timvp
01-08-2019, 12:23 AM
https://i.imgur.com/hEa9rsD.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/LvU3ZZj.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ssbsJ3r.jpg
Entering this affair in Detroit, I was worried about a lingering emotional letdown after the regular season Super Bowl followed up by a too-easy game at home against a flailing Memphis squad. However, my worries ended up being needless as the Spurs hot streak lives to see another day after a 119-107 victory over the Pistons. San Antonio improves to 24-17 and they’ve now won 13 of their previous 16 contests.
Early on, my letdown fears were playing out in front of my eyes. The Spurs fell into an early 21-9 hole midway through the first quarter. The offense was scuffling, the defense was overwhelmed and the team lacked juice.
Following back-to-back timeouts by Pop and a pair of sideline speeches, San Antonio began to find their footing. By the end of the first quarter, the Spurs were right back in it, trailing 31-25.
The good guys scored the first 12 points of the second quarter as part of a 23-4 run that gave them command of the game. The Pistons made a run in the third quarter, trimming San Antonio’s lead to 65-59. That’s when the Spurs put together a well-timed 10-0 run to once again make their advantage a comfortable one. Detroit would make a few halfhearted runs but the Spurs were never threatened from then on out.
I thought this was another fine victory. The Pistons, 17-21, aren’t world beaters but they have a winning record at home and present a few matchup issues. Considering how the Spurs appeared to be running on fumes early, to turn it on and post another double-digit win was impressive. Well done, gents.
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LaMarcus Aldridge
https://i.imgur.com/1nluyNF.png
This was another very good game for LaMarcus Aldridge. He played tough, physical and ran the court extremely well. Obviously, 25 points on 12 shot attempts is outstanding. He did have four of the team’s nine turnovers, although two of those were on questionable offensive fouls as he drove to the bucket. Defensively, I thought he did reasonably well. He boxed out, protected the paint and moved his feet out on the perimeter better than usual. Aldridge also should be commended for remaining sturdy on D even while he dealt with foul trouble.
Grade: A-
Summary: Aldridge put another strong performance in the books.
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DeMar DeRozan
https://i.imgur.com/ZKxGADZ.png
DeMar DeRozan did a great job of staying within the framework of the offense. He didn’t force much but instead continually probed Detroit’s defense with precision and controlled pace. DeRozan seemingly always created a good shot for himself or a good shot for a teammate. He finished with nine of the team’s 24 assists as he punished the Pistons for sending help defenders. Defensively, DeRozan fell asleep a few times but his activity level on that end was commendable, as evident by his seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks. All in all, it was another quality outing for the 29-year-old.
Grade: A-
Summary: DeRozan sliced and diced Detroit’s D.
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Bryn Forbes
https://i.imgur.com/yXVIEAs.png
Bryn Forbes had a few shots rim out but still put together another potent offensive showing. He had 15 points, drilled three more three-pointers and was a constant threat. As we’ve come to expect, he mixed in a few muscly forays to the hoop. This was a bounce-back game for Forbes, who scored only seven points last game to snap his streak of eight straight double-digit scoring nights. On D, I thought he was actually pretty good. The Pistons set a lot of on-the-ball and off-the-ball screens on him and he did well to recovery quickly. That’s actually an area where he usually struggles but it wasn’t the case tonight.
Grade: B+
Summary: Forbes rained in 15 more points while playing respectable defense.
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Derrick White
https://i.imgur.com/IrTA2dV.png
Derrick White is suddenly an offensive juggernaut. Well, at least compared to earlier in the season. This was his sixth straight game in double-digits, as he’s averaging 16.5 points on 70.6% shooting from the field, 58.3% from three-point range and 87% at the charity stripe over that period of time. Against the Pistons, he set a career-high with nine three throw attempts (although, for the sake of transparency, four of those attempts came at the end when the Pistons were fouling on purpose). Again, as has been the case recently, White was patient with the ball and played with plenty of confidence. Defensively, he was okay. White gave too much room to three-point shooters multiple times when hedging and paid the price. Then again, since the Pistons didn’t have an ace perimeter scorer for White to lock in on, he was freelancing more than usual. And since he hasn’t done that much on the NBA level, he has to learn on the fly how much space he can give to three-point shooters and still recover. White did have a couple fantastic help-defense plays.
Grade: B+
Summary: White’s surgence continues.
