game grades for Spurs?

[T_L_P]

?

[hater]

Duncan A
LMAloha B
Kawhi B
Green B
Porker B
Manu B
West B-
Patty C
Anderson D
Boban D-
Ray B+
Williams B
Rest of the scrubs F

[ElNono]

You fill in the grades:

- Tim was great on both ends, great night for him... hi-lo with LMA was great
- LMA got his, was much better than 1st game, he did foul quite a bit much
- Kawhi was great defensively, offensively he was aggressive but his shot wasn't falling
- Danny also very good on defense and had some good passes inside, but his 3 point ball is still not there
- Tony looked spry, he had a number of uncharacteristic turnovers though

- Patty was energetic as usual, but didn't really look for his shot.
- Manu looked pretty good out there, both ends.
- KA had some costly silly fouls that he can't have at this level. Probably just part of learning, otherwise, pretty good
- West fought and moved the ball a lot. He's gonna be key settings screens in that 2nd unit, because...
- Boban displayed all his limitations today. Slow to rotate for help, hesitant finishing after getting blocked... just a bad game. He's not a bad player, but he has a learning curve ahead of him.

[.G.]

Fuck, I just woke up with 2:30 or so remaining in the game. I think MIA was on a 19-3 run.....fuck.

[hater]

Heat scrubs >>>> Spurs scrubs

[Nathan89]

Why don't you wait for an some Op that puts effort into a thread to make one?

[hater]

Why don't you wait for an some Op that puts effort into a thread to i make one?

I already helped him out tbh

Problem solved

[Lerojo]

Duncan A
LMA B
Kawhi B
Green B
Porker B
Manu B-
West B-
Patty B
Anderson C
Boban D
Ray B
Williams B

Other Scrubs D-


Some promising signs, some guys still obviously are finding themself on this team still. Overall I give the team a B

[.G.]

Fucking Bobinator

[Shipupi]

Spurs went with a 17 player rotation, nothing to worry about

[apalisoc_9]

- The biggest think you can take from this game is that Parker looked decent offensively. Some terrible turnovers in the first but he run the offense surprisingly well. Defense is a Ghost and will always be though..

- Kawhi is comfortable aggressively looking for his shots.

- Timmy looks great.

[TheGreatYacht]

Spurs went with a 17 player rotation, nothing to worry about
This. Spurs fans who missed the game shouldn't be worried. Heat have good starters, and they got blown out in the 1st & 3rd. Diaw coming back will only help the bench because Boban looks lost. Rasual should get a shot with the second unit instead of KA next game IMO

[tholdren]

Lol no ray had zero assists and basically blew

[BillMc]

This. Spurs fans who missed the game shouldn't be worried. Heat have good starters, and they got blown out in the 1st & 3rd. Diaw coming back will only help the bench because Boban looks lost. Rasual should get a shot with the second unit instead of KA next game IMO

Agree. Our starters will be among the best in the league, and our bench will be exceptional with Boris over time. Only real fear is uber athletic teams, but you can already see glimpses of how good we will be. Like you, I'd like to see more Rasual. Boban will need time to adjust to the NBA (if he can) check back mid-season to see if he's headed the Baynes or Ayres route.

[YGWHI]

You fill in the grades:

- Tim was great on both ends, great night for him... hi-lo with LMA was great
:tu
LMA will get a lot of easy baskets this season with Tim and Boris passing the ball as the high post players.

[TheGreatYacht]

Agree. Our starters will be among the best in the league, and our bench will be exceptional with Boris over time. Only real fear is uber athletic teams, but you can already see glimpses of how good we will be. Like you, I'd like to see more Rasual. Boban will need time to adjust to the NBA (if he can) check back mid-season to see if he's headed the Baynes or Ayres route.
Well put :toast

[tholdren]

Agree. Our starters will be among the best in the league, and our bench will be exceptional with Boris over time. Only real fear is uber athletic teams, but you can already see glimpses of how good we will be. Like you, I'd like to see more Rasual. Boban will need time to adjust to the NBA (if he can) check back mid-season to see if he's headed the Baynes or Ayres route.

Hard to say this after 1 pre season game. I fear our issue will be scoring...

[ceperez]

Lol no ray had zero assists and basically blew

I am still skeptical with his ability to orchestrate the offense. Everytime he dribbles, he seems to get nowhere.

[SAGirl]

Don't have grades, but here are my impressions,I agree with Nono for the most part.I posted these in the game thread, but after the game nobody reads those. Anyways:


Well pretty excited that the first unit got its groove going. Tim is still the engine and playmaker in that unit God bless him! His game w/ LMA will be beautiful to watch. Danny's cold atm, Tony was setting others up well, I thought he had a good game. Kawhi had a bad shooting night, but otherwise a good game.

Concerns about the second unit arise, but I think they will be fine. Miami's second unit is crazy athletic so it was a challenge for slomo Anderson, slomo Manu, slowmo Boban and co. Anderson is a young guy so he's likely to have up and down performances, it's part of the process and if you want to let young guys grow and improve they will make mistakes at times and have to learn from it. Preseason is the perfect time to figure him out. Boban had a rough night. Feel sorry for him.

Deshaun Thomas looked overmatched, not NBA material. Reggie can shoot, that is why he's still here, but he doesn't defend well, and tries to do too much. He got an extended look in this game. Not sure where he stands. I liked Ray, subbed in with a terrible lineup, he still looked like an NBA player. Ndoye is very raw, but also very agile for a big. With perimeter players that are a disaster he would look worse. I actually think he has some potential to develop. Simmons had a few nice passes and some good defensive moments so I hope we keep him, I really like him with Anderson and he supplies athleticism that Anderson lacks, but he's obviously not a shooter so it's kind of a jam.

I think Butler may end up being picked if only bc with all of slowmo and Simms potential they are developing and a vet wing to mentor them and maybe sub in if they are having a rough night may actually be a good idea.

Didn't see Jimmer so he's bound to play next game. This would have been a perfect game to see him TBH

[K...]

I am still skeptical with his ability to orchestrate the offense. Everytime he dribbles, he seems to get nowhere.

again, how long has he been here? PG IS HARD TOLRN

[SAGirl]

again, how long has he been here? PG IS HARD TOLRN
Not only that, he spent the majority of his minutes with a terrible lineup and the guys he passed to didn't make shots.

[steeledl]

Why don't you wait for an some Op that puts effort into a thread to make one?

Great post Nathan Anthony... I whole heartedly agree. Op is a joke.

[itzsoweezee]

Did Tony make a layup? Did he even attempt any? Or was it all 18 ft jumpers, as usual?

[steeledl]

Did Tony make a layup? Did he even attempt any? Or was it all 18 ft jumpers, as usual?

gtfo faggot. watch the games or gtfo.

[KL2]

That Spurs' 2nd unit really needs a defender out there, Simmons is the best option on the team for that role. I'm not sure why he got pulled so early, he had 2 assists and a steal, didn't get put back in until they trotted out the trio of Ndoye/Thomas/Williams, they were heavily over matched.

Still want to see Diaw play with them, he'll make a big difference.


The Spurs showed some pretty damn good ball movement for just the preseason, that 1st unit is going to be deadly, anything the bench provides is a huge bonus.

[cjw]

That Spurs' 2nd unit really needs a defender out there

I'm pretty sure by the time the real season (the postseason) rolls around, you'll see very few minutes without either Kawhi or Green. Same goes for Duncan and Aldridge, though Diaw/West is a viable option against weaker offensive lineups.

[apalisoc_9]

That Spurs' 2nd unit really needs a defender out there, Simmons is the best option on the team for that role. I'm not sure why he got pulled so early, he had 2 assists and a steal, didn't get put back in until they trotted out the trio of Ndoye/Thomas/Williams, they were heavily over matched.

Still want to see Diaw play with them, he'll make a big difference.


The Spurs showed some pretty damn good ball movement for just the preseason, that 1st unit is going to be deadly, anything the bench provides is a huge bonus.

Kawhi is primed brah..

They're forxed feeding Aldridge but that's not keeping him down and he's attacking..HNNNNG.

[TheDoctor]

gtfo faggot. watch the games or gtfo.

https://forum.teksyndicate.com/uploads/default/23033/000671f19b7f01c2.gif

[Mikeanaro]

Usual Spurs were good, but the scrubs were horrible, even for free throws.

[itzsoweezee]

gtfo faggot. watch the games or gtfo.

In three months you've posted almost 500 times. Time to get a job, deadbeat.

