timvp
10-08-2018, 12:08 AM
https://i.imgur.com/JHfLhDH.jpg
-Welp, another preseason game overshadowed by a right knee injury to a Spurs guard. This time, the victim was Dejounte Murray.
_pDSUickgBg
-To be honest with you, my first reaction to seeing the how his knee bent and Murray grabbing the inside of his knee is that he tore his ACL. Looks like a textbook torn ACL. Obviously, I’m hoping to the basketball gods above and below that my first reaction is wrong. With Murray's elite defense and burgeoning offense, the Spurs have a legit chance to surprise this season. Without him? San Antonio’s ceiling gets a whole lot lower.
-Looking at the big picture of this preseason affair, I thought the Spurs did well. Mike D’Antoni essentially went with an 8-man rotation in a preseason game (!) and used all his regular season offensive sets. Not only did the Spurs have to deal with Murray going down, Pop was still in full-blown mad scientist mode as he tried out different lineups. Despite all that, San Antonio was actually winning the game in the fourth quarter before Pop started emptying the bench. It was far from pretty but I thought there were definitely some bright spots to be taken away from the third preseason game.
-I actually want to be able to endorse the starting the lineup Pop used today but I just can’t. As much as I appreciate trying to carve out a guaranteed niche for Poeltl, it’s just not possible for him to thrive in a lineup without a single proven three-point shooting threat. I also like trying out DeRozan and Gay at the wings but, again, there needs to be some semblance of spacing to make this work. Maybe Pop is aiming for Bruise Brothers II but I don’t see it. With spacing in mind, it seems almost mandatory that Pop needs to switch out Poeltl or Gay for Bertans, Forbes or Mills.
-The Spurs got desperate for offense and it forced DeMar DeRozan to deliver. I thought he did pretty well. He was goaded into some inefficient long two-pointers at times but more often than not he made good plays when the ball was in his hands. DeRozan was crafty when taking the ball to the hoop, which led to a team-high eight free throw attempts and a team-high five assists. On defense, he took on the challenge of guarding James Harden. He did . . . okay. I mean, I’ve seen worse – and I commend the effort. DeRozan just isn’t a fast-twitch athlete and that limits his defensive upside. If he puts in the effort like he did today, it’s possible that he won’t hurt his team on defense . . . and that’d be a big improvement for the former Raptors sieve.
-In the first preseason game, Pop used Rudy Gay as the starting small forward. In the second preseason game, Pop used him as the backup power forward. In the third preseason game, Pop used Gay as both the starting small forward and the backup power forward. As a result, Gay played 11 minutes in the first quarter; it’s safe to say that Pop is no longer overly worried about his health. And to Gay’s credit, he continues to give Pop no reason to go away from him. He produced buckets on his own multiple times, turning dead possessions into scores. His work on the boards and on defense was also commendable. All signs point to Gay playing a much bigger role this season – and rightfully so, it seems.
-LaMarcus Aldridge was underwhelming against the Rockets and their small ball lineups. If the Spurs are going to play big, mean, bully-ball lineups, Aldridge has to make teams pay by scoring against small defenders. He didn’t do that against Houston often enough – and they were also able to keep him off the offensive glass for the most part. Defensively, there weren’t many positives, either.
-So, over the course of 28 minutes the last two games a starter, Jakob Poeltl has four points, one defensive rebound, no blocks and no steals. That’s not going to get it done. Sure, the fact that he runs the court is helpful; he had some really nice recoveries in transition defense against the Rockets. Yes, it’s a great sign that he’s not racking up fouls like he did in Toronto (he totaled only two fouls in those 28 minutes). But if he wants to win a starting spot and a regular spot in the rotation, he has to find a way to contribute. Thus far, when he’s in the starting lineup, the most noticeable result is a lack of spacing his presence causes.
-I think Pop may have found something with playing Gasol, Mills and Belinelli together off the bench. The ball movement, player movement and creativity that threesome brought to the court was game-changing.
-Pau Gasol was the best player on the court for the Spurs. (Hopefully that's not a sentence I write too often this season.) Considering how geriatric he looked when preseason started, that’s quite a turnaround. He was a monster on the glass and stout in the paint on defense, while he helped run the offense on the other end. Gasol also exhibited some nimbleness running the court and making plays on D out on the perimeter. So far, it looks like coming off the bench is a lot better for both him as an individual and for the team as a whole.
-Although Patty Mills’ statistics don’t paint much of a picture, he was actually really good against the Rockets. He played with a level of aggression we hadn’t seen out of him thus far in the preseason (and I didn’t really see it much last year during the regular season, either). He was instrumental in pushing the pace, upping the intensity and creating advantages for the bench unit. That’s the Patty Mills the Spurs need.
-Marco Belinelli continues to have the happiest of triggers – and I continue not to complain about it. The Spurs can use every ounce of determination and forcefulness he can provide. Since this roster lacks in the playmaking department, Hurricane Belinelli is a sufficient alternative. In the three preseason games, he has attempted 23 shots in 42 minutes – and he had another 11 field goal attempts in the scrimmage.
