Grades: Spurs vs. Thunder - Jan. 10, 2019

[timvp]

https://i.imgur.com/wg9T6Ha.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/7Kzxc8E.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/wk9AH0t.jpg

Wow. In one of the most action-packed regular season games Spurs fans have ever witnessed, the good guys escaped with a 154-147 double overtime victory over the Thunder on Thursday night. We will remember this one for as long as basketballs are dribbled in South Texas.

Some highlights from this wild shootout in the Alamo City:

-LaMarcus Aldridge erupts for a career-high 56 points. It's the third most points in Spurs history, behind David Robinson's 71 and George Gervin's 63.

-The Spurs hit their first 14 three-pointers (I haven't seen it confirmed but that has to be an NBA record, right?) on their way to an unreal 16-of-19 showing from three-point land. That goes down as one of the best shooting performances in league history.

-Speaking of threes, the Spurs were 10-for-10 in the first half and all ten splashes came courtesy of players off the bench, led by Marco Belinelli's 5-for-5 explosion.

-Derrick White's 23 points were a career-high and his eight assists were one off from matching his career-high.

-And, hey, hats off to Russell Westbrook's triple-double of 24 points, 24 assists and 13 rebounds. The 24 assists were a career-high for him.

In the fourth quarter, the Spurs held a 110-97 advantage with ten and a half minutes remaining. The Thunder blitzed back with a 17-4 run over the next five minutes to tie the game 114-114. That's when Aldridge reached peak eruption, scoring ten points over a span of two and a half minutes to put the Spurs back up by seven points with three minutes to go. Unfortunately, the Thunder hit three straight threes to erase San Antonio's advantage.

Fast forward to the Spurs leading by two points with under 15 seconds remaining in regulation. Belinelli took the inbounds pass, only for Paul George to swoop in for the steal. A Westbrook alleyoop to Jerami Grant (who had a career-high 25 points) tied the game. A DeMar DeRozan missed 19-footer at the buzzer sent the game into overtime number one.

George hit a three-pointer to put the Thunder up three early in the overtime. The Spurs fought back with a 7-0 run punctuated by a Patty Mills three-pointer to go up four points. But OKC wasn't done. Steven Adams soared in for a dunk to tie the game with 25.5 seconds left on the clock. (To add to the drama, Adams had left the game earlier in the night after injuring an ankle.) Another DeRozan missed midrange jumper near the buzzer sent the game to a second overtime.

In the game's final five minutes, Aldridge had seven points and a slick assist on a DeRozan layup. White had a key blocked shot on a Grant dunk attempt and sealed the game with a steal with 15 seconds remaining with the Spurs up by four points.

Obviously, this was a really good win. The defense wasn't good and it took historic performances from Aldridge and the three-point shooters to get the win ... but I'm not complaining. Oklahoma City is a quality team and the Spurs were playing on the second night of a back-to-back. Any win, in this scenario, is a good win. The fact that it was a memorable one is a cherry on top.

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LaMarcus Aldridge
https://i.imgur.com/1nluyNF.png
What can I say? LaMarcus Aldridge was amazing. Offensively, he was physical, aggressive and his touch from the perimeter was sublime. He carried the team like few players ever have. Scoring 56 points on 33 shots? Yeah, that's some fantastic efficiency. I liked his determined demeanor, he made the right passes and stepped up when it mattered most. Defensively, he was also quite good. His four blocks tell the story of how active he was in the paint. He gave good effort on the boards and his transition defense in the second half and the overtimes was impressive. Thanks for the unforgettable performance, LaMarcus. That was an all-timer.
Grade: A+
Summary: Aldridge played one of the better games in Spurs history.

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DeMar DeRozan
https://i.imgur.com/ZKxGADZ.png
Good: When DeMar DeRozan looked to make plays for others, he was effective. His passing played a big part in the three-point shooters going off. His rebounding was helpful, especially since he spent time at power forward in small ball lineups. Defensively, he spent a lot of time guarding Paul George and the results were mostly positive for the Spurs. George scored 30 but DeRozan at least made him work for it. Bad: Yeesh, DeRozan almost managed to ruin what was otherwise a great shooting night by the team. Outside his misfirings, the Spurs shot 63.6% from the floor and were 24-for-24 from the free throw line. DeRozan's scoring woes were multilayered: his shot-selection wasn't good, he was missing open looks, and he oscillated between breaking the offense by being too aggressive and disappearing into the background. Although it appeared at times that DeRozan looked scared of the biggest moments, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was probably just tired (big minutes, back-to-back, actually forced to defense).
Grade: C-
Summary: DeRozan was helpful in some areas but also almost single-handedly lost the game.

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Bryn Forbes
https://i.imgur.com/yXVIEAs.png
Can't complain about the efficiency of Bryn Forbes scoring 14 points on six shots. That said, Forbes needed more shot attempts to completely justify his 42 minutes. Considering he's now capable of creating his own shots, part of that responsibility falls on him. Defensively, Forbes was iffy -- to put it kindly. He got caught wandering off of three-point shooters too often and struggled to contain penetrators. However, I thought Forbes snaring multiple contested long rebounds was a huge positive. He saved the Spurs from OKC dominating even more on the offensive glass by cracking back and aggressively going after loose rebounds. Well done.
Grade: B
Summary: Forbes scored efficiently and corralled big rebounds.

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Derrick White
https://i.imgur.com/IrTA2dV.png
Derrick White is becoming quite a player right in front of our eyes. He's gone from offensive liability to key offensive cog in record time. Tonight, I have no complaints about what he did offensively. He was as aggressive as we've ever seen him. He didn't hesitate to take and make big shots. White's finishing around the rim was impressive and he kept his head up even through his occasional mistakes. His court vision and passing were on full display. He smartly fed Aldridge all night. In the overtimes, he took on the main perimeter playmaker role that DeRozan usually handles. Defense is where I was a bit disappointed with White. For the first three and a half quarters, he was as ineffective defensively as we've seen. He was unable to disrupt Westbrook much at all; White wasn't cutting off his drives and wasn't denying him open looks or open passing lanes. On top of that, he was closing out too hard on Westbrook's three-pointers. But give White credit, his defense went up a few levels starting midway through the fourth quarter and into both overtimes. He had two huge defensive plays late (a block and a steal) to put a bow on this beauty.
Grade: B+
Summary: White was big time.

