timvp
12-08-2018, 05:08 AM
https://i.imgur.com/AOM1c6Z.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/adI6hSJ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/r7ekxoR.jpg
The Spurs began their six-game homestand the right way with a 133-120 come from behind victory over the Lakers. The Spurs trailed by ten points heading into the fourth quarter before dominating Los Angeles to the tune of 44-21 in the final period.
The bench was on the court to begin the fourth and their energetic play quickly cut into the league. DeMar DeRozan joined four bench players (Jakob Poeltl, Davis Bertans, Marco Belinelli and Patty Mills) with eight minutes remaining and that unit quickly took the lead and never looked back.
With the recent struggles in mind, this was a big win for San Antonio. The Spurs were staring at a second straight loss to the Lakers before their outburst over the final 12 minutes. Let's hope the positive vibes generated by the late rally carry forward and propel the Spurs to a successful homestand.
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LaMarcus Aldridge
https://i.imgur.com/1nluyNF.png
The good: I thought LaMarcus Aldridge started the game out the right way by being physical in the post and on the boards while moving his feet adequately defensively. At the end of the game, he had a smile on his face while he sat and watched the bench save the day. That counts for something, right? The bad: After an okay start, I thought he got more and more lackadaisical. He started settling for ill-conceived fadeaways on one end and stopped competing on the other end. We've seen Aldridge completely turn off his motor mid-game too much recently -- that can't keep happening if the Spurs are to be successful.
Grade: C-
Summary: Aldridge had the right ideas at the start but his effort faded as the game progressed.
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DeMar DeRozan
https://i.imgur.com/ZKxGADZ.png
This was truly one of DeMar DeRozan's best games of the season -- if not the absolute best. Offensively, his efficiency was off the charts: 36 points on 20 shots to go along with nine assists to only one turnover. He was consistently attacking the Lakers defense and his constant probing seemed to wear Los Angeles down. When DeRozan puts it in his mind to attack, that's when he's at his best. Defensively, I wasn't too impressed through three quarters. But then in the fourth quarter, DeRozan defended LeBron James and I thought he did a great job. He moved his feet, held his ground when James went at his body and even challenged a few shots.
Grade: A
Summary: DeRozan was the best player on the court.
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Rudy Gay
https://i.imgur.com/vqYr2we.png
Rudy Gay was sloppier than usual -- both in terms of dribbling and passing. His lack of mobility really, really limited his effectiveness defensively, particularly in one-on-one situations. However, to his credit, Gay battled through rough patches to find ways to help out. He attacked mismatches with his length, knocked down two more three-pointers, fought on the glass and got his hands on a lot of balls on defense. Gay is giving great effort and is doing just about as much as his body will allow.
Grade: C+
Summary: Gay didn't have a clean affair but there was definitely some good.
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Bryn Forbes
https://i.imgur.com/yXVIEAs.png
Bryn Forbes is ice cold from beyond the three-point arc. After his 0-for-4 showing versus the Lakers, Forbes his now missed 11 straight three-pointers and 14-of-16 he has attempted in December. He had a handful of successful drives to the rim and a couple impressive finishes in the paint. That said, if he's not hitting from the perimeter, he doesn't space the floor nearly as well. Defensively, he was competing but Forbes didn't move the needle much on that end.
Grade: C
Summary: Forbes can't buy a bucket from downtown right now.
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Dante Cunningham
https://i.imgur.com/W3QWUCI.png
Dante Cunningham was once again in the starting lineup with the task of attempting to slow down LeBron. The results were ... lacking. Cunningham had a few good defensive possessions against LeBron but those were sporadic, to put it kindly. Offensively, he did a much better job than usual of not allowing himself to be a total liability. He flashed hard to open spaces and made quick decisions to either shoot or pass. Overall, I don't think Cunningham was a revelation or anything but he was put in a tough spot and played admirably.
Grade: B+
Summary: Cunningham tried to slow LeBron and tried not to be a liability on offense.