[steeledl]

In three months you've posted almost 500 times. Time to get a job, deadbeat.

Mostly im game threads blowhard. It's a luxury to not being a career security guard.

[Kawhitstorm]

Still want to see Diaw play with them, he'll make a big difference.



Diaw would definitely have help the 3rd stringer w/ the ball movement & could get Boban an easy basket or two. Once he comes back maybe Pop could give him Reggie/DeShaun's minutes & throw him out there w/ the 3rd stringers.

Boban (Rim protector)
Diaw (Playmaker)
Butler (Sniper)
Simmons (Slasher)
Ray (Ball handler)

[DeRozan m8]

So the games been over for a few hours now, has Reggie been cut yet?

[#2!]

Boban had a rough night. Feel sorry for him.

That's how I felt too. He was just a guy who wasn't keeping up. The box score says he had three offensive rebounds, which is nice, but it doesn't tell the story of how many rebounds he got out worked for. He didn't box out well, and he appears to have bad hands - lots of boards came near him, and just bounced off his fingers. I know it's early, but in these two games he hasn't displayed a single useful skill: he's slow footed, usually out of place on defense, soft at the rim, a weak rebounder, and he just looks very hesitant.

[Ice009]

Unfortunately Boban's not looking anywhere near as good as he did in those highlight videos. It's still early though and they are highlight videos which usually only show the good plays, so hopefully he can adjust to the NBA and show that his game can translate here. Right now though, he's just not looking too good at all. Let's go Boban!

[SpurPadre]

Agree. Our starters will be among the best in the league, and our bench will be exceptional with Boris over time. Only real fear is uber athletic teams, but you can already see glimpses of how good we will be. Like you, I'd like to see more Rasual. Boban will need time to adjust to the NBA (if he can) check back mid-season to see if he's headed the Baynes or Ayres route.But uber athletic teams have always been a fear for us, tbh. And we seem a bit more athletic now than in recent years with some of our additions. I agree with you,overall, though.

[YGWHI]

But uber athletic teams have always been a fear for us, tbh. And we seem a bit more athletic now than in recent years with some of our additions. I agree with you,overall, though.
Hope rim protection doesn't become an issue against them. It's just a preseason game but even Dragic, who isn't young or athletic, could penetrate and get to the rim tonight.

[Kawhitstorm]

I know it's early, but in these two games he hasn't displayed a single useful skill: he's slow footed, usually out of place on defense, soft at the rim, a weak rebounder, and he just looks very hesitant.

Ever heard of rim protection? (The same thing that got Hibbert paid)
-Hibbert made a living by just playing big & protecting the rim while possessing the same foot-speed as Boban. As far as his offense, the guy was in a boot for a couple of weeks b/c of a foot injury & is having to learn/adjust to a new system/league/teammates while shaking off the rust going up against NBA players. He's awkward to begin with so it's not that surprising he has looked terrible considering his circumstance. He can't be worse than Asik once he settles down.

[Kawhitstorm]

Hope rim protection doesn't become an issue against them. It's just a preseason game but even Dragic, who isn't young or athletic, could penetrate and get to the rim tonight.

LoL, Dragic is one of the best guards at getting to the rim. Dude is at the peak of his prime so I don't know what you're talking about.

[apalisoc_9]

Boban is fine defensively. He obviously needs to work on boxing out, but that's something that can be fixed in a few weeks or so.

I was actually thinking from an X and O standpoint, he won't be just another bench warmer..He does fill a need.

His problem offensively right now is that he's so slow with the ball...

[SpurPadre]

Hope rim protection doesn't become an issue against them. It's just a preseason game but even Dragic, who isn't young or athletic, could penetrate and get to the rim tonight.

The team had 7 blocked shots and 6 from the players that will make the opening day roster. None of those blocks were from TD or LMA, who will be among the team leaders in that category. Dragic is also great at getting to the rim and has historically had great games against us. We should be ok in that sense.

[YGWHI]

LoL, Dragic is one of the best guards at getting to the rim. Dude is at the peak of his prime so I don't know what you're talking about.

Dragic is also great at getting to the rim and has historically had great games against us.

He wasn't looking that good before and after the trade last year, I think he's past his physical prime, that's why I said he isn't young or athletic.

[playbonner15]

- Starting unit is good.. Danny Green has lost his 3pt shooting though, almost all his pts were from the paint (still dribble and drives awkwardly)
- 2nd unit is slow. Teams that run and drive will eat this slow ass bench (I thought KA and Bobisaur's gonna beast but apparently they can't keep up)
- This team is a jump shooting team now. Expect some self-inflicted pain when jump shots / 3pters dont fall.

[Kawhitstorm]

He wasn't looking that good before and after the trade last year, I think he's past his physical prime, that's why I said he isn't young or athletic.

It was because they took the ball out of his hands: Bledsoe/Isaiah/Wade. He is also at the peak of his physical prime as he is as strong as ever & doesn't have that much mileage on his tires either. Nash was a year older w/ more mileage when he signed w/ the Suns.

[DeRozan m8]

So I cant believe i'm about to say this, it hurts....but....

Boban MIGHT have hands almost on par with Ayres by the looks of things early on.

Ouch.

Sorry Boban

[YGWHI]

So I cant believe i'm about to say this, it hurts....but....

Boban MIGHT have hands almost on par with Ayres by the looks of things early on.

Ouch.

Sorry Boban

:lol :toast

[YGWHI]

Kawhi was great defensively, offensively he was aggressive but his shot wasn't falling

Aggressive and making plays for his teammates as well. So good the pick and pop with LMA and this play...

653735739960754176

[Fireball]

what surprised me is that Boban did not look exhausted out there although he played a long stretch of minutes ... but he really needs to jump for rebounds a little ... NBA players are just too athletic

[ceperez]

what surprised me is that Boban did not look exhausted out there although he played a long stretch of minutes ... but he really needs to jump for rebounds a little ... NBA players are just too athletic

He'll need to make adjustments. Splitter was an MVP in his league and didn't do much in his first year. Boban hopefully is a quick learner.

[Fireball]

He'll need to make adjustments. Splitter was an MVP in his league and didn't do much in his first year. Boban hopefully is a quick learner.

Splitter is NBA starter caliber when healthy ... comparing these two might be a stretch. Splitter was injured in his first Training Camp which set the tone for his rookie season. Boban is our fifth big (Bonner?). He will be used so Pop can give TD, LMA, Bobo and West the occasional rest, but thats it. I really wish Boban would be more valuable, but I doubt it.

[Gladney to see you]

As far as Ray goes...he came in at the end of the game. That is hard on anyone to go out and produce. It isn't easy looking impressive for the garbage time players. That is why some decent players never make the team.

[Chinook]

Aldridge – It makes much more sense for LMA to be the beneficiary of the Spurs’ offense rather than the creator of it. He was crazy-good in the PnP, and the high-low with him and Duncan was a joy to see. If this is how he gets 20+ppg, then it will be more than okay for the team.
Defensively, he looked overmatch against Bosh. That’s not surprising, as Chris is the superior player. No excuse for getting in that foul trouble, though. If he’s going to consistently close out games, he’s going to have to be able to defend without fouling. - B+

Duncan – He had a pretty easy matchup in Haslem, but Tim totally took advantage. It’s going to be pretty common for him to have the weaker defender on him, and going 100 percent on offense is great no matter what.
Defensively, he didn’t really stand out. Made good rotations, but no one on Miami really challenged him. - A-

Green – Danny looked much better in this game. Defensively, he locked down Wade and should have been credited with more steals than just the two he had. He was also very good on the boards boxing out bigger guys to let his teammates get the ball. That’s an underrated part of his defensive game.

Offensively, he did everything but shoot at an at least adequate level. He didn’t make his circus shot this game, but he also didn’t turn the ball over. He and Aldridge lack chemistry right now. When that develops, he’ll probably get two or three assists a game on PnP. - B+

Leonard – I’ll never be a fan of Kawhi’s Melo-lite offense. He shot 30 percent on two-pointers, and that’s a function of his shot-selection. I feel like the team won’t be able to deal with both LMA and Kawhi playing the offense they want to play. Both will have to adapt their games to fit the movement better.

Defensively, he made sure Deng was a non-factor for the most part. He also played passing lanes very well. He was great on the boards. In short, he was regular Kawhi. That’s a better result than last game. - B-

Parker – I don’t know how to grade this. On one hand, Parker was no able to score inside. He lacked elevation. So he should get a poor offensive score for being far from his 2013 form. On the other hand, he was still mildly effective scoring, and he passed really well. By the standard of his recent play, last night was a success. I guess it depends on how far Tony has fallen. I think the second one is most true, though, so I’ll give him a good grade. He looks to be a decent fit in this new Spurs’ offense.

