Game Thread: Spurs @ Cavs -- Sat. (1/30) - 7:30PM CST (3:30AM Riga Time)

[Kawhitstorm]

Simmons/Kyle future bench core, might be able to start on some teams TBH.
and ppl want to trade him for peanuts.

It's sad to see Manu/Patty getting outplayed by Simmons/Kyle on a nationally televised game:lol

[SpurPadre]

Steve Novak, the homeless man's Bonner.

Nah, the homeless man I gave some spare change to today so he can have a sandwich is the homeless man's Bonner.

[BillMc]

The problem is the defense has been slipping for over a month now, and Tim had been healthy for most of it. Even Kawhi's defense has been mediocre. Not sure what the issue is but if this is the team showing it's true colors on D, they're out in the second round.

Hopefully the losses plus the Rodeo Roadtrip will allow them the time and effort to get back to where they were.

[ElNono]

I think it's because of his lack of talent.

you know why im hating, tbh

[timtonymanu]

Spurs win!

:lmao

[SAGirl]

It's sad Kyle's breakout game came in a game we lost, but he was the one pushing us forward. When he was out there, we were making runs.. if only we had gotten a few 3s to fall. If only he could expand his own range of course, but his jumpshot is money.

[tbdog]

crofl how is that not an And 1?

If this was called correctly and Love got that foul in the first play for the spurs, I am not too sure if he would go off in the 1st like he did. Love fouled him twice.

[ElNono]

you forgot :lmao Manure, :lmao Evita


:lmao Turnobili
:lmao Parker dribble dribble dribble
:lmao not playing Boban against Mozgov
:lmao ignoring Kawhi

[timtonymanu]

Danny just brings nothing to the table... shaky with the ball, everybody knows he won't attack the basket...

"I guess people prefer the days when we started Mason Jr./ Finley."

[TE]

I will worry about bad losses (I guess you can group this one in even though it overlaps with the penciled loss category) come during and after the RRT.

[TheGreatYacht]

Patty Mills after that shoulder surgery :lmao
TheGreatYacht (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=43719)
I used to be his biggest fan when he used to drop 30+, back when he looked like a chunky The Weeknd... Now he's done. The cancer he has on the road spreads around on others

[apalisoc_9]

Your entire defense was shit from start to finish. No one person cost you the game. Your entire team sucked as a defensive unit.

It was atrocious. The help defense in particular was a nightmare to watch. It doesnt help that Green barely plays nowayds

[Pauleta14]

He's 2-4 from the field and is one of the only players that hasn't gotten killed on defense:lol

It took 3 and half quarters to get him a spot-up 3, after he made 6 3s last game and shot a great % for January..that's on coaching more than anything, though..

Pop needs to reminds him like a couple years ago, that the only reason he is on the floor is if he makes his 3s and put some pressure on him!

The team has done well with him sucking for the most part of the season, it's time for him to take some responsibilities tbh he can't keep deferring, passing on open shots. We're going nowhere if he and/or Patty to get their 3s back..

And his D is all or nothing, blocks, misses assignment...

[sasaint]

I agree. They came out balling. Kyle to me, really grew this game. Simmons had been balling already since a few games back and had grown before our eyes, now he's just building his confidence. The two of them play really well together.

When they sat the other team made a run. They don't look rattled anymore and I do hope Pop doesn't archive this performance under "to be used next season"

First time he seemed comfortable and confident AND was not passive. He looked like he thought he belonged on the floor against a contender. Good to see. Some pretty shots.

[BillMc]

But again. Overall January was a good month. Every season will have some down points.

I worry if Kawh's expanded offensive role is tiring him out and affecting his defense a little. But still Pop manages his minutes pretty well and he's only 24.

[ceperez]

First time he seemed comfortable and confident AND was not passive. He looked like he thought he belonged on the floor against a contender. Good to see. Some pretty shots.

Anderson and Simmons played well. Anderson though still needs to be more aggressive in offense.

[steeledl]

But again. Overall January was a good month. Every season will have some down points.

I worry if Kawh's expanded offensive role is tiring him out and affecting his defense a little. But still Pop manages his minutes pretty well and he's only 24.

