Mr Fundamental, Kwame and Pops: Spurs vs Jazz, Summer League Game 1

[Obstructed_View]

So, with all due respect to the Jazz organization for inviting the Spurs to the new version of the RMR, getting useful information while their broadcast team talks is sketchy at best. Their lack of knowledge of basketball borders on frightening. I'd vastly prefer watching these games without any voiceover at all. I assume there's a public address person.

Nevertheless, it's summertime again, and the Spurs have some holes to fill, and a big ass mountain to climb this season. Let's see if anyone from tonight's game has a chance to help.

Rotation guys

Kyle Anderson
Really scary when Kyle's man scores 11 of Utah's first 13 points in the game. For the first few minutes, it certainly looked like he hadn't done anything during the offseason but bulk up a bit. As the game wore on, he settled down and started to just quietly produce on both ends. He still has an uncanny ability to draw fouls, get tough shots off, and reach in and deflect the ball without fouling. He had a couple of Jason Kidd turnovers, where he hit a guy who wasn't ready for the ball. Hoping his teammates adapt to that as the SL goes forward.

By the way, here's what really turned around my opinion on Kyle in this game: his jumper looks really fucking good. Small sample size, but the shots he had were quick and fluid. If he can hit those open shots instead of passing them up it changes his value for the varsity team immensely.

Jonathon Simmons
I gotta say that he looks no different to me than he did at the end of summer league last year. He's still erratic with the ball. He overplays badly on defense, getting himself screened out at the perimeter or just flat can't keep guys in front of him. He made a really nice block, but it was after one of his many bad turnovers. I really hope he settles down. I was hoping for some sign that he's been working during the offseason but I really didn't see it. He's just a guy taking advantage of inferior players to get his numbers, and NBA players feast on the mistakes you get away with in summer league.

Hoping to see some things going forward.


Guys to watch

Quenton DeCosey
I like his defense. He has an NBA body. He seems to be in the right spot on the floor all the time. He moves well without the ball. He's a good team player. While not nearly as big, he reminded me of Jamychal Green but with better decision-making skills.

Bryn Forbes
Another guy I really like. He is a good shooter, he plays smart on both ends, he's a rather tenacious defender, and he came out ready to play.

Alex Kirk
People scanning the box score might think I'm crazy for mentioning this guy. He's got a really good nose for the ball, plays good defense, sets good screens, has pretty good hands, and makes the team better. He had several tap outs, made smart plays, drew fouls, played defense. His biggest problem is that he looked like he wasn't really ready to play 20 minutes of basketball. I hope to see if he improves when he gets his wind.


Not appearing in this picture

CJ Williams
He had 11 points, but he took bad shots and can't seem to play a lick of defense. My wife was openly hostile about him by the end of the game. :lol

Ryan Arcidiacono
He's tough. He's a decent ball handler. He was pretty invisible. Nothing to really inspire comment either way at this point.



I'm happy to go back and review the game if anyone wants to discuss anyone else or go into more detail. I'm sure there are things I missed.

[Mr. Body]

Thanks. I've always thought if KA was consistent with his jumper he'd be a great bench guy. Simmons is lucky the Spurs badly need bench players; he's too old to likely change his game. Wonder if we've found a Gary Neal type gem in Forbes. Here's dreaming.

[urunobili]

Hope Ryan makes the team!

[ElNono]

It's just one game, but I liked Arci... I mean, among the guys that basically have zero experience at this level, I thought he played calm, controlled, he ran the team well.

You're right that he doesn't have anything "special", he's not a penetrator or a shooter, and that will probably make him expendable, but I thought he made mostly the right decisions out there.

[Obstructed_View]

It's just one game, but I liked Arci... I mean, among the guys that basically have zero experience at this level, I thought he played calm, controlled, he ran the team well.

You're right that he doesn't have anything "special", he's not a penetrator or a shooter, and that will probably make him expendable, but I thought he made mostly the right decisions out there.

I agree. For his first game, he did fine. Looking forward to seeing how he does.

[ElNono]

I didn't see much different from Anderson. You pointed out basically the two things: he bulked up, and he shot well. I thought he still needs the ball a lot to produce, and unfortunately, behind Kawhi, it's not really what we need right now. Simms penetration is more of kinda what we need, but you're also spot on he looked pretty much the same out of control guy as last season.

[Chinook]

Bryn lead the team in rebounding. What more can you ask? By far the star of the game for me. I wished Pop hadn't guaranteed Simmons' deal. Dude needs to learn to play under pressure. All in all, this SL roster is so damned disappointing compared to what it could be. Besides Forbes and Anderson at the four, it was almost a waste of time.

That said, isn't it Ben Simmons tomorrow? I'm excited for that test on Anderson's part.

[Chinook]

I didn't see much different from Anderson. You pointed out basically the two things: he bulked up, and he shot well. I thought he still needs the ball a lot to produce, and unfortunately, behind Kawhi, it's not really what we need right now. Simms penetration is more of kinda what we need, but you're also spot on he looked pretty much the same out of control guy as last season.

