timvp
10-01-2018, 03:24 PM
-Pop going with the Gay Old Time (https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=275826) starting lineup is not a shocking development but it’s definitely notable. Last season, Rudy Gay played approximately 85% of his minutes at power forward. To start at small forward this season would be quite the change. It’s possible Pop thinks Gay has now regained enough mobility to move back to the perimeter. It’s also possible that this was just one of the many starting lineups Pop will investigate in the preseason. We will see, however the fact that Pop also started the second quarter with the same lineup tells me he’s serious about Murray, DeRozan, Gay, Aldridge and Gasol being the starting lineup.
-Rudy Gay certainly didn’t dissuade Pop with his play. He looks like he’s in outstanding shape and he played with a lot of confidence on the offensive end. He was in the right spots and was vocal about making sure others were in the right spots, too. The questions regarding whether Gay can start at small forward are almost all on the defensive end. Against the Heat, Gay wasn’t tested much at all so those questions are still unanswered. He made a few good rotations and was strong rebounding-wise but can Gay stay in front of quick small forwards? That’s what we’ll have to find out as the preseason progresses.
-Though DeMar DeRozan deferred a lot on offense and was tentative and unsure a lot of the time on that end, I thought he was decent enough in his Spurs debut. His ball-handling and passing were impressive; Pop ran him at point guard in a handful of possessions and DeRozan looked like an old pro at running the show. Defensively, you can tell DeRozan is really making an effort to improve. He was fighting around screens, which was rarely the case in Toronto, and was attentive to his help-defense responsibilities. If DeRozan can keep giving effort like he did on this play, he may actually shock the NBA world and transform into an adequate defender:
https://i.imgur.com/gwv2LQo.gif
-In addition to running DeRozan at point guard, Pop also used him in a ton of pick-and-rolls, which shouldn’t have surprised anyone. However, it was a bit surprising that the other go-to plays for DeRozan were post-up opportunities. He averaged less than two post-ups per game last year for the Raptors. Judging off of preseason game number one, DeRozan will spending a lot more time on the low block this season.
-LaMarcus Aldridge looks like he’s in good shape and I thought he played pretty well. He already showed some chemistry with DeRozan on pick-and-rolls and pick-and-pops. That duo is going to run a ton of those plays this season and the early returns were positive. They have a long ways to go but the potential is exciting. If Aldridge and Derozan can master that two-man game, it could turn into one of the most lethal play calls in the league.
-Dejounte Murray had an up-and-down affair. The brightest spot for the third-year point guard was his aggressiveness with his shot. While he still turned down a few open looks, it’s obvious he’s going to try to make teams pay for leaving him open. Murray’s shot looked quicker than it was last season and his release off the dribble was a lot smoother. On defense, he had a few stretches where he was extremely disruptive. It looks like he could take even another step forward defensively, which is obviously very good news. On the other side of the coin, Murray’s ball-handling was iffy at times, his decision-making was sub par and his overall sloppiness couldn’t have won him any points with the coaching staff. Overall, though, I was happy with his first outing of the preseason simply due to the fact that he was aggressive with his shot – that is what has to change this season if he wants a long career as a starting point guard in the NBA.
-It wasn’t a very pretty outing for Pau Gasol. On offense, he was oftentimes just in the way. The Heat weren’t respecting his perimeter jumper enough to spread the court. On defense, Gasol looked overmatched against Hassan Whiteside. Let’s hope the 38-year-old can oil the joints as preseason progresses and he can find a niche on offense while having more of an impact on defense. Otherwise, he could turn into an expensive benchwarmer.
-Davis Bertans was probably the most promising Spur on this night. He moved extremely well on defense, was quick to help, and even mixed it up in the paint and on the boards. On offense, Bertans didn’t hesitate with his shot and repeatedly made the right passes. He looked like a player determined to carve out a lot of playing time this season.