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Pau Gasol
https://i.imgur.com/oF0jVre.png
Eh, pretty good. Pau Gasol was back in the starting lineup and held serve. His passing was really good and he blended into the offensive attack seamlessly. He was glacially slow in transition defense but his halfcourt defense was fine. He protected the hoop well and was strong on the boards. With Rudy Gay out with his wrist injury, Gasol is probably the safest plug-and-play option for the starting lineup against all but the smallest teams.
Grade: B-
Summary: Gasol started and was okay.

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Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
Offensively, you couldn't ask for much more from Patty Mills. He shot extremely well, made key shots, passed much better than usual, took on playmaker and ball-handling duties, and really pushed the pace effectively. Defensively, I liked his energy. He had some mean double-teams and played with an edge. Unfortunately, the Thunder targeted Mills repeatedly and had a ton of success in the resulting mismatches. The effort was there but his physical limitations hurt the team tonight.
Grade: B+
Summary: Offensive great. Defense not so much.

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Davis Bertans
https://i.imgur.com/ucY2jSF.png
Davis Bertans hit all four of his three-pointers and he's now shooting 49.3% from the floor and 48% on three-pointers for the season. He's third in the league in true shooting percentage at 67.9% and he's the only perimeter in the top six in that category. Besides his marksmanship, I was pleased with Bertans' defense and rebounding. He wasn't particularly great in either aspect but he held his own despite difficult matchups. Bertans was again in foul trouble, this time racking up five fouls in his 26 minutes. But, thankfully, he kept his cool and stayed around to help out ... unlike last game.
Grade: B+
Summary: Bertans sure can shoot a basketball.

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Marco Belinelli
https://i.imgur.com/hP9vIFY.png
With the score tied 19-19 in the first quarter, Marco Belinelli hit three straight three-pointers in the span of 40 seconds to give the Spurs a 9-0 run in the blink of an eye. In the first half, Belinelli was 5-for-5 on threes and had 17 of his 19 points. He obviously cooled off as the night progressed but his offensive burst in the first half was invaluable. It's fair to say Belinelli was the spark that ignited what would become a 154-point outing. Like Mills, Belinelli's effort was there defensively. But also like Mills, his limitations (in Belinelli's case, it's a lack of athleticism and agility) hurt the team, particularly in transition and when rotating.
Grade: A-
Summary: Belinelli was breathing fire in the first half.

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Jakob Poeltl
https://i.imgur.com/FUIlW00.png
With Aldridge having a career night and Gasol eating up other bigman opportunities, Jakob Poeltl was limited to only eight minutes. In those minutes, he didn't do much to help his cause. His defense was sub par, he didn't grab a single defensive rebound and got benched for a bad foul. Offensively, Poeltl didn't take advantage of his size advantage and looked timid. Let's hope that Gasol's return doesn't cause Poeltl to revert to his early season form.
Grade: C-
Summary: Poeltl was lost in the shuffle.

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Pop
https://i.imgur.com/x7B1It7.jpg
I liked Pop's belief in White -- playing him 48 of the game's 58 minutes was the right move. Playing Forbes 42 minutes turned out to be the right move due to the alternatives being even bigger defensive liabilities. The playcalling rightfully leaned on Aldridge and went away from DeRozan as the game progressed. I don't love starting Gasol but he's probably the best win-now option with Gay out.
Grade: B+
Summary: Pop did what he could to not waste historic nights by Aldridge and the three-point shooters.

Looking ahead: Good win. Putting up 154 points on the best defensive team in the NBA is quite a feat. The defense was forgettable but the annals of Spurs history will remember this one for eons for what happened on the other end.

Next up, the two teams do it all over again Saturday night in Oklahoma City. That'll obviously be a really difficult game to win but the good guys will essentially be playing with house money after this victory so let's hope they go in there with a taste for blood.

[BWS-1994]

Stayed up later than expected but was greatly satisfied with the Win! Thanks for the grades :toast

[SwansonInSibagat]

Thank you. You da real Timvp!

[james evans]

DeRozan a C??? How??? There is no way he played that good lol

[vavvi]

Thanks for the write-up as always!
I would be sooo angry if we wasted such a performance from LA. He was a beast.

The game was entertaining as hell but the truth is we would have lost without supernatural luck of going 14/14 from three. We defended poorly for most of the game, and DeMar had the second bad game in a row. Fortunately, Pop decided not to shot himself in the leg by starting Poeltl. But starting Gasol is not optimal as well because he can't move quickly enough around the perimeter on offense and allows open 3s on defense. Let's hope Rudy will be back soon.

Also: this game was another proof of how we need a taller SF to compete with the best.

The grades are solid.

[vavvi]

And the refs gave us a little compensation for the Memphis game

[monty4329]

How the hell DeRozan played 49 out of 58 minutes? Only for that Pop's should get an F.

I like DDR a lot, but he should have been benched the whole second half. He was horrible. Slow, no jump, couldn't make a shot nor dribble, he was a total disaster. Why on earth was he on the court? I can't understand.

Besides, when you shoot 10/10 from 3, you should be up 20. Bad coaching this time.

[vavvi]

How the hell DeRozan played 49 out of 58 minutes? Only for that Pop's should get an F.

I like DDR a lot, but he should have been benched the whole second half. He was horrible. Slow, no jump, couldn't make a shot nor dribble, he was a total disaster. Why on earth was he on the court? I can't understand.

Besides, when you shoot 10/10 from 3, you should be up 20. Bad coaching this time.

