Grades: Spurs @ Clippers - Nov. 15, 2018

[timvp]

https://i.imgur.com/AweIyPy.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/T16MVOj.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/etytdhu.jpg

The Spurs entered the contest on Thursday night in Los Angeles against the Clippers as underdogs playing in the second night of a back-to-back. San Antonio held on for dear life throughout the game and almost pulled it out in the fourth quarter. Alas, the Spurs ended their road trip 0-3 with the 116-111 defeat.

With the game tied at 107 with a minute to go in regulation, super sub Lou Williams sank a 29-foot three-pointer. The Spurs kept scratching and clawing by that shot proved impossible to overcome.

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LaMarcus Aldridge
https://i.imgur.com/1nluyNF.png
LaMarcus Aldridge responded to his poor game against the Suns with an equally poor game against the Clippers. For those scoring at home, the 33-year-old finished this back-to-back set shooting 22.2 percent (6-of-27) from the field. In Los Angeles, he actually hit three of his first five attempts before finishing the game by missing his final ten attempts. The leading culprit for Aldridge was simple: soft shots. He settled for fadeaway jumpers far too often and we didn't see aggressive post moves from him until late in the contest. Defensively, he was really bad at defending pick-and-rolls or any other sets that involved movement on the perimeter. Oh, and his transition defense was MIA, as well. The one area where he excelled was rebounding the basketball. It's safe to say the Spurs would have won this game with a B game out of Aldridge.
Grade: D-
Summary: Aldridge's egg laying ways continued.

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DeMar DeRozan
https://i.imgur.com/ZKxGADZ.png
DeMar DeRozan's efficiency was lacking but I was pleased with his effort. He was a consistent threat for the Spurs and his activity on offense helped keep San Antonio within striking distance. He was fearlessly driving the ball to the hoop and created a plethora of shots for his teammates. DeRozan was also very clean with his playmaking . . . until a costly turnover with 20 seconds remaining and the Spurs down by three-points. Defensively, DeRozan's effort was inconsistent. At times, he was doing as best as he can. At other times, he was fine with letting screens wipe him out of plays completely.
Grade: B+
Summary: DeRozan was the engine that made the offense go.

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Derrick White
https://i.imgur.com/IrTA2dV.png
Yikes. The performance against the Rockets seems like a distant memory now. Derrick White was terrible in multiple areas. He couldn't get the Spurs into their sets with consistency. When he wasn't missing all of his field goal attempts, he was doing little to no playmaking. White's confidence level was low, as he played like an overwhelmed young player. Defensively, there was nothing to write home to Colorado about. The Spurs need White to find his footing because he hasn't looked like a starting-caliber player for a few games now.
Grade: F+
Summary: White isn't repaying Pop for his trust in him.

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Bryn Forbes
https://i.imgur.com/yXVIEAs.png
I was mostly pleased with how Bryn Forbes played. His defense wasn't especially good but he mostly kept players in front of him, offered timely help defense and consistently competed. On offense, he was better. He attempted and made contested three-pointers, while coming off of picks sharply to create space. Overall, Forbes didn't make many mistakes while tying his season-high in points. Not much to complain about.
Grade: B+
Summary: Forbes' shooting from deep was one of San Antonio's finest weapons.

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Dante Cunningham
https://i.imgur.com/W3QWUCI.png
Offensively, it seemed like DeRozan was making it a point to keep Dante Cunningham involved. It worked out well for Cunningham, as he was a bit more productive than usual. Defense, though, was his problem tonight. Cunningham is looked at as this team's defensive ace but he didn't look the part tonight. Danilo Gallinari repeatedly bested him in one-on-one matchups, including a pivotal possession late that ended with Gallinari going to the line. If Cunningham is going to struggle on defense, then there's really no point to play him since he's such a spacing-killer on offense.
Grade: C-
Summary: Cunningham's defense was poor, which sank his value.

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Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
With White struggling, Patty Mills was a breath of fresh air tonight. While Mills shot poorly (including a lot of would-be momentum-changing misses), he played with more passion than anyone else in silver and black. He was passing better than usual, uncharacteristically made a few plays for his teammates and once again showed better than average effort on the glass. Defensively, he was relatively good. He battled through mismatches and allowed the Spurs to switch a lot without getting burned.
Grade: B+
Summary: Mills brought juice.

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Rudy Gay
https://i.imgur.com/vqYr2we.png
In his 25 minutes, Rudy Gay looked really good. He scored off the catch, off the dribble and in isolation situations. He rebounded with tenacity. He efforted on defense. Even Gay's passing was notable. Per minute, he was probably the team's best player. Unfortunately, he went to the locker room late in the fourth and then didn't return to the court (although he did return to the bench). The Spurs really, really need Gay to get healthy and get back to playing heavy minutes.
Grade: A-
Summary: Gay was a beast before his night was ended prematurely.

