We're playing horrible, disinterested basketball

[ElNono]

Not a meltdown thread, just reflecting a bit on the last few weeks...

I'm a bit disappointed in Bobo, he just looks kinda passive out there for long stretches.

I'm wondering what's really going on with Tiago. He sat out for a long ass time, and still can't play 15 mins of basketball without running a bike for while.

I'm bittersweet about Cojo. He has games where he's really aggressive and wows, and games where he just passes up shots and defers too much. Every player needs to be a threat, especially if you're out there in crunch time.

I miss Kawhi and he's only been out one game. This team really stinks rebounding the ball, especially without Tiago. It's Tim and nobody else. He's sorely missed there more than anywhere else.

I'm confused about Tony, is he hurt? is he coasting? Is this the inevitable decline after collecting so many miles on his legs. He has earned the benefit of the doubt.

I'm a bit sad Gino is showing his age, and we can't continue to rely on him to win us games night in and night out. The fire is obviously still there, but the misses right at the rim are a constant reminder of father time.

I'm grateful for Tim, who's the only exception to the rule (as always). He might be showing his age in the post or the jumper, but he's a monster.


We're moving the ball only sporadically, and we half ass the defense until we need to drag ourselves out of a hole. It's like we don't really have that fire every night (or most of the night), only against potential contenders or severely crippled teams.

This isn't the first and likely not the last time the Spurs will go through a stretch of disinterested play. Pop has pulled the 'soft' card many times before. I think we're an extremely talented team, but we can't pretend that we can just flip the switch whenever we want. There's still a long season ahead of us, and plenty of time for the Spurs to be the best team they can be, so there's no need to jump off the cliff just yet.

Your thoughts?

[TheGreatYacht]

Good read. Feeling the same way

[marinoman]

Injuries and december basketball......meh. And I disagree about flipping the switch, last year it was the opposite, killed shitty teams and lost to good ones early. Then once again around the rodeo road trip they turned it on, played well going into the playoffs, and the rest
However manu is reverting back to 2012-13 form but we're good enough depth wise (when it matters) to handle that

[Spursfanfromafar]

The thing is that the defense has been good and the Spurs do look good when they are good.

The trouble is with the offense. It is a sputtering offense where off the dribble plays are lacking and every game seems to be a struggle as defenses concentrate hard against the reigning champions.

I guess, Patty's coming back will help for one. And Parker, who I thought was doing well early in the season.. maybe should earn his salary like he has always done in the past.

The Spurs are depending too much on Duncan and Manu now and while it just reflects the greatness of the elderly gentlemen, it has to be Parker and the "next three" - Kawhi, Danny and Splitter who should carry the load more. In that respect so far, the season has been a failure till date. But its only December and I think the Spurs will pick up later in the season.

Positives - Cory Joseph has done really well. He is still a bit erratic but he has improved tremendously.

[ElNono]

Injuries and december basketball......meh. And I disagree about flipping the switch, last year it was the opposite, killed shitty teams and lost to good ones early. Then once again around the rodeo road trip they turned it on, played well going into the playoffs, and the rest

Last season we had a progression where we were not good enough to beat the good teams, and then we improved to the point where we could beat anybody. I don't think a "switch" was involved there. This season we've gone through up and downs against scrub teams, but the last couple of weeks have been just awful basketball against shitty teams. We basically only showed up against Memphis (which is a good team) and the crippled Wolves.

[Harry Callahan]

With the long grind of the last 3 years (three long playoff runs with finals appearances the last two years), it is very hard to muster up that same drive and determination that we saw last year. Ultimate success as the last team standing brings a level of satisfaction and it is hard to "bring it" each and every night. With the lack of roster continuity, it is not totally surprising that the Spurs are having some problems.

Getting Leonard, Splitter, and Parker back healthy will be a big help. Getting an in shape and hopefully productive Patty Mills will go a long way towards getting things back in order for the bench.

It's hard to be patient with some of these tough losses lately, but better days are ahead if everyone can get back on the floor and healthy at the same time.

I know I'm a spoiled Spurs fan - things have hummed along so well for so long its a drag to see things not work well some nights this season.

[FkLA]

Meh theyve gone into GS, LAC, Memphis and Cleveland and bullied all of them. That and the fact that the team hasn't been healthy all season makes it really hard to get too concerned about rough stretches like these. HCA is really only a difference maker vs OKC and we have a comfortable lead on them tbh.

[Robz4000]

They need to knock it off. The playoffs aren't guaranteed this season in the West (at least HCA in the first round). The next month of play will be telling.