I didn’t see anything out of him that was that bad defensively. Dragic had a poor game, and Tony got a steal. This was an interesting matchup for him, because Dragic is a bigger PG, and Tony’s probably going to spend a lot his time guarding twos. - B+

Anderson – Missed a few makeable shots, didn’t assist well and was really tentative with Ginobili next to him. Kyle is the best of the three guys vying for the backup SF spot. But he’s not a good fit with Manu at all.

Defensively, Kyle was impressive after his first stint. He lapsed a bit at the beginning, but he showed really quick hands in passing lanes and with the ball in the air around him. He’ll get even better as he gets more experience. If Splitter were on the bench next to him, I’d have no concerns. - C+

Ginobili – He played well individually on offense. Some of his passes were gorgeous. He also made a nice three-pointer and took it inside. This is about the best we could have hoped for.
He had a tough match-up defensively against Gerald Green. He didn’t do much to stop him even considering. The lack of a consistently average perimeter defender in the second unit is a concern, though the Spurs haven’t had good bench defenders during this whole renaissance, so I guess they’ll manage. - B

Marjanovic – The big Serb wasn’t very effective in this game. He got stuffed by Andersen on a move so soft that even Splitter would blush. He ran the floor well, but his screen game needs work. I guess he should get more looks in the post just to see how good he is there. His three-second call highlights like lack of offensive awareness in the NBA, but at the same time, he was expecting a shot to go up.

Defensively, he moved pretty well, and I liked the effort on that end. He also had a block on a nice contest. However, he’s way too soft of a rebounder. It completely erases his good defensive qualities. - C-

Mills – I want to say that Patty was just unremarkable on both sides. He shot poorly, but I don’t think he took bad shots. He passed about as well as he normally does. He did all right against Dragic defensively but got wrecked by Johnson. - C

West – I loved the ideas he had about passes. Some of them worked out and some didn’t. But I think he’ll fit in well on the bench. And him being money from the short corner adds a new dimension to the PnR offense. Defensively, he competed, but he’s not in Bosh’s league. That’s another reason why it’s good that he’ll be with the second unit. - C+

Butler – Need to see him play with the regular rotation. On paper, he’s the best fit with the second unit. Hopefully, he’ll get the chance tomorrow. - INC

McCallum – Felt like Pop made a curious decision putting him in for the end of the game. The downside to having used a regular rotation is that the last unit was full of scrubs who had almost no chemistry. Sykes would have been a better play. Still, he wasn’t able to perform under those circumstances. - INC/D

Ndoye – He would have looked great had he played as the second-string center. His energy would have helped the second unit, but on the third, it was just frantic. Was really close to making several good plays, but ultimately did nothing positive. Those two missed FTs were heart-breakers. That he missed them wasn’t all that shocking. But it certainly didn’t help. - C

Simmons – He was supposed to be the guy who led the deep-bench to victory, and he just wasn’t. He was terrible dribbling the ball, and though he made nice assists, he wasn’t a plus as the PG. He defended Dragic well on a switch one possession, and that gives some hope that he’ll be able to develop into the aforementioned needed second-unit defender. But all in all, it wasn’t a good performance. - C

Sykes – He was +4 in four minutes of play, and it made sense to me. I loved his energy defensively. He was getting up on his made and playing passing lanes. Should have been credited with at least one steal. Would have preferred him closing out the game over a cold McCallum. - INC

Thomas – I mean, offensively, he just wasn’t good. Took a bad shot, missed a free throw. I think he was pressing trying to get some good tape in. He was making crisp passes when he first came in, but as his stint went on, he starting holding the ball more. Maybe he was trying to make stuff happen. Thought he rotated well defensively. Made a very good block. He did a good job on working to fix his fatal flaws, but the stuff he was supposed to be good at are not NBA caliber. - INC -- and that’s being generous.

Williams – Played better, but at his age, there’s no reason to care. Another guy who should have been benched for Sykes. He knows he’s fighting for his NBA life, and he has no chance of making the Spurs. But he can get a decent gig overseas. - B

Pop – The starting five were obvious from the moment LMA signed his deal. But Pop did a great job working LMA into the offense. He’s still lacking when it comes to fitting Kawhi in, but he had the first unit rocking. The second unit was also pretty predictable, but I wish he had rotated Anderson and Simmons more with the bench and for him to have gone with Sykes as the third PG after put him in the first time. Also, would have been nice to see Ndoye over Boban for the second second-unit stint. Though, I guess it doesn’t matter, as Boban is safely on the roster while Youssou is safely off. - A-

Fredette – Loved his performance in this game. Dude knew his role and played it to perfection. If this keeps going, I’ll be willing to admit I was wrong about Pop figuring out how to use Jimmer correctly. - A+

[Brazil]

^Thanks Chinook I did not see the game your grades and comments are really appreciated... great read

[HarlemHeat37]

Parker played a very solid game after some ugly turnovers, tbh..if he accepts the role he played last night, he should be able to have a nice resurgence..Parker the role player can still be a very valuable player to this team, he's still the only real PG on the roster..the team doesn't need him to be 2013 Parker anymore, fortunately, and he made some really nice passes off the drive, even without having to blow by the defender(drew enough attention to get Alridge open in the PnPs, and had a really nice set up for a Tim floater from under the basket)..

Diaw's absence from the 2nd unit was very evident IMO..West should never have to create a shot for himself(all 3 of his misses, last night, were post-ups or off the dribble), and the lack of fluidity in the unit was pretty bad IMO..the defense is going to struggle with the short frontcourt + Manu's age + Mills being a poor defender, but the offense should be able to overwhelm opposing benches..

Anderson was bad offensively for the reasons Chinook stated(Cojo 2.0 with Manu), but his defense was a lot better than I expected, had some nice strips, and he completely pick-pocketed one of the Heat's PGs off the dribble IIRC, which stood out..

I can't see a scenario where Boban gets minutes in serious games..he's more mobile than I expected, but he's such a disaster offensively..part of that is lack of chemistry and rhythm, but he's very uncoordinated with the ball in his hands, even when it's just a simple catch and finish..takes too long to gather the ball after the catch, his moves are very slow..playing a legit C in 2015 requires them to overwhelm the smaller defenders, not necessarily in posting up, but in catching and finishing, and I don't think he's going to be able to do that, at least not in year 1..

Duncan and Ginobili look like they're in phenomenal shape(age considering)..usually they work their way into it to start the season(especially the latter), but it appears like they're both entering the RS immediately ready..

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

:lol

[T_L_P]

Parker played a very solid game after some ugly turnovers, tbh..if he accepts the role he played last night, he should be able to have a nice resurgence..Parker the role player can still be a very valuable player to this team, he's still the only real PG on the roster..the team doesn't need him to be 2013 Parker anymore, fortunately, and he made some really nice passes off the drive, even without having to blow by the defender(drew enough attention to get Alridge open in the PnPs, and had a really nice set up for a Tim floater from under the basket)..

Diaw's absence from the 2nd unit was very evident IMO..West should never have to create a shot for himself(all 3 of his misses, last night, were post-ups or off the dribble), and the lack of fluidity in the unit was pretty bad IMO..the defense is going to struggle with the short frontcourt + Manu's age + Mills being a poor defender, but the offense should be able to overwhelm opposing benches..

Anderson was bad offensively for the reasons Chinook stated(Cojo 2.0 with Manu), but his defense was a lot better than I expected, had some nice strips, and he completely pick-pocketed one of the Heat's PGs off the dribble IIRC, which stood out..

I can't see a scenario where Boban gets minutes in serious games..he's more mobile than I expected, but he's such a disaster offensively..part of that is lack of chemistry and rhythm, but he's very uncoordinated with the ball in his hands, even when it's just a simple catch and finish..takes too long to gather the ball after the catch, his moves are very slow..playing a legit C in 2015 requires them to overwhelm the smaller defenders, not necessarily in posting up, but in catching and finishing, and I don't think he's going to be able to do that, at least not in year 1..

Duncan and Ginobili look like they're in phenomenal shape(age considering)..usually they work their way into it to start the season(especially the latter), but it appears like they're both entering the RS immediately ready..

Duncan has one of the strictest off-season routines/diets in the league. He's come into camp in phenomenal shape in all of the past three seasons.

