The weekly Belli thread...

[ElNono]

Thoughts on THAT dude now that we've gone through about 10% of the season?

I'm really liking what I've seen so far.

On offense he's not been hesitant to give the extra pass, play within the system, and didn't force 3s that were not there, instead stepping in and taking a shorter 2 pointer.

On defense, I like he's tall enough where opposing players don't just shoot over him, and he's also shown good activity and effort, IMO.

[jeebus]

Anything is better than Neal. I was creepin' the Bucks section on the real gm boards and they all want him to die a horrible death. I feel kinda bad they're stuck with him tbh.

[Mugen]

No shoeless players have scored on him yet so I'm happy with him tbh.

He's average at best on defense which is still significantly better than the guy he's replacing. Better fit offensively and I think Patty brings a lot of the same stuff that Neal did on offense so it evens out.

Pretty excited about a bench of Patty/Beli/Manu/Diaw. Hope Ayres doesn't suck so hard going forward or the Spurs can add a piece.

[TheGoldStandard]

Marco gets it, not trying to do to much and learning the system with success.

[ElNono]

Anything is better than Neal. I was creepin' the Bucks section on the real gm boards and they all want him to die a horrible death. I feel kinda bad they're stuck with him tbh.

I tuned in to the Heat-Bucks game today to watch him, but he wasn't playing at the time, and the game was kinda meh...

[HI-FI]

been a fan since his Hornets' days, back when BRHornet posted his gifs all over the boards. Belli just seemed meant for the Spurs. I'm liking that already he understands the system but also that he can do his own thing within its structure. I believe his fluidity within the team will only improve. Neal always seemed to be looking for his own shot, even til the end.

[DesignatedT]

Much better than Neal.

[timtonymanu]

He's been alright. He does fit well with Manu and Patty and is easily an upgrade over Neal.

I still think some people are overrating him though, especially all the premature start Marco over Green threads.

[TheGoldStandard]

been a fan since his Hornets' days, back when BRHornet posted his gifs all over the boards. Belli just seemed meant for the Spurs. I'm liking that already he understands the system but also that he can do his own thing within its structure. I believe his fluidity within the team will only improve. Neal always seemed to be looking for his own shot, even til the end.

Neal would make bonehead plays like pulling up to shoot a jumper on a 3-1 fast break. Marco gets it and isn't trying to rock the boat.

[exstatic]

He doesn't have to look at the ball when he's dribbling, unlike his predecessor.

[TheGoldStandard]

He doesn't have to look at the ball when he's dribbling, unlike his predecessor.

I was sick of seeing that guy turn his back to the rim and get trapped

[PlayNando]

Marco = The Dude. The Truth.

[Spurs_Be_Beastin']

THAT GOD DAMN DUDE

[siraulo23]

Belli is better than neal defensively, doesnt matter how much better, but hes better

[McGusto55]

Solid

[racm]

Belinelli can at least drive to the basket and not be a total liability on D...

A nine-man rotation of Duncan/Parker/Leonard/Green/Splitter + Ginobili/Belinelli/Diaw/Mills should be the favorite out West.

[Sean Cagney]

Belinelli can at least drive to the basket and not be a total liability on D...

A nine-man rotation of Duncan/Parker/Leonard/Green/Splitter + Ginobili/Belinelli/Diaw/Mills should be the favorite out West.

I hope so!

[Raven]

i'll be posting some of the unacceptable things belinelli does on defence, just to busy with work for now, stay tuned.

[Hoops Czar]

Hill's got a much better NBA body (especially for defense and athletic finishes whereas Neal seems like a below the rim player and doesn't have a crazy wingspan to bother taller players) but Neal still seems to be a significantly better rookie imo. And even though its been mentioned a bunch, Neal's also not a typical rookie either given his experience overseas.

Neal's got a far superior shooting touch and has already shown various abilities including hitting timely 3's from deep downtown, clutch free throws, variety of midrange shots, and floaters around the rim. The rookie Neal seems to also have better decision making, passing, and court vision as well. However it doesn't seem likely that Neal will have any significant time as a combo guard and instead will focus on shooting which is expected considering the team already had its PG's and needed shooters. It also seems like Neal doesn't need the ball anywhere near as much as Hill to be effective which imo makes him also much more versatile offensively.