Yeah he played poorly. But who would you played instead? Cunningham?
We have no SF

[monty4329]

Yeah he played poorly. But who would you played instead? Cunningham?
We have no SF

Bertans and Beli played only 29 and 23 minutes. they combined for 9-9 from three, +18.
I exagerated that he should have been benched the whole second half, but I really don't get how he got to play so much in the last quarter and OTs, where he almost costed the game with idiot shots and constant ball clogging.

Couldn't even make the easiest shot of the day to win the game. He is a smart guy, he knows he played for stats, was alwasy looking for a shot for himself, especially since it looked like the game was already won at halftime.

Well, a win on a back to back is always a good win, anyway.

[vavvi]

Bertans and Beli played only 29 and 23 minutes. they combined for 9-9 from three, +18.
I exagerated that he should have been benched the whole second half, but I really don't get how he got to play so much in the last quarter and OTs, where he almost costed the game with idiot shots and constant ball clogging.

Couldn't even make the easiest shot of the day to win the game. He is a smart guy, he knows he played for stats, was alwasy looking for a shot for himself, especially since it looked like the game was already won at halftime.

Well, a win on a back to back is always a good win, anyway.

At least he was passing and tried a tiny bit on d.
Memphis game was his worst outing. And it was so winnable with Grizzlies unable to score.

[Brazil]

Entertaining game tbh... most exciting win of the season after the raptor win

who said the Spurs are boring ?

[BillMc]

Great job OP. My only adjustment would be lowering Marco's grade slightly as that turnover nearly cost us the game.

[skookumchuck]

My only adjustment would be lowering Marco's grade slightly as that turnover nearly cost us the game.
This guy knows what's up.

[cd021]

DeRozan a C??? How??? There is no way he played that good lol

Yeah C is generous; missed a game winner in regulation. He had an offensive foul in double OT, ran though Steven Adams while trying to contest PG-13 and nearly gave up a 4 point play with the Spurs up 6 with like 30 seconds left. Also threw a couple of really bad passes like when me missed Beli in the left corner for a three pretty badly. He also went iso in OT and air balled a shot over PG.

[Canyonero]

LMA with the big dick nigga performance tbh

[ceperez]

84% for 3 with just 19 shots. Sometime you just have to wonder if the Spurs deliberately handcuff themselves.

Amazing game. To be fair, this was a back-to-back against a team with elite defense.

[Hoops Czar]

DeRozan a C??? How??? There is no way he played that good lol
Yeah, DeRozen is already in playoff form and it isn't even mid January.

[vavvi]

Yeah, DeRozen is already in playoff form and it isn't even mid January.

Well... then Pop has more time to figure it out

[Maddog]

Well... then Pop has more time to figure it out

11 assists 8 boards
Maybe not as terrible as poeple think.

[MoSpur02]

Thanks for the grades LJ. Good stuff. Do you agree that DeMar is in a funk and has been for awhile? I think he is and sure why. What do you think it is? Just that? A shooting slump?

[Bender]

DDR has been hard to watch the last few games

[monty4329]

11 assists 8 boards
Maybe not as terrible as poeple think.

Don't forget, in 49 minutes and the team scored 154 points. Not that difficult to have 11 assists.

He looked out of sync and rubber legged, maybe he just needs a couple days rest, he can figure it out.
I am not worried, just hated that Pop played him too much, could have costed the game.

[Nathan89]

Captivating game. I really needed some exciting basketball tbh. Just haven't been watching much lately. Fortunately, I watched this game.

[sananspursfan21]

Had to shut it off at the end of regulation to get enough sleep for work. Can’t believe it went down like that! I hate working early mornings :(

Derozan looked awful out there. Total liability every time he put up a shot. Poor shot selection maybe, but he made a lot of those bad choice shots earlier in the season

[Old School 44]

Thanks for the grades! Pop may not like the 3 game, but with Bertans and Forbes having the green light and gaining confidence and with streaky guys like Marco and Patty, the Spurs can light it up from downtown.

[acoelho1]

I didn’t understand Pops decision of giving DDR the last shot twice. He was terrible last night so it should have gone to D. White. Also, when Gay is out, Forbes has to be more aggressive especially off the dribble.

[cd021]

11 assists 8 boards
Maybe not as terrible as poeple think.

16 points on 22 shots and 4 turnovers, with just silly mistakes. He nearly put a 6 point game back in play by fouling Adams while PG was taking a 3 (it should've been a 4 point play but i'm not complaining.
Also went iso against PG in overtime and air balled a shot also missed a make-able 12 footer in regulation to win the game.

[r0drig0lac]

what I got out of this game is that we'll be operated in oklahoma because of the calls received tonight

and Derozan had a bad game 7-22 and only 6 fts is not acceptable for our main offensive option in the perimeter

[Phenomanul]

Let’s not forget that Rudy being out didn’t help either. Rudy has been playing well enough.

[Manu&Duncan fan]

Thank you TIMVP! It's the best thing in life to sleep with a Spur's win and read your post about the victory the next morning! But please don't work too hard. If you live in US, you're sleeping too late.

[John B]

Thanks Timvp for the grades. But I’d give the guys higher grades, except Demar who played bad except for good passing. One bad pass to Belli in between two opponents that led to a steal almost lost us the game, missing shots in crucial moments, and just didn’t have the leadership role that I would have expected from him. Maybe the honeymoon is over, was too tired from a b2b, but hey the others played great.

Back to giving higher grades to the rest. White played fearless, taking 3’s when the game was on the line, making the huge block, making plays that I would’ve expected Demar to make. He is growing right before our eyes. Like I said before, his ceiling is Jason Kidd and the future general of this team. He deserved an A.

Belli, Bertans, Forbes, Mills, all deserved an A for displaying the best shooting the NBA hasn’t seen for the longest time, 14-14 from downtown. Spurs would’ve have been coming from behind all night without that shooting exhibition, and could’ve lost too. Their shooting and Aldridge beasting inside won us the game.