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Marco Belinelli
https://i.imgur.com/hP9vIFY.png
Marco Belinelli just can't find his rhythm offensively. Over his last five games, he's shooting 31 percent from the floor. Versus the Clippers, Belinelli forced a couple horrible shots and struggled with his decision-making. His energy level was acceptable but his production wasn't. Defensively, I thought he was better than usual -- but that's not saying a whole lot. He provided some help defense but he still had trouble keeping anyone in front of him.
Grade: C-
Summary: Belinelli needs to get on track if this Spurs team is going to turn it around.

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Jakob Poeltl
https://i.imgur.com/FUIlW00.png
Jakob Poeltl finally played like an established NBA player. He was far from great but he moved with purpose and wasn't second-guessing everything. He could still stand to play more physically -- particularly in the paint, on both ends -- but this was likely his best outing as a Spur. I liked how fast he ran the court and he protected the rim well at times. Step forward.
Grade: B
Summary: Poeltl showed some life.

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Davis Bertans
https://i.imgur.com/ucY2jSF.png
Davis Bertans played two minutes and then never hit the court again. And, really, you can't blame the coaching staff. In those two minutes, Bertans was manhandled in the paint. The Clippers are a physical team and the Latvian didn't appear ready to accept the challenge.
Grade: Inc.
Summary: Bertans got steamrolled and then benched.

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Pop
https://i.imgur.com/x7B1It7.jpg
I still don't like Cunningham in the starting lineup. As I've been saying, it hampers the offense. On nights like tonight when Cunningham is a liability on defense, starting him really doesn't make sense. To Pop's credit, it appeared as if he attempted to stagger DeRozan and White -- but White was playing so poorly he had to scrap those plans. I think Pop deserves some credit for finding a group that almost stole a win in Los Angeles.
Grade: C+
Summary: Pop can't be happy about the 0-3 road trip.

Looking ahead: The Spurs, who have now lost five of their last six games, now face the Warriors at home on Sunday before traveling to New Orleans for a match against the Pelicans on Monday.

At this point, the Spurs just need a win to stop the bleeding. Let's that happens this weekend.

[Hoops Czar]

I just want to hear more about how Derrick White and his +/- -28 is the savior.

[Dhbsr555]

If your gonna give White an f+ then I think Aldridge deserves an incomplete.

[phxspurfan]

Starting PG with 0 points and 1 assist! Definitely not tanking!

[Hoops Czar]

If your gonna give White an f+ then I think Aldridge deserves an incomplete.
If were basing it off expectations, Aldridge should get a "Z".

[Hoops Czar]

I will say though, that Mills, Bellinelli and Forbes combination to end the game destroyed any chance the Spurs had of salvaging the game.

[objective]

White fed Aldridge for two open shots out of the pick and roll that I recall, he just bricked them

White had a very bad game, but the Houston game was the real White. He might need to come off the bench to settle in, but he can play

[TheGreatYacht]

When was the last time timvp didn't give Patty a B? If yesterday's 5-14fg performance didn't do it, I don't know what will. DDR and Forbes played like a B+ last night, the Tasmanian Fortnite pro pretty much buried any chance of a comeback.

Also I'm glad I'm not the only one that doesn't like what they see when Bertans checks in. He's just a boy in a man's league. Probably has the worst build in the league. He has the shoulders of a teenage kid.

[vavvi]

Actually I thought we played pretty well considering our roster construction with no wings. Definitely the best game in a while on both ends.
LA's struggles on offense are genuinely concerning now. If he played even his below average game offensively from last season, we would have won this.

Actually liked how DeMar behaved on offense considering circumstances. Forbes's confidence in his 3pt shot while his feet are set is also inspiring. Other than that... This roster is what it is and will never be a top-5 seed in the west.

[r0drig0lac]

with 2 kawhis we would have beaten any league team in the last 3 years, today if demar had as teammates 2 rudy gay would probably be the second best team in the league, that's how important he is today (and how good he is as basketball player)



White fed Aldridge for two open shots out of the pick and roll that I recall, he just bricked them

White had a very bad game, but the Houston game was the real White. He might need to come off the bench to settle in, but he can play

so far, the game against Houston has been the exception, so even though this proves true, there is no real basis for this claim (at least at the nba level)

[vavvi]

Also I thought this time Pop's in-game coaching was pretty good -- aside from the starting line-up which is technically before-the-game coaching. Pop actually tried to stagger DeMar & White and mostly made reasonable decisions. I would give him a B for this one

[Hoops Czar]

Also I thought this time Pop's in-game coaching was pretty good -- aside from the starting line-up which is technically before-the-game coaching. Pop actually tried to stagger DeMar & White and mostly made reasonable decisions. I would give him a B for this one

He literally ended the game with Belinelli, Forbes and Mills on the court together. Mills followed Gallinari into the the low post, Belinelli went to double leaving the shooter open in the corner, Aldridge went to cover the shooter and nobody was left to rebound the basketball. Clippers get the offensive rebound, kick it out to Lou Williams, ballgame! Pathetic but predictable. Pop gets a U.