Before that? Yeah, he worked his way into shape. But not recently. The main reason for his late-career resurgence is how well he takes care of his body, year round.

[jjktkk]

Aldridge – It makes much more sense for LMA to be the beneficiary of the Spurs’ offense rather than the creator of it. He was crazy-good in the PnP, and the high-low with him and Duncan was a joy to see. If this is how he gets 20+ppg, then it will be more than okay for the team.
Defensively, he looked overmatch against Bosh. That’s not surprising, as Chris is the superior player. No excuse for getting in that foul trouble, though. If he’s going to consistently close out games, he’s going to have to be able to defend without fouling. - B+

Duncan – He had a pretty easy matchup in Haslem, but Tim totally took advantage. It’s going to be pretty common for him to have the weaker defender on him, and going 100 percent on offense is great no matter what.
Defensively, he didn’t really stand out. Made good rotations, but no one on Miami really challenged him. - A-

Green – Danny looked much better in this game. Defensively, he locked down Wade and should have been credited with more steals than just the two he had. He was also very good on the boards boxing out bigger guys to let his teammates get the ball. That’s an underrated part of his defensive game.

Offensively, he did everything but shoot at an at least adequate level. He didn’t make his circus shot this game, but he also didn’t turn the ball over. He and Aldridge lack chemistry right now. When that develops, he’ll probably get two or three assists a game on PnP. - B+

Leonard – I’ll never be a fan of Kawhi’s Melo-lite offense. He shot 30 percent on two-pointers, and that’s a function of his shot-selection. I feel like the team won’t be able to deal with both LMA and Kawhi playing the offense they want to play. Both will have to adapt their games to fit the movement better.

Defensively, he made sure Deng was a non-factor for the most part. He also played passing lanes very well. He was great on the boards. In short, he was regular Kawhi. That’s a better result than last game. - B-

Parker – I don’t know how to grade this. On one hand, Parker was no able to score inside. He lacked elevation. So he should get a poor offensive score for being far from his 2013 form. On the other hand, he was still mildly effective scoring, and he passed really well. By the standard of his recent play, last night was a success. I guess it depends on how far Tony has fallen. I think the second one is most true, though, so I’ll give him a good grade. He looks to be a decent fit in this new Spurs’ offense.

I didn’t see anything out of him that was that bad defensively. Dragic had a poor game, and Tony got a steal. This was an interesting matchup for him, because Dragic is a bigger PG, and Tony’s probably going to spend a lot his time guarding twos. - B+

Anderson – Missed a few makeable shots, didn’t assist well and was really tentative with Ginobili next to him. Kyle is the best of the three guys vying for the backup SF spot. But he’s not a good fit with Manu at all.

Defensively, Kyle was impressive after his first stint. He lapsed a bit at the beginning, but he showed really quick hands in passing lanes and with the ball in the air around him. He’ll get even better as he gets more experience. If Splitter were on the bench next to him, I’d have no concerns. - C+

Ginobili – He played well individually on offense. Some of his passes were gorgeous. He also made a nice three-pointer and took it inside. This is about the best we could have hoped for.
He had a tough match-up defensively against Gerald Green. He didn’t do much to stop him even considering. The lack of a consistently average perimeter defender in the second unit is a concern, though the Spurs haven’t had good bench defenders during this whole renaissance, so I guess they’ll manage. - B

Marjanovic – The big Serb wasn’t very effective in this game. He got stuffed by Andersen on a move so soft that even Splitter would blush. He ran the floor well, but his screen game needs work. I guess he should get more looks in the post just to see how good he is there. His three-second call highlights like lack of offensive awareness in the NBA, but at the same time, he was expecting a shot to go up.

Defensively, he moved pretty well, and I liked the effort on that end. He also had a block on a nice contest. However, he’s way too soft of a rebounder. It completely erases his good defensive qualities. - C-

Mills – I want to say that Patty was just unremarkable on both sides. He shot poorly, but I don’t think he took bad shots. He passed about as well as he normally does. He did all right against Dragic defensively but got wrecked by Johnson. - C

West – I loved the ideas he had about passes. Some of them worked out and some didn’t. But I think he’ll fit in well on the bench. And him being money from the short corner adds a new dimension to the PnR offense. Defensively, he competed, but he’s not in Bosh’s league. That’s another reason why it’s good that he’ll be with the second unit. - C+

Butler – Need to see him play with the regular rotation. On paper, he’s the best fit with the second unit. Hopefully, he’ll get the chance tomorrow. - INC

McCallum – Felt like Pop made a curious decision putting him in for the end of the game. The downside to having used a regular rotation is that the last unit was full of scrubs who had almost no chemistry. Sykes would have been a better play. Still, he wasn’t able to perform under those circumstances. - INC/D

Ndoye – He would have looked great had he played as the second-string center. His energy would have helped the second unit, but on the third, it was just frantic. Was really close to making several good plays, but ultimately did nothing positive. Those two missed FTs were heart-breakers. That he missed them wasn’t all that shocking. But it certainly didn’t help. - C

Simmons – He was supposed to be the guy who led the deep-bench to victory, and he just wasn’t. He was terrible dribbling the ball, and though he made nice assists, he wasn’t a plus as the PG. He defended Dragic well on a switch one possession, and that gives some hope that he’ll be able to develop into the aforementioned needed second-unit defender. But all in all, it wasn’t a good performance. - C

Sykes – He was +4 in four minutes of play, and it made sense to me. I loved his energy defensively. He was getting up on his made and playing passing lanes. Should have been credited with at least one steal. Would have preferred him closing out the game over a cold McCallum. - INC

Thomas – I mean, offensively, he just wasn’t good. Took a bad shot, missed a free throw. I think he was pressing trying to get some good tape in. He was making crisp passes when he first came in, but as his stint went on, he starting holding the ball more. Maybe he was trying to make stuff happen. Thought he rotated well defensively. Made a very good block. He did a good job on working to fix his fatal flaws, but the stuff he was supposed to be good at are not NBA caliber. - INC -- and that’s being generous.

Williams – Played better, but at his age, there’s no reason to care. Another guy who should have been benched for Sykes. He knows he’s fighting for his NBA life, and he has no chance of making the Spurs. But he can get a decent gig overseas. - B

Pop – The starting five were obvious from the moment LMA signed his deal. But Pop did a great job working LMA into the offense. He’s still lacking when it comes to fitting Kawhi in, but he had the first unit rocking. The second unit was also pretty predictable, but I wish he had rotated Anderson and Simmons more with the bench and for him to have gone with Sykes as the third PG after put him in the first time. Also, would have been nice to see Ndoye over Boban for the second second-unit stint. Though, I guess it doesn’t matter, as Boban is safely on the roster while Youssou is safely off. - A-

Fredette – Loved his performance in this game. Dude knew his role and played it to perfection. If this keeps going, I’ll be willing to admit I was wrong about Pop figuring out how to use Jimmer correctly. - A+ Thanks Chinook. :tu

[Brazil]

Parker played a very solid game after some ugly turnovers, tbh..if he accepts the role he played last night, he should be able to have a nice resurgence..Parker the role player can still be a very valuable player to this team, he's still the only real PG on the roster..the team doesn't need him to be 2013 Parker anymore, fortunately, and he made some really nice passes off the drive, even without having to blow by the defender(drew enough attention to get Alridge open in the PnPs, and had a really nice set up for a Tim floater from under the basket)..

Diaw's absence from the 2nd unit was very evident IMO..West should never have to create a shot for himself(all 3 of his misses, last night, were post-ups or off the dribble), and the lack of fluidity in the unit was pretty bad IMO..the defense is going to struggle with the short frontcourt + Manu's age + Mills being a poor defender, but the offense should be able to overwhelm opposing benches..

Anderson was bad offensively for the reasons Chinook stated(Cojo 2.0 with Manu), but his defense was a lot better than I expected, had some nice strips, and he completely pick-pocketed one of the Heat's PGs off the dribble IIRC, which stood out..

I can't see a scenario where Boban gets minutes in serious games..he's more mobile than I expected, but he's such a disaster offensively..part of that is lack of chemistry and rhythm, but he's very uncoordinated with the ball in his hands, even when it's just a simple catch and finish..takes too long to gather the ball after the catch, his moves are very slow..playing a legit C in 2015 requires them to overwhelm the smaller defenders, not necessarily in posting up, but in catching and finishing, and I don't think he's going to be able to do that, at least not in year 1..