I disagree that the team doesn't need a ball-dominant scorer. The bench absolutely does. Right now, there is no consistent offense. So if you can rely on Kyle getting you 15 when the second unit is in, that's fantastic.

Also, I saw nothing to suggest Anderson NEEDED the ball to produce. He's just the best player on the team and has the ball. As a four with that shot, he'll be fine spotting up.

[Emperor]

Bryn lead the team in rebounding. What more can you ask? By far the star of the game for me. I wished Pop hadn't guaranteed Simmons' deal. Dude needs to learn to play under pressure. All in all, this SL roster is so damned disappointing compared to what it could be. Besides Forbes and Anderson at the four, it was almost a waste of time.

That said, isn't it Ben Simmons tomorrow? I'm excited for that test on Anderson's part.

He cramped up in the 4th and got taken out so not sure if he'll be playing tomorrow.

[Obstructed_View]

I didn't see much different from Anderson. You pointed out basically the two things: he bulked up, and he shot well. I thought he still needs the ball a lot to produce, and unfortunately, behind Kawhi, it's not really what we need right now. Simms penetration is more of kinda what we need, but you're also spot on he looked pretty much the same out of control guy as last season.

He dominated the ball a bit in the game, and I think some of that is he's just instinctively exploiting matchups. It's not like he made bad decisions with the ball. Once guys start to know where to be at game speed, I'm hoping his passing will pick up a bit.

That said, the biggest problem with his game last year was his lack of faith in his jump shot. If his shooting really has improved, even if it is his only improvement, nothing else matters.

[ElNono]

I disagree that the team doesn't need a ball-dominant scorer. The bench absolutely does. Right now, there is no consistent offense. So if you can rely on Kyle getting you 15 when the second unit is in, that's fantastic.

Also, I saw nothing to suggest Anderson NEEDED the ball to produce. He's just the best player on the team and has the ball. As a four with that shot, he'll be fine spotting up.

He took 25% of the shots, more or less, and basically brought the ball up a lot, like last summer league. I do expect him and Simms to score the most and be the go-to guys against this level of competition, so that was expected.

He didn't look dominant though (IMO), and against NBA competition, I don't think it's going to fly. You're basically wanting Anderson to be "the bench", much like Manu was for a bunch of seasons. I don't think he's up for that task, tbh.

Like I said in the other thread, I hope I'm wrong, I want him to have a break out season, because it's what's best for the Spurs, but I didn't see a dominant guy like, ie: Kawhi was when he played a few SL games and it was just such a disparity, the Spurs eventually pulled him. I mean, I think I *should* have that kind of expectations for a guy that's been with the 1st team for two seasons already.

[AFBlue]

Just finished watching...

Things I liked:
- Anderson's jumper...form looked good and release seemed quicker especially the effortless in-rhythm threes.
- Arci's game management...continually made smart passes and controlled tempo, active on D and even made a three.
- Forbes' all-around scoring...hit a number of threes, but also layups on straight line drives, floaters, baseline Js, you name it.

Things I didn't like:
- Simmons' careless dribble...takes too many risks and is too loose with his handle, especially in transition.
- No bigs...Kirk mishandled passes and missed open jumpers, not even sure the other guy recorded a stat outside of fouls
- No Murray, Bertans, LJC, or Lorbek...really lacking intrigue by showcasing so few prospects that have a legit shot at the roster.

[Chinook]

He took 25% of the shots, more or less, and basically brought the ball up a lot, like last summer league. I do expect him and Simms to score the most and be the go-to guys against this level of competition, so that was expected.

He didn't look dominant though (IMO), and against NBA competition, I don't think it's going to fly. You're basically wanting Anderson to be "the bench", much like Manu was for a bunch of seasons. I don't think he's up for that task, tbh.

Like I said in the other thread, I hope I'm wrong, I want him to have a break out season, because it's what's best for the Spurs, but I didn't see a dominant guy like, ie: Kawhi was when he played a few SL games and it was just such a disparity, the Spurs eventually pulled him. I mean, I think I *should* have that kind of expectations for a guy that's been with the 1st team for two seasons already.

I don't think Anderson is on track to be Manu. I actually think he's closer to Parker. He'll be out there to score, not make plays for others. He'll get assists as a four for sure, but he's not a PG. Someone else will have to be the set-up guy. Maybe it's Simmons or Murray. I know it seems weird to say he won't be much of a passer, but I believe it's true.

[Kawhitstorm]

That said, isn't it Ben Simmons tomorrow? I'm excited for that test on Anderson's part.

Ben Simmons had a leg cramp & isn't playing tomorrow.

[Obstructed_View]

He took 25% of the shots, more or less, and basically brought the ball up a lot, like last summer league. I do expect him and Simms to score the most and be the go-to guys against this level of competition, so that was expected.

He didn't look dominant though (IMO), and against NBA competition, I don't think it's going to fly. You're basically wanting Anderson to be "the bench", much like Manu was for a bunch of seasons. I don't think he's up for that task, tbh.