[tbdog]

That Williams 3 at the end was so unfortunate. It was really good D and a really bad shot. Then Harris clotheslining Forbes off the ball with no call (freedom of movement I thought), was just the nail.

[vavvi]

He literally ended the game with Belinelli, Forbes and Mills on the court together. Mills followed Gallinari into the the low post, Belinelli went to double leaving the shooter open in the corner, Aldridge went to cover the shooter and nobody was left to rebound the basketball. Clippers get the offensive rebound, kick it out to Lou Williams, ballgame! Pathetic but predictable. Pop gets a U.

yeah. and what choice did he have? Gay wasn't available, otherwise Pop would go with Gay. This was the only available line-up that was clicking. And also Lou Williams just made a tough shot.

[Hoops Czar]

yeah. and what choice did he have? Gay wasn't available, otherwise Pop would go with Gay. This was the only available line-up that was clicking. And also Lou Williams just made a tough shot.
It wasn't the Lou Williams shot. It was what precipitated the shot that was a total fail. What is the point of Cunningham on the roster if he can't even be used for late game defense?

Does Rudy Gay inavailability really surprise anyone at this point? And people make fun of Kawhi's inability to stay on the court.

[sananspursfan21]

Is Aldridge even into this anymore? He seems disinterested. Maybe he wants a trade again?

[Jay.From.NbTx]

Tough time to be a spurs fan tbh...
just not enough talent on this team at this point

[TDomination]

Tough time to be a spurs fan tbh...
just not enough talent on this team at this point

Yup and one of the few talented players we have is looked to have given up after such a great year just 1 year ago.

[Jay.From.NbTx]

Yup and one of the few talented players we have is looked to have given up after such a great year just 1 year ago.

LMA ? I’d rather him struggle now than later on closer to playoffs tbh. He’ll get it going eventually.
But if we keep taking L’s like this we could easily miss the playoffs.

[vavvi]

I wouldn't say LA didn't try on d but these past 2 games he looked Dwight Howard kind of bad on offense

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

The team gave great effort. I was much more pleased with what I saw from them than in the Suns game.

That being said, Belli and LMA sank the team with their bad shooting. LMA grows some offensive testicles and we win this one by double digits. Hopefully he can find his stuff because it wasn’t like he was ignored in the offensive sets, he just took poor shots. He’s usually one of the strongest guys on the court but he won’t pound it inside for whatever reason. He has the size and strength advantage again on Sunday so I hope he uses it or else that game will be ugly.

I never thought I’d say it but the Spurs have missed Pau in these losses, especially in games where LMA can’t do much.

[Drewlius]

Bertans can’t see the floor for more than 2 mins but PATFO thought it was a good idea to give him 7mil a year. Our contracts are such garbage.

[elbamba]

LMA looks completly disinterested in playing basketball right now.

[elbamba]

Bertans can’t see the floor for more than 2 mins but PATFO thought it was a good idea to give him 7mil a year. Our contracts are such garbage.

I couldn't agree more. At this point, even with his inability to rebound or play defense, I would play him out of spite. The Spurs love handing out money to players for them not to actually play.

[ducks]

When was last pop tech
He seems not to care only basketball

[Hoops Czar]

I couldn't agree more. At this point, even with his inability to rebound or play defense, I would play him out of spite. The Spurs love handing out money to players for them not to actually play.
They play Paddy out of spite. See where it's gotten them?

[Chucho]

People were heads over heels about Derrick "I'm a 29th pick with 29th pick talent" White. He comes back, losing streak. There's more correlation to him having a negative impact on the team than being any better than a 29th pick generally ends up being- a fringe player at the end of the bench.

[Budkin]

LMA looks completly disinterested in playing basketball right now.

I really don't get it. The second he was given the reins to the team he collapses.

[8FOR!3]

We need to move on from Cunningham and Pondexter imo. Sign Blossomgame and give him and Walker rotation minutes when he returns. We won’t be WORSE. We might not be better but I won’t be as frustrating let the young guys figure things out maybe we make the playoffs maybe we don’t, but I can live with it either way. I don’t understand why Cunningham is getting minutes over a young wing in our G league. Maybe he’s better than Blossomgame, but I still don’t think he’s a rotation player in the NBA so at least see what the young guys can do. Pop knows this, I doubt we go an entire season with Cun in the rotation.

