Summer League Game Thoughts: Game 1 vs. Jazz

[timvp]

http://i.imgur.com/Kj5CcpM.jpg

Dejounte Murray
I had high hopes heading into this game but I didn't see much to like out Murray. On offense, he was a more willing passer than usual but his playmaking was nonexistent – he rarely created an open look for a teammate. With the offense struggling to put points on the board, Murray turned down open lanes to make needlessly difficult passes. On defense, he was soft defending pick-and-rolls and got blown by much too often. All in all, it just wasn't a very good outing for a young player who entered the game looking like a possible starter on the big boy roster. That said, I think he may have injured himself on a dunk early in the game. He came up hobbling and didn't look right after that point – which obviously could explain his lackluster play and also the fact that he played only 16 minutes.

Derrick White
I liked what I saw. White has a very professional, polished game. From his head-fakes and hesitation moves to his court vision and calm demeanor, he looked like a veteran – not a rookie playing in his first summer league game. While he's only going to be an average athlete at best at the NBA level, I thought he passed the eye-test. His shot has a low release but it looks like he gets it off quickly enough to work in the NBA. His speed is good enough and he appears strong enough to finish at the rim. Out of the entire Spurs team, I thought he did the best job at point guard. He made decisive decisions and exhibited multiple ways he can attack a defense in pick-and-rolls. On the other side of the coin, there were still a lot of areas for White to improve. His defense, while intense, was lacking – both individually and team-wise. On offense, he was too sloppy and seemed lost in the sets a lot of the time, particularly when away from the ball.

Bryn Forbes
The Jazz were making Forbes put the ball on the court and the results weren't pretty for the second-year pro. His midrange game was iffy at best and his lack of athleticism was really apparent when trying to finish at the rim. When he got open looks, he didn't hesitate to unleash his pretty stroke – but that didn't happen much this game. Considering he doesn't possess much court vision, Forbes is going to have to learn how to score off the bounce to make it in the NBA. On defense in this game, there wasn't much to like. He got bullied and made to look weak all too often.

Davis Bertans
Well, he's not afraid to shoot the ball. Whenever he had a sliver of daylight, Bertans let it fly. He missed a lot of open shots, which is obviously atypical for the Latvian sharpshooter. I thought his defense was okay; Bertans was the best big at defending pick-and-rolls. He boxed out well and showed above average mobility for a power forward. But if this Spurs summer league squad is going to win, they need Bertans to hit more shots.

Jaron Blossomgame
Blossomgame didn't pass the eye-test, unfortunately. He was active on the boards but everything else was a struggle. His shot is slow, low and he gets little lift. While he can jump high, his mobility is surprisingly suspect. His effort on defense was there but the results weren't. Hopefully he improves as summer league continues but I didn't see a path to NBA success in his first outing.

Livio Jean-Charles
Ever since he tore his ACL after the Spurs drafted him, Jean-Charles has been a poor NBA prospect. In previous campaigns, he's been painfully out of place – even in summer league. However, I saw a different Jean-Charles tonight. It appears as if he has regained some of the explosiveness and relentless energy that allowed him to look like the best player on the court at the 2013 Nike Hoop Summit, a game which included the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Joel Imbiid, Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Julius Randle. His freedom of motion was better than I've seen since that 2013 event. However, let us not get too ahead of ourselves. He remains an unskilled energy player who doesn't really have a position. At the very best, he's the next Bo Outlaw. In reality, he probably never makes it to the NBA – but at least there's now a glimmer of hope.

Shayne Whittington
His jumpshot is beautiful, especially for a 6-foot-11, 250-pound bruiser. The rest of his game? Not so much. His hands are stone, his lateral mobility is that of a freight train and his reaction time is as if his brain is connected to his body by a bad internet connection. The Jazz were leaving him open when he was the roll guy and Whittington couldn't do much with the opportunities. For his sake, let's hope this was a case of opening night jitters.

Cory Jefferson
I liked Jefferson's effort and physicality but unfortunately his positives were forgotten amongst the barrage of bricks he battered the rim with. He was looking shot first, second, third and fourth whenever he touched the ball. If he could reel in that aggressiveness and harness it for rebounding, defense and being a force beneath the rim, he could be a standout on this team as summer league progresses.

Olivier Hanlan
He looked improved since the last time I saw him. Hanlan doesn't have much of a ceiling beyond that of a third string point guard but he's starting to hone his formerly raw skills. When at point guard, he defended that position better than his teammates. He looks to be in really good shape and is obviously much more confident in himself. Let's go ahead and upgrade him NBA chances from no-way-no-how to probably-not-but-not-completely-impossible.

Ben Bentil
Wasn't shy. His activity alone has me wanting to see more.