Duncan and Ginobili look like they're in phenomenal shape(age considering)..usually they work their way into it to start the season(especially the latter), but it appears like they're both entering the RS immediately ready..

I can see Duncan Spurs MVP of the season tbh which would be pretty funny after the offseason we had :lol

[jyra]

West is obviously a known commodity but I'm still impressed how seamlessly he has fit in already. He displayed a good balance between taking that mid range J and passing/attacking off the dribble. He also doesn't seem to mind getting physical on the defense end. I can't wait to see him team up with Boris and really stretch out the floor (Bobo and Bobi has to be the best nickname combo in the league).

[SAGirl]

Thanks Chinook for a detailed impression, and Harlem for good basketball feedback. I have to agree with you both.

The most interesting comment was Chinook' s on Kawhi's Melo light offense. I am not a fan of it either. It's not bound to create many good looks for anyone and he often just takes contested shots when something else might be available. Last year he was forcefully fed the ball and the whole thing was so mechanical and he wasn't very good to start. If was probably part of the process of getting him into a different mentality of less deferral to others. I felt like Pop went away from the forceful feeds and strict play calls, to let it grow more organically the second part of the season. Kawhi now takes the post ups he wants, when there is nothing else available on offense, and keeps playing off the ball and off the dribble. It's better that way, I guess.

On Anderson next to Manu. He will not be optimally utilized in lineups that have other guys dominate the ball to create open 3 point shots like Manu does bc he not a pure shooter. It seems like Manu always drives to pass to a shooter these days since he can't consistently get to the rim and finish himself. It made playing Cojo a bad fit next to him, since Manu wasn't really setting Cojo up for anything and yet Cojo was not a talented enough passer or player that would make you give him the ball instead of Manu. Marco was perfect next to him bc not only was he a fearless shooter, but he also moved extremely well without the ball making him a terrific target for passes. Kyle is something else. What he is at this level is still developing before our very eyes and he's got potential that Cojo did not show this early. Him going into a shell is likely the fact that he's a reluctant shooter from 3. He's going to take the shot if he's wide open, but he is not going to let it fly fearlessly like a Butler, Marco, or Mills. It is conundrum for Pop bc Anderson is clearly the better all-around player of the current backup options, he is just not the best shooter. I think these two (Manu and Kyle) will figure it out bc Manu is in a diminished role at this stage of his career, he here to help not necessarily be the epicenter of what's going on and w are bound to see Kyle more aggressive in the future particularly if he is making his shots. Last night to close out a quarter they gave the ball to Mills in the last possession. He botched it, but it give you an idea good what Pop is doing.

I think the whole experiment with Ray at the end was to gauge his leadership. Kyle has shown incredible leadership for a guy of his experience and his age. In that first game he clearly took control of things when he needed to, set others up and gave them structure and cohesion. Guys were running simple sets but they looked like a team. It should be no surprise since he did it in SL. Anyways, I think Pop just wants to see if Ray could exhibit the Sam leadership in getting guys into sets and stuff like that. Since Ray is new for Pop, it's a good idea to know what he does, so they can help him develop.

[dabom]

Thanks Chinook for a detailed impression, and Harlem for good basketball feedback. I have to agree with you both.

The most interesting comment was Chinook' s on Kawhi's Melo light offense. I am not a fan of it either. It's not bound to create many good looks for anyone and he often just takes contested shots when something else might be available. Last year he was forcefully fed the ball and the whole thing was so mechanical and he wasn't very good to start. If was probably part of the process of getting him into a different mentality of less deferral to others. I felt like Pop went away from the forceful feeds and strict play calls, to let it grow more organically the second part of the season. Kawhi now takes the post ups he wants, when there is nothing else available on offense, and keeps playing off the ball and off the dribble. It's better that way, I guess.

On Anderson next to Manu. He will not be optimally utilized in lineups that have other guys dominate the ball to create open 3 point shots like Manu does bc he not a pure shooter. It seems like Manu always drives to pass to a shooter these days since he can't consistently get to the rim and finish himself. It made playing Cojo a bad fit next to him, since Manu wasn't really setting Cojo up for anything and yet Cojo was not a talented enough passer or player that would make you give him the ball instead of Manu. Marco was perfect next to him bc not only was he a fearless shooter, but he also moved extremely well without the ball making him a terrific target for passes. Kyle is something else. What he is at this level is still developing before our very eyes and he's got potential that Cojo did not show this early. Him going into a shell is likely the fact that he's a reluctant shooter from 3. He's going to take the shot if he's wide open, but he is not going to let it fly fearlessly like a Butler, Marco, or Mills. It is conundrum for Pop bc Anderson is clearly the better all-around player of the current backup options, he is just not the best shooter. I think these two (Manu and Kyle) will figure it out bc Manu is in a diminished role at this stage of his career, he here to help not necessarily be the epicenter of what's going on and w are bound to see Kyle more aggressive in the future particularly if he is making his shots. Last night to close out a quarter they gave the ball to Mills in the last possession. He botched it, but it give you an idea good what Pop is doing.

I think the whole experiment with Ray at the end was to gauge his leadership. Kyle has shown incredible leadership for a guy of his experience and his age. In that first game he clearly took control of things when he needed to, set others up and gave them structure and cohesion. Guys were running simple sets but they looked like a team. It should be no surprise since he did it in SL. Anyways, I think Pop just wants to see if Ray could exhibit the Sam leadership in getting guys into sets and stuff like that. Since Ray is new for Pop, it's a good idea to know what he does, so they can help him develop.

Kawhi had pink eye and the team wasn't giving Kawhi any spacing or feeding him correctly last season. I thought everyone knew that was why Kawhi was struggling last year.

[HarlemHeat37]

Ya, as much as I love Kawhi and his all-around game, I've been vocal here about being against having a SF run your offense, it's a tough position to build around, only exceptions being point-forward types like Lebron/Bird..even a historical talent like Durant has trouble getting the proper amount of shots and looks(you can blame Westbrook, but a lot of is the difficulty of the position IMO)..Carmelo's history is known, Paul Pierce never anchored a good offense until Garnett/Allen had equal footing with the Celtics, Pacers offense sucked with Paul George, etc..

He could be the best player on a title team(which he would be if the Spurs win, now, he's better than Aldridge), but I don't think he should be the #1 scorer on a title team..

I'm not a huge Aldridge fan, as I've said many times, although I was very happy that the Spurs got him, of course..his style of play is not conducive to winning IMO, but I'm not worried about that, I think he'll accept his role and fit in well with the high-lows and the pick and pops..hopefully more 3-pointers, too..

However, I think there will be some transition pains for the Spurs, early this season..although they will still be playing team-oriented, intelligent basketball, they're building an offensive system around 2 mid-range shooting forwards, which is quite the change from previous years, and against the trend of the current NBA..

[dabom]

Ya, as much as I love Kawhi and his all-around game, I've been vocal here about being against having a SF run your offense, it's a tough position to build around, only exceptions being point-forward types like Lebron/Bird..even a historical talent like Durant has trouble getting the proper amount of shots and looks(you can blame Westbrook, but a lot of is the difficulty of the position IMO)..Carmelo's history is known, Paul Pierce never anchored a good offense until Garnett/Allen had equal footing with the Celtics, Pacers offense sucked with Paul George, etc..

He could be the best player on a title team(which he would be if the Spurs win, now, he's better than Aldridge), but I don't think he should be the #1 scorer on a title team..

I'm not a huge Aldridge fan, as I've said many times, although I was very happy that the Spurs got him, of course..his style of play is not conducive to winning IMO, but I'm not worried about that, I think he'll accept his role and fit in well with the high-lows and the pick and pops..hopefully more 3-pointers, too..

However, I think there will be some transition pains for the Spurs, early this season..although they will still be playing team-oriented, intelligent basketball, they're building an offensive system around 2 mid-range shooting forwards, which is quite the change from previous years, and against the trend of the current NBA..

This team is the best team in the league by a wide margin when Kawhi is our leading scorer. This team is ready for a SF-centric team as long as Tony stays in role player mode and not chuck mode.

[HarlemHeat37]

This team is the best team in the league by a wide margin when Kawhi is our leading scorer. This team is ready for a SF-centric team as long as Tony stays in role player mode and not chuck mode.

I don't think there's a problem with Kawhi leading the team in scoring, but I think it has to be a balanced attack and distribution of shots, rather than the conventional "#1 option vs. the rest or Kobe/Shaq vs. the rest" type of hierarchy..