Like I said in the other thread, I hope I'm wrong, I want him to have a break out season, because it's what's best for the Spurs, but I didn't see a dominant guy like, ie: Kawhi was when he played a few SL games and it was just such a disparity, the Spurs eventually pulled him. I mean, I think I *should* have that kind of expectations for a guy that's been with the 1st team for two seasons already.

I think we're in agreement about that. Kyle will not be touching the ball nearly as much on the big team as he does in summer league. I'd much rather see him camped out in the corner hitting threes when they pass the ball to him. If he can do what he did tonight against NBA competition, power to him, though I don't think he'll have nearly as much success.

But I keep going back to, if he can shoot 40 percent from three point range, I don't really give a fuck what else he does at this point.

[SequSpur]

Typical bullshit, the Spurs won by 20 and your view is obstructed as usual.. Simmons is bad ass. FO.

[NASpurs]

Arci seemed composed and didn't play out of his skin, just followed the gameplan and played his role as solid as he could. I hope Anderson and Simmons don't play in the next game just to see how the other guys do when those two aren't there and they can't depend on them.

[Obstructed_View]

Typical bullshit, the Spurs won by 20 and your view is obstructed as usual.. Simmons is bad ass. FO.

Yeah, four turnovers and one assist. 1-7 from three point range. He's awesome.

[ElNono]

I don't think Anderson is on track to be Manu. I actually think he's closer to Parker. He'll be out there to score, not make plays for others. He'll get assists as a four for sure, but he's not a PG. Someone else will have to be the set-up guy. Maybe it's Simmons or Murray. I know it seems weird to say he won't be much of a passer, but I believe it's true.

I don't mean Manu as being that kind of player, but instead, having that kind of role. One ball dominant guy that can, by himself, give you 15 a night and run that second unit even if you have a few spare scrubs out there (and obviously, I'm talking younger Manu, not today's). In those years, Manu was literally "the bench". It's like Jamal Crawford is/was with the Clips, or what the Pelicans try to do with Tyreke, etc. I don't think he's ready for that, and I've seen nothing in this game that tells me he's better as an off-the-ball player than he was last season (and maybe we won't know, as it looks like the team will feature him and Simms).

Like O_V said, I would feel a lot better about him if I saw him playing off the ball more, and actually really producing without needing to constantly get touches. But, at least tonight, I haven't seen it. I saw the same Anderson from last summer league as far as that is concerned.

[SequSpur]

Yeah, four turnovers and one assist. 1-7 from three point range. He's awesome.

it's the thought the counts dumb ass... it's called drawing attention so the other players can perform. They won by 20 and somehow you find a shady haze of winter in a blowout... who died and gave you a keyboard here?

[SequSpur]

spurs are gonna roll right through these bitches in mormon land... who gives a shit...

[Obstructed_View]

it's the thought the counts dumb ass... it's called drawing attention so the other players can perform. They won by 20 and somehow you find a shady haze of winter in a blowout... who died and gave you a keyboard here?

I'm sure the people of Salt Lake City will enjoy watching a single drunk midget at the Utah Summer League Championship parade. The rest of us are watching summer league with an eye on whether or not the players can contribute to the actual San Antonio Spurs team. That's why this forum is called "Spurs Talk".

[NickiRasgo]

Does Bryn Forbes have a Courtney Lee potential?

[lilbthebasedgod]

it's the thought the counts dumb ass... it's called drawing attention so the other players can perform. They won by 20 and somehow you find a shady haze of winter in a blowout... who died and gave you a keyboard here?
Thoughts aren't nearly as quantifiable as a box score. Its pointless to talk about thoughts.

[Snaq O'Meal]

He cramped up in the 4th and got taken out so not sure if he'll be playing tomorrow.

Rich Paul's guys sure have a funny way of cramping up.

[TheGreatYacht]

:lol you thought Kirk wasn't that bad?

He can't even play in the Falkland Islands league, Tbh

[TheGreatYacht]

By the way, after not playing in 2 years, Lorbek gets hurt in warmups :lol

Don't know why RC gave that pussy a chance over Ndoye

[Obstructed_View]

:lol you thought Kirk wasn't that bad?

He can't even play in the Falkland Islands league, Tbh

I pointed out what he did well. Also what he didn't do well. You said something meaningless and insulting, like basically every other basketball-related post you've ever made here.

[TheGreatYacht]

I pointed out what he did well. Also what he didn't do well. You said something meaningless and insulting, like basically every other basketball-related post you've ever made here.
"His biggest problem is that he looked like he really wasn't ready to play 20 minutes of basketball."

If you thought that was his biggest problem... :lol

He got outrebound by a shooting guard, yeah such a hard nose for the ball. He doesn't play good defense, actually. How does he make the team better? By ball watching, not rebounding, not playing defense, and having empty stats?

[siraulo23]

:lol you thought Kirk wasn't that bad?