Jeff Ledbetter
Rocking his man bun, it's obvious Ledbetter knows the game. He's a good player to have around in Austin. That's his ceiling.

[Proxy]

Damn, been missing these. Thanks for the write up!

[steeledl]

Good first post. Welcome to the forum

[GSH]

Well there's a blast from the past. :toast


You nailed Murray. Passing up open lanes, and then driving into obviously heavy traffic when he should have been looking to kick before he ever took off for the rim. I didn't see the play that left him hobbling, but for tonight I'm going to tell myself that was part of the problem.

Was I the only one who thought LJC looked smaller (or at least lighter) than last SL? Maybe my memory is playing tricks, but man he didn't look 6'9", 230 lbs. out there. If you had said, "doesn't really have a position" last year, I might have raised an eyebrow. But tonight I was thinking exactly that. Maybe I just dismissed him too quickly last SL to even think about it.

Cory Jefferson didn't look like the same guy who played in Austin last year. He's been a reasonably efficient shooter - mostly making pretty good shot choices, rather than just throwing up prayers and hoping enough of them fall. Tonight he looked like, well, not that. He did get 10 boards. He was a good rebounder in Austin last year. Maybe he was just trying to do too much tonight, hoping to get that 15 roster spot? It changed Jonathan Simmons' life.

I want to see Bertans play bully-ball. Maybe Pop doesn't. I think he's capable, and I think the Spurs need a bit of that. He's got one of the smoothest strokes out there, so I'm not worried about his 3P shooting, long term. That's just not enough.

I'm pretty optimistic about White, and will continue to be until/unless he proves me wrong.

[dabom]

Summer league faggot. Can I get MOD privileges for the Main Forum?

[UZER]

With Murray, you don't know what the coaches have told him to focus on during these games. Sometimes it may not be pretty but it's the coaches orders.

[Robz4000]

Who the fuck is this and why is he posting game thoughts?
















Welcome back timvp :toast

[SAGirl]

Nice.. but Summer league? How about thoughts on PATFO and his offseason plans and FA acquisitions?

[steeledl]

Thoughts on summer league:

Simmons doesn't play anymore. SL not worth watching

[mudyez]

Thanks for the writeup timvp.

[spurspokesman]

Wow. A Timvp sighting. Cheers

[99 Problems]

Hi Timvp. Thought you were head of Spurs scouting in New Zealand or something. Nice seeing you again.

[Crazymaddopeyo]

Timvp! Nice to see ya!

[dabom]

Can I get a couple of my alts approved? Thanks, faggot.

[ceperez]

Thanks for the thoughts!

Validated my thoughts on why Spurs drafted another PG in the first round. White plays with the maturity of a good NBA player.

I can't say the same about Murray, who still is unfortunately a project that believes he's got the talent to always beat his man off the dribble.

Unfortunate to see Blossomgame being a disappointment. One saving grace is his rebounding.

Forbes unfortunately has the same problems as Patty Mills. He's bigger than Mills but will always have trouble making his shot unless he's open.

The comment about LJC being 'unskilled' tells me that he's really not going to make.

White may mean that not only is Forbes out, but also Murray. Blossomgame will need a miracle to be signed this year.

It's just the first game, but its obvious that the Jazz had plenty more NBA calibre players than the Spurs.

[jermaine]

With Murray, you don't know what the coaches have told him to focus on during these games. Sometimes it may not be pretty but it's the coaches orders.

Exactly.... I think he was told to try to be a play maker 1st... He did have some great pssses(Murray). He had a left hand zip pass across court... I was like woooow! His handles are a bit loose, but he grew up watching Crawford... what do you expect. I actually loved his outting. But this White dude!! I'm feeling him too. Under control when he needs to be aggressive, an knows how to finish after gluing cost to coast! I'm ready for more. I wish i couldve seen more from Blossomgame!

[duncan2150]

Nice toughts !

I agree with that and i like what i saw from White too, his speed and shoot looked good and he shows some maturity.

Except Bertans and Murray i think that only white and maybe jefferson have a shot at the final roster, I'm not sold on Forbes and maybe the Spurs will cut him with all the PG/SG on the roster.

[timtonymanu]

Didn't watch the game but Jesus Christ the shooting percentages for most of the team.

[Poolboy5623]

Murray was a huge disappointment for me. If he is the starting pg (like so many on here want) the Spurs are in trouble.

[mookie2001]

Just treat him normally, don't spook him

[steeledl]

Murray is dating a upcoming senior at Reagan High School who is a friend of mines little cousin. From what I heard, being away from her so much being away from her so much has been really hard on this. It could explain some of his struggles. Sucks but at his age young love can really fuck w/ you

[Poolboy5623]

Sometimes I think Murray just goes to the gym for pictures for his Snapchat account..

