timvp
12-22-2018, 05:31 AM
https://i.imgur.com/4uegza9.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/COWAOsN.jpg
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The Spurs took care of business in front of their home fans on Friday night with a 124-98 victory against the Timberwolves. The Spurs have now won seven of their last eight games, with each of their last five wins being by at least 25 points. This was also the seventh straight game San Antonio held their opponent to less than 100 points.
It was only about three weeks ago that the Spurs were humiliated in Minnesota. In that game, the good guys were dead in the water in the second quarter and eventually lost by a final count of 128-89. Tonight, the roles were reversed.
The Spurs led 29-21 after the end of the first quarter. Bryn Forbes nailed a three-pointer in the opening minute of the second period ... and the Spurs never relinquished their double-digit lead the rest of the evening. The T'Wolves made a few runs here and there but the game was never truly in doubt.
The Timberwolves are a bad road team (2-13) and have now lost six of their last seven games overall. But, regardless, this was another impressively thorough victory by the Spurs and it was without question another step in the right direction.
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LaMarcus Aldridge
https://i.imgur.com/1nluyNF.png
The good: LaMarcus Aldridge played stout defense against Karl-Anthony Towns; he was physical in the paint and kept a hand up on the perimeter. Offensively, he was active and did good work, particularly when passing the ball. He also connected on his second three-pointer of the season. Aldridge's rebounding was a major plus on both ends of the court. The bad: He missed at least two or three easy shots. Aldridge was also saddled with foul trouble for much of his 23 minutes.
Grade: B+
Summary: Aldridge quietly yet handily outplayed his All-Star caliber counterpart.
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DeMar DeRozan
https://i.imgur.com/ZKxGADZ.png
DeMar DeRozan's playmaking in the first half was excellent. Seven of his eight assists came in the first two quarters. Additionally, five of his assists resulted in three-pointers. He had a few picturesque drives to the hoop and he pulled down a few contested rebounds. Unfortunately, DeRozan's night was marred by the fact that he let the refs get inside his head again. While, yes, the whistles were rather inconsistent tonight, DeRozan getting angry doesn't help matters. Some players play better when they're mad. DeRozan, conversely, plays much worse -- he starts holding the ball too long, and ultimately piles up missed shots and turnovers. He needs to work on keeping his emotions in check because an angry DeRozan is a liability.
Grade: C
Summary: DeRozan was having a fine night until a few whistles went the other way.
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Rudy Gay
https://i.imgur.com/vqYr2we.png
Rudy Gay was another Spur who dealt with foul trouble tonight. In Gay's case, though, it was understandable as he was going against the same Taj Gibson who physically manhandled him three weeks ago in Minnesota. On this night, Gay fought back and didn't allow that singular mismatch to weaken San Antonio's defense. He was strong in the paint and rebounded his area well. On the other end, Gay was extremely efficient. After a mini three-point slump over the last six games that saw him hit only three of his previous 13 attempts from deep, Gay connected on both of his long balls tonight. He also authored a couple more slick passes that caught the defense off guard.
Grade: B
Summary: Gay's minutes were limited by fouls but when he was in, he did well.
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Bryn Forbes
https://i.imgur.com/yXVIEAs.png
This was definitely Bryn Forbes' best all-around game of the season. His shooting from the perimeter was lethal and it opened up driving lanes for himself and his teammates. When Forbes decided to take advantage of those lanes, he ventured powerfully to the rim and exhibited deft touch in the paint. Perhaps even more impressive than his scoring was Forbes' passing. Considering his ballhandling duties were limited tonight, his career-high tying seven assists weren't a fluke -- he was legitimately making great reads. Defensively, Forbes was really good. (I never thought I'd type that sentence.) The Timberwolves are an athletic bunch but Forbes was up for the challenge and stuck his nose right in there. Oh, and while his teammates were getting called for fouls left and right, Forbes was successfully tiptoeing the line between aggressive defense and whistleable misdeeds.
Grade: A+
Summary: I'm not sure Forbes can play much better than he played tonight.