And thats not an attack on Cunningham, he’s given effort and he’s filled in admirably but he’s not a wing and at best he’s a backup big on a bad team

[SpursDynasty85]

Was sad not to see Derrick White come back into the game. It seems he has been itching to get his offense going while being a pg. I don't think he is selfish in anyway but he feels he can contribute more and he did so at the cost of some important minutes in the game but he was benched for good too early I think. I imagine he will get the start and that puts things in perspective and the fact I'm sure Pop considered last night's game very important since it was an obvious winnable game in our time of struggling. Patty was good and showed why the front office and Pop put their trust in him but they need to realize the limitations he along with Belli brings playing extended minutes.

[SpurPadre]

If were basing it off expectations, Aldridge should get a "Z".

His grades have to be based on expectations if you've followed his grading so far. His grades for scrubs are extremely generous otherwise.

[SpurPadre]

When was last pop tech
He seems not to care only basketball

His wife died last summer.

[Keepin' it real]

Bertans can’t see the floor for more than 2 mins but PATFO thought it was a good idea to give him 7mil a year. Our contracts are such garbage.

No, Pop's unwillingness to play someone -- after they've made a commitment to that player -- even if he's struggling, is garbage.

Looks like Billy Bean and Art Howe out there.

[Keepin' it real]

LMA looks completly disinterested in playing basketball right now.

Well it is only mid-November.

[Coach X]

Clutch time with Mills, Forbes, DeRozan, Belinelli, Aldridge. Size matters:

Shail G Alexander scores mid jumper literally over Patty Mills (good position to contest but being too small to completely disturb the shooter)
Aldridge must contest Williams' three in a p&r and Spurs lose defensive rebound (Forbes just touches it) and have to foul Harrell, who misses both FT
Gallinari posts up Mills, Spurs double and SGAlexander shoots free a corner three. Misses but Clippers get the rebound.
Game tied, Williams ISO, Forbes contests ok but again, he's too short to really disturb Williams who scores a three.
109-110, 36 seconds: Gallinari (6'10") desperately dribbling 1on1 vs Cunningham (6'8"): gets into the paint, uses his body spinning towards the rim and Cunningham fouls him. Scores both.
DeRozan misses the ball, Spurs have to foul, Gallo scores again. Game over.

Imagine that sequence replacing one, if not two, of our three guards (can't replace DeRozan) for tall guards, wings or forwards. Spurs are getting the W.
Mills and Forbes played hard and scored well but you can't play good defense vs talented players and secure the rebound without size.

In a timeout in the fourth quarter, Popovich said "Stops and boards!". I hear you, coach.

[Coach X]

Yesterday's Spurs performance doesn't speak well about player's focus vs Sacramento and Phoenix. I watched a completely different level of commitment. The outcome of the road trip wouldn't be 3 L if they had played all games with that intensity and sense of urgency. They can't allow not to play 100% every single night. They're not that good.
Spurs weren't aggresive in offense until the second quarter yesterday. It's hard to beat a tough team that it's playing well (beat Warriors and Bucks this week) when they play at home and you are trailing from the beginning.



I don't think Aldridge is disinterested. I think he's just weak mentally and not too smart. He probably thinks his offensive struggles come from his outside shooting problems when the truth is that he's not being aggressive attacking the rim. Remember last season, he bullied every team inside the paint until March. Have a look at the advanced shooting stats, where are his layups? He only shots inside when he tips the ball or gets the offensive R. He's passing too much and too early in the low post, he could try to score more often and that would even improve the spacing, easing his passes to the shooters.

I blame the coaches as well. Is Gasol the only player who can feed him high-low? Can anybody give him a ball after a P&R? Why is he running the court so many times if wings aren't giving the ball when he is trailing in good position? He looks more confortable playing from the FT line, why aren't we using more settings for him to play ISO from there?


Derrick White must continue starting and playing big minutes. He's just learning, he has to go through it. Forbes is more efficient currently, but White's potential is higher and the team needs badly somebody with his ability to pass and play defense. Patrick Beverly is tough and for sure Derrick learn a couple of things today.


Following disaster at Phoenix, Clippers game makes me feel less pessimistic. Aldridge played good defense again, Poetl is starting to show something, Marco hit a couple shots, Rudy looks good, DeRozan played well again not stinking in D and Mills stole a couple balls and made some layups. Let's take this one as a good starting point, it's the only way of winning a game in the next 9 days.

[TDomination]

Yesterday's Spurs performance doesn't speak well about player's focus vs Sacramento and Phoenix. I watched a completely different level of commitment. The outcome of the road trip wouldn't be 3 L if they had played all games with that intensity and sense of urgency. They can't allow not to play 100% every single night. They're not that good.
Spurs weren't aggresive in offense until the second quarter yesterday. It's hard to beat a tough team that it's playing well (beat Warriors and Bucks this week) when they play at home and you are trailing from the beginning.