He can't even play in the Falkland Islands league, Tbh

Agreed, dude doesnt even deserve a spot in the roster. Hes slow af and except for a couple of off rebounds, he didnt do much

[TheGreatYacht]

Agreed, dude doesnt even deserve a spot in the roster. Hes slow af and except for a couple of off rebounds, he didnt do much
OP was overly critical of Simmons, and made Kirk look like a million bucks. I hope people don't go by his summary and get fooled. Kirk fucking sucked.

[siraulo23]

Imo forbes got the best shot of making an nba team on this roster, his shot looked smooth, and utilized screens really well. Its only 1 game but he reminds me of a poor man's gary neal/redick

im surprised people liked what they saw from arci, i see a shooter whos gonna have a tough time getting his shot off in the nba

[Obstructed_View]

"His biggest problem is that he looked like he really wasn't ready to play 20 minutes of basketball."

If you thought that was his biggest problem... :lol

He got outrebound by a shooting guard, yeah such a hard nose for the ball. He doesn't play good defense, actually. How does he make the team better? By ball watching, not rebounding, not playing defense, and having empty stats?

You know, dude, it's really obvious to everyone that actually watched the game that you didn't. You're bagging on his rebounding when he got at least six tapouts for teammates, three or four to keep the ball for the offense.

Again, you have yet to make a single observation that means anything. Do you realize that your role on this forum is to be a blithering idiot that people laugh at? This is how you choose to spend your time?

[Obstructed_View]

OP was overly critical of Simmons, and made Kirk look like a million bucks. I hope people don't go by his summary and get fooled. Kirk fucking sucked.

Simmons is a rotation player for the Spurs, who is expected to take over Manu Ginobili's role. Kirk just played his first game for the organization, and has just north of zero chance of making an NBA roster. They are in completely different categories, which is why I listed them in, well, different categories. Your reading comprehension is right there with your sports opinions.

[TheGreatYacht]

You know, dude, it's really obvious to everyone that actually watched the game that you didn't. You're bagging on his rebounding when he got at least six tapouts for teammates, three or four to keep the ball for the offense.

Again, you have yet to make a single observation that means anything. Do you realize that your role on this forum is to be a blithering idiot that people laugh at? This is how you choose to spend your time?
:cry all you do is insult, TGY. :cry

* goes on and insults *

Listen, faggot idgaf what you think. Quit doing game summaries, they ain't your thing. You're about as vanilla as it gets tbh.

[Obstructed_View]

Listen, faggot idgaf what you think.

Yet you can't stop posting in the thread because you think 1-7 from three point range and 4 turnovers against summer league scrubs is acceptable for the backup shooting guard. :lmao

[TheGreatYacht]

Yet you can't stop posting in the thread because you think 1-7 from three point range and 4 turnovers against summer league scrubs is acceptable for the backup shooting guard. :lmao
I don't give a fuck about your estrogen filled takes :lol

Just clowning your shitty view of the game. Quit making game summaries.

[ulosturedge]

I agree with TGY. OV's assessment of the game seems biased or skewed.

Kirk sucked imo. He is too lumbering and slow out there. I thought Forbes did good. He shot the ball really well last night and his stroke looks smooth. He can dribble so he's got good handles. If he keeps it up he looks like another shoot first PG in the making. KA looked about the same to me. I did notice that he is bulking up. Maybe the FO realizes he won't ever be able to keep up with the SF of the league. Simmons still at his best when he's attacking the rim. His 3 point shot was lacking and I guess his decision making is still a work in progress.

Where the hell was LJC and Nikola Milutinov? All of our previous draft picks were MIA. I knew Murray was gonna be there but I expected these other guys to show up.

[SAGirl]

Good review. Thanks on doing this. :tu I can't really add much. You were pretty complete. Most of my comments are elsewhere and it would be repetitive.

Simms real talent is getting to the basket and he showed that but nothing else. He was 1-7 on 3s. It's clear he's been encouraged to not pass up the 3 pts shots but not all were open and some jumpshots coming off a screen or off the dribble were ill advised and early in the shot clock I believe? I agree with the same problems on defense we have seen. He does have a skill the team needs but is he really going to get the ball away from Manu? He doesn't look like he should.

Will skip Anderson entirely bc I already talk to much about him. Ok, you got me, only one thing bc I can't resist. I hope that jumpshot of his stays that smooth.

I wasn't that impressed with Kirk initially but I agree with the intangibles, the tap outs, box outs, screen setting.

I liked both guards. Forbes stood out. He hustled for loose balls, rebounds, stuff you would expect a guy like JSimms to show up and do, but he didn't.

No one else caught my attention for now.
:flag:

[Snaq O'Meal]

I liked both guards. Forbes stood out. He hustled for loose balls, rebounds, stuff you would expect a guy like JSimms to show up and do, but he didn't.

Since Arcidiacono has already been signed to a 2-year contract, he may have just stood aside to allow Forbes to shine.

[TheGreatYacht]

I agree with TGY. OV's assessment of the game seems biased or skewed.