[dabom]

I don't think there's a problem with Kawhi leading the team in scoring, but I think it has to be a balanced attack and distribution of shots, rather than the conventional "#1 option vs. the rest or Kobe/Shaq vs. the rest" type of hierarchy..

I don't wan't Kawhi shooting 30 shots a ball game. I just feel he needs to touch the ball every possession. The teams need to go for him or duncan at the end of games. They both got them into that position and it should be them for more than just the last shot.

[Chinook]

I'd say the Spurs would be easy title favorites has Splitter been kept on instead of Diaw. Mills/Manu/Butler/West/Splitter is about as good of a bench lineup as you could hope for outside of replacing Butler with a strong three-and-D player. People forget that Tiago was an awesome bench player, especially offensively. Spurs are going to miss him on both ends.

Now that the big men of the second unit are not an ideal match, getting good production out of that backup SF spot is important. Anderson can play off the ball -- he showed that in the summer league trading off with Simmons. But he can't just be a shooter. The team has supposedly been looking for a secondary play-maker on the bench, and Kyle can do that if the team is serious about adding that element to their team. That means that Manu will have to play off the ball like he does with Parker on a large chunk of the possessions. It may not be the most efficient thing to do in games, but it will probably be better long-term anyway.

The problem with Kawhi and LMA is that they don't seem to make quick enough decisions when they're in the post. Diaw is the best post-player on the team because he doesn't waste time while he's there. He goes into his set up moves quickly and passes as soon as he forces the movement. He doesn't pass because the defense makes it too hard for him to score, which is what LMA and Leonard tend to do. He passes because he knows there's a better shot that just opened up. That's not an easy thing to teach, but it's about the only way a post game can fit the Spurs' philosophy with mucking up the works..

[Chinook]

I don't wan't Kawhi shooting 30 shots a ball game. I just feel he needs to touch the ball every possession. The teams need to go for him or duncan at the end of games. They both got them into that position and it should be them for more than just the last shot.

Well, the Spurs do need a new closer with Manu and Tony aging. But I don't know if it should be Kawhi. His offensively game isn't all that versatile. He's a good post player and adequate shooter, but he takes a ton of poor shots if he had to create. You don't want that in crunch-time unless you have no other option.

[dabom]

I'd say the Spurs would be easy title favorites has Splitter been kept on instead of Diaw. Mills/Manu/Butler/West/Splitter is about as good of a bench lineup as you could hope for outside of replacing Butler with a strong three-and-D player. People forget that Tiago was an awesome bench player, especially offensively. Spurs are going to miss him on both ends.

Now that the big men of the second unit are not an ideal match, getting good production out of that backup SF spot is important. Anderson can play off the ball -- he showed that in the summer league trading off with Simmons. But he can't just be a shooter. The team has supposedly been looking for a secondary play-maker on the bench, and Kyle can do that if the team is serious about adding that element to their team. That means that Manu will have to play off the ball like he does with Parker on a large chunk of the possessions. It may not be the most efficient thing to do in games, but it will probably be better long-term anyway.

The problem with Kawhi and LMA is that they don't seem to make quick enough decisions when they're in the post. Diaw is the best post-player on the team because he doesn't waste time while he's there. He goes into his set up moves quickly and passes as soon as he forces the movement. He doesn't pass because the defense makes it too hard for him to score, which is what LMA and Leonard tend to do. He passes because he knows there's a better shot that just opened up. That's not an easy thing to teach, but it's about the only way a post game can fit the Spurs' philosophy with mucking up the works..

The thing about splitter is sometimes you get 2014 and sometimes you get 2015. One solid choice is to drop him and get a more consistent player that shows up to work everyday.

[dabom]

Well, the Spurs do need a new closer with Manu and Tony aging. But I don't know if it should be Kawhi. His offensively game isn't all that versatile. He's a good post player and adequate shooter, but he takes a ton of poor shots if he had to create. You don't want that in crunch-time unless you have no other option.

People also didn't want to feed Kawhi last year because it might hurt the team. Kawhi needs experience in those situations so we don't need to ask if he can do it in the playoffs.

[TheDoctor]

Aggressive and making plays for his teammates as well. So good the pick and pop with LMA and this play...

653735739960754176

Such a smoothly automatic play when you have OG Tim Duncan as your big man.

[Chinook]

The thing about splitter is sometimes you get 2014 and sometimes you get 2015. One solid choice is to drop him and get a more consistent player that shows up to work everyday.

Replacing Greg Oden with Andre Miller doesn't eliminate the need for Oden. The Spurs had and still don't have a replacement for Splitter on either end of the floor. Had they been able to S&T for Braden Wright or something along those lines, it would have helped their offense. But their aren't very many anchor-caliber defenders who can also suck in a defense with their rim-rolling.

[Chinook]

People also didn't want to feed Kawhi last year because it might hurt the team. Kawhi needs experience in those situations so we don't need to ask if he can do it in the playoffs.

Or they can try out a number of players instead of just appointing Leonard.

[dabom]

Replacing Greg Oden with Andre Miller doesn't eliminate the need for Oden. The Spurs had and still don't have a replacement for Splitter on either end of the floor. Had they been able to S&T for Braden Wright or something along those lines, it would have helped their offense. But their aren't very many anchor-caliber defenders who can also suck in a defense with their rim-rolling.

Except we didn't replace greg oden with andre miller. We replaced Tiago with Duncan and replaced Duncan with LMA. We don't need to replace tiago with another clone. We upgraded with the LMA acquisition. Tiago doesn't space the floor or draw defenders like LMA. And our defense is anchored by KAwhi and Duncan not 20 mins of Tiago vs the second team.

[dabom]

Or they can try out a number of players instead of just appointing Leonard.

As much as people like to believe we share the ball in crunch time, we always gave the ball to manu and/or dumped it off to duncan even these past few years. We should do the same to Kawhi while he has great teammates.

[Chinook]

Except we didn't replace greg oden with andre miller. We replaced Tiago with Duncan and replaced Duncan with LMA. We don't need to replace tiago with another clone. We upgraded with the LMA acquisition. Tiago doesn't space the floor or draw defenders like LMA. And our defense is anchored by KAwhi and Duncan not 20 mins of Tiago vs the second team.

Tim isn't Tiago. He's a better overall player, but Tiago is a more versatile defender and a more agile roll-man. And LMA is not Duncan. He's not as good and doesn't have the same skill-set. The point I was making is that the Spurs are missing a center on both sides of the ball. The fact that he was "less reliable" than West doesn't somehow eliminate the fact that the Spurs are missing that.


As much as people like to believe we share the ball in crunch time, we always gave the ball to manu and/or dumped it off to duncan even these past few years. We should do the same to Kawhi while he has great teammates.

Yes, that's mostly true. But it's not like the Spurs couldn't change that now.

[Kawhitstorm]

Just to address some remarks that a couple of you are reiterating.

Bench perimeter defense/Kawhi not being a good fit w/ Manu:

I think it would be best if Kawhi played a good chunk of his minutes w/ the bench mob once he's acclimated playing w/ the starters. The bench sorely needs a perimeter defender & Kawhi can get plenty of touches thus can pick his spots instead of forcing shots for the sake of not being lost in the shuffle w/ the starters. Let him start out the game setting the tone defensively while LMA warms up offensively then give Kawhi a breather & put him back in when Danny goes to the bench. Kyle can benefit as the secondary playmaker w/ the starters which wouldn't be a bad idea considering Tony's struggles & Danny/LMA not being a playmakers. The bench already has plenty of playmakers so it would be overkill to throw Kyle w/ those guys.

Boban:

The guy is awkward to begin with & just recently returned to basketball related activities. He has proven to be a legit rim protector in his limited minutes although his timing is off when he tries to grab rebounds & catch passes. He doesn't seem to have his legs under him when he tries to power up for a layup so he isn't at full strength yet. Just remember how totally out of wack Spitter looked when he returned from injury & he had been playing the league for a minute.

[dabom]

Tim isn't Tiago. He's a better overall player, but Tiago is a more versatile defender and a more agile roll-man. And LMA is not Duncan. He's not as good and doesn't have the same skill-set. The point I was making is that the Spurs are missing a center on both sides of the ball. The fact that he was "less reliable" than West doesn't somehow eliminate the fact that the Spurs are missing that.



Yes, that's mostly true. But it's not like the Spurs couldn't change that now.

If you can't see that LMA+Duncan is better than Splitter+Duncan I don't know what to say.

[Maddog]

Just to address some remarks that a couple of you are reiterating.