I don't think Aldridge is disinterested. I think he's just weak mentally and not too smart. He probably thinks his offensive struggles come from his outside shooting problems when the truth is that he's not being aggressive attacking the rim. Remember last season, he bullied every team inside the paint until March. Have a look at the advanced shooting stats, where are his layups? He only shots inside when he tips the ball or gets the offensive R. He's passing too much and too early in the low post, he could try to score more often and that would even improve the spacing, easing his passes to the shooters.

I blame the coaches as well. Is Gasol the only player who can feed him high-low? Can anybody give him a ball after a P&R? Why is he running the court so many times if wings aren't giving the ball when he is trailing in good position? He looks more confortable playing from the FT line, why aren't we using more settings for him to play ISO from there?


Derrick White must continue starting and playing big minutes. He's just learning, he has to go through it. Forbes is more efficient currently, but White's potential is higher and the team needs badly somebody with his ability to pass and play defense. Patrick Beverly is tough and for sure Derrick learn a couple of things today.


Following disaster at Phoenix, Clippers game makes me feel less pessimistic. Aldridge played good defense again, Poetl is starting to show something, Marco hit a couple shots, Rudy looks good, DeRozan played well again not stinking in D and Mills stole a couple balls and made some layups. Let's take this one as a good starting point, it's the only way of winning a game in the next 9 days.

Solid takes. Would like to see you post more.

As much i feel like joining the tank the season crowd, i just can't deny the fact that i want this team to win every game they play. And what can we do to win the next one. And tanking doesn't guarantee much.

BUT with that said, i think a trade is absolutely necessary. They need to show not only the fans but DDR and other committed players that they are trying to do what they can to win with DDR. He's a great player. Gotta make it work. Whatever it takes.

[NASpurs]

https://stats.nba.com/team/1610612759/lineups-advanced/?sort=MIN&dir=1

The Spurs most used lineup of Aldridge, DeRozan, Cunningham, Forbes and White has a net rating of -31.8.

Offensive rating of 82.8 and defensive rating of 114.6.


:dramaquee

[TDomination]

https://stats.nba.com/team/1610612759/lineups-advanced/?sort=MIN&dir=1

The Spurs most used lineup of Aldridge, DeRozan, Cunningham, Forbes and White has a net rating of -31.8.

Offensive rating of 82.8 and defensive rating of 114.6.


:dramaquee

ouch. lineup needs to change. we scored less than 100 in 4 straight games prior to the clippers game.
a lot of it is trying to integrate white into the lineup but man we are starting out slow every game and playing from behind every game.

[SAGirl]

Clutch time with Mills, Forbes, DeRozan, Belinelli, Aldridge. Size matters:

Shail G Alexander scores mid jumper literally over Patty Mills (good position to contest but being too small to completely disturb the shooter)
Aldridge must contest Williams' three in a p&r and Spurs lose defensive rebound (Forbes just touches it) and have to foul Harrell, who misses both FT
Gallinari posts up Mills, Spurs double and SGAlexander shoots free a corner three. Misses but Clippers get the rebound.
Game tied, Williams ISO, Forbes contests ok but again, he's too short to really disturb Williams who scores a three.
109-110, 36 seconds: Gallinari (6'10") desperately dribbling 1on1 vs Cunningham (6'8"): gets into the paint, uses his body spinning towards the rim and Cunningham fouls him. Scores both.
DeRozan misses the ball, Spurs have to foul, Gallo scores again. Game over.

Imagine that sequence replacing one, if not two, of our three guards (can't replace DeRozan) for tall guards, wings or forwards. Spurs are getting the W.
Mills and Forbes played hard and scored well but you can't play good defense vs talented players and secure the rebound without size.

In a timeout in the fourth quarter, Popovich said "Stops and boards!". I hear you, coach.
I hope that Rudy was just suffering from at least a stubbed toe tbh and I am being sarcastic but he should have closed the game. He’d at least grab a rebound and he was having a much better game than Marco and one could argue at least a couple of other options Pop used.

[cd021]

https://stats.nba.com/team/1610612759/lineups-advanced/?sort=MIN&dir=1

The Spurs most used lineup of Aldridge, DeRozan, Cunningham, Forbes and White has a net rating of -31.8.

Offensive rating of 82.8 and defensive rating of 114.6.


:dramaquee


ouch. lineup needs to change. we scored less than 100 in 4 straight games prior to the clippers game.
a lot of it is trying to integrate white into the lineup but man we are starting out slow every game and playing from behind every game.

Sort of feels like that Parker Green Kawhi LMA Dedmon lineup, though at least that one was excellent defensively and wasn't a train wreck on offense by comparison.

Pop is going to either have to bench White or Cunningham.

I think he wants to keep Gay off the bench and really believes in Whites so Bertans makes the most sense as a "Blair starter". Bertans is in the dog house, even though he is shooting lights out and would be a significant upgrade over Cunningham.