We got dominated against the teams we have to be able to beat to win it..... that's a bad month

[rasuo214]

Switching to the zone was a bad move, it'll work over short spurts but that's it.

[ceperez]

It was atrocious. The help defense in particular was a nightmare to watch. It doesnt help that Green barely plays nowayds

I agree with this, why wasn't he on the court when the Cavs where exploiting Mills? Spurs could have had Green playing instead of Mills and move point guard duties to both Anderson and Simmons.

Anderson have better grow up pretty quickly because Spurs need bigger defenders at the point.

[SAGirl]

Put Manu in now with Bonner Boban Butler and fucking Ray...... send this nigga a message.
:lol

You got on my nerves long time ago steele, but you are funny. :toast

[TE]

Man, Manu looked like he didn't give a shit during those sequences where he got his shit swatted. Microcosm right there. :lol

[jbspurs]

It's not just his rim protection but rather the rotations/communication which is something Tim has been doing for the past 19 years as well as anyone that has played the game. On the other end, there hasn't been any high-low action involving LMA without Tim on the floor.


+ controlling the boards. He's a lot slower now. But, he can still do all these and make a difference. LaMarcus will need a shot blocker to help him out on defense once Timmy is done. For now, This team needs Timmy back healthy soon.

[Kawhitstorm]

The problem is the defense has been slipping for over a month now, and Tim had been healthy for most of it. Even Kawhi's defense has been mediocre. Not sure what the issue is but if this is the team showing it's true colors on D, they're out in the second round.

I'm not sure how you came up w/ the "defense has been slipping for over a month now" narrative when Tim has been healthy:
-They shutdown the Mavs/Knicks when both teams were rolling & Kawhi locked up Melo/Parsons
-The Cavs started hot & were shut down after the 1st quarter w/ LeBron scoring 6 points in the 2nd half thanks to Kawhi
-The Rockets were shutdown in the 2nd half w/ Kawhi locking up Harden
-Bucks/Jazz/Nets were blown the fuck out
Kawhi had a bad game against the Pistons but even then Marcus Morris didn't do shyt.:wakeup

[TE]

Switching to the zone was a bad move, it'll work over short spurts but that's it.
Yeah. Athletes who cut and attack gaps under good spacing at opportune moments will make zone defenders shift and that will momentarily open the floor for opportunities going to the basket or shots from the outside. Against NBA athletes and shooters you're asking to get burned. This doesn't even include the old rule that your ability to finish off possessions with boards takes a big hit. I still shudder at last year when Pop used it against Dallas in a regular season game. It worked because Dallas played like absolute shit that night but against a team like the Cavs? lolol

[sasaint]

That's what we look like right now.

Not having Tim is not a legitimate excuse.

Kawhi and Aldridge did not take on the challenge in either of the past 2 games against last year's finalists. That's a HUGE, GLARING problem.

Agreed. LMA is no LMAlpha. Neither is Kawhi yet.

[Budkin]

As if a home game against a ~.500 team sends any fucking messages at all :lmao

But messages!

[Spurs 4 The Win]

lmao, people need to calm down, would you rather peak now and be regular season champions? Or peak later and have legitimate shot at the title... I swear its like some of you people just started to follow the team, this literally happens every year

[Kawhitstorm]

Yeah. Athletes who cut and attack gaps under good spacing at opportune moments will make zone defenders shift and that will momentarily open the floor for opportunities going to the basket or shots from the outside. Against NBA athletes and shooters you're asking to get burned. I still shudder at last year when Pop used it against Dallas in a regular season game. It worked because Dallas played like absolute shit that night but against a team like the Cavs? lolol

Zone only works against a shitty offensive team like the Grizz:lol

[spurs10]

We look like we are going to keep slipping in the standings. Hate to overreact to a game, but we have a lot of problems and Kawhi and LMA are not going to do much on their own. TP wasn't great, but he wasn't horrible like Green, Patty, and Manu. As the asshole announcer said (JVG I think). 'Tim coming back isn't going to fix all these problems.'