Three-point shooting is just about the only area Neal could be better than Hill ... and I'll wait until the end of the season before I give the nod to Neal in that department. That said, the Spurs desperately needed shooting in the offseason and Neal has fit the bill. He has fit pretty damn seamlessly and brings some confidence/cockiness the Spurs have lacked in recent years.




Neal is a coldblooded shooter that has pretty good handles, nice passing skills, deceptive mid-range game and endless energy. Not the most athletic, nor the longest or tallest, but a major spark plug kind of player that can bring instant offense when hot. Always gives 100% effort and has the necessary amnesia to just shoot through slumps. Not just a spot up shooter, hes very adept at moving without the ball and firing on the run. Hes everything we wished Jack McClinton had been.




http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167828



Congrats Gary :toast

One of the few players that Spurs HAVE to keep. He's what players like RJ, Bonner, and Hill need to play like.



Hope he stays a Spur for a while... need more of him in the team...


http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=179606



Even with whatever player they bring in to backup the point, its a given that Neal is at least going to be the third PG. He can run an offense but teams that can pressure the ball well like Memphis did to hamstring us worry the hell out of me with Neal in there.

One idea I do like is him getting to run the second unit. Neal exudes leadership characteristics and that would be a great place for him. He works to get others involved and is accountable and determined.

Hes played a lot of point in his career so considering how he far exceeded expectations, I see no reason to belittle the man again. He deserves the benefit of the doubt. If nothing else his defense will be better


http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187121





Gary Neal of course. We're halfway through the season already and who would have thought he would be such a good addition? The guy had his up and downs defensively (understandable being a rook) but his offense has been great.
Good handles, great shooting and steady play have earned him a spot in the rotation. The few interviews I've seen show a very level headed guy too.
Let's hope he can continue to contribute to the Spurs success in the second half of the season and the playoffs. Right now, the Spurs seem to have snagged another gem.



Honestly, at the start of the season I thought at best, he could be a starter for the Toros.

Did not expect any of this amazing shooting from him. Best of all he plays solid defense to boot. Barring any Mason JR-like catastrophe's, here's to hoping Neal dons the silver and black for a while.



Guy is just a dynamite shooter. His jump shot mechanics are beautiful; if he gets squared up and gets a clean shot then I expect it's going in. Even his misses are usually either short or long, but still on line, and sometimes that's the most you can hope for as a shooter.


http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=170502




I just saw Gary Neal in the toilet....



Why.....


BECAUSE HE'S THE SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Takes a lot for a Rookie to average nearly 10 points in this spurs system (9.8ppg i think) Tony and Manu would be the only other 2 spurs rookies to average that much as a rook in rescent memory (since timmy of course)

Thankyou so much Gary. That shot will go down in infamy next to Sean's Memorial Day Miracle and Steve Kerr's barrage of fourth quarter 3s in 03 to finish off Dallas and Horrys heroics in 05. Of course all those ended up in championships. Let's pray it doesn't turn out like Duncan's amazing three against Phoenix which didn't end in a ring.

Someone check Gary's pulse. This dude is cold blooded.

Go Spurs Go

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=178348


Yeah', I'm going to give it a little more time before I cast judgement. Some of the same thing being said about Belinelli now were being said about Neal back then. How ironic is that? People just write off the fact that Neal was INJURED last season so his numbers and production was down. It still doesn't change the fact that for two years, he was a very solid contributor off the bench.

The biggest problem with Neal was the way Pop utilized him. He was never a true point guard, but that didn't stop the Spurs from using him as one. When you put a player in a position to fail, more often than not, he's going to. That's not neal's fault.

Neal has always been a chucker, but nobody seemed to mind his first two seasons. It's only last year during his injury-plagued season when his shooting percentage took a dive did anyone care.

I haven't seen anything in Belinelli to this point that suggests he's much of an improvement over 2010-12 Neal. I'm not sure he'll net this team one more win than a healthy Neal. Only time will tell.