I think he'll either keep trotting out the same starting 5 or be forced into starting Gay again once the losses continue to pile up.

[ducks]

His wife died last summer.

So he can get a pass for 4 years ?
If he can not handle it leave and seek help

[NASpurs]

Sort of feels like that Parker Green Kawhi LMA Dedmon lineup, though at least that one was excellent defensively and wasn't a train wreck on offense by comparison.

Pop is going to either have to bench White or Cunningham.

I think he wants to keep Gay off the bench and really believes in Whites so Bertans makes the most sense as a "Blair starter". Bertans is in the dog house, even though he is shooting lights out and would be a significant upgrade over Cunningham.

I think he'll either keep trotting out the same starting 5 or be forced into starting Gay again once the losses continue to pile up.

Sounds like a man trying to force fit a square peg into a round hole and stubbornly going down with the ship whether the square peg eventually fits or not.

[ducks]

It is very selfish of pop can not handle being coach and keeps coaching because he can Not get over wife.
Players make more if they make all star and good stats.
Fans are spending millions watching spurs and betting on them

[hater]

Sadly White looks like a retarded version of Kyle Anderson

[Chinook]

Aldridge battled for those rebounds, so it's hard to say he was disinterested. Down the stretch, he got the team a number of second-chance attempts despite going up against three Clippers at times. I don't know what's in his head when he's shooting, though. Harrell is not push-over in the paint (folks have been confusing height for size for years now), but LMA still can't concede everything inside. That his jumper fell early might have convinced him that it was his best option, but forcing Harrell to foul or the Clippers to send help would have been a better option. Hell, forcing it inside is ALWAYS a better option now that LMA always plays center. He's actually been pretty good at passing this year, so having him get the ball and go at the other team is a viable strategy, if he'd follow it.

Gay has arguably been the Spurs' best per-minute player. It's crazy how good he's been so far. It's like he's an item in a video game or something where his impact has to be offset by some major weakness. With a healthy Gay, the Spurs probably have a couple more wins now and a better outlook. The team has to seriously look at shutting Rudy down for a while, anything to give themselves a chance of having a healthy Gay going forward. That may not be possible, though, because Rudy has actually gotten a ton of rest recently and still can't seem to get through a whole game. This just highlights the need for a third-option level scorer to compliment Aldridge and DeRozan. Gay can do that when healthy, but he needs to take a smaller load and not play as many games clearly. Obviously, the team shouldn't do anything crazy like trade Walker or Murray for some overpaid inefficient chucker. But using that Toronto pick on an offensive player seems like a good idea.

It's becoming more apparent that White should play more of his minutes with the bench. Like he shouldn't necessarily be taking out of the starting lineup, but he should be subbed out early and have time to chill before going in and replacing DeRozan. All things considered, Beli starting wouldn't be a bad idea. He hasn't played well this year, but his metrics are actually pretty good with the other starters, and he can still space the floor. Marco and Pau work really well off each other, but Gasol may not be an option for a while as it is. DeMar and LaMarcus could use a more dynamic floor-spacer, especially if Dante Cuntinues to start.

I don't know what people expect Pop to do about Cun at this point. He doesn't have to consistently be a positive for Pop to give him minutes. It would be nice if he had legit competition, but he doesn't. Gay needs to come off the bench. Bertans has a target on his back and can't seem to do anything to dissuade folks from going at him, while also not providing anything or the boards. Metu is too young and Pon is too Pon. Spare me the line about how this roster is Pop's fault. We all know that. But nothing substantial is likely to change until next month, so things have to happen without big personnel moves.

[hater]

Aside from Lamarsha and White the team played well :tu

Cant ask for much more tbqh

[HarlemHeat37]

Aldridge battled for those rebounds, so it's hard to say he was disinterested. Down the stretch, he got the team a number of second-chance attempts despite going up against three Clippers at times. I don't know what's in his head when he's shooting, though. Harrell is not push-over in the paint (folks have been confusing height for size for years now), but LMA still can't concede everything inside. That his jumper fell early might have convinced him that it was his best option, but forcing Harrell to foul or the Clippers to send help would have been a better option. Hell, forcing it inside is ALWAYS a better option now that LMA always plays center. He's actually been pretty good at passing this year, so having him get the ball and go at the other team is a viable strategy, if he'd follow it.

Gay has arguably been the Spurs' best per-minute player. It's crazy how good he's been so far. It's like he's an item in a video game or something where his impact has to be offset by some major weakness. With a healthy Gay, the Spurs probably have a couple more wins now and a better outlook. The team has to seriously look at shutting Rudy down for a while, anything to give themselves a chance of having a healthy Gay going forward. That may not be possible, though, because Rudy has actually gotten a ton of rest recently and still can't seem to get through a whole game. This just highlights the need for a third-option level scorer to compliment Aldridge and DeRozan. Gay can do that when healthy, but he needs to take a smaller load and not play as many games clearly. Obviously, the team shouldn't do anything crazy like trade Walker or Murray for some overpaid inefficient chucker. But using that Toronto pick on an offensive player seems like a good idea.