[ulosturedge]

With Murray, you don't know what the coaches have told him to focus on during these games. Sometimes it may not be pretty but it's the coaches orders.


Exactly.... I think he was told to try to be a play maker 1st... He did have some great pssses(Murray). He had a left hand zip pass across court... I was like woooow! His handles are a bit loose, but he grew up watching Crawford... what do you expect. I actually loved his outting. But this White dude!! I'm feeling him too. Under control when he needs to be aggressive, an knows how to finish after gluing cost to coast! I'm ready for more. I wish i couldve seen more from Blossomgame!

I got that feeling also. Seems like he was only looking to setup his teammates. I think they already know the best part of his game is attacking the rim. That being said I think he needs to be more disciplined or focused out there. Too much sloppyness with some of his passes. He needs to minimize those types of turnovers. Those couple of steals and scores he had on back to back possessions was nice to see though.

I wouldn't go cliff jumping off of one game though. He will be fine...

[Mr. Body]

Nice.. but Summer league? How about thoughts on PATFO and his offseason plans and FA acquisitions?

Maybe because they're not done yet?

[Mr. Body]

Murray is dating a upcoming senior at Reagan High School who is a friend of mines little cousin. From what I heard, being away from her so much being away from her so much has been really hard on this. It could explain some of his struggles. Sucks but at his age young love can really fuck w/ you

Does Pop keep his salary and give him an allowance?

[steeledl]

Does Pop keep his salary and give him an allowance?

Kids will be kids regardless of how much they make. From what I know, he can be on the emotional side. He will grow up like we all did.

[picnroll]

Still waiting for Murray to get into the lane and pull up for a J rather than a FT line floater. Send Murray to the g-league and tell him to stay there until he has some kind of mud-range game.

His D. 😂 Fultz is going to rip him a new one when Spurs play Philly

[r0drig0lac]

Good first post. Welcome to the forum

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/images/smilies/smilol.gif

[ace3g]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0OcEgNion4

[tmtcsc]

Sometimes I think Murray just goes to the gym for pictures for his Snapchat account..

Man, I hate to agree with you but the cynic in me has been thinking the same thing. I used to watch people stay at work after hours and fuck around - only to tell others that they work hard, stay late, etc.. Its bullshit. People interested in getting better at something don't take fucking selfies while "putting in the work". I hope Kawhi kicks his ass out of his home and sends him back to San Antonio if he pulls that shit with him. What a child.

Hopefully, this is a matter of just being young and he figures out what he needs to do to get better.

[SAGirl]

I was actually impressed with Murray. If you didn't watch the game you wouldn't know it but he made a lot of plays for his teammates. Some plays ended up on layups teammates botched. He found a lot of guys open for 3 who missed too. Defenses collapsed on his drives and bc he can't shoot he can't take over games when that happens IMO but has guys made shots off his passes, he would have had over 10 assists easy. In that respect he was impressive.

His ballhandling, court vision and passing was better than last summer.

However on creating for himself: The problem is that outside of the floater he didn't showcase anything else offensively for himself. He's not a jumpshooter and that doesn't help him. He can only get to the basket if help doesn't come or dish to someone if there's help so he wasn't able to affect the game offensively once teammates couldn't finish shots he created. With better teammates he will look better I think for that reason. He couldn't dominate or take over basically. Maybe in some other games we'll see him be more versatile... it's just one game.

Defensively, Until he adds some weight his defense won't be the best that it can be. He got lit up by Exum and Mitchell in part bc the slightest contact gets him off his feet and flying away leaving a guy open for a layup. His weight training this summer is key.

On first impression Blosdomgame doesn't look like an NBA player. He's an athlete but looks average in size to everyone else and for an athlete he wasn't special on defense or anything and he can neither shoot nor finish with skill any kind of layup. I suppose only wide open dunks he can make. But in this game he had layups and missed them all. Needs work. Unless he just had a bad game, he's dleague bound in a 2 way contract IMO.

Bertans was a disappointment. He couldn't guard anyone or protect the rim and guys got offensive boards with him around the rim with ease. He was out of position often. He can shoot and if he had shot well in this game I am sure guys would be nuts and forget about everything else. But he has things to work on. I think he will be better at least offensively in the next game bc he's too good of a shooter to not bounce back from this, and at some point Will Hardy had him catch a lob that ended with him getting fouled plus the layup and he finished plays on cuts. I am sure offensively he can show more but this game he struggled.