[BillMc]

While I am not one of the pessimists on here, I will start watching the Thunder's record a little more. Gotta keep them in the rearview mirror.

[timtonymanu]

lmao, people need to calm down, would you rather peak now and be regular season champions? Or peak later and have legitimate shot at the title... I swear its like some of you people just started to follow the team, this literally happens every year

Yep, Spurs are due for a regular season slump/meltdown and right now would be the usual time of the year it happens.

[TE]

While I am not one of the pessimists on here, I will start watching the Thunder's record a little more. Gotta keep them in the rearview mirror.
The game coming up against the Dubs will be really good. Finally a matchup between those two.

[Escawun3]

More dissapointment with Boris this week, he is key for us and unlike monday we obvious needed Timmy in this game.
At some point the zone was working, but Pop abused of it.. how many times was Patty guarding Lebron all alone??

[Harry Callahan]

Leonard and LMA we knocked around most of the first half, with CS calls against them on the defensive end.

I do not know the retards they used as refs in this game, but they sucked.

Simmons and Anderson look very capable of helping out when Manu's running on empty like tonight.

[Kawhitstorm]

Agreed. LMA is no LMAlpha. Neither is Kawhi yet.

Are you guy watching the same game?:lol

Teams don't double LMA in the post but they immediately send help when Kawhi is in the post. Not to mention LMA doesn't make plays for his team, create fastbreak opportunities nor defend the best player on the other team. LMA's job is to score in the post/rebound & he has been pretty mediocre against the Cavs/Worriers in both facets.

[Proxy]

Hey Deandre Jordan, Proxy says nobody can tell you how to shoot FT's...

:bobo

hahaha, touche :bobo

[spurs10]

While I am not one of the pessimists on here, I will start watching the Thunder's record a little more. Gotta keep them in the rearview mirror. Yep!

[rasuo214]

Are you guy watching the same game?:lol

Teams don't double LMA in the post but they immediately send help when Kawhi is in the post. Not to mention LMA doesn't make plays for his team, create fastbreak opportunities nor defend the best player on the other team.

Apparently for Kawhi to become "Alpha" he needs to defend all 5 guys on his own and carry the team offensively. Until then he's just a role player.

[Harry Callahan]

Kevin Love is the biggest t@at in America. At the end of the game, he was looking around for someone to interview him. Love is a loser and any team with Dick Jefferson is doomed to fail.

By the way, why is it that the Cavs can jump around like fools after they get called for the occasional foul, and no T is issued. Pathetic.

[Kawhitstorm]

We look like we are going to keep slipping in the standings. Hate to overreact to a game, but we have a lot of problems and Kawhi and LMA are not going to do much on their own. TP wasn't great, but he wasn't horrible like Green, Patty, and Manu. As the asshole announcer said (JVG I think). 'Tim coming back isn't going to fix all these problems.'

The Heatles w/ prime Bron/Wade used to struggle when Bosh was out of the lineup so it's not surprising LMA/West can't makeup for the loss of Tim :lol

Even the Worriers lost to the Nuggets when Draymond was resting & he ended up returning to the lineup to stop the bleeding.

[Harry Callahan]

Why does Tristan Thompson get to knock the shit out of anyone close to him and gets away with it a lot of the time? A-hole.

[Kawhitstorm]

Why does Tristan Thompson get to knock the shit out of anyone close to him and gets away with it a lot of the time? A-hole.

They will call over the back but if he has established inside position he can push around folks just like prime Shaq. LMA/West weren't doing their job early & let him establish inside position.:lol

[timtonymanu]

Lolckets couldn't even beat this scrubby Spurs team. :lmao

[Kawhitstorm]

Apparently for Kawhi to become "Alpha" he needs to defend all 5 guys on his own and carry the team offensively. Until then he's just a role player.

