timvp
01-19-2019, 07:18 AM
https://i.imgur.com/fm6vYDS.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/OzKRRij.jpg
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DeMar DeRozan was a late scratch from the lineup Friday night in Minnesota with an ankle injury. No matter, the Spurs were able to complete a sweep of their two-game road trip with a 116-113 victory over the Timberwolves.
The game was nip and tuck the first three quarters, with neither team gaining an advantage for long. With nine minutes remaining in the fourth and the game tied 96-96, the Spurs went an a 7-0 run to create breathing room. The T'Wolves bit back but a Derrick White three-pointer with four minutes on the clock once again gave San Antonio a seven-point lead.
Minnesota wasn't ready to roll over quite yet. They cut the Spurs advantage down to a single point on a Derrick Rose layup with 30 seconds to go. Marco Belinelli missed a runner on the other end but Rudy Gay battled on the offensive boards and got his team another possession. Belinelli hit two free throws when the Timberwolves were forced to foul, putting San Antonio up by three points.
Following a missed desperation three-pointer at the buzzer by Derrick Rose that was well defended by Davis Bertans, the Spurs officially improved to 27-20 on the season. They're now 9-14 on the road and currently sit in the fifth spot in the tight Western Conference standings.
Considering they were without DeRozan, this was a really good win. The Spurs illustrated a lot of grit in getting the victory over a desperate T'Wolves team that entered the affair with a 15-7 home record. The good guys should be proud.
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LaMarcus Aldridge
https://i.imgur.com/1nluyNF.png
You know, LaMarcus Aldridge's stats weren't aesthetically-pleasing -- especially his 8-for-20 shooting and four turnovers. But I was extremely pleased by how he played. He was super physical, unusually fired up and didn't back down an inch in what was an extremely hard-fought game in the paint. Aldridge got off to a slow start, hitting only one of his first seven attempts from the floor, but he kept pounding away and found his rhythm in the second half -- including multiple big shots in the fourth quarter. I thought his passing and court vision were better than usual all night. Defensively, Aldridge was solid. He defended the post well, guarded the rim and didn't hesitate to rotate out on the perimeter when it was needed.
Grade: A-
Summary: Aldridge shrugged off a slow start and had another beastly performance.
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Rudy Gay
https://i.imgur.com/vqYr2we.png
Rudy Gay was elevated to second option and he did well in the expanded role. He was stubborn about searching out good shots, which led to his efficient shooting night. His passing was outstanding -- most likely his best passing game of the season. He was finding teammates at all angles. Gay did lead the team with five turnovers, however his injured wrist is obviously still bothering him and that seemed to play a role in at least a couple of his miscues. (Kudos to him for playing through what appears to be a painful injury.) Defensively, Gay wasn't especially effective individually or team-wise but he was making things happen on that end with his athleticism and strength: challenging shots, closing passing lanes, running shooters off of shots, etc.
Grade: A-
Summary: Gay stepped up and met the challenge.
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Bryn Forbes
https://i.imgur.com/yXVIEAs.png
The good: Bryn Forbes shot the ball well from deep and was adequately aggressive on offense. He also kept his errors to a minimum on that end. The bad: Forbes struggled to score off the dribble, hitting just 1-of-5 two-pointers. Defensively, it wasn't pretty. He wasn't cutting off drivers, wasn't quick to contest shooters and simply made a lot of head-scratching decisions on that end. After one particularly egregious defensive error, Pop sent Forbes to the bench to think about it.
Grade: C
Summary: Outside hitting half his threes, this night was a forgettable one for Forbes.
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Derrick White
https://i.imgur.com/IrTA2dV.png
It was a tale of two halves for Derrick White. In the first half, he was extremely vital to the cause. With Aldridge struggling, it was White who stepped up with 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the floor in the first two quarters. In the second half, White was much more passive. He took only one shot in the second half ... but it was a big one: a made three-pointer with four minutes left that put the Spurs up by seven. Unfortunately, he followed that act of heroism with two costly turnovers down the stretch. But all in all, White was sturdy. He scored 15 points on only 8 shots, authored a couple good passes and his defense was average enough.
Grade: B
Summary: White continues to shine.
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Pau Gasol
https://i.imgur.com/oF0jVre.png
With DeRozan out, Pop opted to go big and put Pau Gasol in the starting lineup. His presence in the starting lineup played out how it has routinely played out since Gasol returned from injury: it gums up the offense and makes the defense susceptible to anything that resembles speed. Gasol rebounded well, which is ... something.
Grade: C-
Summary: Gasol got some token minutes.
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Marco Belinelli
https://i.imgur.com/hP9vIFY.png
Marco Belinelli's hot streak lives another day. And with DeRozan out, ever last ounce of it was needed tonight. Over his last four outings, Belinelli is averaging 19.8 points in 25.8 minutes per game, while shooting 53.3% from the floor, 55.6% from beyond the three-point line and a perfect 16-for-16 at the charity stripe. As you can surmise from those numbers, Belinelli is feeling it. He's in constant motion and is shooting whenever he gets a hint of daylight. Against the Timberwolves, his passing was better than usual. While he was trying harder than normal on defense (good work on the boards and swiped two of the team's three steals), Belinelli really struggled in one-on-one matchups.
Grade: B+
Summary: Belinelli supplied needed points.