[SpurPadre]

Manu's crunch time FT shooting is completely disturbing.

[ElNono]

With the long grind of the last 3 years (three long playoff runs with finals appearances the last two years), it is very hard to muster up that same drive and determination that we saw last year. Ultimate success as the last team standing brings a level of satisfaction and it is hard to "bring it" each and every night. With the lack of roster continuity, it is not totally surprising that the Spurs are having some problems.

Solid point, lots of miles the last 3 seasons.

[SpurPadre]

We're making the playoffs, obviously but we need HCA despite what Pop says about that.

[Mikeanaro]

They are not hungry, every loss except Utah was a close one Spurs play like they should only in the 4th quarter look Danny Green in the 4th tonight he was jumping like a monkey swatting balls running and stealing the balls 6 times as minimum but there was no fire in the first 3 quarters, coasting is good but you coast too much and you will finish with a 5th seed, this year is a closer race for playoff spots they are playing with switches, regulating their bodies but that tells me something... PATTY WHERE ARE YOU!?!?! I MISS YOU PATTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHERE IS MY MVP???????????????????????

[marinoman]

Last season we had a progression where we were not good enough to beat the good teams, and then we improved to the point where we could beat anybody. I don't think a "switch" was involved there. This season we've gone through up and downs against scrub teams, but the last couple of weeks have been just awful basketball against shitty teams. We basically only showed up against Memphis.
I agree the d and ball movement isnt there. You see that as a long term issue though, cause i dont. Without some of our guys though, splitter mills and others consistently, if this team is healthy then even as an 8th seed (that wont happen) I favor us against anyone

[midnightpulp]

I'm still pissed, because I hate losing to the faggot Lakers and I'm getting real tired of Popovich treating world class athletes like Ming Vases (Kawhi could've played tonight, but Pop once again got cute with his "looking ahead" M.O. And this won't be the last time Pop makes potentially easy wins difficult because he's programmed to sit everyone on back-to-backs), but this team is fine.

The Brooklyn and Utah games weren't gimmies, despite those team's records. Brooklyn can be a stingy team under Hollins' Grit and Grind system. Sure, they're below average defensively, but they slow the game to a crawl, which can throw a pace team like the Spurs out of rhythm. Utah has some talent and they have the mile high advantage. They were on a 9 game losing streak, Tony Parker was out, and with Manu having his worst game of the season, I'm not surprised we gave that game away. And if Kawhi played tonight, the Spurs coast to a 10-15 point win. Sure, the Spurs should crush the Lakers even without Leonard, but like I said awhile back, the Lakers have enough offense that they can hot and steal some games they had no business winning.

Once this team gets healthy and in-sync, they'll go on a run. All their metrics look good, and that's with missing 2 of the team's top 8 players.

[Harry Callahan]

Solid point, lots of miles the last 3 seasons.

The other thing too is that the Spurs look like they are just trying to survive the regular season grind and get to the playoffs. I don't see them getting the #1 seed like they did last year. However, a fully stocked Spurs roster can win a game anywhere anytime in the playoffs.

[BillMc]

Manu's crunch time FT shooting is completely disturbing.

Yeah. I'm a huge Manu fan, and he always used to be automatic at the charity stripe in crunch time. Now it seems he splits them every time.

[HI-FI]

Meh theyve gone into GS, LAC, Memphis and Cleveland and bullied all of them. That and the fact that the team hasn't been healthy all season makes it really hard to get too concerned about rough stretches like these. HCA is really only a difference maker vs OKC and we have a comfortable lead on them tbh.
this.


they just need to get into the playoffs as healthy as possible, be ahead of OKC in the seeding, and the rest I don't worry about. Tonight was just a shitty loss because of the Laker/troll element.

[SpurPadre]

The other thing too is that the Spurs look like they are just trying to survive the regular season grind and get to the playoffs. I don't see them getting the #1 seed like they did last year. However, a fully stocked Spurs roster can win a game anywhere anytime in the playoffs.

The 2010 7th seeded Spurs thought the same thing and look what happened then.

[SpurPadre]

Yeah. I'm a huge Manu fan, and he always used to be automatic at the charity stripe in crunch time. Now it seems he splits them every time.

I have to believe it's not a physical thing, but a mental thing. But if that's the case, there isn't much Chip can do to help him in that area.