They must be the same folks who dismiss Pippen as just a "role player":lol

[Robz4000]

I'm not sure how you came up w/ the "defense has been slipping for over a month now" narrative when Tim has been healthy:
-They shutdown the Mavs/Knicks when both teams were rolling & Kawhi locked up Melo/Parsons
-The Cavs started hot & were shut down after the 1st quarter w/ LeBron scoring 6 points in the 2nd half thanks to Kawhi
-The Rockets were shutdown in the 2nd half w/ Kawhi locking up Harden
-Bucks/Jazz/Nets were blown the fuck out
Kawhi had a bad game against the Pistons but even then Marcus Morris didn't do shyt.:wakeup

The Knicks nearly beat the Spurs and put up 100 points. Let's also not forget Melo scoring in Kawhi's face plenty down the stretch.
LeBron getting shut down had as much to do with him deferring to teammates with mismatches or had open looks that didn't fall. Kawhi had some great sequences but he didn't shut down Lebron.
The Rockets put up over 100 points in both games regardless of Harden. Kawhi also was at no point in either game his primary defender with Green and Manu getting the bulk of the assignment.
All three are mediocre/missing key players and struggle heavily on offense to boot. Horrible games to draw conclusions from.

[SAGirl]

First time he seemed comfortable and confident AND was not passive. He looked like he thought he belonged on the floor against a contender. Good to see. Some pretty shots.
In case we forget those were Lebron, Kyrie and Love. Love was guarding Kyle at times... that should show LMA to get balls. Frankly Kyle has a future in this league. 22 yrs old, been a winner at every step. his line tonight: 10 points on 4-8 shooting, most of those shots he got on his own, if not all, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block shot. He impacts the game at both ends. he's not a stopper, but he's so smart and anticipates.

Anyway, I hope this doesn't get lost on Pop. Without Timmy in the foreseeable future I think we see more of Kyle at the 4 against bigs who like to shoot. He took it to Love.

The one steal he had was on Love.

[Kawhitstorm]

Lolckets couldn't even beat this scrubby Spurs team. :lmao

Hoping they end up as the 1st rd matchup b/c LMA owns their frontline including Dwight Coward :lol

[sasaint]

Are you guy watching the same game?:lol

Teams don't double LMA in the post but they immediately send help when Kawhi is in the post. Not to mention LMA doesn't make plays for his team, create fastbreak opportunities nor defend the best player on the other team. LMA's job is to score in the post/rebound & he has been pretty mediocre against the Cavs/Worriers in both facets.

Seems like you and I are watching the same game, except you are being a little more generous to both players. LMA's play has not reached to the heights of mediocrity. And Kawhi, while advancing his game by incredible leaps and bounds, will become a true superstar when his playmaking skills rise to the level of the rest of his game.

[Chinook]

In case we forget those were Lebron, Kyrie and Love. Love was guarding Kyle at times... that should show LMA to get balls. Frankly Kyle has a future in this league. 22 yrs old, been a winner at every step. his line tonight: 10 points on 4-8 shooting, most of those shots he got on his own, if not all, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block shot. He impacts the game at both ends. he's not a stopper, but he's so smart and anticipates.

Anyway, I hope this doesn't get lost on Pop. Without Timmy in the foreseeable future I think we see more of Kyle at the 4 against bigs who like to shoot. He took it to Love.

The one steal he had was on Love.

Yeah, I want him to start until Tim comes back. It's not like Love would have been better in the first had he started this game.

[Chinook]

you know why im hating, tbh

:king

[sasaint]

In case we forget those were Lebron, Kyrie and Love. Love was guarding Kyle at times... that should show LMA to get balls. Frankly Kyle has a future in this league. 22 yrs old, been a winner at every step. his line tonight: 10 points on 4-8 shooting, most of those shots he got on his own, if not all, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block shot. He impacts the game at both ends. he's not a stopper, but he's so smart and anticipates.

Anyway, I hope this doesn't get lost on Pop. Without Timmy in the foreseeable future I think we see more of Kyle at the 4 against bigs who like to shoot. He took it to Love.

The one steal he had was on Love.

I agree. You know from our previous exchanges that I believe he will ultimately play most of the time as a "point four."

[Chinook]

Again, though, what's going on with Mills is very concerning. Dude just looks bad on both ends most games.