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Derrick White
https://i.imgur.com/IrTA2dV.png
This was a solidly average game out of Derrick White. He missed all his threes but made all his twos. His man-to-man defense was a huge plus for the team but his help-defense was too often a step slow. White's passing was an asset but he also had a couple sloppy turnovers. White didn't move the needle much but the good news is that he didn't give the coaching staff a reason to go away from keeping him in the starting lineup.
Grade: B-
Summary: Asi asi.
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Marco Belinelli
https://i.imgur.com/hP9vIFY.png
Marco Belinelli is scorching right now. When he's on, it can make the bench unit virtually unguardable. He had three three-pointers in the second quarter within the span of 50 seconds that expanded a 14-point lead to 23 points. When he's hitting his awkward leaners, reactively moving to open spaces when off the ball and playing with passion on both ends, he's someone you want to be on your side. Since he was benched in the second half of the Lakers contest eight games ago, Belinelli has averaged 13 points while shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 48.9 percent from beyond the three-point arc.
Grade: A-
Summary: Belinelli is blazing.
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Jakob Poeltl
https://i.imgur.com/FUIlW00.png
Jakob Poeltl played quality defense, rebounded well enough and was a key cog offensively, where his screens, movement and passing created space for shooters. When Pop surrounds Poeltl with four shooters, it can be beautiful to watch when things start clicking. The most notable part of Poeltl's night were the three shots he made that weren't right at the rim. He had two one-handed shots from about ten feet out that, if he could hit consistently, would add a nice wrinkle to his repertoire. In garbage time, he sank a 20-foot jumper with better than expected form. If Poeltl adds a consistent jumper? Whoa, the Spurs would have themselves quite the 23-year-old building block.
Grade: B+
Summary: Poeltl was as good as we've come to expect.
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Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
After three games where his energy was lackluster, the real Patty Mills stood back up tonight. Defensively, he was flying around the court and his timely, out-of-nowhere help resulted in a team-high three steals. Offensively, Mills' passing was an asset and I liked the aggressiveness with which he hunted for shots. The two aspects that limited his impact tonight were missed shots and a few iffy decisions with the ball.
Grade: B
Summary: Tasmanian devil mode was activated.
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Davis Bertans
https://i.imgur.com/ucY2jSF.png
Fatherhood has been kind to Davis Bertans. In five games since becoming a dad, Bertans has averaged 10.2 points in less than 20 minutes per game while hitting a blistering 13-of-19 attempts (68.4 percent) from three-point territory. In addition to the five three-pointers he hit against the Timberwolves, the Latvian made a couple heady passes and rebounded much better than usual. Dampers: his defense, both individual- and team-wise, was only sporadically effective, he fouled too much and his work beneath the three-point line on offense wasn't too aesthetically pleasing.
Grade: B+
Summary: Bertans needs more children.
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Pop
https://i.imgur.com/x7B1It7.jpg
I was happy with just about everything Pop did tonight except one thing: with a back-to-back on tap, DeRozan shouldn't have played 32 minutes in what was essentially a coast-to-coast blowout. That's doubly true considering the Spurs were playing fine when DeRozan sat. But, yeah, other than that, I was thrilled. Minnesota started a big lineup but that didn't dissuade Pop from staying with his small starting lineup featuring White. Pop kept Dante Cunningham off the court until garbage time once again; when he wanted to go big, he used Poeltl next to Aldridge rather than go to his flawed Cunningham safety net. Pop basically put the Timberwolves out of their misery with the lineup that featured Poeltl and four shooters.
Grade: B+
Summary: Pop, by and large, pleased.
Looking ahead: Another very good win. No complaints.
The Spurs now face their first back-to-back since they got blown out in Salt Lake City and then lost a heartbreaker the next night against the Lakers. Playing the Rockets in Houston will not be easy.