It's becoming more apparent that White should play more of his minutes with the bench. Like he shouldn't necessarily be taking out of the starting lineup, but he should be subbed out early and have time to chill before going in and replacing DeRozan. All things considered, Beli starting wouldn't be a bad idea. He hasn't played well this year, but his metrics are actually pretty good with the other starters, and he can still space the floor. Marco and Pau work really well off each other, but Gasol may not be an option for a while as it is. DeMar and LaMarcus could use a more dynamic floor-spacer, especially if Dante Cuntinues to start.

I don't know what people expect Pop to do about Cun at this point. He doesn't have to consistently be a positive for Pop to give him minutes. It would be nice if he had legit competition, but he doesn't. Gay needs to come off the bench. Bertans has a target on his back and can't seem to do anything to dissuade folks from going at him, while also not providing anything or the boards. Metu is too young and Pon is too Pon. Spare me the line about how this roster is Pop's fault. We all know that. But nothing substantial is likely to change until next month, so things have to happen without big personnel moves.

Aldridge's effort was much better following the first or 2nd timeout in the 4th IIRC.. I'm assuming Pop or whoever said something to him, it was shortly after he allowed an open dunk and barely moved on defense on consecutive possessions..

Following that timeout, he had 3 offensive rebounds, a block and a steal in a 4-5 minute span..

[rjv]

so far, based on a the very small sample size from this season, forbes looks like a better PG than white does. white is starting to look like he has kyle anderson disease when it come to shrinking in the spotlight. forbes, on the other hand, appears to have some cojones.

[NASpurs]

Aldridge's effort was much better following the first or 2nd timeout in the 4th IIRC.. I'm assuming Pop or whoever said something to him, it was shortly after he allowed an open dunk and barely moved on defense on consecutive possessions..

Following that timeout, he had 3 offensive rebounds, a block and a steal in a 4-5 minute span..

Yeah that's exactly how I saw it happen as well. Patty Mills got mad at LMA for allowing that dunk by Harrell (you can see Patty open his arms and say something to LMA). I'm guessing someone got after his ass during the timeout and LMA got after it on the offensive boards and on defense. Looked more inspired and less sleep walking.

[SAGirl]

so far, based on a the very small sample size from this season, forbes looks like a better PG than white does. white is starting to look like he has kyle anderson disease when it come to shrinking in the spotlight. forbes, on the other hand, appears to have some cojones.
White isn't playing well, but Forbes is not a PG.

[Arcadian]

Our two best players are playing out of position. Aldridge is strictly a PF, really not a center or a PF/C like Duncan was. Derozan is strictly a SG, really not a SF or guard/forward combo.

[Hoops Czar]

Yeah that's exactly how I saw it happen as well. Patty Mills got mad at LMA for allowing that dunk by Harrell (you can see Patty open his arms and say something to LMA). I'm guessing someone got after his ass during the timeout and LMA got after it on the offensive boards and on defense. Looked more inspired and less sleep walking.

Paddy knows a thing or two about giving up wide open dunks or layups. If Paddy Mills had any dignity, he'd keep his mouth shut. Nobody needs to be told to play defense by arguably the worst defender in the league.

[TDomination]

White isn't playing well, but Forbes is not a PG.

But with Derozan in the starting lineup, i don't think he has to be. Forbes has been one of the few bright spots for this team early on and i feel that he works well with Derozan.

We were one of the higher scoring teams early and although that fizzled out pretty quickly we've been even worse since White has come back. I don't think it's whites fault but i would try him off the bench.

And as someone mentioned earlier, can't keep both white and cunningham together. i wonder how bertans would do at the 3? probably horrible but i'd like to see it.

forbes
Derozan
bertans
cunningham
aldridge

DO IT POP!

[daslicer]

At least the game was entertaining. That's all you can ask for now with how badly this team is constructed.

[JeffDuncan]

Our two best players are playing out of position. Aldridge is strictly a PF, really not a center or a PF/C like Duncan was. Derozan is strictly a SG, really not a SF or guard/forward combo.

True. Instead of looking to use his best players' strengths, Pop is using his best players as patches for the team's weaknesses. Wrong approach.

[JeffDuncan]

... Forbes has been one of the few bright spots for this team early on and i feel that he works well with Derozan.

DDR and Forbes were learning to work together until Pop decided to start White, too, which made everybody have to adjust, or try to. Hindsight is clear that, as you say, White should have come off the injury list as the backup pg to Forbes. It isn't too late to do that.