[Harry Callahan]

They will call over the back but if he has established inside position he can push around folks just like prime Shaq. LMA/West weren't doing their job early & let him establish inside position.:lol

I'm talking about driving both forearms into the back of LMA while defending him time and time again tonight. That's a foul - that's not inside position. Leonard and Aldridge were mauled tonight and LMA got one if not two phantom fouls in the first half - we needed his offense to stay close.

P.S. - Kevin Love is a p*ssy.

P.S. - Tristan Thompson should not be put in the same sentence as "Prime Shaq".

[sasaint]

Why does Tristan Thompson get to knock the shit out of anyone close to him and gets away with it a lot of the time? A-hole.

I wish the Spurs could get him or his clone.

[Chinook]

I'm talking about driving both forearms into the back of LMA time and time again tonight. That's a foul. Leonard and Aldridge were mauled tonight and LMA got one if not two phantom fouls in the first half - we needed his offense to stay close.

P.S. - Kevin Love is a p*ssy.

I just hated that the refs were calling fouls every time the Cavs players slipped. I can't stand refs to assume when they blow the whistle.

[Kawhitstorm]

The Knicks nearly beat the Spurs and put up 100 points. Let's also not forget Melo scoring in Kawhi's face plenty down the stretch.

That happened b/c LMA was getting eaten alive by a 20 yr old Latvian & Melo ONLY hit TWO shots against Kawhi in the 4th quarter.:lol It was Galloway that started running a layup line AFTER Tim got benched in the 4th quarter.


LeBron getting shut down had as much to do with him deferring to teammates with mismatches or had open looks that didn't fall. Kawhi had some great sequences but he didn't shut down Lebron.

That's the point, LeBron looks to be a facilitator when Kawhi is checking him including TONIGHT. It's not his fault LeBron is scoring on switches, transition or when he forces him to drive to a help defender for it to only end up being Boban/West.:lol


The Rockets put up over 100 points in both games regardless of Harden. Kawhi also was at no point in either game his primary defender with Green and Manu getting the bulk of the assignment.

Kawhi was the one guarding him in the 2nd half & the Rockets were rolling BEFORE Tony got benched.


All three are mediocre/missing key players and struggle heavily on offense to boot. Horrible games to draw conclusions from.

The Bucks/Nets weren't missing anyone & beat the Worriers/OKC with those squads scoring well over a 100.:lol

[sasaint]

Yeah, I want him to start until Tim comes back. It's not like Love would have been better in the first had he started this game.

That would be an interesting experiment, maybe giving him a confidence boost at a good time for it.

[SAGirl]

I agree. You know from our previous exchanges that I believe he will ultimately play most of the time as a "point four."
Yea I know. I saw him play the 3 and the 4 in the lower leagues. It seems the Spurs wanted him at both, but he really comes alive at the 4.

[sasaint]

They will call over the back but if he has established inside position he can push around folks just like prime Shaq. LMA/West weren't doing their job early & let him establish inside position.:lol

Neither player knows how to get that done. So, question: why isn't the coaching staff HAMMERING that FUNDAMENTAL into their heads?!

[Kawhitstorm]

Again, though, what's going on with Mills is very concerning. Dude just looks bad on both ends most games.

Patty/Evita/Boris seem to be more productive on social media than on the court nowadays :lol

[Chinook]

That would be an interesting experiment, maybe giving him a confidence boost at a good time for it.

The Spurs play Aaron Gordon and the Magic next game. There's no excuse for not starting Anderson against another combo-forward. Could understand not wanting to start Kyle against the Pelicans, but I'd force NO to pull Asik by having him try to check Anderson. Then they'd get to play Dallas, and Anderson on Dirk would be an interesting experiment if I ever saw one.

[Kawhitstorm]

Neither player knows how to get that done. So, question: why isn't the coaching staff HAMMERING that FUNDAMENTAL into their heads?!

They are both not used to being a blue-collar type player & have always been average/below average rebounder for their position just like Boris. It's all about having a motor & helping the helper but that is going to be an achilles w/ a West/LMA/Diaw frontline.

[sasaint]

Yea I know. I saw him play the 3 and the 4 in the lower leagues. It seems the Spurs wanted him at both, but he really comes alive at the 4.

