timvp
11-15-2018, 02:51 AM
https://i.imgur.com/hWOwhIF.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/YpcS6Op.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/lQJiptJ.jpg
Welp, this road trip hasn't gone as planned. The Spurs were thoroughly dismantled by a Suns team that entered the contest with a 2-11 record.
The 116-96 final score doesn't even tell the whole story about how bad it was for the good guys. Phoenix sprinted to an early 19-point lead. After San Antonio caught up, the Suns proceeded to blow the Spurs out again -- leaving now doubt which team was better.
The Spurs are now 7-6 and have lost four of their last five games.
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LaMarcus Aldridge
https://i.imgur.com/1nluyNF.png
This was just a really poor effort from LaMarcus Aldridge. He was handily outplayed by Deandre Ayton. To make matters worse, Aldridge seemed satisfied simply going through the motions. On offense, he connected on only one of his first ten shots from the field. His passing was late and off-target, as has been the case recently (he has one assist in his last 135 minutes). Defensively, he was extremely slow to help out on the perimeter and also didn't put up much of a fight in the paint, either. The only thing keeping Aldridge from an F would be his better than average work on the boards.
Grade: D-
Summary: Aldridge laid and egg.
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DeMar DeRozan
https://i.imgur.com/ZKxGADZ.png
On offense, I thought DeMar DeRozan was fine. He looked comfortable for the first time since Derrick White's return. He consistently attacked, cut down on his mistakes, created plays for others and paraded to the charity stripe. Defense was where DeRozan was sub par tonight. He was slow-footed and allowed constant penetration. His help defense was a couple steps slow. DeRozan has been pretty decent at times defensively this season . . . but that was not the case against Phoenix.
Grade: B-
Summary: DeRozan played well enough on offense but struggled on the other end.
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Derrick White
https://i.imgur.com/IrTA2dV.png
Derrick White got some trash buckets at the end of the game to help camouflage what was a really underwhelming performance. Defensively, his closeouts on shooters were slow and his on-ball intensity was inconsistent. Offensively, he was much too hesitant in the first half. And while he had a few nifty dishes, he was too sloppy with the ball and was usually slow to get the Spurs into their sets.
Grade: D+
Summary: White needs to prove that his performance against the Rockets wasn't an outlier.
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Bryn Forbes
https://i.imgur.com/yXVIEAs.png
While Bryn Forbes was far from great, he played relatively well. I thought his on-ball defense was solid for the most part and his attention to detail on that end was better than usual. He pressured without fouling and rotated quicker than his teammates. On offense, he was aggressive looking for is own shot. The Suns had to account for him at all times, which helped open driving lanes.
Grade: B+
Summary: You can't blame Forbes for this loss.
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Dante Cunningham
https://i.imgur.com/W3QWUCI.png
Dante Cunningham's hustle was commendable. But, again, that was about the extent of his contributions. I don't think his defense was actually that good outside of his hustle plays. He wasn't contesting three-pointers well and he was slow to rotate more often than not. Offensively, his presence continues to muck things up. It's difficult to score on the NBA level, especially with today's rules, when you're going 4-on-5.
Grade: C-
Summary: Cunningham had a few hustle plays. Nothing else.
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Marco Belinelli
https://i.imgur.com/hP9vIFY.png
Compared to last game, Marco Belinelli was better. Unfortunately, that's not saying much. Last game, he was too listless. Tonight, Belinelli's activity level was back to normal but he struggled to convert his activity into positive basketball plays. He missed more shots; Belinelli is shooting 30.6 percent over his last four games and 38.2 percent for the season. Defensively, he had a few good possessions but overall he was par at best.
Grade: C
Summary: Belinelli isn't providing the bench spark the Spurs need.
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Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
I don't have much to complain about regarding Patty Mills. On defense, he was active and swiped three of the team's seven steals. Mills was one of the few Spurs who appeared to be locked in on his defensive responsibilities. On offense, he was good enough. Mills passed the ball better than usual and hit all four of his shots from two-point range.
Grade: B+
Summary: In his 21 minutes, Mills had a pulse. On this night, that was notable.
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Jakob Poeltl
https://i.imgur.com/FUIlW00.png
Better? Not really. Jakob Poeltl impacted the box score more than usual but I struggle to point to many highlights. He rebounded pretty well but also gave up a few rebounds he should have corralled. He had a couple blocks but also had a few horrendous non-rotations that left the lane wide open. He had a season-high in points but also had some of the softest attempts around the rim that you'll ever witness. I guess the silver lining was Poeltl was more active than usual -- even though a lot of that activity ended poorly.