Kirk sucked imo. He is too lumbering and slow out there. I thought Forbes did good. He shot the ball really well last night and his stroke looks smooth. He can dribble so he's got good handles. If he keeps it up he looks like another shoot first PG in the making. KA looked about the same to me. I did notice that he is bulking up. Maybe the FO realizes he won't ever be able to keep up with the SF of the league. Simmons still at his best when he's attacking the rim. His 3 point shot was lacking and I guess his decision making is still a work in progress.

Where the hell was LJC and Nikola Milutinov? All of our previous draft picks were MIA. I knew Murray was gonna be there but I expected these other guys to show up.
:tu good takes

[Roger Freemason Jr.]

Anderson was dominant. His shot is improved.

Simmons was rusty, but still an exceptional finisher and passer. No doubt he eventually puts it together.

Forbes is a diamond in the rough. His scoring ability is real, and his confidence shooting the ball is incredible for an undrafted rookie. His defense looked pretty bad, especially fighting through screens. However, that shooting is too valuable. Expect to see a lot of Forbes call ups from Austin.

Nobody else on this particular SL squad is worth a damn. Especially that Alex Kirk, dude was a bumbling fool out there.

[apalisoc_9]

:tu good takes

I don't onow this kirk dude..But is he white by any chance? Could explain the bias

[SAGirl]

Ok read a lot of comments on Kyle and it's stuff I hadn't read b4 between ElNono (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=8054) and Chinook (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=37557) so I will chime in after all (Of course! :lol)

I don't know what Pop has in mind for Kyle but he can most definitely score and he can shoot. He can also pass. He had nice passes to big men inside that could not finish or catch bc they were caught unawares. He found JSimms on a nice cut to the basket that resulted in fouls drawn for Simms. He's racked up assists in the RS it's not like there's a question that he can pass. The questions he had to answer here were can he shoot and can be score, or make the right play. Offensively he pretty much did.

He's criticized but consider all other bigs at that game. None were as versatile. Trey Lyles could shoot but ended up 4-14 once he didn't get open on a PnP or he cooled down that was the end.

Kyle in contrast is a versatile scorer. He can shoot from anywhere, hook shots, mid range, off the dribble, draw fouls. His weakness was the 3. We saw 2 coming off screens, one off the dribble. That's actually a versatile scorer. On top of that he can pass. If anything he always seems too unselfish in the RS.

His tremendous weakness was that he passed up an inordinate amount of good 3s he got. If that jumpshot of his stays that smooth and he keeps taking his 3s he'll be fine with anybody. In fact he might start looking like a hot commodity to trade if the team so wanted... but I don't think that they will though bc if we had a hot commodity that was 23 years old in the season, that's probably a guy we should keep.

Beyond that he was put in spots on purpose but many times the ball found him within the offense. He wasn't playing outside of what they were doing.

I disagree with Nono. The bench needs a featured scorer. The lack thereof was a problem and Manu cannot be that guy. Maybe the problem for Nono is that Kyle doesn't need to be set up by Manu to score at all. He's one guy Manu doesn't make better and Nono hates that.

It's not like Kyle was wildly inefficient in the RS. It's not like he played badly when Manu got a busted ball. His flaw was that he passed up 3 pts shots too often. With him hitting the 3, he would look to increase his scoring production just on that. Not even needing to shoot in volume. I think Nono is starting to get jealous Manu is going to become redundant TBH. You seem too intent on hiding him behind Kawhi when he probably will play a fair amount with him at times.

I never saw him as a scorer b4 bc he's too unselfish a player but if the bench needs scoring and that's what Pop wants that's what he'll do.

[TheGreatYacht]

I don't onow this kirk dude..But is he white by any chance? Could explain the bias
As a matter of fact, he is. You might be on to something man

[Kawhitstorm]

I disagree with Nono. The bench needs a featured scorer. The lack thereof was a problem and Manu cannot be that guy. Maybe the problem for Nono is that Kyle doesn't need to be set up by Manu to score at all. He's one guy Manu doesn't make better and Nono hates that.

The issue w/ Kyle/Manu is the same as Iggy/Livingston, Iggy makes everyone better except Livingston since he isn't a spot up shooter.

[SAGirl]

The issue w/ Kyle/Manu is the same as Iggy/Livingston, Iggy makes everyone better except Livingston since he isn't a spot up shooter.
Yet Livingston kills everyone one on one pretty much. I think they can coexist but Kyle needs to be more aggressive. Manu is 39 and we have seen how that movie ended two seasons in a row. It's not like it's going to get better for MAnu all of a sudden. It's encouraging that Kyle is shooting the 3. More power for our bench. Manu was already spotting up for 3s himself. The problem is that the bench featured scorer was Patty.