What we saw in SL and to a lesser extent in Austin was Kyle pretty much playing position-less ball, just doing whatever was needed in the moment. He has the potential to be a real Swiss Army knife. He needs me re upper body strength to develop a strong move to the bucket, however. While his fadeaway is terrific, he needs to become more adept at asserting himself against smaller opponents. Of course, he needs teammates to develop confidence in him and get him the ball when he has a favorable matchup. That will not happen this year.

[Kawhitstorm]

The Spurs play Aaron Gordon and the Magic next game. There's no excuse for not starting Anderson against another combo-forward. Could understand not wanting to start Kyle against the Pelicans, but I'd force NO to pull Asik by having him try to check Anderson. Then they'd get to play Dallas, and Anderson on Dirk would be an interesting experiment if I ever saw one.

Asik would destroy Kyle on the offensive boards:lol & most likely he isn't going to play heavy minutes without Tim on the floor. Fathead on Ryan Anderson should be a no brainer though.

[Chinook]

Asik would destroy Kyle on the offensive boards:lol & most likely he isn't going to play heavy minutes without Tim on the floor. Fathead on Ryan Anderson should be a no brainer though.

Anderson's a great rebounder, and he should take lessons from Green on how to box out bigger players. The point is to see how Kyle handles mismatches on both sides of the court. That's a much better experiment than that zone crap the Spurs ran tonight.

[Chinook]

What we saw in SL and to a lesser extent in Austin was Kyle pretty much playing position less ball, just doing whatever was needed in the moment. He has the potential to be a real Swiss Army knife. He needs me re upper body strength to develop a strong move to the bucket, however. While his fadeaway is terrific, he needs to become more adept at asserting himself against smaller opponents. Of course, he needs teammates to develop confidence in him and get him the ball when he has a favorable matchup. That will not happen this year.

He needs to gain lower-body strength as well. He's not backing anyone down until he lowers his center of gravity.

[sasaint]

They are both not used to being a blue-collar type player & have always been average/below average rebounder for their position just like Boris. It's all about having a motor & helping the helper but that is going to be an achilles w/ a West/LMA/Diaw frontline.

West NOT blue-collar? You've followed a different player than I have. I think his rebounding numbers have always been respectable when he was at PF. In his New Orleans days West used to give Tim fits.

[SAGirl]

Again, though, what's going on with Mills is very concerning. Dude just looks bad on both ends most games.
He's been terrible and to me at least, he is more noticeable bc his defense is awful. He tries, but he's inadequate. On top of that he has a tendency to chuck.

I know some are hating on Danny this game, but really the problem were lack of Tim (rim protection), lack of chemistry, too much hero balling by the starters from everyone. Danny actually cut his own heroballing and sticks to what he does well nowadays. We need passing, maybe Kyle can help. West is a good passer, but he's not a dynamic passer. He passes from preconceived spots. Kyle is more dynamic and looks for open shooters always.

[apalisoc_9]

Patty/Evita/Boris seem to be more productive on social media than on the court nowadays :lol

:lol

[sasaint]

Anderson's a great rebounder, and he should take lessons from Green on how to box out bigger players. The point is to see how Kyle handles mismatches on both sides of the court. That's a much better experiment than that zone crap the Spurs ran tonight.

if he learned that, the guy would be golden.

[Robz4000]

That happened b/c LMA was getting eaten alive by a 20 yr old Latvian & Melo ONLY hit TWO shots against Kawhi in the 4th quarter.:lol It was Galloway that started running a layup line AFTER Tim got benched in the 4th quarter.



That's the point, LeBron looks to be a facilitator when Kawhi is checking him including TONIGHT. It's not his fault LeBron is scoring on switches, transition or when he forces him to drive to a help defender for it to only end up being Boban/West.:lol



Kawhi was the one guarding him in the 2nd half & the Rockets were rolling BEFORE Tony got benched.



The Bucks/Nets weren't missing anyone & beat the Worriers/OKC with those squads scoring well over a 100.:lol

Nobody was able to guard Porzingod, can't put the blame on LMA. Melo was 8/18 in the game, and in critical junctures got buckets. Yes Kawhi played a big part in forcing him to pass, but it was to a wide open Calderon who's been money from 3 this year. That was not good defense.