[ElNono]

I'm not down on the team, I think we're the team with the highest ceiling out there, due to corporate knowledge and because we know what our peak looks like. It's not a given we're going to reach that peak again, but I'm sure we'll work towards it. I just think we've been coasting a bit the last couple of weeks and that's something we didn't do a lot last season.

[Malik Hairston]

Just really need to get healthy, tbh..

It's frustrating that every week there's a new injury, and it's not even the 2 seniors on the team suffering from these injuries, either:lol..

Only concern I have is Splitter's health, right now..I agree that there's something mysterious about his current status..

As for Diaw, I genuinely believe he's just coasting..he played in the Summer, and his personality is laid back by nature, I think he'll be fine when the Spurs need him later..

[marinoman]

The 2010 7th seeded Spurs thought the same thing and look what happened then.

cmon this spurs team is alot more talented than the 2010 team. Not having HCA isnt the reason we lost.
In 2011 we were the one seed, albeit with a hurt manu, 2012 we were a one seed, hca didnt help. Hell neither years in any series did we see a game 7 to use the advantage and in game 5 at home in 2012, the one time we faced a series past 4, we lost.

[Malik Hairston]

It's also easier to feel good about coasting when this team has already dominated the Grizzlies/Warriors and defeated the Clippers, Cavs and Mavs..all those teams are regular season warriors, too..

[Harry Callahan]

The 2010 7th seeded Spurs thought the same thing and look what happened then.

I think the 2009-2010 team beat the Mavericks in the first round that year and had to depend on Matt Bonner and Richard Jefferson a lot more than they would now. This is a much better team than that one IF HEALTHY.

[spurraider21]

i'm not worried about them picking it up at the season goes along. i just hope they're going to be content with not having a top 2 seed

[timtonymanu]

Not worried and tonight's loss really pissed me off. I'm only worried about Splitter's status and worried that TP's presence is hurting the Spurs.

There's still a long way to go and fortunately the Spurs have looked overwhelming against the contenders they faced so far.

[Hoops Czar]

I think the Spurs actually need to spell out the word coasting before ElNono believes it.

[Robz4000]

It's also easier to feel good about coasting when this team has already dominated the Grizzlies/Warriors and defeated the Clippers, Cavs and Mavs..all those teams are regular season warriors, too..

I feel the wins against the Cavs and Mavs were flukes tbh. Mavs were the first game of the year and had little chemistry, and the same can be said about the Cavs. The only two safisying wins this year have been the Warriors and Grizz, and they match up terribly with the Spurs.

[ElNono]

I think the Spurs actually need to spell out the word coasting before ElNono believes it.

I'm not particularly worried at this stage. I do think it's not fair to Tim who shows up to every one of these games though...

[Robz4000]

Its only December but Tony and Manu have looked really bad at times, Tony especially. We all talk shit about both but in the end if one or the other falls off a cliff the Spurs' shot at repeating gets infinitely harder. I just have a numbing feeling that this may be it (at least for Parker); Manu can at least impact the game all over, but if Parker can't do his thing on offense he's useless.

[Johnny RIngo]

The two cheese-eating surrender monkeys have been horrendous this year. Considering Bobo and Enrique make a combined $21 million this year, they're not producing anywhere near what they're paid.

[Robz4000]

Diaw gets some leeway; he's been playing basketball nonstop for years now and has had some big moments this season. None for Parker tho (whose getting paid twice as much).

[Johnny RIngo]

Diaw gets some leeway; he's been playing basketball nonstop for years now and has had some big moments this season. None for Parker tho (whose getting paid twice as much).

Bobo actually showed up in the playoffs last year so, yeah, I guess it's harsh to lump him in with TP. Don't know what happened to Tony though. He's fallen off so hard after 2013 - never seen a player regress THIS much after only one season. Dude isn't even a top 20 point guard atm.

[Robz4000]

A mix of aging and the system moving away from him; the system really made him look a lot better than he was. I mean, he was clearly the best PG in the NBA that year, but at times he seemed more unstoppable than Lebron.

[therealtruth]

I still don't have faith Pop knows what it takes to repeat. Hopefully he figures it out cause he hasn't figured it out the last few times.

[mkurts]

Feels like a repeat of the early on Mavs series where nobody except Duncan tried ....

[Johnny RIngo]

I still don't have faith Pop knows what it takes to repeat. Hopefully he figures it out cause he hasn't figured it out the last few times.

The front office deserves part of the blame. They have the entire MLE to use and they instead choose to roll the dice with crappy D-League talent like Daye and Ayres. Spurs never want to go over the top by adding better talent - they're just content to stay the same. That's what cost them in 2008 when they last tried to repeat.