I’m glad our team reacted so well after the lost the previous night, except for Demar. While Demar had some moments, I expected way more from him being the leader of this team. Thankfully for White who played his role for him. Demar needs to play cool, at all time. His deliberate foul on George because he didn’t get the call in the previous possession. Just play the game and don’t get frustrated. If he’s not able to hit his shots, attack the rim to get foul. He leads the FT in the league but not last night. He made some silly passes and was just off his game. For a caliber like Demar, I expect better because I’m rooting for him. This is his team. I think the team playing with a chip has a lot to do rallying behind him. He’s a Spur now, and future Spurs great. So keep pounding the rock!

All in all, one of the best game against a relentless team. A+ for Spurs team as a whole for a valiant effort on a 2nd night of a back to back even, whew. GSG!

[TDomination]

I agree with everyone's assessment on DDR. At the end of the game, times where we could have put the gsme away he goes Iso, zero passing and takes a pathetic shot that flanks badly. I was screaming to get the ball to Aldridge, he had just made like 5 shots in a row and was practically unstoppable. And besides he was forcing double teams and penetration would have been easier for someone else in that scenario. But instead he goes full iso and almost blows the game. Cmon.

[John B]

I didn’t understand Pops decision of giving DDR the last shot twice. He was terrible last night so it should have gone to D. White. Also, when Gay is out, Forbes has to be more aggressive especially off the dribble.
While I don’t agree for the game, it was a long time commitment to the leader of the team. He would make the shot next time because for Pops, it was the learning experience. I hate it, but that’s why Pops is one of the greatest if not the GOAT because he doesn’t mind going against the conventional wisdom for the long term. In Pops we trust.

[Perry Mason]

All the worries over DDR. Did anyone see the Memphis game? He was unusually lethargic. Here’s a thought. He recently had an excellent Raptors game, so we know he can shoot and look elite. He probably just got sick.

It was obvious to me in Memphis. Crap’s goin around. He was better tonight but still had no lift in his shot. He was tired from the back to back, and to me, probably just getting over something.

[pgardn]

during overtime, as a fan, you really wanted to see the ball in only two players hands

Aldridge
White

It Got pretty simple.

[superbigtime]

Is no one gonna mention LMA was 16/16 from FT line. Pretty amazing. And supposed good FT shooter DD was not. Spurs were fortunate to win.

[TDMVPDPOY]

anyone notice pop giving white more responsibility to run the plays down the stretch instead of having 50mills running the point...

white probably one of the best young prospects the spurs had in a while since kawhi...his development curve is so advance ahead of the crap the spurs drafted over the years

[Cryptic Parable]

Spurs need another all star caliber player on the roster whether through trade or the emergence of a current player to make a serious run at a championship. That would help Pop's rotation and keep pressure on other team as well as keep Demar a viable threat or take pressure off him late. Spurs have the pieces but unless other powerhouse teams have a significant injury Spurs need another All Star

[TDomination]

Spurs need another all star caliber player on the roster whether through trade or the emergence of a current player to make a serious run at a championship. That would help Pop's rotation and keep pressure on other team as well as keep Demar a viable threat or take pressure off him late. Spurs have the pieces but unless other powerhouse teams have a significant injury Spurs need another All Star

When we Rudy Gay is out, our 3 spot is nowhere to be seen. It becomes a committee thing. We definitely need one. I'm sure PATFO knows. But who's available and are they worth the price?

[duncan2k5]

Yeah C is generous; missed a game winner in regulation. He had an offensive foul in double OT, ran though Steven Adams while trying to contest PG-13 and nearly gave up a 4 point play with the Spurs up 6 with like 30 seconds left. Also threw a couple of really bad passes like when me missed Beli in the left corner for a three pretty badly. He also went iso in OT and air balled a shot over PG.

post-season form already?

[Cryptic Parable]

When we Rudy Gay is out, our 3 spot is nowhere to be seen. It becomes a committee thing. We definitely need one. I'm sure PATFO knows. But who's available and are they worth the price?

Have no idea who's available or worth just stating this team is practically one player away which considering we lost Kwahi is absolutely amazing. Getting someone to come worth having will be difficult I'm sure but who knows. I hope after the summer White comes back even better and more consistent on both end, hope Walker gets in rotation next season and I hope those last few bench warmers are replaced with much better options. Gay being out hurts but even with Gat realistically still need another all star caliber player. Not franchise caliber but All Star caliber. We need a rebounder because Aldridge needs to focus on scoring and defending he's basically our Michael Jordan so we need a Dennis Rodman type to make up for what he basically lack as a big. Gasol, Murray etc shouldn't be primary rebounders imo

[MarCowMar]

Back to giving higher grades to the rest. White played fearless, taking 3’s when the game was on the line, making the huge block, making plays that I would’ve expected Demar to make. He is growing right before our eyes. Like I said before, his ceiling is Jason Kidd and the future general of this team. He deserved an A.

White's contributions were undersold a bit here, or maybe the expectations for an A game from him have risen?.

When White passes and moves with the ball, it consistently advances the motion of the offense. He's not break-your-ankles ISO quick, but he rarely dribbles into dead space and he picks directions that make his defender steadily backpedal and secondary defenders account for him. It's a steadily probing movement that doesn't expend a lot of energy, but creates space for teammates to move into. White doesn't "lock" the motion--he pushes it.

When he's pressured on the dribble he has a real knack for making the less-obvious, more difficult, motion-creating, secondary pass. How many times does he look trapped and the ball flies cross court to initiate a thrilling beautiful game sequence?

Love the way he took the hit to the head and came back in.

When White is on the court he should be running the offense, he'll be in HEB commercials soon, and I think he and Aldridge are our best all around players.

[objective]

I'd give DeRozan a D and White an A because of crunch time and over times. DDR seemed like he was stuck at 8 assists in the 4th, and then had terrible defensive plays and selfish, bad offensive plays. His last 15? or so minutes were just shockingly poor.