It's plainly obvious if Forbes isn't hitting shots he's not going to be a positive. He's limited easily if you stick to him which isn't difficult to do. He struggled with the length and athleticism of the Jazz guards on both ends. he couldn't finish his floater and was blocked. He couldn't get to the rim. He missed rushed jumpshots. Maybe quickening his shot is something he's working on. He tried to make plays for others too but he's so small he has trouble getting passes out cleanly. He can't get by anyone. Maybe with improved chemistry he will be able to play better, with better picks set or something. He is another one who can get hot next game and look much better.

Will do others later, LJC, CoJe, White, etc.

[SAGirl]

Maybe because they're not done yet?
Yes. I was being sarcastic. Timvp doesn't show up in 2 years and his appearance is a comment on summer league game 1...???!! I wanted more. :lol but I was mostly being cheeky

[ernest787]

Will do others later, LJC, CoJe, White, etc.

nah don't worry about it. We already got what we needed from Timvp

Just sayin

[TheGreatYacht]

nah don't worry about it. We already got what we needed from Timvp

Just sayin

[Darius Bieber]

I still hurts tbh

[FkLA]

Murray is dating a upcoming senior at Reagan High School who is a friend of mines little cousin. From what I heard, being away from her so much being away from her so much has been really hard on this. It could explain some of his struggles. Sucks but at his age young love can really fuck w/ you


Kids will be kids regardless of how much they make. From what I know, he can be on the emotional side. He will grow up like we all did.

Wouldn't that make her underage? And lol at the suggestion that he struggled bc he misses her. So embarrassing if true.

[RodNIc91]

Welcome back Timvp! :toast

Thanks for the thoughts, I wasn't able to catch the game. I hate Bryn Forbes' game overall and I don't think he will make it. What do you think of him as a prospect?

[TheGreatYacht]

Murray is dating a upcoming senior at Reagan High School who is a friend of mines little cousin. From what I heard, being away from her so much being away from her so much has been really hard on this. It could explain some of his struggles. Sucks but at his age young love can really fuck w/ you
Murray would never date a San Antonio land whale. He's dating IG model Jilly Anais

https://ronetheboxhouston.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/14841971688408.png?w=471
https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/e35/15535195_1852314024984849_8875259882337468416_n.jp g?h=450&quality=100&strip=all
http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/61/46/43/13002960/7/920x920.jpg

[AFBlue]

White's jumper seems to have a natural fade to it, a la Dirk. Between that, his crafty pump fakes and hesitation moves, I think he'll be able to get his shot off against pretty much anyone. Dude is a gamer.

As for Murray, I'm not really concerned. The staff usually gives players in his position something to work on. Last year he used his athleticism to score with ease around bad the basket, so I don't know what more he has to prove from that aspect of his game. They clearly want to see how he performs as a facilitator and distributor. For both of those, I'd give him a solid review. That said, his lack of effort on the defensive end was concerning. He'll need to be more consistent on that end to earn minutes with Pop.

[rjv]

White's jumper seems to have a natural fade to it, a la Dirk. Between that, his crafty pump fakes and hesitation moves, I think he'll be able to get his shot off against pretty much anyone. Dude is a gamer.

As for Murray, I'm not really concerned. The staff usually gives players in his position something to work on. Last year he used his athleticism to score with ease around bad the basket, so I don't know what more he has to prove from that aspect of his game. They clearly want to see how he performs as a facilitator and distributor. For both of those, I'd give him a solid review. That said, his lack of effort on the defensive end was concerning. He'll need to be more consistent on that end to earn minutes with Pop. exactly. It appears as if Murray was told to facilitate. He could have easily had 10 assists too but there were so many bricks. Still, I'll feel better about him if he shows something more with his shot at some point. And, on a side note, that Jazz broadcast crew is clueless.

[r0drig0lac]

Murray would never date a San Antonio land whale. He's dating IG model Jilly Anais

https://ronetheboxhouston.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/14841971688408.png?w=471
https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/e35/15535195_1852314024984849_8875259882337468416_n.jp g?h=450&quality=100&strip=all
http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/61/46/43/13002960/7/920x920.jpg

damn

[Atl Spur]

Murray's weight isn't really his biggest issue on defense in my opinion. I personally don't think he really knows how because his anticipation sucks😳 It will get better hopefully while working with Kawhi...... He's so young; I truly applaud him for trying to do and be the right type of player👍🏾 Stop all the flashy stuff and his game will expand

[Atl Spur]

White needs to extend his arms outward(increase wingspan) while on the perimeter and shuffle his feet creating better lateral movement😉 He's gonna be a player

[BackHome]

Not my type don't like the surf board chest girls on the plus side though it does give you a place to rest your beer..:)

[TheGreatYacht]

Not my type don't like the surf board chest girls on the plus side though it does give you a place to rest your beer..:)
RC?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

White's jumper seems to have a natural fade to it, a la Dirk. Between that, his crafty pump fakes and hesitation moves, I think he'll be able to get his shot off against pretty much anyone. Dude is a gamer.