[AFBlue]

Imo forbes got the best shot of making an nba team on this roster, his shot looked smooth, and utilized screens really well. Its only 1 game but he reminds me of a poor man's gary neal/redick

im surprised people liked what they saw from arci, i see a shooter whos gonna have a tough time getting his shot off in the nba

Forbes has a slighter build than either Neal or Redick, so I think he'll have trouble as a pure SG in the NBA. I really liked his scoring ability, but he might have to show some PG skills or be allowed to play alongside a bigger facilitator that can guard the 2 on D.

Arci was clearly in distribution mode all night, constantly probing the D to get it to the right guy at the right time. IMO he looked nothing like a shooter. To me, he looked like a PG who only takes shots as a last resort. I'm interested to see how he runs the show when Anderson and Simmons eventually take a seat and Arci can take on a bigger role.

[xellos88330]

You know, dude, it's really obvious to everyone that actually watched the game that you didn't. You're bagging on his rebounding when he got at least six tapouts for teammates, three or four to keep the ball for the offense.

Again, you have yet to make a single observation that means anything. Do you realize that your role on this forum is to be a blithering idiot that people laugh at? This is how you choose to spend your time?

Kirk looked nervous af out there. He couldn't catch the ball and when he did it looked like he was confused. He definitely had a nose for the ball though. It was constantly hitting him in the face.

That being said, I think he just needs to get comfortable and settle his game down.

[sasaint]

"His biggest problem is that he looked like he really wasn't ready to play 20 minutes of basketball."

If you thought that was his biggest problem... :lol

He got outrebound by a shooting guard, yeah such a hard nose for the ball. He doesn't play good defense, actually. How does he make the team better? By ball watching, not rebounding, not playing defense, and having empty stats?

I agree that Kirk looked terrible - not sure he is even D-League material. Possibly lowest level of Euroball. But his rebounding stats are misleading. ONE thing he did very well was tip rebound out to our guys. Plays won't be there in the big league against guys who can leap and board. But he did do that ONE thing well last night.

[Keepin' it real]

I didn't see much different from Anderson. You pointed out basically the two things: he bulked up, and he shot well. I thought he still needs the ball a lot to produce, and unfortunately, behind Kawhi, it's not really what we need right now. Simms penetration is more of kinda what we need, but you're also spot on he looked pretty much the same out of control guy as last season.

Wow. So the guy is bigger. (That's a plus.) He shot well. (That's a HUGE plus.) And he needs the ball a lot to produce. (Well yeah, he IS a point guard.)

[cjw]

Bryn lead the team in rebounding. What more can you ask? By far the star of the game for me. I wished Pop hadn't guaranteed Simmons' deal. Dude needs to learn to play under pressure. All in all, this SL roster is so damned disappointing compared to what it could be. Besides Forbes and Anderson at the four, it was almost a waste of time.

That said, isn't it Ben Simmons tomorrow? I'm excited for that test on Anderson's part.

They had to guarantee by the end of July, right? I guess you could have lit fire under his feet by not guaranteeing. Even if they determine he shouldn't be on the roster, he'll have a market to dump for at least a top-55 protected second rounder (i.e., won't have to cut him outright and be on hook for his salary).

If only Kyle and Simmons could be combined into one guy.

[Keepin' it real]

Everyone wetting their pants over Forbes, I'm pretty sure you did the same thing last season after the other Bertans had a good shooting night in the summer league opener. We all know how that turned out, so calm down.

[Chinook]

They had to guarantee by the end of July, right? I guess you could have lit fire under his feet by not guaranteeing. Even if they determine he shouldn't be on the roster, he'll have a market to dump for at least a top-55 protected second rounder (i.e., won't have to cut him outright and be on hook for his salary).

If only Kyle and Simmons could be combined into one guy.

I don't have a problem with them guaranteeing Simmons' salary in the sense that they are willing to commit to having him for another year. I just don't like that they seem to have to do this for Simmons to play well. Dude is soooo freaking fragile. He needs to actually compete for his spot simply to show he can rise to the occasion. From what I have gathered, he's really never come up big when he needed to.

[Chinook]

Everyone wetting their pants over Forbes, I'm pretty sure you did the same thing last season after the other Bertans had a good shooting night in the summer league opener. We all know how that turned out, so calm down.

Forbes shot almost 50 percent from three in college last year, so it's not like this is a fluke.

[ElNono]

I disagree with Nono. The bench needs a featured scorer. The lack thereof was a problem and Manu cannot be that guy. Maybe the problem for Nono is that Kyle doesn't need to be set up by Manu to score at all. He's one guy Manu doesn't make better and Nono hates that

Has nothing to do with that at all. I've been the one saying Manu can't be exclusively our best guy off the bench at this point. There's nothing I've seen that says he's good enough right now to have that role. And I'm talking about night in and night out against NBA competition. We knew since last season he's good enough against D-League/Summer League talent. Again, I hope I'm wrong on that.

[2centsworth]

Arch: 3 Pts on 1-2 shooting (1-1 from 3), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, +/- of +17

[ElNono]

Wow. So the guy is bigger. (That's a plus.) He shot well. (That's a HUGE plus.) And he needs the ball a lot to produce. (Well yeah, he IS a point guard.)