[EVAY]

I couldn't get on this board during the game because I knew that as mad as I was at the team and the TV, the forum would be in total melt-down mode.

Last night was infuriating because of the play of everyone except Tim Duncan, and even Tim had a couple of bone-headed turnovers. It was embarrassing to watch that game.

I don't get upset early in seasons, normally, and this is still early, but damn, this team is showing a real lack of drive and crispness. Hopefully, as Tiago gets back into full time playing our offense picks up its execution (I think Tiago is more important to that than most realize), but the DEFENSE last night sucked bath water. The game was won on their three point shooting, and they were not, before last night, a particularly good three point shooting team. That was simply indefensible, and coupled with our inexcusable turnovers in the first quarter, particularly, the team looked outclassed by the damn Lakers of 2014!!!!

We made a couple of runs offensively, but the bottom line was that we could never get a stop! Whenever we got close, they answered. We couldn't stop them, and that has to get fixed.

[testies]

Overreaction

[DrSteffo]

I think that they are bored. Too many games, too much travel until the real season begins.

[Beaverfuzz]

Perfect storm last night. The toilet papers just wanted it a little more.

[r0drig0lac]

I think that they are bored. Too many games, too much travel until the real season begins.

real season starts tomorrow

[Mugen]

I actually do think they can flip a switch. They've obviously been in coast mode combined with injuries as evidenced by losses to scrub teams.

I don't think it's likely they finish as a 1 or 2 seed in the West but I look around the supposed contenders in the league and don't think there's much to worry about, esp in December. Home Court really doesn't meant that much either as Games 3 and 4 of the Finals showed us.

The only concern is health, the same as it's been the last 3-4 years. This team has made some very deep playoff runs the last 3 years and I'd rather they coast now than wear themselves out for meaningless seeding purposes tbh.

[aal04]

Dont care if we lose the 76ers.

We have been the most injury plagued we have been in the last 15 years.

And i still think we are faves.

We know we still have it when we took the 2 best teams out in Griz wars.

And whilst i admit we are disinterested. Its because we have been through so many campaigns and play offs that we know all we have to do is get to there because when we click it doesnt matter about home ground, it matters about injuries.

Sneak in to playoffs with healthy team = ring this year.

If anything, im a bit surprised TD has been playing a lot of minutes. And imo hes all-nba so far this year.

[cjw]

We're making the playoffs, obviously but we need HCA despite what Pop says about that.

Outside of playing the Thunder 4 out of 7 on the road, I think we can win without HCA. Not three rounds without HCA, but a round here and there.

[ace3g]

I'll wait till Patty has played a few games before I rush to any conclusions. The positive we are beating good teams early on in the year. Granted losing to bad teams isn't helping standings wise, I think that will balance out at the end of the season when all the top West teams have played each other 3-4 times.

Right now I am just seeing how Kyle Anderson is developing and how he might be used at the end of the season.

[tmtcsc]

I'm as pissed off as anyone (except Pop) about the recent losses but I think its good to look at the total picture. Our line-ups have been sporadic and we've been dealing with injuries at key positions. It's human nature to have a bit of a let down after a three straight WC appearances and back to back Finals appearances.

The Spurs are in the throes of a long regular season and there will be nights when the team will struggle to find the fire required to beat inferior teams. Add the issues of playing with different line-ups and missing key players and you get what the Spurs have shown.

Once this team is healthy AND SPAM is in full gear, the ship will right itself. A bootcamp mentality will take shape and they will be fine. If I'm not mistaken, they are only one game off last year's pace as far as record.

[littlecoyotecoin]

A mix of aging and the system moving away from him; the system really made him look a lot better than he was. I mean, he was clearly the best PG in the NBA that year, but at times he seemed more unstoppable than Lebron.

He's been injured the last two finals series, and he's injured again. Let's not gloss over that. Guy can still light it up.

[TD 21]

They've finally gotten sick of the regular season, because they no longer have something to prove in it and they know they're going to need every ounce of energy they can summon come the playoffs to repeat. This is typical reigning champion behavior, but the difference is, those teams had superstars that would enable them to pull numerous games they didn't deserve out of their ass and they didn't play in a conference this deep.

At this point, it's inarguable that Parker is past his prime, but I refuse to believe he's as bad as this. Like all superstars and stars when they first begin to decline, I think he needs some time to adjust to this reality. He's also pacing himself more than anyone. He knows he doesn't have the legs to do it every game anymore, so he's trying to keep as much in the tank as possible for the playoffs and summer.