White's defense wasn't as good or impactful as other games, but it was still better than any one else on the team would have done. And when it came time to step up, he did. In a big way.

DeRozan never had a player to share the load with in Toronto like he does with Aldridge. On a night like last night, he could have deferred a lot more.

If Murray can play like he's healthy next year it's bad news for OKC. He could really defend and bother Westbrook from my memory. When he Spurs have Murray on Westbrook and White on George, their offense will struggle so much more be when the Spurs can hide DeRozan on Roberson or whoever.

[silverblackfan]

Great grades op. Thanks for the work.
I agree that DDR was not that good, but with Rudy out he was the only guy really drawing attention outside of LMA, even with the parameter shooting bench on fire. I really feel like DDR is just a bit weary at this stage. He has improved on defense a lot from his previous years and that takes a lot out of him. He is hitting his wall early due to all that defensive energy being expended. Add that he is usually matched up to defend PG in the game, and you have a recipe for damage. His mind tells him that he can score at will, and we have seen him do it, but his body is not ready. The good news is that he is smart and adapting. Better defense and the offense will return.
Thank goodness that White is coming into his own this year. He is now drawing more attention and still managed to provide good defense and seeing the floor very well. I suspect that allowing Westbrook to attack was part of the game plan. Not to mention that Westbrook is wicked quick and leaves most guys behind when he fires up the jets.

[Russ]

-LaMarcus Aldridge erupts for a career-high 56 points. It's the third most points in Spurs history, behind David Robinson's 71 and George Gervin's 63.



ESPN reports that LMA's 56 is the highest by a player without a three since Shaq.

[Crazymaddopeyo]

DeRozan a C??? How??? There is no way he played that good lol

11 assists

[Crazymaddopeyo]

Don't forget, in 49 minutes and the team scored 154 points. Not that difficult to have 11 assists.

He looked out of sync and rubber legged, maybe he just needs a couple days rest, he can figure it out.
I am not worried, just hated that Pop played him too much, could have costed the game.


Thats why it's a C and not a B or A

[Roscoe P. Coltrane]

DeRozan hit his emotional peek against the Raptors hasn't looked good sense that game. Looks like it may take him a bit to ballance back out.

[SpurSpike]

I think DDR is still feeling out his place here. Seems he is changing his game to try to fit to what the spurs need and focusing more on distributing the ball than being all in on offense. Wish he would find a happy medium between the two though... Also i think he is the one that usually collapses the defense but he doesn't have many other players that can return the favor (maybe white?). Seems he has to create most of his own shots which have been difficult for him lately.

[TDomination]

11 assists
He should have focused on this aspect more. Others were hitting, he wasn't. When his shot is off he needs to figure out that his main weapon can be creating for others. If facilitating was his #1 focus last night, he probably leaves with at least 15 or more assist.

I hope he dial his game in a little more because i do like the way he plays but I don't like when he forces up bad shots when there is no need to.

[boutons_deux]

"And, hey, hats off to Russell Westbrook's triple-double of 24 points, 24 assists and 13 rebounds. The 24 assists were a career-high for him."

OKC breaking up Westbrook, Harden, Durant, what a fantastic strategic move :)

[Spurs da champs]

"And, hey, hats off to Russell Westbrook's triple-double of 24 points, 24 assists and 13 rebounds. The 24 assists were a career-high for him."

OKC breaking up Westbrook, Harden, Durant, what a fantastic strategic move :)




All for Kendrick Perkins. :lmao

[BD24]

Thanks for the write up. It’s a shame that Pau is gonna fuck up Poetls growth.

[Spurs Homer]

That was the best defense I have ever seen in an NBA game*

(in a game with over 300 pts scored)




Great game.

So now - the Spurstalk "experts" will jump on the "let's shit on DDR bandwagon!"

When will you guys see that this is a TEAM!
Earlier the bandwagon was - "patty sucks" then...

LMA - "horrible" "trade him"
Gay - " sucks"
Belinelli - " worst player ever" "trade Beli for the scrub from discarded NBA trash"
Pop - "retire" "done" "sucks w/o Timmy"
Gasol - .... etc....


C'mon man -

DDR was freakin awesome during the early part of the season - he will get past this little NBA season-too-long- doldrums -

This is a TEAM

This is a fun to watch team and it will be fun being underdogs who might upset somebody. A title is improbable - but boy - it would be even sweeter to ruin some superior teams season lol.

I pretty much love this team as built and the fact that the piece of shit quitter is long gone - makes this season more fun to watch.

DDR was awesome in that Toronto beatdown - he is just naturally coming down off that high - and the long season and long minutes wear on every player - give him a break.
This is a great mix.

DDR/LMA with the superior mid-range game -
and some assassins on the perimeter.

:toast

[Proxy]

Demar played like shit but lets not cliff jump after bad outings on a b2b, forced PG out to the perimeter too fwiw

[tbdog]

DD getting marked by PG does not help. If Gay was out there, PG marks Gay.

Also I think White did far better on D than op have credit for.

[TDomination]

I'd give DeRozan a D and White an A because of crunch time and over times. DDR seemed like he was stuck at 8 assists in the 4th, and then had terrible defensive plays and selfish, bad offensive plays. His last 15? or so minutes were just shockingly poor.

White's defense wasn't as good or impactful as other games, but it was still better than any one else on the team would have done. And when it came time to step up, he did. In a big way.

DeRozan never had a player to share the load with in Toronto like he does with Aldridge. On a night like last night, he could have deferred a lot more.

If Murray can play like he's healthy next year it's bad news for OKC. He could really defend and bother Westbrook from my memory. When he Spurs have Murray on Westbrook and White on George, their offense will struggle so much more be when the Spurs can hide DeRozan on Roberson or whoever.

Hugely. I argued that Derozan should have had at least 15 assist last night. I like when he penetrates, i don't want him to stop that but man when there is a triple team around you don't force up a shot. Instead, suck in the D and make them pay w/a pass to one of teammates and trust that they will hit the open jump shot.