LeBron facilitating is far worse than him scoring, and a big part of the Spurs' success against him in the past was forcing him to do all the scoring (and with jumpers at that). This season the team has played right into his hands for the most part, Kawhi included.

The Rockets never really stopped rolling on offense, they just couldn't make a stop to save their lives and it helped massively that Green was such a threat. Neither home game against Houston this year could be considered good defensive games.

The Dubs lost/struggled in those games dud to fatigue from playing 5 games in 7 nights or by merely not taking their opponent seriously. It also helps they have a historically great offense to generate baskets seemingly at will, which the Spurs do not. As for OKC, it's been discussed thoroughly how bad their defense is this season, but they can somewhat get away with it due to having two top three offensive players on their team.

[sasaint]

He needs to gain lower-body strength as well. He's not backing anyone down until he lowers his center of gravity.

So, let's just say "body strength!" That also usually comes with bulk, so I hope adding bulk doesn't slow him down! :wow

[Chinook]

So, let's just say "body strength!" That also usually comes with bulk, so I hope adding bulk doesn't slow him down! :wow

If it does, he'll be moving backwards out there.

[SAGirl]

What we saw in SL and to a lesser extent in Austin was Kyle pretty much playing position-less ball, just doing whatever was needed in the moment. He has the potential to be a real Swiss Army knife. He needs me re upper body strength to develop a strong move to the bucket, however. While his fadeaway is terrific, he needs to become more adept at asserting himself against smaller opponents. Of course, he needs teammates to develop confidence in him and get him the ball when he has a favorable matchup. That will not happen this year.
Which is why I always said that the player we were watching is not all he can be. To a degree Manu and the established rotation are not a fit for him. What he does best we saw in this game. Maybe we will need that.

I know old schoolers will say if we need that we are lost anyways, and maybe we are but prime Manu and Tony are not walking back in. Didn't Timmy win a championship with newbies Tony and Manu. Now we have this team with newbies Simmons and Anderson. That they made a comeback in this game cannot be lost on Pop.

And perspective, he's young, may be up and down, but has to be pushed and teammates if they want to win and truly be egoless have to push him too and I think they will TBH.

[ElNono]

Which is why I always said that the player we were watching is not all he can be. To a degree Manu and the established rotation are not a fit for him. What he does best we saw in this game. Maybe we will need that.

I know old schoolers will say if we need that we are lost anyways, and maybe we are but prime Manu and Tony are not walking back in. Didn't Timmy win a championship with newbies Tony and Manu. Now we have this team with newbies Simmons and Anderson. That they made a comeback in this game cannot be lost on Pop.

And perspective, he's young, may be up and down, but has to be pushed and teammates if they want to win and truly be egoless have to push him too and I think they will TBH.

What the vets need are rest. So forcibly KA and Simms will have to have a bigger role. Makes sense Pop is slowly giving them more rope, especially against good teams.

Vets will still carry the load when the playoffs come around, but hopefully rested and if there's any injury, hopefully the kids are ready to step up.

[apalisoc_9]

Kyle makes boneheaded plays every now and then but if pop is going to experiment now, its gotta be kyle. Simmons IQ is questionable.

[SAGirl]

What the vets need are rest. So forcibly KA and Simms will have to have a bigger role. Makes sense Pop is slowly giving them more rope, especially against good teams.

Vets will still carry the load when the playoffs come around, but hopefully rested and if there's any injury, hopefully the kids are ready to step up.
I would not be opposed to Manu sitting out a game here or there. It frankly was surprising to me that he didn't do it much earlier in the season and it seemed like he was meant to rest more games than he has. He covered up for a lot of disfunction in the SL earlier in the season, and I am afraid he's going to reach a stage like he did after December 2014. Just ran out of fumes.

Simms and KA have consistently been a positive factor in games. Players like that you can't ignore to the demise of the team. I thought several games Manu should have played less minutes.