As for Murray, I'm not really concerned. The staff usually gives players in his position something to work on. Last year he used his athleticism to score with ease around bad the basket, so I don't know what more he has to prove from that aspect of his game. They clearly want to see how he performs as a facilitator and distributor. For both of those, I'd give him a solid review. That said, his lack of effort on the defensive end was concerning. He'll need to be more consistent on that end to earn minutes with Pop.

I thought he looked good defensively the first couple of possessions. But after he came down funny on that steal and dunk (Spurs fourth basket I think) he looked flat footed from there on out.

[LaMarcus Bryant]

Well I am convinced. We're fucked

[Play Boban]

:cry It still hurts. :cry

[AFBlue]

exactly. It appears as if Murray was told to facilitate. He could have easily had 10 assists too but there were so many bricks. Still, I'll feel better about him if he shows something more with his shot at some point. And, on a side note, that Jazz broadcast crew is clueless.

I don't know about the crew. It seems like they try to provide some insight into different players, even though they don't regularly cover them. Their overview of White and the debate about whether Mills or Murray starts were not within the norm of casual NBA conversations. I think they do try and do some homework.

[picnroll]

I thought he looked good defensively the first couple of possessions. But after he came down funny on that steal and dunk (Spurs fourth basket I think) he looked flat footed from there on out.

I rewatched the game looking specifically at Murray and White's defense. First two plays Murray was beat off the dribble by Exum who didn't even need a pick, just absolutely blew past him.. It didn't go much uphill from there. His position is not good and he doesn't move his feet well, often taking little two foot hops rather than sliding. White's position, anticipation and foot movement were much better. He should be at least adequate defensively, certainly better than Mills.

[SAGirl]

I can't believe no one commented that Bertans played the 3 while CoJe and LJC were the two bigs. He wasn't very good at it. When he's the 3, his ballhandling is not good enough to drive past real quick wings or guards. He's not a guy who exploits a mismatch either. He can't guard them on defense. Lateral movement isn't good enough and he doesn't do a good job going around screens or anything like that. His footwork needs work.

I do think Will Hardy didn't do a good job until late in the 3rd Q and the 4th of trying to get him the basket on some rolls, or on a lob. I think they could have exploited his height advantage better if he's playing the 3, but he wasn't good in this game in part bc he still plays like a stretch 4 even when he's at the 3.

[wildbill2u]

Agree with almost all of the write up, but I'm a little more down on Murray. He actually played in some NBA games for God's sake, but he didn't look like it. Exum took him to school a lot which may have showed how fast he is or how Murray isn't as fast as I thought. To me the fastest player on the court was Hanlan and he was able to defend anywhere any time all over the court.

Nobody showed much offensive ability. It's like first game jitters affected the whole team.

[ginobilized]

TIMVP for the Win!

Great to read a much missed classy post.

One question TIMVP, are the Spurs looking at another frustrating redux of the Bogans-era?

[illusioNtEk]

Who's timvp and why is everyone all over his nuts

[tholdren]

Man, I hate to agree with you but the cynic in me has been thinking the same thing. I used to watch people stay at work after hours and fuck around - only to tell others that they work hard, stay late, etc.. Its bullshit. People interested in getting better at something don't take fucking selfies while "putting in the work". I hope Kawhi kicks his ass out of his home and sends him back to San Antonio if he pulls that shit with him. What a child.

Hopefully, this is a matter of just being young and he figures out what he needs to do to get better.

Boom. The really good ones dont ever gave to tell you how hard they are working.

[Seventyniner]

How many of Murray's would-be assists were missed 3s by Bertans? I didn't watch the game btw.

I ask because if the Spurs staff wanted Murray to facilitate more, they might have told Bertans to be his safety outlet, those two need to develop that kind of drive-and-kick chemistry anyway.

[Chinook]

Murray made a gorgeous pass to White for a three. He did all right, but it will take some time to find out how many of his miscues were just chemistry and how many are a lack of skill or IQ on his part.

[TD 21]

- Too many have gotten ahead of themselves because of Spurs' history of finding gems, scarcity of young talent and Murray's potential, but he has a long way to go. He's not a rotation player yet, much less a starter for a team supposedly trying to contend.

- Considering he's 2+ years older, it's not unexpected that White would look better. They're polar opposites, in that Murray has a high ceiling and low floor, while White has a low ceiling and high floor.

- With rosters essentially expanding to 17, it obviously helps any fringe player, but whether he hangs on or not, Forbes' chance of establishing himself with Spurs all but vanished with White pick and Mills re-signing.