Bench perimeter defense/Kawhi not being a good fit w/ Manu:

I think it would be best if Kawhi played a good chunk of his minutes w/ the bench mob once he's acclimated playing w/ the starters. The bench sorely needs a perimeter defender & Kawhi can get plenty of touches thus can pick his spots instead of forcing shots for the sake of not being lost in the shuffle w/ the starters. Let him start out the game setting the tone defensively while LMA warms up offensively then give Kawhi a breather & put him back in when Danny goes to the bench. Kyle can benefit as the secondary playmaker w/ the starters which wouldn't be a bad idea considering Tony's struggles & Danny/LMA not being a playmakers. The bench already has plenty of playmakers so it would be overkill to throw Kyle w/ those guys.

Boban:

The guy is awkward to begin with & just recently returned to basketball related activities. He has proven to be a legit rim protector in his limited minutes although his timing is off when he tries to grab rebounds & catch passes. He doesn't seem to have his legs under him when he tries to power up for a layup so he isn't at full strength yet. Just remember how totally out of wack Spitter looked when he returned from injury & he had been playing the league for a minute.

Good point about Boban. Basically has been on rest duty. While my expectations where not super high, I was a little disappointed last night.

[Chinook]

If you can't see that LMA+Duncan is better than Splitter+Duncan I don't know what to say.

You could say you didn't read what I had written. Talking about Tiago versus Boris for the bench center spot.

[DeRozan m8]

Williams was an F

[dabom]

I was never talking about tiago the bench player. I was talking about tiago the starter.

[Down Under]

No mid range jumpers from TD this year. With LMA, Leonard, Parker & West, we don't need anymore :lol

[SAGirl]

The problem with Kawhi and LMA is that they don't seem to make quick enough decisions when they're in the post. Diaw is the best post-player on the team because he doesn't waste time while he's there. He goes into his set up moves quickly and passes as soon as he forces the movement. He doesn't pass because the defense makes it too hard for him to score, which is what LMA and Leonard tend to do. He passes because he knows there's a better shot that just opened up. That's not an easy thing to teach, but it's about the only way a post game can fit the Spurs' philosophy with mucking up the works..
From Pop's comments on Simms, there is a lot about the good passers, that just cannot be taught. What Diaw does naturally can't be taught per se bc it's very instinctual. He sees things almost b4 they happen so he makes up his mind quickly. I hadn't thought about it until now, but the bench style last night was different. I already knew that Manu and Tiago PnR is gone. I think the style will be different and Mills and Kyle will get more of a burden. I thought Kyle passed up on Saturday couple of shots from range. I am not sure if they will push him to take those shots. I think he can be good already from the corner, but shots from the very top are nit the best shot from him anyway. I didn't think Manu himself was able to get many open 3s for guys anyways. Almost everything came out of ball and player movement. Apparently the bench has been very good in practices, so I think they will bounce back.

[Chinook]

From Pop's comments on Simms, there is a lot about the good passers, that just cannot be taught. What Diaw does naturally can't be taught per se bc it's very instinctual. He sees things almost b4 they happen so he makes up his mind quickly. I hadn't thought about it until now, but the bench style last night was different. I already knew that Manu and Tiago PnR is gone. I think the style will be different and Mills and Kyle will get more of a burden. I thought Kyle passed up on Saturday couple of shots from range. I am not sure if they will push him to take those shots. I think he can be good already from the corner, but shots from the very top are nit the best shot from him anyway. I didn't think Manu himself was able to get many open 3s for guys anyways. Almost everything came out of ball and player movement. Apparently the bench has been very good in practices, so I think they will bounce back.

Well, LMA playing so much with the bench is going to change the dynamic. Normally, the second unit had a lot of time to work without any starter on the court. Seems like those days are gone, and that's going to affect chemistry. Then again, Diaw's IQ has been missed so far, and the biggest remaining question on the is who the second-unit front court will work together.

As far as the first half of your post, I agree. LMA and Kawhi aren't Diaw in terms of vision or BBIQ, and they won't likely become him. But there's something to be said about being decisive with the ball. Diaw has such an interesting physical profile to go along with his wide array of post moves that he knows he can get a shot off against any player. So him being able to score isn't really in doubt. So instead, it seems like he just has to decide what's the most efficient way for the TEAM to score when he has the ball. There is definitely something innate about Boris. But there's also a team-first philosophy that LMA hasn't had to have and Kawhi is being instructed to go away from. Like Parker and driving, there's a balance between posting up to score and posting up to force movement, and being quick to attack the defense helps in either scenario.

[apalisoc_9]

[B]

Bosh is not better than Aldridge at this point of their careers. I thought you already conceded with Bosh Rapotors being better but not this Bosh.

Kawhi took 3 midrange and 1 post ups. hardly melo light.

Unless you want the ball to go somwhere else, the ball is going to stick with Kawhi. If you're too pissed at him taking 15 shtos in 23, realize 3 of his shots were fastbreaks and the rest was ball movement...No one is running a Kobe/Shaq kinda offense here. He's taking the shots he's getting and he should.

Kawhi is a master Midrange shooter, I have no idea why you continue to spread kawhi is an efficient midrange shooter as an argument.

[apalisoc_9]

Thanks Chinook for a detailed impression, and Harlem for good basketball feedback. I have to agree with you both.

The most interesting comment was Chinook' s on Kawhi's Melo light offense. I am not a fan of it either. It's not bound to create many good looks for anyone and he often just takes contested shots when something else might be available. Last year he was forcefully fed the ball and the whole thing was so mechanical and he wasn't very good to start. If was probably part of the process of getting him into a different mentality of less deferral to others. I felt like Pop went away from the forceful feeds and strict play calls, to let it grow more organically the second part of the season. Kawhi now takes the post ups he wants, when there is nothing else available on offense, and keeps playing off the ball and off the dribble. It's better that way, I guess.

On Anderson next to Manu. He will not be optimally utilized in lineups that have other guys dominate the ball to create open 3 point shots like Manu does bc he not a pure shooter. It seems like Manu always drives to pass to a shooter these days since he can't consistently get to the rim and finish himself. It made playing Cojo a bad fit next to him, since Manu wasn't really setting Cojo up for anything and yet Cojo was not a talented enough passer or player that would make you give him the ball instead of Manu. Marco was perfect next to him bc not only was he a fearless shooter, but he also moved extremely well without the ball making him a terrific target for passes. Kyle is something else. What he is at this level is still developing before our very eyes and he's got potential that Cojo did not show this early. Him going into a shell is likely the fact that he's a reluctant shooter from 3. He's going to take the shot if he's wide open, but he is not going to let it fly fearlessly like a Butler, Marco, or Mills. It is conundrum for Pop bc Anderson is clearly the better all-around player of the current backup options, he is just not the best shooter. I think these two (Manu and Kyle) will figure it out bc Manu is in a diminished role at this stage of his career, he here to help not necessarily be the epicenter of what's going on and w are bound to see Kyle more aggressive in the future particularly if he is making his shots. Last night to close out a quarter they gave the ball to Mills in the last possession. He botched it, but it give you an idea good what Pop is doing.

I think the whole experiment with Ray at the end was to gauge his leadership. Kyle has shown incredible leadership for a guy of his experience and his age. In that first game he clearly took control of things when he needed to, set others up and gave them structure and cohesion. Guys were running simple sets but they looked like a team. It should be no surprise since he did it in SL. Anyways, I think Pop just wants to see if Ray could exhibit the Sam leadership in getting guys into sets and stuff like that. Since Ray is new for Pop, it's a good idea to know what he does, so they can help him develop.

the last three months of the season were really ugly weren't they? :lol

The spurs absolutely dominanted with Kawhi...

I don't even understand where the critisim that the spurs is running a Kawhi centric offense comes from..Majority of his shots comes from Motion and transition :lol

[ElNono]

Ginobili – He played well individually on offense. Some of his passes were gorgeous. He also made a nice three-pointer and took it inside. This is about the best we could have hoped for.
He had a tough match-up defensively against Gerald Green. He didn’t do much to stop him even considering. The lack of a consistently average perimeter defender in the second unit is a concern, though the Spurs haven’t had good bench defenders during this whole renaissance, so I guess they’ll manage. - B

I was suspicious about the bolded part, it's not what I remembered, and sure enough, Manu did a solid job on Gerald Green, who was 0-2 in the 1st half while Manu guarded him, all well contested. Green actually scored when Anderson was on him. Then on the 3rd quarter, Green was 1-2 while Manu guarded him, his first attempt well contested, and also included a steal and basket by Gino in the waning seconds of the 3rd quarter. The only other stint of Manu on the court was in the 2nd quarter guarding Wade, who was 1-1 against him.