Honestly, though, if this recent hot streak is for real, a win on Saturday night is definitely doable. The Rockets will be without Chris Paul -- and they're 0-5 without him this season. Let's hope the Spurs can make 0-6.
https://i.imgur.com/COWAOsN.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/LFqoSK8.jpg
The Spurs took care of business in front of their home fans on Friday night with a 124-98 victory against the Timberwolves. The Spurs have now won seven of their last eight games, with each of their last five wins being by at least 25 points. This was also the seventh straight game San Antonio held their opponent to less than 100 points.
It was only about three weeks ago that the Spurs were humiliated in Minnesota. In that game, the good guys were dead in the water in the second quarter and eventually lost by a final count of 128-89. Tonight, the roles were reversed.
The Spurs led 29-21 after the end of the first quarter. Bryn Forbes nailed a three-pointer in the opening minute of the second period ... and the Spurs never relinquished their double-digit lead the rest of the evening. The T'Wolves made a few runs here and there but the game was never truly in doubt.
The Timberwolves are a bad road team (2-13) and have now lost six of their last seven games overall. But, regardless, this was another impressively thorough victory by the Spurs and it was without question another step in the right direction.
-------------
LaMarcus Aldridge
https://i.imgur.com/1nluyNF.png
The good: LaMarcus Aldridge played stout defense against Karl-Anthony Towns; he was physical in the paint and kept a hand up on the perimeter. Offensively, he was active and did good work, particularly when passing the ball. He also connected on his second three-pointer of the season. Aldridge's rebounding was a major plus on both ends of the court. The bad: He missed at least two or three easy shots. Aldridge was also saddled with foul trouble for much of his 23 minutes.
Grade: B+
Summary: Aldridge quietly yet handily outplayed his All-Star caliber counterpart.
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DeMar DeRozan
https://i.imgur.com/ZKxGADZ.png
DeMar DeRozan's playmaking in the first half was excellent. Seven of his eight assists came in the first two quarters. Additionally, five of his assists resulted in three-pointers. He had a few picturesque drives to the hoop and he pulled down a few contested rebounds. Unfortunately, DeRozan's night was marred by the fact that he let the refs get inside his head again. While, yes, the whistles were rather inconsistent tonight, DeRozan getting angry doesn't help matters. Some players play better when they're mad. DeRozan, conversely, plays much worse -- he starts holding the ball too long, and ultimately piles up missed shots and turnovers. He needs to work on keeping his emotions in check because an angry DeRozan is a liability.
Grade: C
Summary: DeRozan was having a fine night until a few whistles went the other way.
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Rudy Gay
https://i.imgur.com/vqYr2we.png
Rudy Gay was another Spur who dealt with foul trouble tonight. In Gay's case, though, it was understandable as he was going against the same Taj Gibson who physically manhandled him three weeks ago in Minnesota. On this night, Gay fought back and didn't allow that singular mismatch to weaken San Antonio's defense. He was strong in the paint and rebounded his area well. On the other end, Gay was extremely efficient. After a mini three-point slump over the last six games that saw him hit only three of his previous 13 attempts from deep, Gay connected on both of his long balls tonight. He also authored a couple more slick passes that caught the defense off guard.
Grade: B
Summary: Gay's minutes were limited by fouls but when he was in, he did well.
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Bryn Forbes
https://i.imgur.com/yXVIEAs.png
This was definitely Bryn Forbes' best all-around game of the season. His shooting from the perimeter was lethal and it opened up driving lanes for himself and his teammates. When Forbes decided to take advantage of those lanes, he ventured powerfully to the rim and exhibited deft touch in the paint. Perhaps even more impressive than his scoring was Forbes' passing. Considering his ballhandling duties were limited tonight, his career-high tying seven assists weren't a fluke -- he was legitimately making great reads. Defensively, Forbes was really good. (I never thought I'd type that sentence.) The Timberwolves are an athletic bunch but Forbes was up for the challenge and stuck his nose right in there. Oh, and while his teammates were getting called for fouls left and right, Forbes was successfully tiptoeing the line between aggressive defense and whistleable misdeeds.
Grade: A+
Summary: I'm not sure Forbes can play much better than he played tonight.
