timvp
10-23-2018, 03:25 AM
https://i.imgur.com/Q2HUi6Q.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/yTw3wdo.jpg
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Welcome to the modern day NBA, where no leads are safe and defense is only the structure that encloses your yard. After snatching overtime from the jaws of victory by blowing an eight point lead with one minute to go in regulation, the San Antonio Spurs returned the favor by scoring the final seven points in the final 51 seconds of the extra period to eke out a 143-142 victory over LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. This was San Antonio's first road victory since February 25th of last season, when they coincidentally defeated LeBron in Cleveland.
The Spurs are now 2-1 on the season and avoided what would have been a painful loss after collapsing late in the fourth quarter. Their late rally in overtime showed a lot of heart. Following a layup by Forbes and a three-pointer by Gay to pull the Spurs within a point, Mills sank what turned out to be the game-winning jumper with 6.8 seconds remaining off of a side out of bounds play.
lwm5j/ttbzda
LaMarcus Aldridge
https://i.imgur.com/1nluyNF.png
Heading into this contest, LaMarcus Aldridge was in a bit of an offensive slump. Consider that slump busted. Aldridge was very good on the offensive end -- and it all started with his physicality in the post. He tortured the overmatched Lakers bigmen throughout the night utilizing a combination of his brute strength and his deft touch around the rim. When he wasn't scoring buckets or getting to the line, he was passing the ball really well. Defense, well, that was another story. I thought he was good at that end in the first quarter but he struggled to make any sort of impact in the game's final 41 minutes. The Lakers using small lineups was partly to blame, as was the obvious lack of chemistry with his teammates -- not to mention the lack of defensive talent around him. But overall I was very pleased with what I saw from Aldridge. If he can play at that level, the Spurs are going to be okay.
Grade: A-
Summary: Aldridge was a beast on the offensive end in a performance that gives hope that he's still very much a top tier difference-maker in a quickly evolving landscape.
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DeMar DeRozan
https://i.imgur.com/ZKxGADZ.png
In the first half, DeMar DeRozan was an offensive marvel. He expertly carved up the Lakers defense in a nearly flawless manner. No matter whether the coaching staff put him in pick-and-rolls, isolations or in the low block, DeRozan created great shots over and over and over again. Unfortunately, DeRozan wore down as the game progressed. After hitting his first five shots, DeRozan missed 18 of his final 24 field goal attempts -- including his final eight shots in the fourth quarter and overtime. He particularly struggled to finish in the lane late in the game. His defense was also never too notable; mostly bad on an individual basis but decent team-wise. That said, it's difficult to be too angry with a man who set a career-high with 14 assists while turning it over only twice in a game-high 45 minutes. Oh, and he had 32 points and was two rebounds shy of a triple double. Not a bad night at the office.
Grade: B+
Summary: DeRozan was great early but faded late, though it's difficult to criticize his overall production
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Rudy Gay
https://i.imgur.com/vqYr2we.png
Talk about changing one's reputation. Rudy Gay had a very rugged, workmanlike performance in Los Angeles. On offense, he was unselfish and highly efficient. He used his size and length to get shots off the dribble. Gay continued his hot shooting from three-point land, included a monumental trey in overtime with 15 seconds remaining. Defensively, he took the challenge of guarding LeBron James for much of the evening. He had his moments of competency on that end, particularly in the first three quarters. Gay's never going to be a lockdown defender but his effort tonight was impressive and he was one of the few Spurs who was able to offer some semblance of disruption on that end. Further good news for Gay: he looked relatively healthy after hobbling for much of the previous six quarters heading into this contest.
Grade: A-
Summary: Gay put on his blue collar and his marksmanship and intensity were keys to this victory.
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Bryn Forbes
https://i.imgur.com/yXVIEAs.png
Bryn Forbes is another player who deserves credit for at least giving good effort on defense. The results were shaky but Forbes' heart was in the right place. (He's too slow, short and stubby to do too much damage on D, if we're being honest about the situation.) Offensively, Forbes provided invaluable spacing by way of his picture-perfect stroke from the perimeter. His ball-handling was iffy, his decision-making was lacking and it was often painfully clear he's not a point guard . . . but Forbes competed and did about as well as could have been expected given the circumstances.