Here's the breakdown:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S8a3x9IEPU

19:35 - good contest, Green misses
22:24 - good contest, Green misses
1:14:10 - good contest, Green misses
1:15:35 - Manu denies the 3, but nowhere near to contest the jumper, Green scores
1:17:00 - Green gets a wide open 3 in transition after a Boban fumble, misses
1:17:33 - Steal on Green and score

So Green was 1-4 and scored only 2 of his 17 points while Manu was guarding him. I dunno, I think that's pretty good.

Re-watching the game, and especially that 2nd unit, Patty, and Boban were really, really bad on D. Also Kyle had a fairly terrible start on that end.

[Chinook]

I was suspicious about the bolded part, it's not what I remembered, and sure enough, Manu did a solid job on Gerald Green, who was 0-2 in the 1st half while Manu guarded him, all well contested. Green actually scored when Anderson was on him. Then on the 3rd quarter, Green was 1-2 while Manu guarded him, his first attempt well contested, and also included a steal and basket by Gino in the waning seconds of the 3rd quarter. The only other stint of Manu on the court was in the 2nd quarter guarding Wade, who was 1-1 against him.

Here's the breakdown:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S8a3x9IEPU

19:35 - good contest, Green misses
22:24 - good contest, Green misses
1:14:10 - good contest, Green misses
1:15:35 - Manu denies the 3, but nowhere near to contest the jumper, Green scores
1:17:00 - Green gets a wide open 3 in transition after a Boban fumble, misses
1:17:33 - Steal on Green and score

So Green was 1-4 and scored only 2 of his 17 points while Manu was guarding him. I dunno, I think that's pretty good.

Re-watching the game, and especially that 2nd unit, Patty, and Boban were really, really bad on D. Also Kyle had a fairly terrible start on that end.

Well, I'm certainly glad I was wrong about that. I just thought I saw Green running ahead of Manu a lot. I haven't rewatched the game, and the stream was really gritty. Thanks for the clarification.

[Seventyniner]

Well, the Spurs do need a new closer with Manu and Tony aging. But I don't know if it should be Kawhi. His offensively game isn't all that versatile. He's a good post player and adequate shooter, but he takes a ton of poor shots if he had to create. You don't want that in crunch-time unless you have no other option.

When did we start talking about Kobe Bryant?

[barbacoataco]

I think the Duncan, Aldridge, Leonard, Green and Parker lineup is a great group to close out games. All 5 players can score, and the combination of Duncan and Aldridge will punish small ball lineups.

Once Aldridge settles in some Spurs fans might be surprised at his offensive skills. The guy can flat out score. He's in the class with Lebron, Westbrook, and Harden where they can get hot and just take over a game. When his fadeaway jumper over the shoulder is hitting he is unstoppable, kind of like Dirk, but stronger and not easily stopped by getting physical. He won't always be on fire, but Aldridge is a better pure scorer than anyone the Spurs gave had since Duncan was in his prime.

[Chinook]

When did we start talking about Kobe Bryant?

Him or Melo. Posting up smalls is like the worst offensive in the league today. Kawhi was hella efficient at it in 2013 and 2014 because he was selective. By no means should the Spurs make that their bread and butter, especially if Leonard is going to consistently draw the other team's best defender.

[YGWHI]

Such a smoothly automatic play when you have OG Tim Duncan as your big man.
:tu

Also, Kawhi was double teamed, you can see Winslow and Anderson on him. When Anderson left Tim to double Kawhi, he made the pass. I can see a lot more of those plays for Tim with LMA and Kawhi getting double-teams.

[YGWHI]

The most interesting comment was Chinook' s on Kawhi's Melo light offense. I am not a fan of it either. It's not bound to create many good looks for anyone and he often just takes contested shots when something else might be available.

Kawhi was creating opportunities for others instead of take a bad shot in these two preseason games. Granted, a small sample size, but you can see it when he was double teamed. Except an ugly play against McLemore-Cousins, he made the right pass and that resulted in easy shots for others.

[YGWHI]

Him or Melo. Posting up smalls is like the worst offensive in the league today. Kawhi was hella efficient at it in 2013 and 2014 because he was selective. By no means should the Spurs make that their bread and butter, especially if Leonard is going to consistently draw the other team's best defender.

They won't, there is no need to do it with LMA on the team and Spurs' ball-movement. But in a diversified offense, it's good to have a perimeter player who can play that role in the game.
At this point, Tony and Manu are losing the ability to comand the defensive attention, and it seems like Pop wants Kawhi to stay aggressive, drawn fouls...We saw that when Manu gave him the ball to close the 2nd quarter and he drew a foul on Haslem and made the two free-throws.

[SAGirl]

I was suspicious about the bolded part, it's not what I remembered, and sure enough, Manu did a solid job on Gerald Green, who was 0-2 in the 1st half while Manu guarded him, all well contested. Green actually scored when Anderson was on him. Then on the 3rd quarter, Green was 1-2 while Manu guarded him, his first attempt well contested, and also included a steal and basket by Gino in the waning seconds of the 3rd quarter. The only other stint of Manu on the court was in the 2nd quarter guarding Wade, who was 1-1 against him.

Here's the breakdown:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S8a3x9IEPU

19:35 - good contest, Green misses
22:24 - good contest, Green misses
1:14:10 - good contest, Green misses
1:15:35 - Manu denies the 3, but nowhere near to contest the jumper, Green scores
1:17:00 - Green gets a wide open 3 in transition after a Boban fumble, misses
1:17:33 - Steal on Green and score

So Green was 1-4 and scored only 2 of his 17 points while Manu was guarding him. I dunno, I think that's pretty good.

Re-watching the game, and especially that 2nd unit, Patty, and Boban were really, really bad on D. Also Kyle had a fairly terrible start on that end.
I rewarchd the game too b. there are always things you miss when you are not looking at a specific guy. In general they made too many mistakes. Kyle had two fouls on guys shooting a 3 that he just has to cleanup. Otherwise he was pretty solid and made a few nice defensive plays. The blowby by Johnson I am not surprised about bc it was a cut after a switch and the guy is crazy quick. He had the same play against Mills subsequently. I think the bigs had to pressure the ball a bit and get a hand on passing lanes on the big making that pass. But it wasn't just Kyle, Boban notoriously struggled, mills was off in shots he took and Johnson just owned him. Manu played well but he was not without his own faults, he had one offensive foul that was him getting angry and forcing stuff, thus a TO, then another where he just plowed the screener. Even West wasn't very good. He had his own offensive foul in a post up, attempted a pass that was picked up, and was slow to get back on defense and was not in help position to contain Green since you don't really expect Anderson to defend him without help.

it was not one guy, the bench had too many guys making mistakes and Manu had his own. When put together, there were a few minutes of game time when somebody screwed up followed by someone else in the following possession and sometimes it included the vets, it want just the rookies or Kyle out there. I am sure each of the vets will clean the stuff up. Kyles mistakes are easy to correct, and Boban just needs to develop a shot close to the basket that is a little crafty and uses the glass, that one is more likely to take time.

[SAGirl]

Kawhi was creating opportunities for others instead of take a bad shot in these two preseason games. Granted, a small sample size, but you can see it when he was double teamed. Except an ugly play against McLemore-Cousins, he made the right pass and that resulted in easy shots for others.
No need to get so defensive about this. If you reread my comment, it referred to Pop force feeding Kawhi to start last season and centering the offense around that. It wasn't very good. In the second part of the season they went away from having that as the prominent set in their offense. Like I said it didnt create enough good looks. Right now Kawhi has been making a lot of other plays and not necessarily for himself, and he's also benefitted from teammates making plays fr him, which lets be honest, it's a team sport and its better and more efficient to get other involves. He's had some simple PnP with LMA, has gotten into the paint with the intention to pass to Danny and has on ocassion taken his fadeaway jumpshots when there is either nothing else, or he feel he has an advantage. Danny has also been making a few nice passes and getting shots for other guys. Overall, I like what they are doing now better. LMA has gotten his own post ups, but he's also benefitted from passes and set ups from other guys that have resulted in easy baskets fr him too.

[dabom]

People keep forgetting kawhi had pink eye and the fucking team didn't know how to give him space.

[tholdren]

People keep forgetting kawhi had pink eye and the fucking team didn't know how to give him space.

He's a grown man. Get out of here. Nothing but excuses