-An important note with regard to Bertans is that Pop used him at small forward for a substantial amount of his time on the court. Last season, Bertans didn’t spend any time at small forward in the regular season or the playoffs. Maybe it was just a case of preseason rotations forcing Pop into playing Bertans at SF. Or maybe Pop is planning to use Bertans as this team’s de facto Kyle Anderson in that he’ll slide between the forward positions as needed.
-Jakob Poeltl is a work in progress but there were some good signs Sunday night. He missed a few box-out opportunities but was solid enough on the boards, particularly for someone who came into this season with a rep as a poor defensive rebounder. I really liked how he ran the court; he’s definitely a coordinated bigman with soft hands. Poeltl’s overall timing wasn’t there, most notably on pick-and-rolls on offense and help-wise on defense. He has a lot of work to do but he looks like a really valuable piece going forward.
-While his numbers looked good, it wasn’t all sunshine for Derrick White. He struggled handling the ball in the first half and his decision-making was inconsistent throughout the game. He also missed a few rotations on defense. The good news is the kid is skilled. He can score with ease when he puts his mind to it and his perimeter jumper looks effortless. White also has good court vision and his sneaky athleticism has a chance to make him a very good defender – both on the ball and off of it.
-Does Pop see White as a point guard or a shooting guard? After the first preseason game, I think it’s safe to say Pop sees White as a point guard. When White was on the court with Patty Mills, White was the one running point guard. Personally, I think that’s the right call. White’s ceiling as a point guard is a lot higher than his ceiling as a shooting guard.
-There wasn't anything new to report for Patty Mills. He ran pick-and-rolls well a couple times on offense and had a few good moments on defense. As noted above, Pop used Mills at shooting guard more than point guard. We'll have to see if that continues or if that was just a way to give White an extra long look.
-Marco Belinelli looked like he never left. Pop had Belinelli run a few plays that Manu Ginobili used to run and the Italian did a good job. Belinelli missed a few open shots but overall I was impressed. He gave life to the second unit and his movement off the ball helped open up scoring lanes. His defense was nothing to write home about but he was decent enough on that end.
-I heard Bryn Forbes had a really good training camp but, unfortunately, it didn’t translate to the first game of the preseason. Although it appears he added about ten pounds of muscle over the summer, the increased bulk didn’t help him on the defense end. He was just pretty damn bad in all areas on that end; he couldn’t stay in front of his man and got bodied out of the way when in the paint. Offensively, he couldn’t find a rhythm at all. His lack of height or strength also hurt him in multiple situations. Forbes obviously still has time to turn it around before the regular season starts but this was not a good way to come out of the gates.
-Chimezie Metu has an impressive amount mobility for a bigman. Though he can look like gangly newborn fawn at times, Metu can move his feet like a small forward. Considering Pop was running him at center, that alone makes him an intriguing prospect. Metu is going to have to figure out how to impact an NBA game in a positive manner but I’d say he passed the eye-test during his first time in silver and black.
-On the hand, I didn’t think Quincy Pondexter passed the eye-test. His feet just don’t look quick enough for him to emerge as a three-and-D small forward option. He’s had a lot of injuries and ailments over the years and it appears he’s been robbed of too much athleticism.
-There weren’t any surprises with Dante Cunningham. He hustles. He plays hard. He doesn’t have much skill. I thought it was interesting that when both he and Bertans were on the court, Pop played Cunningham at power forward and Bertans at small forward. That probably points to Cunningham making the team only if the coaching staff thinks the team needs bigman depth.
-I couldn't draw any conclusions about Jaron Blossomgame. I want to say Jaron's game blossomed over the summer but the truth is he didn't do anything to hurt or help him.
-Drew Eubanks didn’t do much good but he appears to have a live body for someone who is 6-foot-10 and 245 pounds.