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Jakob Poeltl
https://i.imgur.com/FUIlW00.png
It was a tough evening for Jakob Poeltl. In the starting lineup in place of the injured Rudy Gay (wrist), it’s safe to say Poeltl’s still learning how to play next to another bigman. While it was good experience for him, tonight’s results were forgettable. On offense, he finds it difficult to operate in the tight quarters the twin bigman lineup allows. Poeltl wasn’t moving to open spaces quickly enough, his passes were looser than normal and he didn’t help matters by hitting only one of his six free throw attempts. To his credit, he finished well around the rim and his offensive rebounding hand was magnetic. Defensively, he couldn’t stay in front of Blake Griffin, got overpowered by Andre Drummond and was missing in action on the defensive glass. Overall, despite not playing very well, these are the growing pains Poeltl has to fight through if he’s ever going to be anything other than an elite backup center.
Grade: D+
Summary: Poeltl was in the starting lineup but won’t be sending the game film home to Vienna.
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Davis Bertans
https://i.imgur.com/ucY2jSF.png
Rock solid outing for Davis Bertans. He set a career-high with five assists. And, yes, these were mostly legit assists, not just rotate-the-ball-around-the-perimeter assists. He had a few really good, really difficult passes. His shot wasn’t falling at his regular clip but his aggressiveness and his movement made him a threat the Pistons had to respect. Defensively, it was a roller coaster. Blake Griffin is the rare player who is too big, too fast and too strong for Bertans to legitimately compete against. Early in the game, Griffin was eating Bertans alive, spindly limbs and all. Eventually, Bertans smartly started sending Griffin towards help defenders – and that very much helped limit the carnage. Despite the early bloodshed, I thought Bertans played hard on defense and for that he should be commended.
Grade: B+
Summary: Bertans was battered but came out on top in the end.
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Marco Belinelli
https://i.imgur.com/hP9vIFY.png
A run of the mill contest for Marco Belinelli, this was. His shot-selection was better than usual, even if it still contained leaners that’d make Pisa jealous. His activity on offense made things, mostly positive, happen. Defensively, Belinelli was largely a non-factor, which is a good thing for him.
Grade: B
Summary: Belinelli did Belinelli things.
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Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
This is the version of Patty Mills who is one of the best backup point guards in the NBA. When he entered the court, it was like he was shot out of a cannon. On defense, he was double-teaming with ferocity and played tight enough individually to avoid being a liability. Offensively, he was ultra aggressive with his shots and his drives to the rim. Mills pushed the pace, made good passes, managed the clock and avoided mistakes (the bench as a whole went without a turnover, wow). After a bit of a lull, this was Mills’ third straight quality night at the office.
Grade: A-
Summary: Mills was that ball of energy the Spurs need.
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Pau Gasol
https://i.imgur.com/oF0jVre.png
With Gay out and Poeltl starting, Pau Gasol reentered the rotation. It’s obvious he’s still working his way back into game shape. He defended the rim pretty well but his help defense was atrocious and he was lumbering up the court. Offensively, he did well to blend into what the bench unit was trying to accomplish and not try to take too much control.
Grade: C
Summary: Gasol is rounding into shape.
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Pop
https://i.imgur.com/x7B1It7.jpg
Pop ain’t bad at this coaching thing. I loved that he kept Dante Cunningham on the bench even though Gay was out and Pop could have easily made the excuse to play Cunningham against Griffin. Instead, he let Poeltl and Bertans learn on the job. That will play dividends down the road. Playing White a team-high 35 minutes? I’m not complaining. I thought the shorter rotation was necessary, especially given the slow start. And speaking of the slow start, Pop deserves credit for waking the team from its slumber with the back-to-back fiery timeouts in the first quarter. Hopefully that was the wake-up call the team needed to get over the Toronto game and move on in the season.
Grade: A-
Summary: Pop was not about to let the team experience a letdown.
Looking ahead: All this recent winning now has San Antonio closer to the first seed (3.5 games back) than the ninth seed (4 games ahead). That’s quite the change from a month ago.