[ElNono]

Czar, there's a big difference with Gary though. With Gary there was seemingly room to develop him, and that invited more questions. Marco comes in as a much more seasoned player, and the question with him is "will he fit?".

I always liked Gary. We always knew he was limited in certain areas, and we were hoping to see improvement year over year in those areas. It never panned out, and that's fine. The Spurs paid dimes for his production, he was an absolute steal for the team. But it's also clear he hit a ceiling within the system. When the question became "can he fit?" instead of "can he develop further?", I feel the FO thought the price tag wasn't worth it.

This is no knock on Neal. Belli has limitations of his own. Most players do.

So far I like what I've seen from Belli as far as "fit" goes. It's early, but encouraging.

[Chinook]

Yep. Neal is much better than people realize. The jury's still out on Beli. On one hand, he's playing better than he has for most teams. On the other hand, he seems to playing out of character. We'll see how long it lasts. He is showing to at least be trying to fit into the Spurs'system, which is great. I won't give him the nod over Gary defensively yet, though. Neal's ability to draw charges is incredibly underrated.

[blkroadrunners]

I'll give him a B+ so far. I would like to see his scoring ability some more, a thing Neal was never afraid to exihibit. In contrast, I do like his ability to run the offense and set players up, sort of like a mini-Manu, and I love his versatility as well (something Neal didn't have). IMO, this Spurs team is a bit deeper than last year, especially with the emergence of Mills and Diaw being more aggressive. I'm a Neal homer, but so far Beli fits with this Spurs team better than Neal would.

[Prime Time]

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167828
All that thread did is remind me of how far SA has come. Neal and Hill turned in to Beli and Leonard :wow

But to be fair, at the time Neal was a rookie just signed straight from the SL. He was blowing expectations like crazy. If Marco was in the same situation (Little known Guard signed from Las Vegas) then people would start calling him the next Manu. Sounds crazy, but some fans acted that way with Nando during the 2012 pre-season.

[Hoops Czar]

Yep. Neal is much better than people realize. The jury's still out on Beli. On one hand, he's playing better than he has for most teams. On the other hand, he seems to playing out of character. We'll see how long it lasts. He is showing to at least be trying to fit into the Spurs'system, which is great. I won't give him the nod over Gary defensively yet, though. Neal's ability to draw charges is incredibly underrated.

I agree with a lot of ElNono has to say, but a lot of posters seem to have tunnel vision when it comes to Neal. By no means was he a stout defender or even a well rounded basketball player, but he too had assists, steals, created turnovers and took charges. I don't know why we have to slam Neal to make Belinelli look good. Try playing basketball with plantar fasciitis for a season and tell me it doesn't affect your lift, and movement on the court.

Beli's career to date would suggest he isn't much of an upgrade over Neal. However, maybe he's finally found the right system, coach and supporting staff that could help him raise his game to the next level. I'm hopeful this is the case because right now, I'm kinda bummed out the Spurs essentially ruined their financial flexibility with two players that didn't really deserve MLE money when they could have resigned Neal and used that extra money on a backup SF or PG.

I'm going to give Belinelli every opportunity to prove me wrong and hope he does.

[chapnis]

i'll be posting some of the unacceptable things belinelli does on defence, just to busy with work for now, stay tuned.

Yeah, but it'd only be half the length of a similarly themed Gary Neal video.

[ElNono]

"New" is always a blank check, tbh. Also, most players give their best effort when they're on a new team... there's motivation there (for a guy like Neal so much more, since he was trying to actually make the league). I'm happy for him he did make it.

I thought he developed into "undersized talented offensive guard". There's a place in this league for him.

I also think the Spurs post-Kawhi started to zero-in again on defense, and at the SG spot, Danny started to need more minutes. Patty fills the PG spot much more naturally with the same offensive mindset. That's why I think the Spurs just didn't want to put a lot of money there. Marco is a bit bigger, you can alternate him and Danny at backup SF if you need to. On paper, I was pleased with the deal. Obviously, it's up to Marco to live up to expectations.