-Okaro White looks like a classic tweener. Sometimes that works in today’s NBA but I didn’t see anything on Sunday to give much hope. He wasn’t big enough to grab rebounds in the paint and wasn’t quick enough to stay in front of small players on the perimeter.
-Nick Johnson closed out the game at point guard but he looked like a solid veteran option for the Austin Spurs.
Welp, Dex posted his thoughts first. Read his here. (https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=275845)
-Rudy Gay certainly didn’t dissuade Pop with his play. He looks like he’s in outstanding shape and he played with a lot of confidence on the offensive end. He was in the right spots and was vocal about making sure others were in the right spots, too. The questions regarding whether Gay can start at small forward are almost all on the defensive end. Against the Heat, Gay wasn’t tested much at all so those questions are still unanswered. He made a few good rotations and was strong rebounding-wise but can Gay stay in front of quick small forwards? That’s what we’ll have to find out as the preseason progresses.
-Though DeMar DeRozan deferred a lot on offense and was tentative and unsure a lot of the time on that end, I thought he was decent enough in his Spurs debut. His ball-handling and passing were impressive; Pop ran him at point guard in a handful of possessions and DeRozan looked like an old pro at running the show. Defensively, you can tell DeRozan is really making an effort to improve. He was fighting around screens, which was rarely the case in Toronto, and was attentive to his help-defense responsibilities. If DeRozan can keep giving effort like he did on this play, he may actually shock the NBA world and transform into an adequate defender:
https://i.imgur.com/gwv2LQo.gif
-In addition to running DeRozan at point guard, Pop also used him in a ton of pick-and-rolls, which shouldn’t have surprised anyone. However, it was a bit surprising that the other go-to plays for DeRozan were post-up opportunities. He averaged less than two post-ups per game last year for the Raptors. Judging off of preseason game number one, DeRozan will spending a lot more time on the low block this season.
-LaMarcus Aldridge looks like he’s in good shape and I thought he played pretty well. He already showed some chemistry with DeRozan on pick-and-rolls and pick-and-pops. That duo is going to run a ton of those plays this season and the early returns were positive. They have a long ways to go but the potential is exciting. If Aldridge and Derozan can master that two-man game, it could turn into one of the most lethal play calls in the league.
-Dejounte Murray had an up-and-down affair. The brightest spot for the third-year point guard was his aggressiveness with his shot. While he still turned down a few open looks, it’s obvious he’s going to try to make teams pay for leaving him open. Murray’s shot looked quicker than it was last season and his release off the dribble was a lot smoother. On defense, he had a few stretches where he was extremely disruptive. It looks like he could take even another step forward defensively, which is obviously very good news. On the other side of the coin, Murray’s ball-handling was iffy at times, his decision-making was sub par and his overall sloppiness couldn’t have won him any points with the coaching staff. Overall, though, I was happy with his first outing of the preseason simply due to the fact that he was aggressive with his shot – that is what has to change this season if he wants a long career as a starting point guard in the NBA.
-It wasn’t a very pretty outing for Pau Gasol. On offense, he was oftentimes just in the way. The Heat weren’t respecting his perimeter jumper enough to spread the court. On defense, Gasol looked overmatched against Hassan Whiteside. Let’s hope the 38-year-old can oil the joints as preseason progresses and he can find a niche on offense while having more of an impact on defense. Otherwise, he could turn into an expensive benchwarmer.
-Davis Bertans was probably the most promising Spur on this night. He moved extremely well on defense, was quick to help, and even mixed it up in the paint and on the boards. On offense, Bertans didn’t hesitate with his shot and repeatedly made the right passes. He looked like a player determined to carve out a lot of playing time this season.
-An important note with regard to Bertans is that Pop used him at small forward for a substantial amount of his time on the court. Last season, Bertans didn’t spend any time at small forward in the regular season or the playoffs. Maybe it was just a case of preseason rotations forcing Pop into playing Bertans at SF. Or maybe Pop is planning to use Bertans as this team’s de facto Kyle Anderson in that he’ll slide between the forward positions as needed.