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Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
In the first three quarters, I didn't love Mills' shot selection or his overall energy level. But he was truly masterful in the fourth quarter. His passing in that period was as good as it gets; he had key dimes to Poeltl rolling to the basket and to Bertans parked behind the three-point stripe. Mills' defensive intensity also greatly improved in the fourth. While he wasn't the best player in the rally, his passion and emotion were contagious and certainly aided in causing the avalanche that buried L.A.
Grade: A-
Summary: Mills played a spirited fourth quarter that included numerous key plays.
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Marco Belinelli
https://i.imgur.com/hP9vIFY.png
This had to be Marco Belinelli's best game in quite a while. Over a span of three minutes shortly after checking in, Belinelli hit three three-pointers and a long two-pointer to quickly put 11 points on the board. Belinelli cooled off after that (in fact, he went 0-for-4 after those four quick hoops) but the good news is he actually played a lot smarter than usual. His shot selection was sane and he didn't try to do too much passing-wise. Belinelli was on the court for the fourth quarter rush and managed to not get in the way. At this point, we'll classify that as a success.
Grade: B
Summary: Belinelli played a smarter-than-usual brand of basketball.
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Jakob Poeltl
https://i.imgur.com/FUIlW00.png
In the first quarter, Jakob Poeltl really struggled. He had three turnovers, his defense was a step slow and he just seemed to get in the way. However, his slow start was all but forgotten after his outstanding showing in the fourth quarter. Playing with a lot of outward emotion, Poeltl had ten points, four rebounds, three blocked shots and an assist on a Bertans three-pointer. Needless to say, that was probably his best stretch of the season to date. Poeltl is proving to be a heady player who rolls to the basket with good pace, has soft hands, better than expected agility and top-tier finishing ability at the rim. On the other end, he's defending the lane better and better and is also making big strides when it comes to pulling down contested defensive rebounds.
Grade: A-
Summary: Poeltl was absolutely huge in the fourth.
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Davis Bertans
https://i.imgur.com/ucY2jSF.png
Davis Bertans was all but invisible until the fourth quarter; he hardly impacted the statsheet at all during the game's first 36 minutes. But the Latvian came alive during winning time. He sank four three-pointers in the fourth, including a momentous four-point play that pushed a tenuous three-point Spurs lead to a more peaceful seven-point margin. Like the rest of the team on the court, Bertans was playing with a lot of vigor and thoroughly enjoyed delivering Los Angeles their fourth quarter comeuppance. All in all, Bertans rebounding was iffy and his defense was mediocre -- but his flurry of threes erased those memories.
Grade: B+
Summary: Bertans catching on fire helped ignite that 44-point fourth.
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Derrick White
https://i.imgur.com/IrTA2dV.png
This was basically the opposite of the previous game. Derrick White entered the contest but instead of taking the reins and pushing San Antonio to new heights, he looked shaky with the ball, made tentative decisions and then spent a lot of time sitting on the bench.
Grade: Inc.
Summary: White didn't do much to help during his limited minutes on the court.
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Pop
https://i.imgur.com/x7B1It7.jpg
This is a difficult grade to dole out. I have no idea why DeRozan wasn't put on LeBron earlier in the game (or last game at all). To me, it has been the obvious move considering Cunningham can't slow him at all, Gay is too immobile to slow anyone right now and DeRozan falls asleep when he's off the ball. Doing so also allowed the Spurs to keep five competent scorers on the court ... and the fourth quarter showed why that's advantageous. And while I somewhat understood limiting White in tonight's particular game, that's not a habit Pop should acquire going forward. On the other hand, I thought it was a wonderful move to keep Aldridge on the bench and let Poeltl finish what he started. I also thought Pop had a number of other subtle positive moves: limiting DeRozan's minutes a little bit more to assure he had gas for the final push, having a quicker hook for frosty Forbes and calling more pick-and-roll plays revolved around Poeltl.
Grade: B-
Summary: Pop's coaching was an improvement over last game.
Looking ahead: That was an important win with the playoffs in mind. To continue the momentum, San Antonio hosts a Jazz team that destroyed the Spurs by 34 points in Salt Lake City a couple days ago. Between then and now, the suddenly sizzling Jazz dismantled the Rockets by 27 points.