Next up is the first game of a back-to-back in Memphis, with the second game being at home versus the Thunder. While the Grizzlies game in San Antonio was a cakewalk, you can bet that they’ll put up more of a fight in front of their home fans. They’ll desperately be looking to snap a six-game losing streak. Appropriate fear is necessary but it’s a game that needs to be won.
https://i.imgur.com/LvU3ZZj.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ssbsJ3r.jpg
Entering this affair in Detroit, I was worried about a lingering emotional letdown after the regular season Super Bowl followed up by a too-easy game at home against a flailing Memphis squad. However, my worries ended up being needless as the Spurs hot streak lives to see another day after a 119-107 victory over the Pistons. San Antonio improves to 24-17 and they’ve now won 13 of their previous 16 contests.
Early on, my letdown fears were playing out in front of my eyes. The Spurs fell into an early 21-9 hole midway through the first quarter. The offense was scuffling, the defense was overwhelmed and the team lacked juice.
Following back-to-back timeouts by Pop and a pair of sideline speeches, San Antonio began to find their footing. By the end of the first quarter, the Spurs were right back in it, trailing 31-25.
The good guys scored the first 12 points of the second quarter as part of a 23-4 run that gave them command of the game. The Pistons made a run in the third quarter, trimming San Antonio’s lead to 65-59. That’s when the Spurs put together a well-timed 10-0 run to once again make their advantage a comfortable one. Detroit would make a few halfhearted runs but the Spurs were never threatened from then on out.
I thought this was another fine victory. The Pistons, 17-21, aren’t world beaters but they have a winning record at home and present a few matchup issues. Considering how the Spurs appeared to be running on fumes early, to turn it on and post another double-digit win was impressive. Well done, gents.
-------------
LaMarcus Aldridge
https://i.imgur.com/1nluyNF.png
This was another very good game for LaMarcus Aldridge. He played tough, physical and ran the court extremely well. Obviously, 25 points on 12 shot attempts is outstanding. He did have four of the team’s nine turnovers, although two of those were on questionable offensive fouls as he drove to the bucket. Defensively, I thought he did reasonably well. He boxed out, protected the paint and moved his feet out on the perimeter better than usual. Aldridge also should be commended for remaining sturdy on D even while he dealt with foul trouble.
Grade: A-
Summary: Aldridge put another strong performance in the books.
-------------
DeMar DeRozan
https://i.imgur.com/ZKxGADZ.png
DeMar DeRozan did a great job of staying within the framework of the offense. He didn’t force much but instead continually probed Detroit’s defense with precision and controlled pace. DeRozan seemingly always created a good shot for himself or a good shot for a teammate. He finished with nine of the team’s 24 assists as he punished the Pistons for sending help defenders. Defensively, DeRozan fell asleep a few times but his activity level on that end was commendable, as evident by his seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks. All in all, it was another quality outing for the 29-year-old.
Grade: A-
Summary: DeRozan sliced and diced Detroit’s D.
-------------
Bryn Forbes
https://i.imgur.com/yXVIEAs.png
Bryn Forbes had a few shots rim out but still put together another potent offensive showing. He had 15 points, drilled three more three-pointers and was a constant threat. As we’ve come to expect, he mixed in a few muscly forays to the hoop. This was a bounce-back game for Forbes, who scored only seven points last game to snap his streak of eight straight double-digit scoring nights. On D, I thought he was actually pretty good. The Pistons set a lot of on-the-ball and off-the-ball screens on him and he did well to recovery quickly. That’s actually an area where he usually struggles but it wasn’t the case tonight.
Grade: B+
Summary: Forbes rained in 15 more points while playing respectable defense.
-------------
Derrick White
https://i.imgur.com/IrTA2dV.png
Derrick White is suddenly an offensive juggernaut. Well, at least compared to earlier in the season. This was his sixth straight game in double-digits, as he’s averaging 16.5 points on 70.6% shooting from the field, 58.3% from three-point range and 87% at the charity stripe over that period of time. Against the Pistons, he set a career-high with nine three throw attempts (although, for the sake of transparency, four of those attempts came at the end when the Pistons were fouling on purpose). Again, as has been the case recently, White was patient with the ball and played with plenty of confidence. Defensively, he was okay. White gave too much room to three-point shooters multiple times when hedging and paid the price. Then again, since the Pistons didn’t have an ace perimeter scorer for White to lock in on, he was freelancing more than usual. And since he hasn’t done that much on the NBA level, he has to learn on the fly how much space he can give to three-point shooters and still recover. White did have a couple fantastic help-defense plays.
Grade: B+
Summary: White’s surgence continues.