[blkroadrunners]

I just hope Marco doesn't phase out within these 2 years like Roger Mason Jr. did. At least Neal was consistent during his tenure with the Spurs, and had a few playoff moments.

[Captivus]

I need a bigger sample.
The only thing I can say is that I have seen Neal win games almost by himself, in those crazy shooting nights. And I dont think we can say that "Spurs lost this game becuase of Neal" because he was not responsible of winning, like the big 3, maybe even the big 4.

So, ATM, I like Belli, but he is like meh...and there were a few games this season in which I wanted to have Neal to come in and see if he could score like we know he can.

Bigger sample.
(my english sucks more than usual)

[benefactor]

Umm...the Spurs only loss is a game Beli almost won by himself.

[exstatic]

Umm...the Spurs only loss is a game Beli almost won by himself.

Yeah, he was drilling it vs Portland.

[CaptainLate]

Anything is better than Neal.

From what little action I've seen here in Boom Town west Texas, knowledgeable fans can see Belinelli's ball-handling will be a vast improvement over what Neal had to offer last year. Stupid (as in slow to learn, and now too late) Pop should have never used Neal as a backup PG.

[CaptainLate]

Yeah, he was drilling it vs Portland.

Buck Harvey has a recent article for the dying Express News "pay to read" crowd. Can't wait for the newsprint media to finally fold. 75% of the shit they put out is advertising.

[look_at_g_shred]

I really like the way he and Manu control the second unit. Moves without the ball well, good passer, and great BBIQ. Some of his shots are a little iffy. For example, his midrange off balance fade aways he like to do, but all his other assets make up for that. Plus, if all else fails, he can just give his defender something long and thick to eat! :hat

[Cowboys_Wear_Spurs]

Marco gets it, not trying to do to much and learning the system with success.

That's the big one. You can tell he was struggling early on with the defensive rotation and even the offensive positioning of play. But things seem to click for him in the Knicks game, and it carried forward to the Philly game. Looking forward to seeing how he does tonight against the Wiz.

[Darkwaters]

Czar, there's a big difference with Gary though. With Gary there was seemingly room to develop him, and that invited more questions. Marco comes in as a much more seasoned player, and the question with him is "will he fit?".


In all fairness, I don't think the prevailing hope of anyone in the front office was that we could develop Neal. He was 26 when he came over for Summer League was already known as an established European player. The question was more, does he have enough ability to stick? Does he have that one undeniable skill that makes him an NBA asset? And frankly, he made that abundantly clear within just a couple of otherwise meaningless SL matches. The vast majority of his "development" just came from familiarization with the Spurs system.

[hater]

Anything is better than Neal.

http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/nba/players/full/1006.png&w=350&h=254http://www.rotorob.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Beno_Udrih.jpg

[hater]

Marco is the best signing in Spurs history.

book it

told ya niggas :lol


Using both Manu + Beli might be a good idea. I am for anything that avoids having Manu hog the ball at the point and then proceed to pass it to an open Heat player or the lady in the first row.


Marco = Class A player

Neal = Class B player

it's that simple

props to lefty, hifi and other quality posters too imo


Fuck yes !!!!


Finally someone with cojones !


http://replygif.net/i/945.gif

timvp... not so much :lol



I should clarify on the Neal comparison: If you're comparing Belinelli to the plantar fasciitis+calf strain+achilles tendinitis Neal that we saw a majority of last season, then yeah Belinelli is better. But if you're comparing Belinelli to the Neal of his first two seasons and the Neal that began last year, Neal is probably better. Belinelli has room to improve (Neal doesn't) so maybe Belinelli can surpass what a healthy Neal could provide but it's far from a lock.

:lol :lol :lol

oh and my man rogue who's usually 100% on point, thank me for not pulling up your initial thoughts either :lmao

[ElNono]

In all fairness, I don't think the prevailing hope of anyone in the front office was that we could develop Neal. He was 26 when he came over for Summer League was already known as an established European player. The question was more, does he have enough ability to stick? Does he have that one undeniable skill that makes him an NBA asset? And frankly, he made that abundantly clear within just a couple of otherwise meaningless SL matches. The vast majority of his "development" just came from familiarization with the Spurs system.