A win on Sunday and a postseason appearance will once again look theoretically possible. A loss would be the latest example of the Spurs recent trend of following up one step forward by taking two steps backwards.
https://i.imgur.com/adI6hSJ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/r7ekxoR.jpg
The Spurs began their six-game homestand the right way with a 133-120 come from behind victory over the Lakers. The Spurs trailed by ten points heading into the fourth quarter before dominating Los Angeles to the tune of 44-21 in the final period.
The bench was on the court to begin the fourth and their energetic play quickly cut into the league. DeMar DeRozan joined four bench players (Jakob Poeltl, Davis Bertans, Marco Belinelli and Patty Mills) with eight minutes remaining and that unit quickly took the lead and never looked back.
With the recent struggles in mind, this was a big win for San Antonio. The Spurs were staring at a second straight loss to the Lakers before their outburst over the final 12 minutes. Let's hope the positive vibes generated by the late rally carry forward and propel the Spurs to a successful homestand.
-------------
LaMarcus Aldridge
https://i.imgur.com/1nluyNF.png
The good: I thought LaMarcus Aldridge started the game out the right way by being physical in the post and on the boards while moving his feet adequately defensively. At the end of the game, he had a smile on his face while he sat and watched the bench save the day. That counts for something, right? The bad: After an okay start, I thought he got more and more lackadaisical. He started settling for ill-conceived fadeaways on one end and stopped competing on the other end. We've seen Aldridge completely turn off his motor mid-game too much recently -- that can't keep happening if the Spurs are to be successful.
Grade: C-
Summary: Aldridge had the right ideas at the start but his effort faded as the game progressed.
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DeMar DeRozan
https://i.imgur.com/ZKxGADZ.png
This was truly one of DeMar DeRozan's best games of the season -- if not the absolute best. Offensively, his efficiency was off the charts: 36 points on 20 shots to go along with nine assists to only one turnover. He was consistently attacking the Lakers defense and his constant probing seemed to wear Los Angeles down. When DeRozan puts it in his mind to attack, that's when he's at his best. Defensively, I wasn't too impressed through three quarters. But then in the fourth quarter, DeRozan defended LeBron James and I thought he did a great job. He moved his feet, held his ground when James went at his body and even challenged a few shots.
Grade: A
Summary: DeRozan was the best player on the court.
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Rudy Gay
https://i.imgur.com/vqYr2we.png
Rudy Gay was sloppier than usual -- both in terms of dribbling and passing. His lack of mobility really, really limited his effectiveness defensively, particularly in one-on-one situations. However, to his credit, Gay battled through rough patches to find ways to help out. He attacked mismatches with his length, knocked down two more three-pointers, fought on the glass and got his hands on a lot of balls on defense. Gay is giving great effort and is doing just about as much as his body will allow.
Grade: C+
Summary: Gay didn't have a clean affair but there was definitely some good.
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Bryn Forbes
https://i.imgur.com/yXVIEAs.png
Bryn Forbes is ice cold from beyond the three-point arc. After his 0-for-4 showing versus the Lakers, Forbes his now missed 11 straight three-pointers and 14-of-16 he has attempted in December. He had a handful of successful drives to the rim and a couple impressive finishes in the paint. That said, if he's not hitting from the perimeter, he doesn't space the floor nearly as well. Defensively, he was competing but Forbes didn't move the needle much on that end.
Grade: C
Summary: Forbes can't buy a bucket from downtown right now.
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Dante Cunningham
https://i.imgur.com/W3QWUCI.png
Dante Cunningham was once again in the starting lineup with the task of attempting to slow down LeBron. The results were ... lacking. Cunningham had a few good defensive possessions against LeBron but those were sporadic, to put it kindly. Offensively, he did a much better job than usual of not allowing himself to be a total liability. He flashed hard to open spaces and made quick decisions to either shoot or pass. Overall, I don't think Cunningham was a revelation or anything but he was put in a tough spot and played admirably.
Grade: B+
Summary: Cunningham tried to slow LeBron and tried not to be a liability on offense.
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Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
In the first three quarters, I didn't love Mills' shot selection or his overall energy level. But he was truly masterful in the fourth quarter. His passing in that period was as good as it gets; he had key dimes to Poeltl rolling to the basket and to Bertans parked behind the three-point stripe. Mills' defensive intensity also greatly improved in the fourth. While he wasn't the best player in the rally, his passion and emotion were contagious and certainly aided in causing the avalanche that buried L.A.