Grade: C-
Summary: Poeltl didn't have the breakout performance his numbers may suggest.
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Davis Bertans
https://i.imgur.com/ucY2jSF.png
Davis Bertans' main flaw is making him difficult to play: his atrocious work on the defensive glass. He just sucks at all facets of rebounding, to put it bluntly. He can't box out. He's slow to react to the ball hitting the rim. And then he somehow can't even grab the ball when it's within his grasp. Against the Suns, his rotations were slower than usual and he wasn't as mentally engaged as he'd been in recent affairs. Offensively, he missed both of his perimeter shots and didn't help out in any other area.
Grade: C-
Summary: Bertans' inability to rebound on the defensive end is getting on Pop's last nerve.
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Quincy Pondexter
https://i.imgur.com/loUbrtn.png
Quincy Pondexter entered the game for defensive purposes. It didn't work. His best defensive play was on the offensive end when he intercepted a pass that would have resulted in a Forbes three-point attempt. Whoops.
Grade: Inc.
Summary: The coaches turned to Pondexter for defense but the Suns didn't slow down.
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Pop
https://i.imgur.com/x7B1It7.jpg
I keep harping on it but it's becoming more and more obvious: the starting lineup is broken. Cunningham just isn't a threat on the offensive end and it's making life too difficult for the other four players. And it's not like Cunningham is Bruce Bowen on the defensive end. In fact, he's a below average defender who masks his deficiencies a bit by hustling and being physical. It has also become clear that Pop needs to do a better job of staggering DeRozan and White. Those are the only two playmakers on the team so one should always be on the court.
Grade: C-
Summary: Pop's mistakes begin with the starting lineup and trickle down from there.
Looking ahead: The Spurs now face a back-to-back in Los Angeles against the Clippers. Considering how bad the Spurs looked in their first back-to-back this season, this will be a tough contest. Oh, and the Clips have won six straight games at home, including victories over the Warriors, Bucks, T'Wolves, Thunder and Rockets.
A win could partly salvage this road trip but don't count on it.
https://i.imgur.com/YpcS6Op.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/lQJiptJ.jpg
Welp, this road trip hasn't gone as planned. The Spurs were thoroughly dismantled by a Suns team that entered the contest with a 2-11 record.
The 116-96 final score doesn't even tell the whole story about how bad it was for the good guys. Phoenix sprinted to an early 19-point lead. After San Antonio caught up, the Suns proceeded to blow the Spurs out again -- leaving now doubt which team was better.
The Spurs are now 7-6 and have lost four of their last five games.
-------------
LaMarcus Aldridge
https://i.imgur.com/1nluyNF.png
This was just a really poor effort from LaMarcus Aldridge. He was handily outplayed by Deandre Ayton. To make matters worse, Aldridge seemed satisfied simply going through the motions. On offense, he connected on only one of his first ten shots from the field. His passing was late and off-target, as has been the case recently (he has one assist in his last 135 minutes). Defensively, he was extremely slow to help out on the perimeter and also didn't put up much of a fight in the paint, either. The only thing keeping Aldridge from an F would be his better than average work on the boards.
Grade: D-
Summary: Aldridge laid and egg.
-------------
DeMar DeRozan
https://i.imgur.com/ZKxGADZ.png
On offense, I thought DeMar DeRozan was fine. He looked comfortable for the first time since Derrick White's return. He consistently attacked, cut down on his mistakes, created plays for others and paraded to the charity stripe. Defense was where DeRozan was sub par tonight. He was slow-footed and allowed constant penetration. His help defense was a couple steps slow. DeRozan has been pretty decent at times defensively this season . . . but that was not the case against Phoenix.
Grade: B-
Summary: DeRozan played well enough on offense but struggled on the other end.
-------------
Derrick White
https://i.imgur.com/IrTA2dV.png
Derrick White got some trash buckets at the end of the game to help camouflage what was a really underwhelming performance. Defensively, his closeouts on shooters were slow and his on-ball intensity was inconsistent. Offensively, he was much too hesitant in the first half. And while he had a few nifty dishes, he was too sloppy with the ball and was usually slow to get the Spurs into their sets.
Grade: D+
Summary: White needs to prove that his performance against the Rockets wasn't an outlier.
