breathed basketball from an incredibly early age.

There are definite exceptions to this rule and some players do work harder than others, but nearly every player in the league is driven to be a great player. , almost every player in DI or even DII ball has had to work like to get there. I don't think the Spurs are catching "the few hard workers" out of a sea of lazy ballers, I think they're managing to find the ones that both have drive AND the ability to be crafted into much better versions of themselves.

Murray still could bust, after all. But he definitely looks like he's got the potential.

[TD 21]

-Dejounte Murray is the best draft pick the Spurs have made (outside the Kawhi trade) since Parker, easily. This kid can play ball. Can we get a nickname for him yet? I'm tired of spelling his first name already.

-I'm really beginning to worry about MVPatty. He just hasn't been right since New Years and it's killing Manu and the bench. If he doesn't find his game soon I can definitely see Murray taking his spot in the rotation.

-Pop's rotations continue to make no sense. I understand Gasol being out was unexpected, but there's no reason LMA should be playing 18 minutes straight in the first half with Bertans sitting on the bench being ignored.

Way too soon to call Murray the best (if we're only counting those that played for them, then it's Hill and Splitter), but he's got the highest upside.

I'm not worried about Mills, who was shooting out of his mind and due for some regression to the mean. Like the notion of him taking the starting job from Parker earlier in the season, there's no chance Murray takes the primary backup job from him.

Aldridge didn't play 18 minutes straight, he sat for about 2 minutes late in the 1st quarter, then about 4 minutes mid 2nd quarter.

This confirms it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVEILr4JLtk

Watch from about 1:40-1:55, then 2:40-3:40.

[Robz4000]

I had that stat with LMA typed up during the second quarter before it was pointed out in the game thread tbh; didn't go back to edit it like I should've.

[MaNu4Tres]

I think that's a bit of a false narrative. I've spent a good deal of time around D-1 athletes. Most players work harder at their craft than anyone can imagine.

Guys who make it to the league and aren't 6'8"+ with crazy athleticism are guys that have poured more sweat and blood into basketball than most of us will ever work at anything in our lives. They work hours a day every single day to be better. And that's on top of already being elite athletes by the average person's standards anyway. Yes, there are players out there that only do the mandated practices etc and still succeed at making it to the League, but MOST have lived and breathed basketball from an incredibly early age.

There are definite exceptions to this rule and some players do work harder than others, but nearly every player in the league is driven to be a great player. , almost every player in DI or even DII ball has had to work like to get there. I don't think the Spurs are catching "the few hard workers" out of a sea of lazy ballers, I think they're managing to find the ones that both have drive AND the ability to be crafted into much better versions of themselves.

Murray still could bust, after all. But he definitely looks like he's got the potential.

You're missing the point by a lot.

You being around D-1 athletes has little relevance to how former D-1 players handle success, money, women, and the limelight once they make it to the NBA.

Sure most D-1 athletes work their ass off ( no ), as all of them are trying to make it to the highest level. But it's about what happens when they get there.

I'm talking about the type of character, and passion for the game that translates throughout their NBA career -- its very hard for NBA teams to analyze that before they draft a player.

Throughout the women, drugs, money, and all the distractions that come with being a professional player who has "made it". There's a lot of players who have loads of potential and work there ass off to get to the NBA. But once they get to the NBA, a lot of them never reach their full potential because they get caught up in the life and prioritize the wrong things. They don't work as hard, they become complacent and are content with their skill level. Some may work hard just to maintain, but not the type of work it takes to really improve year after year as they consume a lot of their time in the fluff that comes with being a professional athlete.

[SnakeBoy]

Call him "Play".

I've been calling him re ed E.T.

Kid's got crazy potential but man he needs to go on Tattoo Nightmares for a cover up

[james evans]

I give Pop and A for getting himself ejected because we know he would have been on his micromanaging bull had he stayed

[Spurtacular]

Bertans and Dedmon get A's for the last play to have the Spurs beat the -12.5 spread.

[will_spurs]

Aldridge didn't play 18 minutes straight, he sat for about 2 minutes late in the 1st quarter, then about 4 minutes mid 2nd quarter.

This confirms it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVEILr4JLtk

Watch from about 1:40-1:55, then 2:40-3:40.

Easier to simply check the play by play:
1Q:

3:39

Dewayne Dedmon enters the game for LaMarcus Aldridge

2:14

LaMarcus Aldridge enters the game for David Lee

2Q:

7:24

Dewayne Dedmon enters the game for LaMarcus Aldridge

2:47

LaMarcus Aldridge enters the game for Dewayne Dedmon

But that's still 16:36 minutes to start the game with only a 1:25 pause.

[Brazil]

Murray is a baller tbh

[RD2191]

I've been calling him re ed E.T.

Kid's got crazy potential but man he needs to go on Tattoo Nightmares for a cover up

WTF

[TimDunkem]

Murray is a baller tbh

Yep. People can say what they want about him but he's poised as . Fearless.