Except he isn't a point guard, no matter how many times people like to repeat that. He'll be terrible at point at the NBA level, just not quick enough, and a waste of his length. I think the Spurs have the right idea to try to fit him in at the 3/4 position.

[Chinook]

Arch: 3 Pts on 1-2 shooting (1-1 from 3), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, +/- of +17

Dude's a winning player. I'm just not sure that he's a good player.

[Keepin' it real]

When I see Simmons, I see NBA bust written all over him. Great athleticism and fantastic dunks, but players like that are a dime a dozen. Simmons is not a trustworthy player who can deliver against big-time competition, especially in the playoffs.

Yeah, I love watching his dunks as much as you do, but at the end of the day, unless the Spurs plan to keep him on the roster so he can represent the team at the slam dunk competition, why bother?

[Chinook]

Has nothing to do with that at all. I've been the one saying Manu can't be exclusively our best guy off the bench at this point. There's nothing I've seen that says he's good enough right now to have that role. And I'm talking about night in and night out against NBA competition. We knew since last season he's good enough against D-League/Summer League talent. Again, I hope I'm wrong on that.

I wish 82games.com was still a thing. I think Anderson's numbers at PF/C last year were great. But I don't know where to find the data to back that up anymore. That Pop could have tried for a roster and lineup that let Anderson stay at the three but decided to play him at the four is telling. I agree with you that there is uncertainty and pressure on Anderson to at least establish himself as a consistent rotation player this season. The dude clanked a lot of shots that he made in the summer league last season. He needs those to fall before he can start carrying anything.

[Drom John]

I thought Arcidiacono had the most positive game. I particularly liked how he stayed squared in front with active hands while defending drivers, and he made a couple of excellent long passes, one a zipline about 5/6ths down the sideline while being pressed after an inbound.

I preferred last years Eddie to Forbes (one game caveat). Note that Anderson is two months younger than Forbes. Only Arcidiancono is younger on the official squad, if the absent Murray isn't counted.

Me, I like Ron Boone as an announcer. Boone may not have the names down for all the summer league squads (but then neither do many of the posters above), but Boone made accurate observations about the Spurs players even if couched in terms of how the Jazz players were dealing with the opposition. BTW, Boone is 38th in MP for the Spurs/Chaparrals franchise (admittedly all Chaps). Tiago Splitter is 39th.

[Tully365]

I wish 82games.com was still a thing. I think Anderson's numbers at PF/C last year were great. But I don't know where to find the data to back that up anymore. That Pop could have tried for a roster and lineup that let Anderson stay at the three but decided to play him at the four is telling. I agree with you that there is uncertainty and pressure on Anderson to at least establish himself as a consistent rotation player this season. The dude clanked a lot of shots that he made in the summer league last season. He needs those to fall before he can start carrying anything.

82games finally posted last season's numbers, and yes-- KA's best match up numbers come at PF: http://www.82games.com/1516/15SAS8.HTM
http://www.82games.com/1516/1516SAS.HTM

[Chinook]

82games finally posted last season's numbers, and yes-- KA's best match up numbers come at PF: http://www.82games.com/1516/15SAS8.HTM
http://www.82games.com/1516/1516SAS.HTM

Awesome. Thanks!

http://www.82games.com/1516/15SAS8.HTM

So yeah, Kyle Anderson had a net PER of 17.6, which doesn't make a ton of sense, since PER is normalized. But anyway, he had a PER of 25.4 and allowed a PER of 7.9. Both of those are superstar numbers. Obviously, this site has never been definitive, but I like it.

[sasaint]

I thought Arcidiacono had the most positive game. I particularly liked how he stayed squared in front with active hands while defending drivers, and he made a couple of excellent long passes, one a zipline about 5/6ths down the sideline while being pressed after an inbound.

I preferred last years Eddie to Forbes (one game caveat). Note that Anderson is two months younger than Forbes. Only Arcidiancono is younger on the official squad, if the absent Murray isn't counted.

Me, I like Ron Boone as an announcer. Boone may not have the names down for all the summer league squads (but then neither do many of the posters above), but Boone made accurate observations about the Spurs players even if couched in terms of how the Jazz players were dealing with the opposition. BTW, Boone is 38th in MP for the Spurs/Chaparrals franchise (admittedly all Chaps). Tiago Splitter is 39th.

I was a Chaps fan way back (the only Texas team at that time, coached by Bob Bass) and Ron Boone was my favorite player. I always remember those times with great nostalgic fondness. Was Ron the one butchering Archi-dicuno's name or was it his sidekick?

I strongly preferred Forbes (in a micro-sample) because he showed handles that Eddie completely lacks.

[Obstructed_View]

Kirk looked nervous af out there. He couldn't catch the ball and when he did it looked like he was confused. He definitely had a nose for the ball though. It was constantly hitting him in the face.

That being said, I think he just needs to get comfortable and settle his game down.