[ElNono]

I would not be opposed to Manu sitting out a game here or there. It frankly was surprising to me that he didn't do it much earlier in the season and it seemed like he was meant to rest more games than he has. He covered up for a lot of disfunction in the SL earlier in the season, and I am afraid he's going to reach a stage like he did after December 2014. Just ran out of fumes.

Simms and KA have consistently been a positive factor in games. Players like that you can't ignore to the demise of the team. I thought several games Manu should have played less minutes.

Manu is a rhythm guy, tbh, too much rest is bad for him too... eventually he'll have to rest though, or get dinged up and need the rest anyways.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Kevin Love is the biggest t@at in America. At the end of the game, he was looking around for someone to interview him. Love is a loser and any team with Dick Jefferson is doomed to fail.

By the way, why is it that the Cavs can jump around like fools after they get called for the occasional foul, and no T is issued. Pathetic.
don't worry, the Dubs will rescue us from LeBitch's gloating in June :lol

[NameLess Scrub]

don't worry, the Dubs will rescue us from LeBitch's gloating in June :lol

So they can replace it with Draymond's version of gloating and jumping around.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

So they can replace it with Draymond's version of gloating and jumping around.
as long as lebitch doesn't ring tbh


honestly, the Dubs don't rub me the wrong way the way Lebron and especially OKC does

[NameLess Scrub]

as long as lebitch doesn't ring tbh


honestly, the Dubs don't rub me the wrong way the way Lebron and especially OKC does


Fair enough..

[TheDoctor]

The Spurs play Aaron Gordon and the Magic next game. There's no excuse for not starting Anderson against another combo-forward. Could understand not wanting to start Kyle against the Pelicans, but I'd force NO to pull Asik by having him try to check Anderson. Then they'd get to play Dallas, and Anderson on Dirk would be an interesting experiment if I ever saw one.
I like this plan. One thing that Im loving about Kyle is that he enters the game prepared and ready. He's drilling that mini-crossover-shot with such confidence no matter his position on the court. Right, Center and Left. He did a tremendous job guarding and murdering Love's ass.

Regarding Simmons, he's been driving to the basket fiercely but has learned to contol his body a lot. Playing with a lot of confidence with a "nothing to lose" attitude. He's converting baskets through lots of bodies in the paint. Those drives would easily been turnovers early in the Season.

[ceperez]

Spurs have a problem because they don't have anybody that can take over the game offensively.

LMA is supposed to be that guy, but we are mid season and he hasn't done that *once* the entire season.

Not once did LMA be so dominating that it blew the team out of the court.

[ceperez]

I like this plan. One thing that Im loving about Kyle is that he enters the game prepared and ready. He's drilling that mini-crossover-shot with such confidence no matter his position on the court. Right, Center and Left. He did a tremendous job guarding and murdering Love's ass.

Regarding Simmons, he's been driving to the basket fiercely but has learned to contol his body a lot. Playing with a lot of confidence with a "nothing to lose" attitude. He's converting baskets through lots of bodies in the paint. Those drives would easily been turnovers early in the Season.

If Kyle can fire that jumper from the 3 and not the two (he takes a different shot from different ranges), then maybe he's explosive enough offensively. His problem is when defenders sag of him. However, he's unique in that he can be beat a defender that is tightly covering him. Green can't do that and Aldridge can only do that when he posts up.

[tim_duncan_fan]

I don't know why people here act like the Warriors are a bunch of buffoons.

They are young, hyper and hyped, AND they win by sharing. They are what the NBA is about. They aren't thugs. They are just young and great.

Stop the jealousy.

The reality is that we aren't that good. The league is down so we always look nice when we aren't playing against the one or two other competitive teams. Problem is, when those other competitive teams play against us, they still look decent.

We have to work on our offense. Our "star players" can't iso and that's all we are relying on right now. We need another source of points.

Reality is that we are screwed unless KA and JS reach the next level over this last half of the season.

We aren't beating the Warriors, Cavs and probably not even the Clippers or Thunder with "we got an open shot because they were too dumb to rotate".

We need our guys to be able to actually hoop and be really good at it.

[BatManu20]

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