-The thought of Murray being out for an extended amount of time was made even more depressing after watching how Derrick White played today. It would have been difficult for him to play much worse. He might have had two good defensive possessions but that was about the extent of his positives. Everything else was a negative. He couldn’t hit a shot, couldn’t complete a pass, couldn’t do much of anything that resembled what one would expect from an NBA player. I believe in his talent and I think he can be a good player in this league based on what I’ve seen out of him in summer league and G League but, damn, he has looked so inept at times this preseason.
-It should be noted that neither Davis Bertans nor Bryn Forbes were part of the first wave of reserves off the bench. Instead, Pop went with Mills, White, Belinelli, Gasol and a reinserted Gay. Who knows if that means anything – it could just be Pop testing and trying different lineups. When they did get in the game, Forbes played decently well. His shot outside shot wasn’t falling and he got a couple layups blown up at the rim but he otherwise provided some help. Forbes took on point guard duties at times and did admirably. His defense was also better than what we came to expect out of him last season. Bertans didn’t really stand out positively or negatively. His mobility on defense helped against the Rockets but he also blew a couple assignments on that end that had Pop shaking his head.
-Chimezie Metu missed all three of his shots but I was impressed with the flashes of potential he illustrated on that end. Not only is he mobile but it looks like he can actually create offense a little bit. That’s not something you see from many 6-foot-10 second round draft picks. On defense, he moved his feet well against smaller players and had another impressive block. The Spurs got an intriguing one in Metu.
-Quincy Pondexter got a few first half minutes and had a couple good plays on the defensive end. His surprising ballhandling ability also helped out. But, again, he just doesn’t pass the eye-test as an NBA player.
-I thought it was a bit odd that Dante Cunningham didn’t play at all. A small ball team like the Rockets is the type of team he’d hypothetically be most valuable against. Hmmm. Then again, Pop wasn't playing this preseason outing as the Game 7 his formerly mustachioed counterpart apparently thought it was.
-Suddenly, the Spurs might have to consider keeping Nick Johnson around if Murray is out for a prolonged amount of time and a better veteran point guard doesn’t hit the free agent market. Johnson appears to be a decent defender who does enough on offense to not be too much of a liability. He doesn’t pop out as a legit NBA player but he could do as a placeholder.
-I still think the Spurs should keep around Jaron Blossomgame if possible but that too takes a backseat as the team awaits MRI results.
-Welp, another preseason game overshadowed by a right knee injury to a Spurs guard. This time, the victim was Dejounte Murray.
_pDSUickgBg
-To be honest with you, my first reaction to seeing the how his knee bent and Murray grabbing the inside of his knee is that he tore his ACL. Looks like a textbook torn ACL. Obviously, I’m hoping to the basketball gods above and below that my first reaction is wrong. With Murray's elite defense and burgeoning offense, the Spurs have a legit chance to surprise this season. Without him? San Antonio’s ceiling gets a whole lot lower.
-Looking at the big picture of this preseason affair, I thought the Spurs did well. Mike D’Antoni essentially went with an 8-man rotation in a preseason game (!) and used all his regular season offensive sets. Not only did the Spurs have to deal with Murray going down, Pop was still in full-blown mad scientist mode as he tried out different lineups. Despite all that, San Antonio was actually winning the game in the fourth quarter before Pop started emptying the bench. It was far from pretty but I thought there were definitely some bright spots to be taken away from the third preseason game.
-I actually want to be able to endorse the starting the lineup Pop used today but I just can’t. As much as I appreciate trying to carve out a guaranteed niche for Poeltl, it’s just not possible for him to thrive in a lineup without a single proven three-point shooting threat. I also like trying out DeRozan and Gay at the wings but, again, there needs to be some semblance of spacing to make this work. Maybe Pop is aiming for Bruise Brothers II but I don’t see it. With spacing in mind, it seems almost mandatory that Pop needs to switch out Poeltl or Gay for Bertans, Forbes or Mills.
-The Spurs got desperate for offense and it forced DeMar DeRozan to deliver. I thought he did pretty well. He was goaded into some inefficient long two-pointers at times but more often than not he made good plays when the ball was in his hands. DeRozan was crafty when taking the ball to the hoop, which led to a team-high eight free throw attempts and a team-high five assists. On defense, he took on the challenge of guarding James Harden. He did . . . okay. I mean, I’ve seen worse – and I commend the effort. DeRozan just isn’t a fast-twitch athlete and that limits his defensive upside. If he puts in the effort like he did today, it’s possible that he won’t hurt his team on defense . . . and that’d be a big improvement for the former Raptors sieve.