Grade: A-
Summary: Mills played a spirited fourth quarter that included numerous key plays.
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Marco Belinelli
https://i.imgur.com/hP9vIFY.png
This had to be Marco Belinelli's best game in quite a while. Over a span of three minutes shortly after checking in, Belinelli hit three three-pointers and a long two-pointer to quickly put 11 points on the board. Belinelli cooled off after that (in fact, he went 0-for-4 after those four quick hoops) but the good news is he actually played a lot smarter than usual. His shot selection was sane and he didn't try to do too much passing-wise. Belinelli was on the court for the fourth quarter rush and managed to not get in the way. At this point, we'll classify that as a success.
Grade: B
Summary: Belinelli played a smarter-than-usual brand of basketball.
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Jakob Poeltl
https://i.imgur.com/FUIlW00.png
In the first quarter, Jakob Poeltl really struggled. He had three turnovers, his defense was a step slow and he just seemed to get in the way. However, his slow start was all but forgotten after his outstanding showing in the fourth quarter. Playing with a lot of outward emotion, Poeltl had ten points, four rebounds, three blocked shots and an assist on a Bertans three-pointer. Needless to say, that was probably his best stretch of the season to date. Poeltl is proving to be a heady player who rolls to the basket with good pace, has soft hands, better than expected agility and top-tier finishing ability at the rim. On the other end, he's defending the lane better and better and is also making big strides when it comes to pulling down contested defensive rebounds.
Grade: A-
Summary: Poeltl was absolutely huge in the fourth.
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Davis Bertans
https://i.imgur.com/ucY2jSF.png
Davis Bertans was all but invisible until the fourth quarter; he hardly impacted the statsheet at all during the game's first 36 minutes. But the Latvian came alive during winning time. He sank four three-pointers in the fourth, including a momentous four-point play that pushed a tenuous three-point Spurs lead to a more peaceful seven-point margin. Like the rest of the team on the court, Bertans was playing with a lot of vigor and thoroughly enjoyed delivering Los Angeles their fourth quarter comeuppance. All in all, Bertans rebounding was iffy and his defense was mediocre -- but his flurry of threes erased those memories.
Grade: B+
Summary: Bertans catching on fire helped ignite that 44-point fourth.
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Derrick White
https://i.imgur.com/IrTA2dV.png
This was basically the opposite of the previous game. Derrick White entered the contest but instead of taking the reins and pushing San Antonio to new heights, he looked shaky with the ball, made tentative decisions and then spent a lot of time sitting on the bench.
Grade: Inc.
Summary: White didn't do much to help during his limited minutes on the court.
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Pop
https://i.imgur.com/x7B1It7.jpg
This is a difficult grade to dole out. I have no idea why DeRozan wasn't put on LeBron earlier in the game (or last game at all). To me, it has been the obvious move considering Cunningham can't slow him at all, Gay is too immobile to slow anyone right now and DeRozan falls asleep when he's off the ball. Doing so also allowed the Spurs to keep five competent scorers on the court ... and the fourth quarter showed why that's advantageous. And while I somewhat understood limiting White in tonight's particular game, that's not a habit Pop should acquire going forward. On the other hand, I thought it was a wonderful move to keep Aldridge on the bench and let Poeltl finish what he started. I also thought Pop had a number of other subtle positive moves: limiting DeRozan's minutes a little bit more to assure he had gas for the final push, having a quicker hook for frosty Forbes and calling more pick-and-roll plays revolved around Poeltl.
Grade: B-
Summary: Pop's coaching was an improvement over last game.
Looking ahead: That was an important win with the playoffs in mind. To continue the momentum, San Antonio hosts a Jazz team that destroyed the Spurs by 34 points in Salt Lake City a couple days ago. Between then and now, the suddenly sizzling Jazz dismantled the Rockets by 27 points.
A win on Sunday and a postseason appearance will once again look theoretically possible. A loss would be the latest example of the Spurs recent trend of following up one step forward by taking two steps backwards.