-Jakob Poeltl is a work in progress but there were some good signs Sunday night. He missed a few box-out opportunities but was solid enough on the boards, particularly for someone who came into this season with a rep as a poor defensive rebounder. I really liked how he ran the court; he’s definitely a coordinated bigman with soft hands. Poeltl’s overall timing wasn’t there, most notably on pick-and-rolls on offense and help-wise on defense. He has a lot of work to do but he looks like a really valuable piece going forward.
-While his numbers looked good, it wasn’t all sunshine for Derrick White. He struggled handling the ball in the first half and his decision-making was inconsistent throughout the game. He also missed a few rotations on defense. The good news is the kid is skilled. He can score with ease when he puts his mind to it and his perimeter jumper looks effortless. White also has good court vision and his sneaky athleticism has a chance to make him a very good defender – both on the ball and off of it.
-Does Pop see White as a point guard or a shooting guard? After the first preseason game, I think it’s safe to say Pop sees White as a point guard. When White was on the court with Patty Mills, White was the one running point guard. Personally, I think that’s the right call. White’s ceiling as a point guard is a lot higher than his ceiling as a shooting guard.
-There wasn't anything new to report for Patty Mills. He ran pick-and-rolls well a couple times on offense and had a few good moments on defense. As noted above, Pop used Mills at shooting guard more than point guard. We'll have to see if that continues or if that was just a way to give White an extra long look.
-Marco Belinelli looked like he never left. Pop had Belinelli run a few plays that Manu Ginobili used to run and the Italian did a good job. Belinelli missed a few open shots but overall I was impressed. He gave life to the second unit and his movement off the ball helped open up scoring lanes. His defense was nothing to write home about but he was decent enough on that end.
-I heard Bryn Forbes had a really good training camp but, unfortunately, it didn’t translate to the first game of the preseason. Although it appears he added about ten pounds of muscle over the summer, the increased bulk didn’t help him on the defense end. He was just pretty damn bad in all areas on that end; he couldn’t stay in front of his man and got bodied out of the way when in the paint. Offensively, he couldn’t find a rhythm at all. His lack of height or strength also hurt him in multiple situations. Forbes obviously still has time to turn it around before the regular season starts but this was not a good way to come out of the gates.
-Chimezie Metu has an impressive amount mobility for a bigman. Though he can look like gangly newborn fawn at times, Metu can move his feet like a small forward. Considering Pop was running him at center, that alone makes him an intriguing prospect. Metu is going to have to figure out how to impact an NBA game in a positive manner but I’d say he passed the eye-test during his first time in silver and black.
-On the hand, I didn’t think Quincy Pondexter passed the eye-test. His feet just don’t look quick enough for him to emerge as a three-and-D small forward option. He’s had a lot of injuries and ailments over the years and it appears he’s been robbed of too much athleticism.
-There weren’t any surprises with Dante Cunningham. He hustles. He plays hard. He doesn’t have much skill. I thought it was interesting that when both he and Bertans were on the court, Pop played Cunningham at power forward and Bertans at small forward. That probably points to Cunningham making the team only if the coaching staff thinks the team needs bigman depth.
-I couldn't draw any conclusions about Jaron Blossomgame. I want to say Jaron's game blossomed over the summer but the truth is he didn't do anything to hurt or help him.
-Drew Eubanks didn’t do much good but he appears to have a live body for someone who is 6-foot-10 and 245 pounds.
-Okaro White looks like a classic tweener. Sometimes that works in today’s NBA but I didn’t see anything on Sunday to give much hope. He wasn’t big enough to grab rebounds in the paint and wasn’t quick enough to stay in front of small players on the perimeter.
-Nick Johnson closed out the game at point guard but he looked like a solid veteran option for the Austin Spurs.
Welp, Dex posted his thoughts first. Read his here. (https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=275845)