[Larry O]

Thanks for the grades LJ. Good stuff. Do you agree that DeMar is in a funk and has been for awhile? I think he is and sure why. What do you think it is? Just that? A shooting slump?

Here's my observatioin with DD10 & his "scoring slump:" It was a few games back when he got fustrated for a non-call foul(s) by the refs. I believe that he eventually got Teed up as a result. And if I'm not mistaken, it was also a home game, too! DD10 had been playing well up to that point, scoring at will from the paint, BUT I think that event, as well as other related subsequent non-call fouls he's also received, is messing with his head & affecting his confidence to score & play overall. For one, if this is indeed happening to him, of coarse, a player will have to play through it until he figures it out, regains his confidence & moves past that, but in the same token, DD10 also tries to do too much as well, & with this "slump" he's in that's messing with him, well, it seem that it's more damaging to the team's goal to win a game. I think DD10 thinks he's in the same atmosphere as Harden, when it comes to having favor with the Refs, but it sure doesn't seem like it, so he needs to try to move on from that as well. Here's the other "excuse:" Of coarse, it was a back-to-back game, & DD10 played high minutes leading into last night's game, but you will say, "BUT, he stunk in the Grizz game, too!" Yeah! he sure did... see my first observation... Any who, GSG, & let's see if we can repeat against OPEE PEE!!!

[emanueldavidginobili]

Man that Memphis game hurts, if they would have won that they would be 4th place right now and with another win Saturday would have been the 3rd seed.

[TDomination]

That was the best defense I have ever seen in an NBA game*

(in a game with over 300 pts scored)




Great game.

So now - the Spurstalk "experts" will jump on the "let's shit on DDR bandwagon!"

When will you guys see that this is a TEAM!
Earlier the bandwagon was - "patty sucks" then...

LMA - "horrible" "trade him"
Gay - " sucks"
Belinelli - " worst player ever" "trade Beli for the scrub from discarded NBA trash"
Pop - "retire" "done" "sucks w/o Timmy"
Gasol - .... etc....


C'mon man -

DDR was freakin awesome during the early part of the season - he will get past this little NBA season-too-long- doldrums -

This is a TEAM

This is a fun to watch team and it will be fun being underdogs who might upset somebody. A title is improbable - but boy - it would be even sweeter to ruin some superior teams season lol.

I pretty much love this team as built and the fact that the piece of shit quitter is long gone - makes this season more fun to watch.

DDR was awesome in that Toronto beatdown - he is just naturally coming down off that high - and the long season and long minutes wear on every player - give him a break.
This is a great mix.

DDR/LMA with the superior mid-range game -
and some assassins on the perimeter.

:toast

Pretty much this. I am enjoying this season. Every game has meaning. It's been a while since it felt that way. I'm excited about every single regular season game. And now that the team has found its groove, it is even more compelling to watch.

In the last month we have beaten, RAPTORS, THUNDER, CELTICS, CLIPPERS, NUGGETS, SIXERS, LAKERS, Playoff teams that include some of the top teams in the NBA.

At the very least, we are in a much better position then we were at the end of November.

[R. DeMurre]

D White's steadiness & reliability-- 8 assists & only 2 turnovers in 48 minutes-- is really promising, especially against the top ranked defense in the league. I'm surprised teams aren't going at White to test him more.

DD seemed to let his bad game get in his head, but at least he could still contribute with 8 rebounds and 11 assists. It's funny how he almost had an inefficient triple-double, a la Westbrook, but we're not falling over ourselves to point it out. Being forced to guard the longer & taller Paul George is a big challenge for DD, and definitely highlights the one major shortcoming of this team. But wow, what a great win!

[TDomination]

Man that Memphis game hurts, if they would have won that they would be 4th place right now and with another win Saturday would have been the 3rd seed.

Yeah and i feel there will be plenty of those "they should have won" games. Bulls @ home, ugh. Suns! we lost to the suns?? And then that first memphis game with the ridiculous 3pt foul and then non call at the other end. Yeah, we got some ground to make up but hopefully we win enough to where we can overcome these dumb losses.

[r0drig0lac]

Man that Memphis game hurts, if they would have won that they would be 4th place right now and with another win Saturday would have been the 3rd seed.

the reactions after the defeats have been really strong, these guys are legitimate

[phxspurfan]

Good win. Funny how the comments on Insta were about how the refs were so in favor of the Spurs lol.

[baseline bum]

Good win. Funny how the comments on Insta were about how the refs were so in favor of the Spurs lol.

They kind of were. If I was OKC fan I would have been mad as fuck at the refs waving off that three when Demar ran into Adams.

[HarlemHeat37]

Spurs clearly had the benefit of the whistle, nothing wrong with admitting it..

I'm sure they're going to get killed by the refs in OKC..White will be in foul trouble 2 minutes into the 1st..

[phxspurfan]

They kind of were. If I was OKC fan I would have been mad as fuck at the refs waving off that three when Demar ran into Adams.

Yeah but we would have just won it in the 4th without their bullshit charging and touch foul calls (and in some case not even a touch), or the lack of calls when they murdered our guys going to the hoop.

[baseline bum]

Spurs clearly had the benefit of the whistle, nothing wrong with admitting it..

I'm sure they're going to get killed by the refs in OKC..White will be in foul trouble 2 minutes into the 1st..

Wouldn't be a trip to OKC without without it.

[spurs10]

Great game.


This is a TEAM

This is a fun to watch team and it will be fun being underdogs who might upset somebody. A title is improbable - but boy - it would be even sweeter to ruin some superior teams season lol.

I pretty much love this team as built and the fact that the piece of shit quitter is long gone - makes this season more fun to watch.

DDR was awesome in that Toronto beatdown - he is just naturally coming down off that high - and the long season and long minutes wear on every player - give him a break.
This is a great mix.

DDR/LMA with the superior mid-range game -
and some assassins on the perimeter.

:toast Thanks for the grades! I'm really enjoying seeing a team out there. Woot!