I don't know about "established", but he was certainly a known prospect. I mean, if his game was so well known, another team would've picked him up before we did. It's difficult making the jump from Europe. Most players need a season or two to get acclimated to the NBA.

[Darkwaters]

I don't know about "established", but he was certainly a known prospect. I mean, if his game was so well known, another team would've picked him up before we did. It's difficult making the jump from Europe. Most players need a season or two to get acclimated to the NBA.

Definitely established. I'm not saying he was a superstar, but he had great success playing both in Spain and Italy. I saw him in person once in Treviso where he was the lifeblood of that offense. Trust me, he was established.

There are plenty of players that are tearing it up in Europe that wouldn't be able to translate their game to the NBA. Neal looked like one of those guys. The biggest knock on Neal has always been his limited athleticism and, to a lesser degree, his less than ideal height for the 2 guard. That scared teams away. But the Spurs needed shooting pretty desperately, and a Summer League invite isn't much to wager in a hail mary that maybe nets you something worthwhile. Neal was that hail mary, and despite his flaws, his shooting was good enough that he warranted a roster spot. The rest is history. Neal was never a "can't miss" prospect. If he were he probably never goes to Europe at all. But when given a small window of opportunity he seized it. You gotta respect that.

[CGD]

Damn good value. Upgrade over Neal.

We we should be asking this about Ayers tbh

[ElNono]

Definitely established. I'm not saying he was a superstar, but he had great success playing both in Spain and Italy. I saw him in person once in Treviso where he was the lifeblood of that offense. Trust me, he was established.

There are plenty of players that are tearing it up in Europe that wouldn't be able to translate their game to the NBA. Neal looked like one of those guys. The biggest knock on Neal has always been his limited athleticism and, to a lesser degree, his less than ideal height for the 2 guard. That scared teams away. But the Spurs needed shooting pretty desperately, and a Summer League invite isn't much to wager in a hail mary that maybe nets you something worthwhile. Neal was that hail mary, and despite his flaws, his shooting was good enough that he warranted a roster spot. The rest is history. Neal was never a "can't miss" prospect. If he were he probably never goes to Europe at all. But when given a small window of opportunity he seized it. You gotta respect that.

I'm 100% happy he made the league. He worked hard for it. Thanks for the other info.

[temujin]

Neal in Europe had attitude problems.
He was fired by Treviso, for example, and for a reason.
He has been always capable to shoot and Pop's system worked wonders for him.

As for Beli, he is ahead of schedule in terms of how he fits.
He is more than average on defense, in my opinion.
What I think Pop likes is that he has a high BB IQ.

On the other hand, I thought he could do better with his shot.
I think I see some changes in the mechanics and I wonder whether Engelland has something to do with it.

At any rate, I do expect him to take a few "ignorant shots" of his, and he could win as many games as Neal did last year.

[SpursDynasty21]

The Spurs should keep Belinelli around longer than just the contract he signed. He's a great fit.

[jeebus]

http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/nba/players/full/1006.png&w=350&h=254http://www.rotorob.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Beno_Udrih.jpg


Anything is better than Neal.

[hater]

Anything is better than Neal

:rolleyes

Neal 14pts 3rbs 4ast 53% from 3

Beno 2pts 1rb 1ast 0% from 3

Dick - no longer in the nba

:rolleyes

[Spurs Brazil]

He's playing well, his defense is better then I expected

[spurraider21]

I liked Neal and still do. He was a good backup player and good shooters with scoring ability will always find a spot in the league. Bellineli's ball handling ability makes him more useful for our squad though with Manu aging

[monkeypunk]

:rolleyes

Dick - no longer in the nba

:rolleyes

Dick actually plays for Utah but with their team, might as well be unemployed...

[jeebus]

:rolleyes

Neal 14pts 3rbs 4ast 53% from 3

Beno 2pts 1rb 1ast 0% from 3

Dick - no longer in the nba

:rolleyes


Anything is better than Neal.