- Their inability to draft NBA bigs is pathetic. Milutinov is only potential NBA player and has low ceiling. Bertans is converted SF going on 25, that fell because teams knew they'd have to wait years for him to come over. Same reason Splitter fell, while Blair did because lack of ACL's. That leaves Mahinmi and Scola as NBA bigs they drafted since Duncan and one established himself elsewhere, while other never played for them.

[spurraider21]

welcome back timvp. now that we have an admin back, there are a few posters that deserve the pink privilege

[biziofromdowntown]

Timvp is back!!! Now I'm waiting for Timmy to turn back the clock.... To the rescue!!!
Btw, missed u big fella

[SilverSpur]

From what I saw White, Bertans , Forbes, looked good. Murray looked ok.
Was surprised not to see Ryan Archidiacono and James Robinson was DNP coaches decision.
Want to see Jefferson step up and claim a spot on the roster in case Lee and Dedmon leave.

[SAGirl]

How many of Murray's would-be assists were missed 3s by Bertans? I didn't watch the game btw.

I ask because if the Spurs staff wanted Murray to facilitate more, they might have told Bertans to be his safety outlet, those two need to develop that kind of drive-and-kick chemistry anyway.

I can't recall that specifically.

I was impressed that he got the ball to the roll man in crisp good passes as that is one of the toughest reads requiring timing, and one that JSimms wasn't a great master of, for example. In those PnR in SL, JSimms either went for his shot or kicked to the 3 a lot more than he passed to the roll man. Shayne Whittington (Dijon's center in the game) was so bad unfortunately. A few of his passes were to kicks outs that ended in horrendous shots by Blossomgame, who cannot shot, nor drive and finish. In fact I didn't see any positive offensive skillset with Blossomgame... he needs work.

Davis played a lot more with Forbes and D.White. He had some stints as a 3 with CoJe and LJC with Forbes and White as the two guards or Hanlan and White. It was an odd rotation by Will Hardy.

Seriously cannot recall Murray and Davis involved in any two man game kind of like JSimms and Anderson who did get each other involved in a two man game that ended up in mismatches for either one or shots for them or others. This team doesn't have much chemistry yet. When Davis screened for Murray (I recall maybe 2 or 3 possessions of this) the Jazz switched with Murray ending up guarded by a big and he chose to attack off the dribble, not with a lot of success there. Davis didn't get to exploit any mismatch but at the end, when he attempted to drive on a smaller player and was fouled. I think the team can get more out of Davis. Murray also played only 16 minutes. A half of the 3rd Q and all of the 4th Q was garbage time and he didn't play.

I think there was a fair amount of lack of chemistry, that is why I expect them to play better with more practices/reps/coaching etc.

[buttsR4rebounding]

Nice to have you back, timvp.

[SAGirl]

- Too many have gotten ahead of themselves because of Spurs' history of finding gems, scarcity of young talent and Murray's potential, but he has a long way to go. He's not a rotation player yet, much less a starter for a team supposedly trying to contend.

- Considering he's 2+ years older, it's not unexpected that White would look better. They're polar opposites, in that Murray has a high ceiling and low floor, while White has a low ceiling and high floor.

- With rosters essentially expanding to 17, it obviously helps any fringe player, but whether he hangs on or not, Forbes' chance of establishing himself with Spurs all but vanished with White pick and Mills re-signing.

- Their inability to draft NBA bigs is pathetic. Milutinov is only potential NBA player and has low ceiling. Bertans is converted SF going on 25, that fell because teams knew they'd have to wait years for him to come over. Same reason Splitter fell, while Blair did because lack of ACL's. That leaves Mahinmi and Scola as NBA bigs they drafted since Duncan and one established himself elsewhere, while other never played for them.

agree with you on forbes. White maybe is not as pure of a shooter as Forbes is (I have no way of really knowing, just speculating for purposes of arguing this), maybe he's not that pure of a shooter as Forbes, but he can pass better and play within an offense better. He's not an elite athlete, I would say average, but he has size and can shoot, he also seems to make the correct play and not get in anyone's way and seemed unselfish. He made some plays that were simple and not flashy but very much within the flow and he got the ball moving and found open people. I had not given a review on him but without being flashy seemed like a solid player. You already saw my review on Forbes. He's a lot more limited and if he's not shooting above 40% from 3 on high volume he's got no shot. He has become kind of redundant. We shall see what Pop does, they do like him but are getting very cramped with guard slots and him being so small limits him too, he cannot credibly be a wing expect for garbage time.

[raybies]

I honestly think White's ceiling is 6th Man of the Year. Like a Eric Gordon Lue Williams Jamal Crawford type.