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Derrick White
https://i.imgur.com/IrTA2dV.png
This was a solidly average game out of Derrick White. He missed all his threes but made all his twos. His man-to-man defense was a huge plus for the team but his help-defense was too often a step slow. White's passing was an asset but he also had a couple sloppy turnovers. White didn't move the needle much but the good news is that he didn't give the coaching staff a reason to go away from keeping him in the starting lineup.
Grade: B-
Summary: Asi asi.
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Marco Belinelli
https://i.imgur.com/hP9vIFY.png
Marco Belinelli is scorching right now. When he's on, it can make the bench unit virtually unguardable. He had three three-pointers in the second quarter within the span of 50 seconds that expanded a 14-point lead to 23 points. When he's hitting his awkward leaners, reactively moving to open spaces when off the ball and playing with passion on both ends, he's someone you want to be on your side. Since he was benched in the second half of the Lakers contest eight games ago, Belinelli has averaged 13 points while shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 48.9 percent from beyond the three-point arc.
Grade: A-
Summary: Belinelli is blazing.
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Jakob Poeltl
https://i.imgur.com/FUIlW00.png
Jakob Poeltl played quality defense, rebounded well enough and was a key cog offensively, where his screens, movement and passing created space for shooters. When Pop surrounds Poeltl with four shooters, it can be beautiful to watch when things start clicking. The most notable part of Poeltl's night were the three shots he made that weren't right at the rim. He had two one-handed shots from about ten feet out that, if he could hit consistently, would add a nice wrinkle to his repertoire. In garbage time, he sank a 20-foot jumper with better than expected form. If Poeltl adds a consistent jumper? Whoa, the Spurs would have themselves quite the 23-year-old building block.
Grade: B+
Summary: Poeltl was as good as we've come to expect.
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Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
After three games where his energy was lackluster, the real Patty Mills stood back up tonight. Defensively, he was flying around the court and his timely, out-of-nowhere help resulted in a team-high three steals. Offensively, Mills' passing was an asset and I liked the aggressiveness with which he hunted for shots. The two aspects that limited his impact tonight were missed shots and a few iffy decisions with the ball.
Grade: B
Summary: Tasmanian devil mode was activated.
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Davis Bertans
https://i.imgur.com/ucY2jSF.png
Fatherhood has been kind to Davis Bertans. In five games since becoming a dad, Bertans has averaged 10.2 points in less than 20 minutes per game while hitting a blistering 13-of-19 attempts (68.4 percent) from three-point territory. In addition to the five three-pointers he hit against the Timberwolves, the Latvian made a couple heady passes and rebounded much better than usual. Dampers: his defense, both individual- and team-wise, was only sporadically effective, he fouled too much and his work beneath the three-point line on offense wasn't too aesthetically pleasing.
Grade: B+
Summary: Bertans needs more children.
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Pop
https://i.imgur.com/x7B1It7.jpg
I was happy with just about everything Pop did tonight except one thing: with a back-to-back on tap, DeRozan shouldn't have played 32 minutes in what was essentially a coast-to-coast blowout. That's doubly true considering the Spurs were playing fine when DeRozan sat. But, yeah, other than that, I was thrilled. Minnesota started a big lineup but that didn't dissuade Pop from staying with his small starting lineup featuring White. Pop kept Dante Cunningham off the court until garbage time once again; when he wanted to go big, he used Poeltl next to Aldridge rather than go to his flawed Cunningham safety net. Pop basically put the Timberwolves out of their misery with the lineup that featured Poeltl and four shooters.
Grade: B+
Summary: Pop, by and large, pleased.
Looking ahead: Another very good win. No complaints.
The Spurs now face their first back-to-back since they got blown out in Salt Lake City and then lost a heartbreaker the next night against the Lakers. Playing the Rockets in Houston will not be easy.
Honestly, though, if this recent hot streak is for real, a win on Saturday night is definitely doable. The Rockets will be without Chris Paul -- and they're 0-5 without him this season. Let's hope the Spurs can make 0-6.