Maybe it's just because I've seen them do it now, but I'm actually not as concerned as last season. A lot of the metrics look good considering all the obvious and though it obviously get's more difficult the more rounds you don't have home court, other than the Thunder, there's no question in my mind that, in peak form, they could win up to 2 road games against any other team.

[gilmor]

Isn't it true that it always difficult to win b2b championship.. Spurs is dead old..

What can you expect? Reality sets in..

[TampaDude]

December.

[unleashbaynes]

the Spurs have a switch tbh. over and over again this year i've watched them jack around for 3 1/2 quarters, face an 8-12 pt deficit, and then somehow go on a really good run to tie or take a lead. for the most part they've been able to consistently finish those games. woulda done it again last night if it weren't for that swaggy bastard raining in an absolute prayer. or if manu could shoot free throws. either way, the way they're able to find that extra gear when they need it shows why they will be dangerous in the playoffs.

[superbigtime]

Not a meltdown thread, just reflecting a bit on the last few weeks...

I'm a bit disappointed in Bobo, he just looks kinda passive out there for long stretches.

I'm wondering what's really going on with Tiago. He sat out for a long ass time, and still can't play 15 mins of basketball without running a bike for while.

I'm bittersweet about Cojo. He has games where he's really aggressive and wows, and games where he just passes up shots and defers too much. Every player needs to be a threat, especially if you're out there in crunch time.

I miss Kawhi and he's only been out one game. This team really stinks rebounding the ball, especially without Tiago. It's Tim and nobody else. He's sorely missed there more than anywhere else.

I'm confused about Tony, is he hurt? is he coasting? Is this the inevitable decline after collecting so many miles on his legs. He has earned the benefit of the doubt.

I'm a bit sad Gino is showing his age, and we can't continue to rely on him to win us games night in and night out. The fire is obviously still there, but the misses right at the rim are a constant reminder of father time.

I'm grateful for Tim, who's the only exception to the rule (as always). He might be showing his age in the post or the jumper, but he's a monster.


We're moving the ball only sporadically, and we half ass the defense until we need to drag ourselves out of a hole. It's like we don't really have that fire every night (or most of the night), only against potential contenders or severely crippled teams.

This isn't the first and likely not the last time the Spurs will go through a stretch of disinterested play. Pop has pulled the 'soft' card many times before. I think we're an extremely talented team, but we can't pretend that we can just flip the switch whenever we want. There's still a long season ahead of us, and plenty of time for the Spurs to be the best team they can be, so there's no need to jump off the cliff just yet.

Your thoughts?

Man you summarized it perfectly. Throw in Pop's peculiar lineups in the 4th quarters, injuries notwithstanding, and it's not surprising to see these crappy losses adding up.

[superbigtime]

cmon this spurs team is alot more talented than the 2010 team. Not having HCA isnt the reason we lost.
In 2011 we were the one seed, albeit with a hurt manu, 2012 we were a one seed, hca didnt help. Hell neither years in any series did we see a game 7 to use the advantage and in game 5 at home in 2012, the one time we faced a series past 4, we lost.

good points. and I love your avatar.

[sprrs]

Everyone's talking about how they were on a mission last year, but I don't see it. They started off decent, then stumbled through the season until March. Then it took nearly getting eliminated by Dallas before really stepping it up.

They might have been motivated to win last year but there is little interest in the regular season. Same deal this year. Throw in injuries and Pop's "experiment even if it costs us games" mentality and I have no reason to complain with how the season's playing out so far.

[bklynspursfan]

I feel the wins against the Cavs and Mavs were flukes tbh. Mavs were the first game of the year and had little chemistry, and the same can be said about the Cavs. The only two safisying wins this year have been the Warriors and Grizz, and they match up terribly with the Spurs.

but you have to factor against Dallas we were without Kawhi. this team looks so bad defensively with him out. actually both he and splitter were out.

and splitter being out against the cavs hurt a ton too, Andy v. killed on the boards and hustle plays.

they need to get healthy imo. mills will help bring that spark off the bench and spread the floor/hustle. splitter will help our defense immensely.

the one thing I'm pretty thrilled with is the spurs, despite splitter being out are # defensively in the league behind the Warriors. the offense will get going, but they're defending pretty well most nights.

[FireMicoHalili]

I still don't have faith Pop knows what it takes to repeat. Hopefully he figures it out cause he hasn't figured it out the last few times.
He's had this in the back of his mind I think. He acknowledges that they've been satisfied (as I've read in some articles). He's not getting techs or giving time to contract year guys for nothing. If anyone wants to repeat it's probably Pop. Some guys on the team are just looking to make some serious bank.