-In the first preseason game, Pop used Rudy Gay as the starting small forward. In the second preseason game, Pop used him as the backup power forward. In the third preseason game, Pop used Gay as both the starting small forward and the backup power forward. As a result, Gay played 11 minutes in the first quarter; it’s safe to say that Pop is no longer overly worried about his health. And to Gay’s credit, he continues to give Pop no reason to go away from him. He produced buckets on his own multiple times, turning dead possessions into scores. His work on the boards and on defense was also commendable. All signs point to Gay playing a much bigger role this season – and rightfully so, it seems.
-LaMarcus Aldridge was underwhelming against the Rockets and their small ball lineups. If the Spurs are going to play big, mean, bully-ball lineups, Aldridge has to make teams pay by scoring against small defenders. He didn’t do that against Houston often enough – and they were also able to keep him off the offensive glass for the most part. Defensively, there weren’t many positives, either.
-So, over the course of 28 minutes the last two games a starter, Jakob Poeltl has four points, one defensive rebound, no blocks and no steals. That’s not going to get it done. Sure, the fact that he runs the court is helpful; he had some really nice recoveries in transition defense against the Rockets. Yes, it’s a great sign that he’s not racking up fouls like he did in Toronto (he totaled only two fouls in those 28 minutes). But if he wants to win a starting spot and a regular spot in the rotation, he has to find a way to contribute. Thus far, when he’s in the starting lineup, the most noticeable result is a lack of spacing his presence causes.
-I think Pop may have found something with playing Gasol, Mills and Belinelli together off the bench. The ball movement, player movement and creativity that threesome brought to the court was game-changing.
-Pau Gasol was the best player on the court for the Spurs. (Hopefully that's not a sentence I write too often this season.) Considering how geriatric he looked when preseason started, that’s quite a turnaround. He was a monster on the glass and stout in the paint on defense, while he helped run the offense on the other end. Gasol also exhibited some nimbleness running the court and making plays on D out on the perimeter. So far, it looks like coming off the bench is a lot better for both him as an individual and for the team as a whole.
-Although Patty Mills’ statistics don’t paint much of a picture, he was actually really good against the Rockets. He played with a level of aggression we hadn’t seen out of him thus far in the preseason (and I didn’t really see it much last year during the regular season, either). He was instrumental in pushing the pace, upping the intensity and creating advantages for the bench unit. That’s the Patty Mills the Spurs need.
-Marco Belinelli continues to have the happiest of triggers – and I continue not to complain about it. The Spurs can use every ounce of determination and forcefulness he can provide. Since this roster lacks in the playmaking department, Hurricane Belinelli is a sufficient alternative. In the three preseason games, he has attempted 23 shots in 42 minutes – and he had another 11 field goal attempts in the scrimmage.
-The thought of Murray being out for an extended amount of time was made even more depressing after watching how Derrick White played today. It would have been difficult for him to play much worse. He might have had two good defensive possessions but that was about the extent of his positives. Everything else was a negative. He couldn’t hit a shot, couldn’t complete a pass, couldn’t do much of anything that resembled what one would expect from an NBA player. I believe in his talent and I think he can be a good player in this league based on what I’ve seen out of him in summer league and G League but, damn, he has looked so inept at times this preseason.
-It should be noted that neither Davis Bertans nor Bryn Forbes were part of the first wave of reserves off the bench. Instead, Pop went with Mills, White, Belinelli, Gasol and a reinserted Gay. Who knows if that means anything – it could just be Pop testing and trying different lineups. When they did get in the game, Forbes played decently well. His shot outside shot wasn’t falling and he got a couple layups blown up at the rim but he otherwise provided some help. Forbes took on point guard duties at times and did admirably. His defense was also better than what we came to expect out of him last season. Bertans didn’t really stand out positively or negatively. His mobility on defense helped against the Rockets but he also blew a couple assignments on that end that had Pop shaking his head.
-Chimezie Metu missed all three of his shots but I was impressed with the flashes of potential he illustrated on that end. Not only is he mobile but it looks like he can actually create offense a little bit. That’s not something you see from many 6-foot-10 second round draft picks. On defense, he moved his feet well against smaller players and had another impressive block. The Spurs got an intriguing one in Metu.
-Quincy Pondexter got a few first half minutes and had a couple good plays on the defensive end. His surprising ballhandling ability also helped out. But, again, he just doesn’t pass the eye-test as an NBA player.
-I thought it was a bit odd that Dante Cunningham didn’t play at all. A small ball team like the Rockets is the type of team he’d hypothetically be most valuable against. Hmmm. Then again, Pop wasn't playing this preseason outing as the Game 7 his formerly mustachioed counterpart apparently thought it was.
-Suddenly, the Spurs might have to consider keeping Nick Johnson around if Murray is out for a prolonged amount of time and a better veteran point guard doesn’t hit the free agent market. Johnson appears to be a decent defender who does enough on offense to not be too much of a liability. He doesn’t pop out as a legit NBA player but he could do as a placeholder.
-I still think the Spurs should keep around Jaron Blossomgame if possible but that too takes a backseat as the team awaits MRI results.