-------------
Jakob Poeltl
https://i.imgur.com/FUIlW00.png
It was a tough evening for Jakob Poeltl. In the starting lineup in place of the injured Rudy Gay (wrist), it’s safe to say Poeltl’s still learning how to play next to another bigman. While it was good experience for him, tonight’s results were forgettable. On offense, he finds it difficult to operate in the tight quarters the twin bigman lineup allows. Poeltl wasn’t moving to open spaces quickly enough, his passes were looser than normal and he didn’t help matters by hitting only one of his six free throw attempts. To his credit, he finished well around the rim and his offensive rebounding hand was magnetic. Defensively, he couldn’t stay in front of Blake Griffin, got overpowered by Andre Drummond and was missing in action on the defensive glass. Overall, despite not playing very well, these are the growing pains Poeltl has to fight through if he’s ever going to be anything other than an elite backup center.
Grade: D+
Summary: Poeltl was in the starting lineup but won’t be sending the game film home to Vienna.
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Davis Bertans
https://i.imgur.com/ucY2jSF.png
Rock solid outing for Davis Bertans. He set a career-high with five assists. And, yes, these were mostly legit assists, not just rotate-the-ball-around-the-perimeter assists. He had a few really good, really difficult passes. His shot wasn’t falling at his regular clip but his aggressiveness and his movement made him a threat the Pistons had to respect. Defensively, it was a roller coaster. Blake Griffin is the rare player who is too big, too fast and too strong for Bertans to legitimately compete against. Early in the game, Griffin was eating Bertans alive, spindly limbs and all. Eventually, Bertans smartly started sending Griffin towards help defenders – and that very much helped limit the carnage. Despite the early bloodshed, I thought Bertans played hard on defense and for that he should be commended.
Grade: B+
Summary: Bertans was battered but came out on top in the end.
-------------
Marco Belinelli
https://i.imgur.com/hP9vIFY.png
A run of the mill contest for Marco Belinelli, this was. His shot-selection was better than usual, even if it still contained leaners that’d make Pisa jealous. His activity on offense made things, mostly positive, happen. Defensively, Belinelli was largely a non-factor, which is a good thing for him.
Grade: B
Summary: Belinelli did Belinelli things.
-------------
Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
This is the version of Patty Mills who is one of the best backup point guards in the NBA. When he entered the court, it was like he was shot out of a cannon. On defense, he was double-teaming with ferocity and played tight enough individually to avoid being a liability. Offensively, he was ultra aggressive with his shots and his drives to the rim. Mills pushed the pace, made good passes, managed the clock and avoided mistakes (the bench as a whole went without a turnover, wow). After a bit of a lull, this was Mills’ third straight quality night at the office.
Grade: A-
Summary: Mills was that ball of energy the Spurs need.
-------------
Pau Gasol
https://i.imgur.com/oF0jVre.png
With Gay out and Poeltl starting, Pau Gasol reentered the rotation. It’s obvious he’s still working his way back into game shape. He defended the rim pretty well but his help defense was atrocious and he was lumbering up the court. Offensively, he did well to blend into what the bench unit was trying to accomplish and not try to take too much control.
Grade: C
Summary: Gasol is rounding into shape.
-------------
Pop
https://i.imgur.com/x7B1It7.jpg
Pop ain’t bad at this coaching thing. I loved that he kept Dante Cunningham on the bench even though Gay was out and Pop could have easily made the excuse to play Cunningham against Griffin. Instead, he let Poeltl and Bertans learn on the job. That will play dividends down the road. Playing White a team-high 35 minutes? I’m not complaining. I thought the shorter rotation was necessary, especially given the slow start. And speaking of the slow start, Pop deserves credit for waking the team from its slumber with the back-to-back fiery timeouts in the first quarter. Hopefully that was the wake-up call the team needed to get over the Toronto game and move on in the season.
Grade: A-
Summary: Pop was not about to let the team experience a letdown.
Looking ahead: All this recent winning now has San Antonio closer to the first seed (3.5 games back) than the ninth seed (4 games ahead). That’s quite the change from a month ago.
Next up is the first game of a back-to-back in Memphis, with the second game being at home versus the Thunder. While the Grizzlies game in San Antonio was a cakewalk, you can bet that they’ll put up more of a fight in front of their home fans. They’ll desperately be looking to snap a six-game losing streak. Appropriate fear is necessary but it’s a game that needs to be won.