Grade: B+
Summary: Another solid game for Forbes. The Spurs couldn't have expected much more from their fourth string point guard.
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Dante Cunningham
https://i.imgur.com/W3QWUCI.png
Well, I'll gladly eat some crow after Dante Cunningham illustrated it's possible for him to fit on this team. What the coaching staff stumbled upon is that Cunningham is useful as a starting power forward against a small team. With DeRozan, Aldridge and two other shooters on the court, the Spurs can get away with Cunningham spotting up for threes in the weakside corner and the spacing doesn't suffer too much. Defensively, he was pretty good. He defended LeBron in a number of possessions and did reasonably well, though it became an exercise in futility once LeBron had his effort level dialed up later in the contest. Cunningham's rebounding was huge and he also defended the rim well, particularly in transition. He's going to have to learn move to open spaces instinctively (and, for that matter, the fundamentals of the motion offense) but this was definitely a step in the right direction.
Grade: A-
Summary: Cunningham in the starting lineup as a small ball power forward appears to be an option going forward.
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Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
See, this is how Patty Mills can be useful. After a terrible first half against the Blazers on Saturday, Mills has recovered and had a pretty good performance against the Lakers. Sure, the clutch jumper to win the game was nice but it was more than that. Offensively, his aggression was really good and he continually exerted pressure when he had the ball in transition. Defensively, Mills still got cooked a number of times but the effort and attentiveness were better. He, along with the team, have a lot (lot, lot, lot) of room for defensive improvement but it's possible for him to get there as long as he continues to play with this level of tenacity.
Grade: B
Summary: Mills did more than just hit the game-winning jumper.
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Marco Belinelli
https://i.imgur.com/hP9vIFY.png
Marco Belinelli was again a hurricane of action. On this night, things mostly went in his favor. He took a few questionable leaners and passed up too many layups . . . but had enough no-no-no-yeses to retain his value. His cutting away from the ball was, as usual, extremely good. Defensively, it wasn't nearly as pretty. He had trouble staying with any of their perimeter players and was caught with his back turned too many times.
Grade: B
Summary: Belinelli gave the Spurs an injection of adrenaline on the offensive end but his D was forgettable.
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Pau Gasol
https://i.imgur.com/oF0jVre.png
The production was there for Pau Gasol offensively. His passing, most notably in high-low action to Aldridge on the low post, was very good. He scored at a quality clip and helped on the glass. The problem for Gasol on this night was on defense. He just didn't have the footspeed to deal with the Lakers quick lineups, as his rotations were slow in the halfcourt and he was missing in action in transition D.
Grade: B
Summary: The 38-year-old Spaniard gave the Spurs good bang for the minutes but L.A. was able to exploit some of his natural weaknesses.
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Davis Bertans
https://i.imgur.com/ucY2jSF.png
Davis Bertans only played eight minutes and his night was highlighted by a three-pointer near the end of the third quarter. However, outside of that one shot, the rest of his outing was a struggle. His perimeter defense was poor and he compounded the issue by being extremely soft on the defensive glass. The Lakers were bullying him in all facets on D to the point that the coaching staff made the correct decision to sit him. Bertans needs to play with more physicality if he's going to become an everyday NBA player.
Grade: C-
Summary: Bertans couldn't stay in front of his man on the perimeter and got pushed around in the paint.
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Pop
https://i.imgur.com/x7B1It7.jpg
Starting Cunningham turned out to be a very wise move. The offense is clicking extremely well. Pop is obviously giving DeRozan the freedom to be an offensive superstar. I had two critiques with the rotation: First, I think the team should always have one of Aldridge, DeRozan or Gay on the court right now. Pop went with a complete bench unit at times and the tides turned swiftly. My second critique, which isn't entirely fair because it's based on hindsight, is that DeRozan wasn't given enough rest. Asking him to play the entire fourth quarter is probably too much, especially when he is taking on extra point guard duties on top of everything else.
Grade: B
Summary: Pop's belief in Cunningham paid off but is he (gasp) playing his star perimeter player too much?