-------------
Bryn Forbes
https://i.imgur.com/yXVIEAs.png
While Bryn Forbes was far from great, he played relatively well. I thought his on-ball defense was solid for the most part and his attention to detail on that end was better than usual. He pressured without fouling and rotated quicker than his teammates. On offense, he was aggressive looking for is own shot. The Suns had to account for him at all times, which helped open driving lanes.
Grade: B+
Summary: You can't blame Forbes for this loss.
-------------
Dante Cunningham
https://i.imgur.com/W3QWUCI.png
Dante Cunningham's hustle was commendable. But, again, that was about the extent of his contributions. I don't think his defense was actually that good outside of his hustle plays. He wasn't contesting three-pointers well and he was slow to rotate more often than not. Offensively, his presence continues to muck things up. It's difficult to score on the NBA level, especially with today's rules, when you're going 4-on-5.
Grade: C-
Summary: Cunningham had a few hustle plays. Nothing else.
-------------
Marco Belinelli
https://i.imgur.com/hP9vIFY.png
Compared to last game, Marco Belinelli was better. Unfortunately, that's not saying much. Last game, he was too listless. Tonight, Belinelli's activity level was back to normal but he struggled to convert his activity into positive basketball plays. He missed more shots; Belinelli is shooting 30.6 percent over his last four games and 38.2 percent for the season. Defensively, he had a few good possessions but overall he was par at best.
Grade: C
Summary: Belinelli isn't providing the bench spark the Spurs need.
-------------
Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
I don't have much to complain about regarding Patty Mills. On defense, he was active and swiped three of the team's seven steals. Mills was one of the few Spurs who appeared to be locked in on his defensive responsibilities. On offense, he was good enough. Mills passed the ball better than usual and hit all four of his shots from two-point range.
Grade: B+
Summary: In his 21 minutes, Mills had a pulse. On this night, that was notable.
-------------
Jakob Poeltl
https://i.imgur.com/FUIlW00.png
Better? Not really. Jakob Poeltl impacted the box score more than usual but I struggle to point to many highlights. He rebounded pretty well but also gave up a few rebounds he should have corralled. He had a couple blocks but also had a few horrendous non-rotations that left the lane wide open. He had a season-high in points but also had some of the softest attempts around the rim that you'll ever witness. I guess the silver lining was Poeltl was more active than usual -- even though a lot of that activity ended poorly.
Grade: C-
Summary: Poeltl didn't have the breakout performance his numbers may suggest.
-------------
Davis Bertans
https://i.imgur.com/ucY2jSF.png
Davis Bertans' main flaw is making him difficult to play: his atrocious work on the defensive glass. He just sucks at all facets of rebounding, to put it bluntly. He can't box out. He's slow to react to the ball hitting the rim. And then he somehow can't even grab the ball when it's within his grasp. Against the Suns, his rotations were slower than usual and he wasn't as mentally engaged as he'd been in recent affairs. Offensively, he missed both of his perimeter shots and didn't help out in any other area.
Grade: C-
Summary: Bertans' inability to rebound on the defensive end is getting on Pop's last nerve.
-------------
Quincy Pondexter
https://i.imgur.com/loUbrtn.png
Quincy Pondexter entered the game for defensive purposes. It didn't work. His best defensive play was on the offensive end when he intercepted a pass that would have resulted in a Forbes three-point attempt. Whoops.
Grade: Inc.
Summary: The coaches turned to Pondexter for defense but the Suns didn't slow down.
-------------
Pop
https://i.imgur.com/x7B1It7.jpg
I keep harping on it but it's becoming more and more obvious: the starting lineup is broken. Cunningham just isn't a threat on the offensive end and it's making life too difficult for the other four players. And it's not like Cunningham is Bruce Bowen on the defensive end. In fact, he's a below average defender who masks his deficiencies a bit by hustling and being physical. It has also become clear that Pop needs to do a better job of staggering DeRozan and White. Those are the only two playmakers on the team so one should always be on the court.
Grade: C-
Summary: Pop's mistakes begin with the starting lineup and trickle down from there.
Looking ahead: The Spurs now face a back-to-back in Los Angeles against the Clippers. Considering how bad the Spurs looked in their first back-to-back this season, this will be a tough contest. Oh, and the Clips have won six straight games at home, including victories over the Warriors, Bucks, T'Wolves, Thunder and Rockets.
A win could partly salvage this road trip but don't count on it.