[tonight...you]

I can't recall that specifically.

I was impressed that he got the ball to the roll man in crisp good passes as that is one of the toughest reads requiring timing, and one that JSimms wasn't a great master of, for example. In those PnR in SL, JSimms either went for his shot or kicked to the 3 a lot more than he passed to the roll man. Shayne Whittington (Dijon's center in the game) was so bad unfortunately. A few of his passes were to kicks outs that ended in horrendous shots by Blossomgame, who cannot shot, nor drive and finish. In fact I didn't see any positive offensive skillset with Blossomgame... he needs work.

Davis played a lot more with Forbes and D.White. He had some stints as a 3 with CoJe and LJC with Forbes and White as the two guards or Hanlan and White. It was an odd rotation by Will Hardy.

Seriously cannot recall Murray and Davis involved in any two man game kind of like JSimms and Anderson who did get each other involved in a two man game that ended up in mismatches for either one or shots for them or others. This team doesn't have much chemistry yet. When Davis screened for Murray (I recall maybe 2 or 3 possessions of this) the Jazz switched with Murray ending up guarded by a big and he chose to attack off the dribble, not with a lot of success there. Davis didn't get to exploit any mismatch but at the end, when he attempted to drive on a smaller player and was fouled. I think the team can get more out of Davis. Murray also played only 16 minutes. A half of the 3rd Q and all of the 4th Q was garbage time and he didn't play.

I think there was a fair amount of lack of chemistry, that is why I expect them to play better with more practices/reps/coaching etc.
Yeah, we have to understand that these guys have never all played together and only had 2 practices to get used to each other.
Things should get better as the games go on, but if they don't- then we need to start examining the players themselves moreso.

[steeledl]

Wouldn't that make her underage? And lol at the suggestion that he struggled bc he misses her. So embarrassing if true.

17 and turning 18 soon in the winter months I believe. I believe that is old enough to consent in Texas?

Anyways, apparently he has a couple girlfriends so who knows which one of them is really breaking his heart.

[Ice009]

What happened to Cleanthony Early, was he still on the roster?

[Truth4sale$]

Timvp, great write up. I agree with the majority of your insight. I saw no chemistry out there, and the coaching staff should have tried to keep the Austin spurs familiar with each other out on the floor more. This would help chemistry. Murray has to show more leadership and communicate and get guys into position to succeed. i assume the coaching staff wants forbes to be a poor mans curry, but his handle is weak. He is more like steve kerr in the Jordan years. That is how he should be used. Spot up 3 off penetration, unfortunately only Murray can penetrate. I was eager to see Jefferson, but the lack of better guard play hurt him. His defense and rebounding was solid, i dont want him shooting too many deep jumpers, i want a big who can score in the post with some nastiness. White played well on offense, but he was consistently beat on defense, i would expect the same during the season. Dleague might be best for the 1st half of the year. The lack of shot blocking, is the same as the big boys, it's non existent and it showed with the interior defense suffering, along with rebounding.

[SilverSpur]

During Murrays post game interview he said Pop told him to get other player involved to pass first and not necessarily score.

[spurs10]

Thank you timvp nice to read this! Game Thoughts was one of the main reasons I ever came to this site. I still greatly appreciate you and your wife making this site happen! Best to you and your family!
:bobo

[Seventyniner]

I think there was a fair amount of lack of chemistry, that is why I expect them to play better with more practices/reps/coaching etc.

Thanks for the details. I was trying to reconcile Murray's emphasis on playmaking with Bertans shooting a ton of threes and not doing much else, thinking that it might have been by design.

[spurs10]

Thanks for the details. I was trying to reconcile Murray's emphasis on playmaking with Bertans shooting a ton of threes and not doing much else, thinking that it might have been by design.
I think a lot of their playing was "by design." Murray took few shots and was being a facilitator. Unfortunately we shot poorly. These games are practice games and the coaches are likely getting their players to develop the skills the need to be working on.

[SAGirl]

Thanks for the details. I was trying to reconcile Murray's emphasis on playmaking with Bertans shooting a ton of threes and not doing much else, thinking that it might have been by design.

Bertans wasn't the beneficiary of much of Murray's playmaking. They didn't coincide many minutes and he was covered often. In fact, one of the reasons he struggled shooting is that he took a lot of bailout 3 pt shots when he was covered and the ball swung to him. He was kind of chucking if I didn't know better. He tried to drive a few times since he wasn't open, but that was my comment that when guarded by wings he's not going to blow by anyone. However, he did drive and dish to someone for a 3 once, (don't remember who it was, but he missed the shot). In the second half of the game, when the game was already garbage time, Coach Hardy did get him involved in other ways, he cut, he got a lob thrown that he converted on, and he tried to find cutters, with some TO unfortunately. I'd say he was a bit out of his element. Either that, or there was definitely lack of chemistry.