Looking ahead: Good win. Good morale boost. It may sound crazy given that the Spurs just allowed 142 points but I thought the defense was actually better than it was against the Blazers. The effort, if nothing else, on that end was better. The Spurs now return to San Antonio to take on the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday in what will be another difficult yet winnable game.
https://i.imgur.com/yTw3wdo.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/bsvfUOM.jpg
Welcome to the modern day NBA, where no leads are safe and defense is only the structure that encloses your yard. After snatching overtime from the jaws of victory by blowing an eight point lead with one minute to go in regulation, the San Antonio Spurs returned the favor by scoring the final seven points in the final 51 seconds of the extra period to eke out a 143-142 victory over LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. This was San Antonio's first road victory since February 25th of last season, when they coincidentally defeated LeBron in Cleveland.
The Spurs are now 2-1 on the season and avoided what would have been a painful loss after collapsing late in the fourth quarter. Their late rally in overtime showed a lot of heart. Following a layup by Forbes and a three-pointer by Gay to pull the Spurs within a point, Mills sank what turned out to be the game-winning jumper with 6.8 seconds remaining off of a side out of bounds play.
lwm5j/ttbzda
LaMarcus Aldridge
https://i.imgur.com/1nluyNF.png
Heading into this contest, LaMarcus Aldridge was in a bit of an offensive slump. Consider that slump busted. Aldridge was very good on the offensive end -- and it all started with his physicality in the post. He tortured the overmatched Lakers bigmen throughout the night utilizing a combination of his brute strength and his deft touch around the rim. When he wasn't scoring buckets or getting to the line, he was passing the ball really well. Defense, well, that was another story. I thought he was good at that end in the first quarter but he struggled to make any sort of impact in the game's final 41 minutes. The Lakers using small lineups was partly to blame, as was the obvious lack of chemistry with his teammates -- not to mention the lack of defensive talent around him. But overall I was very pleased with what I saw from Aldridge. If he can play at that level, the Spurs are going to be okay.
Grade: A-
Summary: Aldridge was a beast on the offensive end in a performance that gives hope that he's still very much a top tier difference-maker in a quickly evolving landscape.
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DeMar DeRozan
https://i.imgur.com/ZKxGADZ.png
In the first half, DeMar DeRozan was an offensive marvel. He expertly carved up the Lakers defense in a nearly flawless manner. No matter whether the coaching staff put him in pick-and-rolls, isolations or in the low block, DeRozan created great shots over and over and over again. Unfortunately, DeRozan wore down as the game progressed. After hitting his first five shots, DeRozan missed 18 of his final 24 field goal attempts -- including his final eight shots in the fourth quarter and overtime. He particularly struggled to finish in the lane late in the game. His defense was also never too notable; mostly bad on an individual basis but decent team-wise. That said, it's difficult to be too angry with a man who set a career-high with 14 assists while turning it over only twice in a game-high 45 minutes. Oh, and he had 32 points and was two rebounds shy of a triple double. Not a bad night at the office.
Grade: B+
Summary: DeRozan was great early but faded late, though it's difficult to criticize his overall production
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Rudy Gay
https://i.imgur.com/vqYr2we.png
Talk about changing one's reputation. Rudy Gay had a very rugged, workmanlike performance in Los Angeles. On offense, he was unselfish and highly efficient. He used his size and length to get shots off the dribble. Gay continued his hot shooting from three-point land, included a monumental trey in overtime with 15 seconds remaining. Defensively, he took the challenge of guarding LeBron James for much of the evening. He had his moments of competency on that end, particularly in the first three quarters. Gay's never going to be a lockdown defender but his effort tonight was impressive and he was one of the few Spurs who was able to offer some semblance of disruption on that end. Further good news for Gay: he looked relatively healthy after hobbling for much of the previous six quarters heading into this contest.
Grade: A-
Summary: Gay put on his blue collar and his marksmanship and intensity were keys to this victory.
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Bryn Forbes
https://i.imgur.com/yXVIEAs.png
Bryn Forbes is another player who deserves credit for at least giving good effort on defense. The results were shaky but Forbes' heart was in the right place. (He's too slow, short and stubby to do too much damage on D, if we're being honest about the situation.) Offensively, Forbes provided invaluable spacing by way of his picture-perfect stroke from the perimeter. His ball-handling was iffy, his decision-making was lacking and it was often painfully clear he's not a point guard . . . but Forbes competed and did about as well as could have been expected given the circumstances.