He looked out of shape to me. He was sucking wind almost right away. He missed a couple of passes from Kyle inside, but it didn't look like it was because he has poor hands, it looked like it was because he wasn't ready. He really hustled for the tap outs, which indicates that he's paying attention. The Spurs have brought in a lot of bigs with physical gifts that can't seem to make a difference in a summer league game. Kirk made a difference despite having a relatively poor performance and putting up nearly zero stats.

[SAGirl]

Interesting discussion. Instead of quoting anybody will just add. Thanks for the 82 games data. That was interesting. :tu I expect the arrival of Bertans to make Kyle rise to the occasion. Competition for spots is necessary. Kyle is going to have to earn it the old fashioned way. He scored easily in the RS though when he had freedom to look for his things and select his shots, and he set up others well. He was clutch in end of shot clock situations, and bailed out possessions often, let's not act like he couldn't score. But, he was made to be parked in a corner too much as a bench 3 playing off others and that was simply not his game. He needed work on his 3. It wasn't where it needed to be and he had to beat out Butler and Simmons for his spot. The season wasn't about him.

The good is that he did look to have potential to expand his range bc he was a very good midrange shooter already, even the long 2, that everyone hates off the dribble. The hand eye coordination seemed there to shoot well, but not the range. I think we all hoped with work he could extend his range and it's looking like he has worked on that.

This past season he stayed within his role. Even Kawhi was very inconsistent as a role player when he was kept off the ball and scoring off hustle plays and broken plays. I believe with more chances Kyle will rise to the occasion. Now if he's parked in a corner and we are watching Patty chuking long 2s off a screen then don't complain that he's not showing up.

Off subject but talked about some. I think Kyle adding strength is about defense and boxing out inside. It remains ever the most important thing. It helps his overall game bc he can finish hooks shots with contact and plays of that nature, but to defend better he had to be less of a featherweight. I think that's the main reason for added strength.

[montgod]

He looked out of shape to me. He was sucking wind almost right away. He missed a couple of passes from Kyle inside, but it didn't look like it was because he has poor hands, it looked like it was because he wasn't ready. He really hustled for the tap outs, which indicates that he's paying attention. The Spurs have brought in a lot of bigs with physical gifts that can't seem to make a difference in a summer league game. Kirk made a difference despite having a relatively poor performance and putting up nearly zero stats.

Key question is... did Kirk do the money sign at all? LOL...

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

He looked out of shape to me. He was sucking wind almost right away. He missed a couple of passes from Kyle inside, but it didn't look like it was because he has poor hands, it looked like it was because he wasn't ready. He really hustled for the tap outs, which indicates that he's paying attention. The Spurs have brought in a lot of bigs with physical gifts that can't seem to make a difference in a summer league game. Kirk made a difference despite having a relatively poor performance and putting up nearly zero stats.

I've seen him play better. His father was a high school coach. He's a smart guy with good instincts, but being out of shape when you're trying to break through might say a lot about his work ethic though. Not saying he makes the team, but he's definitely got the intelligence to make it in the Spurs' system.

[Obstructed_View]

I've seen him play better. His father was a high school coach. He's a smart guy with good instincts, but being out of shape when you're trying to break through might say a lot about his work ethic though. Not saying he makes the team, but he's definitely got the intelligence to make it in the Spurs' system.

They say it's hard to simulate game speed without playing games, and he wasn't a step behind everyone else. Didn't see any evidence of it in the second game. I don't think he makes the team either, but he's far and away the best big on the SL squad, which makes Cady a massive disappointment after only one game.

[ElNono]

I wish 82games.com was still a thing. I think Anderson's numbers at PF/C last year were great. But I don't know where to find the data to back that up anymore. That Pop could have tried for a roster and lineup that let Anderson stay at the three but decided to play him at the four is telling. I agree with you that there is uncertainty and pressure on Anderson to at least establish himself as a consistent rotation player this season. The dude clanked a lot of shots that he made in the summer league last season. He needs those to fall before he can start carrying anything.

I think this is the season where he needs to establish what his niche is going to be, then excel at it. Like I said earlier, I might sound like I'm tough on him, but I really want him to succeed. If he fails, that's a two year project down the drain.

[ElNono]

When I see Simmons, I see NBA bust written all over him. Great athleticism and fantastic dunks, but players like that are a dime a dozen. Simmons is not a trustworthy player who can deliver against big-time competition, especially in the playoffs.

Yeah, I love watching his dunks as much as you do, but at the end of the day, unless the Spurs plan to keep him on the roster so he can represent the team at the slam dunk competition, why bother?

He'll stick in this league on athleticism alone. League is full of players that merely won the genetic lottery (ie: Zach LaVine)

[Obstructed_View]

He'll stick in this league on athleticism alone. League is full of players that merely won the genetic lottery (ie: Zach LaVine)

Agree. Pop's tolerance for certain things is lower than others. Just like Mahinmi was going to find a place despite his fouling, someone like Simmons will always find a place even if he keeps turning the ball over the way he does.