[DMC]

Murray would never date a San Antonio land whale. He's dating IG model Jilly Anais

https://ronetheboxhouston.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/14841971688408.png?w=471
https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/e35/15535195_1852314024984849_8875259882337468416_n.jp g?h=450&quality=100&strip=all
http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/61/46/43/13002960/7/920x920.jpg

7.5/10 Those elbows.


The OP could be read on ESPN Insider in about a week under someone else's name.

[SAGirl]

During Murrays post game interview he said Pop told him to get other player involved to pass first and not necessarily score.

This is a very good point. I forgot about that. he accomplished his feat of looking to get others involved. His first summer league he looked for his own shot too much, thus the "black hole" on offense remarks. He can pass the basketball and is getting better. That was definitely him working on getting other guys shots.

The other thing is, he seemed dissapointed in only playing 16 minutes. He wanted to play. (dude is really hungry.) Pop will have to play these young guys. He's looking for playing time with the big team and a lot of chucking ain't going to get it done for him. Distributing is where it's at with the SL. He played strictly as a PG... maybe we see him off the ball next game or something, I'd like to see what he's worked on offensively as far as shooting.

[raybies]

This is a very good point. I forgot about that. he accomplished his feat of looking to get others involved. His first summer league he looked for his own shot too much, thus the "black hole" on offense remarks. He can pass the basketball and is getting better. That was definitely him working on getting other guys shots.

The other thing is, he seemed dissapointed in only playing 16 minutes. He wanted to play. (dude is really hungry.) Pop will have to play these young guys. He's looking for playing time with the big team and a lot of chucking ain't going to get it done for him. Distributing is where it's at with the SL. He played strictly as a PG... maybe we see him off the ball next game or something, I'd like to see what he's worked on offensively as far as shooting.
You could tell his agenda was to pass. He could of chucked floater after floater if he wanted. But if that's what they want from him it sounds like they plan to start him, because with the first unit they don't need him to score, they just need him run the pick initially or occasionally and set the open man up like Green or Leonard. He'll be fine in switches and going over the screen but once teams decide to go under and force him to shoot or trapping there could be problems imo. I think that's the first development is running him with picks so he can get acclimated and more experienced to the coverages. This way he can develop piece by piece out of necessity. That's how you do it.

PATFO seems to be taking a leap of faith with the kid. Resigning Patty was a huge sign they wanted to develop him cause Patty's harmless and a veteran. He'll be fine with whatever role Pop gives him.

[hooperflash]

Next: Boston @ 6:00 P.M. CT

[Spurtacular]

WiltedGame 0-8 FG :bang

[Spurtacular]

White's game looking good in the highlights; even reminds me a bit of a young Paul Pierce. Glad to see; don't want another Fathead.

[BillMc]

Just treat him normally, don't spook him
:lol

[BillMc]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwEsbWwFwoo

[sasaint]

I can't recall that specifically.

I was impressed that he got the ball to the roll man in crisp good passes as that is one of the toughest reads requiring timing, and one that JSimms wasn't a great master of, for example. In those PnR in SL, JSimms either went for his shot or kicked to the 3 a lot more than he passed to the roll man. Shayne Whittington (Dijon's center in the game) was so bad unfortunately. A few of his passes were to kicks outs that ended in horrendous shots by Blossomgame, who cannot shot, nor drive and finish. In fact I didn't see any positive offensive skillset with Blossomgame... he needs work.

Davis played a lot more with Forbes and D.White. He had some stints as a 3 with CoJe and LJC with Forbes and White as the two guards or Hanlan and White. It was an odd rotation by Will Hardy.

Seriously cannot recall Murray and Davis involved in any two man game kind of like JSimms and Anderson who did get each other involved in a two man game that ended up in mismatches for either one or shots for them or others. This team doesn't have much chemistry yet. When Davis screened for Murray (I recall maybe 2 or 3 possessions of this) the Jazz switched with Murray ending up guarded by a big and he chose to attack off the dribble, not with a lot of success there. Davis didn't get to exploit any mismatch but at the end, when he attempted to drive on a smaller player and was fouled. I think the team can get more out of Davis. Murray also played only 16 minutes. A half of the 3rd Q and all of the 4th Q was garbage time and he didn't play.

I think there was a fair amount of lack of chemistry, that is why I expect them to play better with more practices/reps/coaching etc.

Going forward, I don't even want to see Forbes or Whittington on the floor again. They have no chance of sticking with the Mothership. Give Forbes' minutes to White, Murray and even Hanlan. I want to see much more of Jefferson.