[timvp]

DeRozan a C??? How??? There is no way he played that good lol

I originally had DeRozan as a D+ but bumped him up to a C- after factoring in the following: 1) His defense against Paul George was pretty darn good considering what we've come to expect from DeRozan. I mean, he defended George better than White defended Westbrook, for example. So even if his offense was a D- level, then his B to B+ defense should bump up his overall rating. 2) He played super out of position at times at power forward yet held the fort enough for it not to be too huge of an issue. His battling on the boards was helpful. 3) While his offense was mostly bad, he did have a number of possessions where he was making plays -- particularly for the three-point shooters. 4) He had enough self-awareness to figure out he was totally out of rhythm offensively and had no problems deferring to Aldridge and White.

DeRozan was way worse on both ends the previous night against the Grizzlies. The Thunder performance was still well below his standards but it was a step in the right direction.

[baseline bum]

Thank god for rojadirecta to get a copy of this game.

[Strategic]

Looks like DD has suffered through a career of black hole coaching. Hopefully Pop can help him out.

[timvp]

Thanks for the grades LJ. Good stuff. Do you agree that DeMar is in a funk and has been for awhile? I think he is and sure why. What do you think it is? Just that? A shooting slump?

His funk started the game before the Toronto game. The seven games before that, he had shot 52% from the floor on top of averaging around seven rebounds and seven assists.

I think the most likely reason for DeRozan's slump is emotional fatigue from the Raptors game. He didn't admit it at the time but that game was a huge deal to him. Since that game, he has looked tired, slow and not as sharp. (It probably doesn't help that he's still averaging north of 35 minutes per game, the most by a Spur in 15 years, and that he's expending more energy than ever on defense.)

The Spurs don't get any extra rest until a stretch starting Jan. 21 that has the Spurs playing once in five days. I expect DeRozan to play at a lower level than usual until then.

[timvp]

I didn’t understand Pops decision of giving DDR the last shot twice. He was terrible last night so it should have gone to D. White.
Pop tried to go to Aldridge but everyone in the building including the Thunder knew that Aldridge was going to be the first option. It's difficult to go to bigs for final shots since they are a lot easier to double-team. If you remember correctly, even Duncan's game-winners in similar situations came off of misdirection plays that prominently featured Ginobili and Parker. Another example would be how Kobe was always the go-to guy late even when he had prime Shaq on his team.


Also, when Gay is out, Forbes has to be more aggressive especially off the dribble.Agreed.

[Blake]

DeMar really could use a patented DNP-old

[timvp]

Back to giving higher grades to the rest. White played fearless, taking 3’s when the game was on the line, making the huge block, making plays that I would’ve expected Demar to make. He is growing right before our eyes.

My issue with White was his defense was bad for three and a half quarters. His most important attribute to the team is his defense so they can't have him lay defensive eggs like that and expect to win too often. He gave up easy penetration (even middle penetration, a cardinal sin of SA's defensive philosophy) so often that I was expecting Pop to bench him. Thankfully Pop didn't but I'd say reason number one why the Spurs struggled to even slow OKC was White was playing defense like he was Gary Neal.

Offensively, he was great and he came up with huge defensive plays late but he was far too bad on D for too much of the game to be overly thrilled with his play, IMO.

[Seventyniner]

Pop tried to go to Aldridge but everyone in the building including the Thunder knew that Aldridge was going to be the first option. It's difficult to go to bigs for final shots since they are a lot easier to double-team. If you remember correctly, even Duncan's game-winners in similar situations came off of misdirection plays that prominently featured Ginobili and Parker. Another example would be how Kobe was always the go-to guy late even when he had prime Shaq on his team.

This. Even a 35-40% shot like the one DDR got is a good option because there's very little risk of a turnover. That's a situation where the team misses Number 2. Well, his basketball ability at least.

[cjw]

Also: this game was another proof of how we need a taller SF to compete with the best.

You mean, like, Rudy Gay?

Agree they need depth there given he can’t be counted on for 70 games.

[Spurs da champs]

My issue with White was his defense was bad for three and a half quarters. His most important attribute to the team is his defense so they can't have him lay defensive eggs like that and expect to win too often. He gave up easy penetration (even middle penetration, a cardinal sin of SA's defensive philosophy) so often that I was expecting Pop to bench him. Thankfully Pop didn't but I'd say reason number one why the Spurs struggled to even slow OKC was White was playing defense like he was Gary Neal.

Offensively, he was great and he came up with huge defensive plays late but he was far too bad on D for too much of the game to be overly thrilled with his play, IMO.

It was a good learning experience for White who prior to that game hasn't guarded anybody as explosive as Westbrook. He definitely picked it up at the end.

[BOHOLANO#21]

DDR suck big time. Made costly turnovers, poor shot selection, ball stopper and poor defense. Sad, it’s not even playoffs yet.

[alpha_HaZE]

https://i.imgur.com/wg9T6Ha.jpg


Derrick White
https://i.imgur.com/IrTA2dV.png
Derrick White is becoming quite a player right in front of our eyes. He's gone from offensive liability to key offensive cog in record time. Tonight, I have no complaints about what he did offensively. He was as aggressive as we've ever seen him. He didn't hesitate to take and make big shots. White's finishing around the rim was impressive and he kept his head up even through his occasional mistakes. His court vision and passing were on full display. He smartly fed Aldridge all night. In the overtimes, he took on the main perimeter playmaker role that DeRozan usually handles. Defense is where I was a bit disappointed with White. For the first three and a half quarters, he was as ineffective defensively as we've seen. He was unable to disrupt Westbrook much at all; White wasn't cutting off his drives and wasn't denying him open looks or open passing lanes. On top of that, he was closing out too hard on Westbrook's three-pointers. But give White credit, his defense went up a few levels starting midway through the fourth quarter and into both overtimes. He had two huge defensive plays late (a block and a steal) to put a bow on this beauty.
Grade: B+
Summary: White was big time.