Grade: B+
Summary: Another solid game for Forbes. The Spurs couldn't have expected much more from their fourth string point guard.
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Dante Cunningham
https://i.imgur.com/W3QWUCI.png
Well, I'll gladly eat some crow after Dante Cunningham illustrated it's possible for him to fit on this team. What the coaching staff stumbled upon is that Cunningham is useful as a starting power forward against a small team. With DeRozan, Aldridge and two other shooters on the court, the Spurs can get away with Cunningham spotting up for threes in the weakside corner and the spacing doesn't suffer too much. Defensively, he was pretty good. He defended LeBron in a number of possessions and did reasonably well, though it became an exercise in futility once LeBron had his effort level dialed up later in the contest. Cunningham's rebounding was huge and he also defended the rim well, particularly in transition. He's going to have to learn move to open spaces instinctively (and, for that matter, the fundamentals of the motion offense) but this was definitely a step in the right direction.
Grade: A-
Summary: Cunningham in the starting lineup as a small ball power forward appears to be an option going forward.
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Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
See, this is how Patty Mills can be useful. After a terrible first half against the Blazers on Saturday, Mills has recovered and had a pretty good performance against the Lakers. Sure, the clutch jumper to win the game was nice but it was more than that. Offensively, his aggression was really good and he continually exerted pressure when he had the ball in transition. Defensively, Mills still got cooked a number of times but the effort and attentiveness were better. He, along with the team, have a lot (lot, lot, lot) of room for defensive improvement but it's possible for him to get there as long as he continues to play with this level of tenacity.
Grade: B
Summary: Mills did more than just hit the game-winning jumper.
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Marco Belinelli
https://i.imgur.com/hP9vIFY.png
Marco Belinelli was again a hurricane of action. On this night, things mostly went in his favor. He took a few questionable leaners and passed up too many layups . . . but had enough no-no-no-yeses to retain his value. His cutting away from the ball was, as usual, extremely good. Defensively, it wasn't nearly as pretty. He had trouble staying with any of their perimeter players and was caught with his back turned too many times.
Grade: B
Summary: Belinelli gave the Spurs an injection of adrenaline on the offensive end but his D was forgettable.
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Pau Gasol
https://i.imgur.com/oF0jVre.png
The production was there for Pau Gasol offensively. His passing, most notably in high-low action to Aldridge on the low post, was very good. He scored at a quality clip and helped on the glass. The problem for Gasol on this night was on defense. He just didn't have the footspeed to deal with the Lakers quick lineups, as his rotations were slow in the halfcourt and he was missing in action in transition D.
Grade: B
Summary: The 38-year-old Spaniard gave the Spurs good bang for the minutes but L.A. was able to exploit some of his natural weaknesses.
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Davis Bertans
https://i.imgur.com/ucY2jSF.png
Davis Bertans only played eight minutes and his night was highlighted by a three-pointer near the end of the third quarter. However, outside of that one shot, the rest of his outing was a struggle. His perimeter defense was poor and he compounded the issue by being extremely soft on the defensive glass. The Lakers were bullying him in all facets on D to the point that the coaching staff made the correct decision to sit him. Bertans needs to play with more physicality if he's going to become an everyday NBA player.
Grade: C-
Summary: Bertans couldn't stay in front of his man on the perimeter and got pushed around in the paint.
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Pop
https://i.imgur.com/x7B1It7.jpg
Starting Cunningham turned out to be a very wise move. The offense is clicking extremely well. Pop is obviously giving DeRozan the freedom to be an offensive superstar. I had two critiques with the rotation: First, I think the team should always have one of Aldridge, DeRozan or Gay on the court right now. Pop went with a complete bench unit at times and the tides turned swiftly. My second critique, which isn't entirely fair because it's based on hindsight, is that DeRozan wasn't given enough rest. Asking him to play the entire fourth quarter is probably too much, especially when he is taking on extra point guard duties on top of everything else.
Grade: B
Summary: Pop's belief in Cunningham paid off but is he (gasp) playing his star perimeter player too much?
Looking ahead: Good win. Good morale boost. It may sound crazy given that the Spurs just allowed 142 points but I thought the defense was actually better than it was against the Blazers. The effort, if nothing else, on that end was better. The Spurs now return to San Antonio to take on the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday in what will be another difficult yet winnable game.