[hitmantb]

Health is #1.

Disinterest/satisfaction/content after winning a title is #2. Come on now, most Spurs fans have no more regret in this life time for the GDP era, this season is just a bonus with Duncan at 39 and it is whatever happens. I don't think the motivation is the same for the players either. There is also the cash out after a ring factor for contract year players.

Just enjoy the ride folks. This team is the offensive version of 2005 Pistons. They beat the Lakers previous year off pure hunger/motivation and 100% unity. But that is just not sustainable in the long haul. Humans do get satisfied and this team doesn't have the talent of a Shaq/Kobe Lakers or Miami Big Three to endure even minimal slip up in effort.

[byrontx]

I'm not down on the team, I think we're the team with the highest ceiling out there, due to corporate knowledge and because we know what our peak looks like. It's not a given we're going to reach that peak again, but I'm sure we'll work towards it. I just think we've been coasting a bit the last couple of weeks and that's something we didn't do a lot last season.

This. Cruising to Rodeo time.

[Harry Callahan]

There is no way the team can play at that game 3,4,5 level all year long - especially when half of that rotation has been out a material part of the season so far. It's a building process and there are no guarantees it happens this year. I'll try and enjoy the ride as much as possible, but you'd love to see the level of play that pummeled the Miami Cheat at some point in the near future....

I imagine it won't happen until January or February....

[Harry Callahan]

At this point, it's inarguable that Parker is past his prime, but I refuse to believe he's as bad as this. Like all superstars and stars when they first begin to decline, I think he needs some time to adjust to this reality. He's also pacing himself more than anyone. He knows he doesn't have the legs to do it every game anymore, so he's trying to keep as much in the tank as possible for the playoffs and summer.



TP does need to get it going soon.

It does seem like this last championship in 2014 put the Spurs up there where they are somewhat beyond reproach in how they do their thing, their way. Criticism is usually coming from places where they are jealous of the Spurs success (esp OKC, Dallas to a lesser extent). The team realizes they can't be that team night after night all year long. Let's just hope for good health going forward. We will need every hand on deck when the POs come around.

We also need to play at a higher level in 2015 - the Spurs record is pretty darn good considering the total lack of a stable roster so far....

[silverblackfan]

They do seem to be lacking that fire from the whole team on any given night. Losing to the Lakers seemed unnecessary and not a good way to head into the upcoming brutal December, but it is December. I have been enjoying watching Pop play the rookie a bit more including some with the starting unit. They really seem to be evaluating him to see how he fits. So far, I have been more impressed with him than many previous veterans they have brought in over the years.
I imagine Pop will continue to experiment with the lineups for the next month or so and we the fans get to enjoy the ride.
We know the potential in the team. If they are healthy, they have the best chance to repeat.

[Harry Callahan]

I have been enjoying watching Pop play the rookie a bit more including some with the starting unit. They really seem to be evaluating him to see how he fits. So far, I have been more impressed with him than many previous veterans...

Anderson did a pretty good job moving the ball and taking good shots too when it made sense. Kyle is an unusual player with his size and (lack of) speed. Still, he might turn into a valuable piece of the puzzle down the road.

[DieHardSpursFan1537]

I was gonna say that this is another meltdown thread, but that was actually an excellent take on the current state of the team. :bobo

[Seventyniner]

I can't be too discouraged. The defense has been very good, especially considering Tiago's near-total absence and Kawhi missing some time. Last year showed that the team's offensive ceiling is extremely high too.

[Chomag]

Many here like to say " it's only (insert month)" and to a degree I suppose they are right even if a bit spoiled but that loss at home against LA has got to hurt. Be it early, mid, or late season, I would love to see this champion team take pride and not letting chumps come in and embarrass them at their home court. You just don't let that happen in any sport and if it does it's got to be humiliating especially to historically one of the worst teams we have seen. It just seems like they are going through the motions and spurs do have the talent to beat allot of teams even without their competitive edge. I just hope this lights some fire in the team going forward.

Having said that, Overall the season is going good so far just need to get people healthy and get the competitive spirit back into the team.

[ElNono]

I actually thought we played better against Denver and Portland... far from great, but I thought there was more effort there...

[Fireball]

At least Leonard said after the game he was fine (regarding his hand), so I think we are set for a good game against Memphis. Spurs looked much better against the good teams so far and took every challenge seriously.