-------------

Pau Gasol
https://i.imgur.com/oF0jVre.png
Eh, pretty good. Pau Gasol was back in the starting lineup and held serve. His passing was really good and he blended into the offensive attack seamlessly. He was glacially slow in transition defense but his halfcourt defense was fine. He protected the hoop well and was strong on the boards. With Rudy Gay out with his wrist injury, Gasol is probably the safest plug-and-play option for the starting lineup against all but the smallest teams.
Grade: B-
Summary: Gasol started and was okay.

-------------



I always thought you were an idiot, this confirms it! Derrick had a career high on points and was one assist away from matching his career high on assists, yet you essentially give him the same grade with Pau, who was scoreless in the game...

[timvp]

I always thought you were an idiot, this confirms it!Fair enough, tbh.

[GreekSpursfan]

Derozan F, White A- and the - is for the shot that he bricked and ended the 14-14 3's record at the time, just kidding, White an A for me not + thats for LA.

[T Park]

I always thought you were an idiot, this confirms it! Derrick had a career high on points and was one assist away from matching his career high on assists, yet you essentially give him the same grade with Pau, who was scoreless in the game...

sweet, another guy who doesnt understand the grading system.

[wildbill2u]

Great game. Watching Derrick White mature as a important two way player on the fly in games is amazing. Not only improving offensively but taking on the best perimeter player for the other team is something that few can do. And he's playing with the aplomb of a veteran, knocking down shots and FTs to close out the game when he's not making blocks and steals in crunch time.

[MoSpur02]

His funk started the game before the Toronto game. The seven games before that, he had shot 52% from the floor on top of averaging around seven rebounds and seven assists.

I think the most likely reason for DeRozan's slump is emotional fatigue from the Raptors game. He didn't admit it at the time but that game was a huge deal to him. Since that game, he has looked tired, slow and not as sharp. (It probably doesn't help that he's still averaging north of 35 minutes per game, the most by a Spur in 15 years, and that he's expending more energy than ever on defense.)

The Spurs don't get any extra rest until a stretch starting Jan. 21 that has the Spurs playing once in five days. I expect DeRozan to play at a lower level than usual until then.

I really hope it's fatigue. His shot just looks off and not having his legs makes sense for a lot of the shots he's missing. The Spurs really need to acquire a SF or start to give Walker serious burn.

[RodNIc91]

Thanks for the grades, Timvp! Spurstalk wasn’t the same without your game grades and game insight.

It was a fun game that San Antonio should’ve won in regulation. I think it went that far because of several factors: the Spurs ran out of gas, the Thunder fought back harder without Adams, and also because from about the 8 minute mark the Spurs couldn’t defend to save their lifes. Thankfully, LMA was able to reach from within and provided a performance for the ages.

[KimmyGib]

That was an incredible game, and great win for the good guys. Exciting from Start to finish. That said, the Thunder repeatedly destroyed our defense and it took career nights from LMA and White, and historical 3-point efficiency from our bench to barely eek out the win. Thunder are a scary team, tbh.

[SpursDynasty85]

That was an incredible game, and great win for the good guys. Exciting from Start to finish. That said, the Thunder repeatedly destroyed our defense and it took career nights from LMA and White, and historical 3-point efficiency from our bench to barely eek out the win. Thunder are a scary team, tbh.

Well. The Thunder with an actually smart and unselfish Westbrook is a scary team; however, last night's win should've been easier if:

1) Derozan stopped getting in the way
2) Pop played Bertans more

I do not know why Pop was playing such small ball late in the game. Bertans was killing it out there and a lot better length and rebounding than Derozan at friggin PF with Mills and Forbes out there.. That had to be the smallest 1-4 lineup played this season. Spurs were also on a b2b (Derozan did play some heavy minutes before the close of the Memphis game and he needs to adjust more off the ball now that White is coming into his own.

[Fusternino]

Well. The Thunder with an actually smart and unselfish Westbrook is a scary team; however, last night's win should've been easier if:

1) Derozan stopped getting in the way
2) Pop played Bertans more

I do not know why Pop was playing such small ball late in the game. Bertans was killing it out there and a lot better length and rebounding than Derozan at friggin PF with Mills and Forbes out there.. That had to be the smallest 1-4 lineup played this season. Spurs were also on a b2b (Derozan did play some heavy minutes before the close of the Memphis game and he needs to adjust more off the ball now that White is coming into his own.

Agreed that the 4 guard line-ups were brutal. Also, the shooters needed to keep bombing away.

[cutewizard]

Spurs will win the :lobt2:

[alpha_HaZE]

sweet, another guy who doesnt understand the grading system.

Everyone with 50K+ posts, is pretty much one.

Regarding the grade; it was a B because


Defense is where I was a bit disappointed with White

Well, even though he didn't play much due to foul trouble yesterday, he was on a second game of a back to back. And, Russ was on fire oh and he is an MVP player. So, there isn't much White or anyone can do. And, White being a essentially a rookie does not get the calls from the refs just yet. So yes his defence will be a bit iffy, just as it will be for ANYONE at his spot. BUT, despite all that, he had some MONSTER defensive plays down the stretch! That was a big win for us and other than LA he was our Most Valuable Player.


But give White credit, his defense went up a few levels starting midway through the fourth quarter and into both overtimes.

[ceperez]

My issue with White was his defense was bad for three and a half quarters. His most important attribute to the team is his defense so they can't have him lay defensive eggs like that and expect to win too often. He gave up easy penetration (even middle penetration, a cardinal sin of SA's defensive philosophy) so often that I was expecting Pop to bench him. Thankfully Pop didn't but I'd say reason number one why the Spurs struggled to even slow OKC was White was playing defense like he was Gary Neal.

Offensively, he was great and he came up with huge defensive plays late but he was far too bad on D for too much of the game to be overly thrilled with his play, IMO.

Important to call out that the Spurs defense was pathetic. But, we got to remember also that this was a back-to-back game.