[rjv]

White isn't playing well, but Forbes is not a PG.

never said he was. i said that based on the small sample sizes of both, he was better at it than white has shown so far.

[sasaint]

He literally ended the game with Belinelli, Forbes and Mills on the court together. Mills followed Gallinari into the the low post, Belinelli went to double leaving the shooter open in the corner, Aldridge went to cover the shooter and nobody was left to rebound the basketball. Clippers get the offensive rebound, kick it out to Lou Williams, ballgame! Pathetic but predictable. Pop gets a U.

Yep. Typical Pop. Crap end game - UNLESS the team really is tanking. Players don’t really tank; coaches do. They play lineups that are designed to fail.

[TD 21]

:lmao As usual, pretending the genius did a commendable job, when he was his usual putrid self. From the pathetic roster construction to the equally pathetic in game coaching, it couldn't be more obvious that the game has passed him by . . .

- Wonder if Gay's frustration was from being babied, the inability to shake his bursitis or a combination thereof

- White needs to play harder and with more confidence

- Forbes is brimming with confidence, but the only others that can be said for, are DeRozan and a gimpy Gay

- Don't think Aldridge's uneven effort is from being a second option, but from the stark realization that he's more than likely past his prime

- It's entirely possible this is one of the worst teams in the league. With the possible exception of the Cavaliers, at home, there's no one I'd feel confident in their beating right now.

[Arcadian]

:lmao As usual, pretending the genius did a commendable job, when he was his usual putrid self. From the pathetic roster construction to the equally pathetic in game coaching, it couldn't be more obvious that the game has passed him by . . .

- Wonder if Gay's frustration was from being babied, the inability to shake his bursitis or a combination thereof

- White needs to play harder and with more confidence

- Forbes is brimming with confidence, but the only others that can be said for, are DeRozan and a gimpy Gay

- Don't think Aldridge's uneven effort is from being a second option, but from the stark realization that he's more than likely past his prime

- It's entirely possible this is one of the worst teams in the league. With the possible exception of the Cavaliers, at home, there's no one I'd feel confident in their beating right now.

This is spot on. In the past I've felt that your posts were extremely pessimistic, but now they're just accurate. :lol

[212094ever]

Blow it up.

[HarlemHeat37]

I've been one of the biggest Aldridge haters here and I'll always dislike him, but I don't necessarily blame him for not giving full and consistent effort right now..

He CARRIED this team last year, had arguably the best season of his career, barely received any credit around the league, dealt with all the Kawhi shit and had minimal help on offense..I could see why he would be tired and worn out, at this point, it's tough to play hard after that and knowing your current team lacks talent and doesn't have any hope..not to mention his age and probable decline..

Still a pussy that asked for a trade because he :(didn't get enough touches on a WCF team:( but nevertheless..

[024]

It's kind of hard to envision how the Spurs can get better. Their 2 main players basically have to fight for long mid-range shots that don't open up the floor for anyone else. Meanwhile, teams can run a few plays to get quick 3's. Without any semblance of good defense, the Spurs just get buried and can never catch up. This wasn't too evident during the Clippers game and moreso for the Suns game. But this team is tough mid range shots + poor defense. That's... just a death sentence for today's NBA.

[JeffDuncan]

The thing is, Mills, Forbes, Beli and Bertans were supposed to get us those 3pt shots. But the team isn't even trying very many.

[objective]

It's kind of hard to envision how the Spurs can get better. Their 2 main players basically have to fight for long mid-range shots that don't open up the floor for anyone else. Meanwhile, teams can run a few plays to get quick 3's. Without any semblance of good defense, the Spurs just get buried and can never catch up. This wasn't too evident during the Clippers game and moreso for the Suns game. But this team is tough mid range shots + poor defense. That's... just a death sentence for today's NBA.

unfortunately Aldridge isn't hitting the shots he gets, at all.

17% of the season down the drain and he's shooting 41.1% from the field, which is a career low by huge margins.

fg% of shots by distance: 0-3 feet

17-18: 73.5%
18-19: 63.1%

shots by distance: 3-10 feet

17-18: 44.6%
18-19: 40.7%

shots by distance: 10-16 feet

17-18: 43.8%
18-19: 27.7%

shots by distance: 16 < 3pt line

17-18: 43.1%
18-19: 31.5%

His mid-range is where he's worst. He's been getting clean looks from DeRozan and White, he's just a brick factory

[wildbill2u]

Team simply doesn't have enough talent to compete with good teams and isn't going to win a lot of road games against relatively equally talented teams. If LMA , our potential All Star along with DDR can't shoot better than 20 something percent, all the scrapping and energy in the world isn't going to produce consistent wins. I was glad they didn't give up and came back in the 4th to have a chance to win.