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Davis Bertans
https://i.imgur.com/ucY2jSF.png
Davis Bertans is such a weapon right now. When he gets an open look, he's nearly automatic as of late. Whether it's Pop drawing up a play for him or bailing out a dying possession, Bertans is scorching the net. The only shot he missed tonight was a difficult, off-balance three-pointer that nearly dropped. I even liked his rebounding tonight, as he managed to pull down a couple hotly contested boards. Defensively, Bertans did mostly good work -- though he did get benched for a few minutes for a sloppy foul. But all was forgiven when he forced Rose into missing the potentially game-tying three at the buzzer.
Grade: A-
Summary: Bertans is providing great minutes off the bench.
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Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
What the Spurs were missing most with DeRozan sidelined was playmaking. It was, surprisingly, Patty Mills who filled that void. Never known as an especially good passer, Mills was dropping slick dimes left and right in Minnesota, tallying a season-high eight assists. That he finished without a turnover was a minor miracle considering the difficulty level of many of his passes. Outside of his otherworldly-for-the-night playmaking, Mills didn't do a whole lot. He probably shot too much and definitely did not make enough. His defense was about average for him, which isn't saying a whole lot. But overall, Mills' expert level passing more than made up for any of his faults.
Grade: B+
Summary: Patty Stockton doing work.
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Jakob Poeltl
https://i.imgur.com/FUIlW00.png
I was pretty damn disappointed with Jakob Poeltl for a majority of his minutes. His post defense was Charmin soft. It was literally some of the worst post defense I've seen from a Spur this season. His defense, as a whole, wasn't good. He had multiple defensive rebounds bounce right in front of him that he failed to corral. On offense, he wasn't doing a good job of holding his ground and making himself available. To his credit, Poeltl saved his best for last when he converted on a pair of shots in the lane in the fourth quarter.
Grade: D+
Summary: When Gasol plays, Poeltl isn't good. When Gasol doesn't play, he's really good. I don't get it.
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Dante Cunningham
https://i.imgur.com/W3QWUCI.png
Dante Cunningham got some minutes after a Bertans defensive mistake. Cunningham took advantage of the opportunity. He hustled on both ends, looked more capable than usual and actually helped out. Well done.
Grade: B+
Summary: Cunningham was ready.
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Pop
https://i.imgur.com/x7B1It7.jpg
I thought Pop coached a really good game. It was a vintage Pop game in terms of benching players for defensive mistakes. His players responded, to his credit. I didn't have an issue with the rotation. I don't love Gasol starting but it's obviously a way to just buy a few minutes in each half and keep the normal bench unit intact.
Grade: A-
Summary: Pop turned back the clock.
Looking ahead: Quality win. Remember, the last time the Spurs were in Minnesota, they lost by 39 points earlier this season. The improvement speaks to the growth San Antonio has made since then.
Next up is a home game against the Clippers. They've lost five games in a row, four of which where at home. So, yeah, the Spurs need to take care of business and extend this winning streak to three games.
https://i.imgur.com/OzKRRij.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/eXDXHnB.jpg
DeMar DeRozan was a late scratch from the lineup Friday night in Minnesota with an ankle injury. No matter, the Spurs were able to complete a sweep of their two-game road trip with a 116-113 victory over the Timberwolves.
The game was nip and tuck the first three quarters, with neither team gaining an advantage for long. With nine minutes remaining in the fourth and the game tied 96-96, the Spurs went an a 7-0 run to create breathing room. The T'Wolves bit back but a Derrick White three-pointer with four minutes on the clock once again gave San Antonio a seven-point lead.
Minnesota wasn't ready to roll over quite yet. They cut the Spurs advantage down to a single point on a Derrick Rose layup with 30 seconds to go. Marco Belinelli missed a runner on the other end but Rudy Gay battled on the offensive boards and got his team another possession. Belinelli hit two free throws when the Timberwolves were forced to foul, putting San Antonio up by three points.
Following a missed desperation three-pointer at the buzzer by Derrick Rose that was well defended by Davis Bertans, the Spurs officially improved to 27-20 on the season. They're now 9-14 on the road and currently sit in the fifth spot in the tight Western Conference standings.
Considering they were without DeRozan, this was a really good win. The Spurs illustrated a lot of grit in getting the victory over a desperate T'Wolves team that entered the affair with a 15-7 home record. The good guys should be proud.
-------------
LaMarcus Aldridge
https://i.imgur.com/1nluyNF.png
You know, LaMarcus Aldridge's stats weren't aesthetically-pleasing -- especially his 8-for-20 shooting and four turnovers. But I was extremely pleased by how he played. He was super physical, unusually fired up and didn't back down an inch in what was an extremely hard-fought game in the paint. Aldridge got off to a slow start, hitting only one of his first seven attempts from the floor, but he kept pounding away and found his rhythm in the second half -- including multiple big shots in the fourth quarter. I thought his passing and court vision were better than usual all night. Defensively, Aldridge was solid. He defended the post well, guarded the rim and didn't hesitate to rotate out on the perimeter when it was needed.
Grade: A-
Summary: Aldridge shrugged off a slow start and had another beastly performance.
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Rudy Gay
https://i.imgur.com/vqYr2we.png
Rudy Gay was elevated to second option and he did well in the expanded role. He was stubborn about searching out good shots, which led to his efficient shooting night. His passing was outstanding -- most likely his best passing game of the season. He was finding teammates at all angles. Gay did lead the team with five turnovers, however his injured wrist is obviously still bothering him and that seemed to play a role in at least a couple of his miscues. (Kudos to him for playing through what appears to be a painful injury.) Defensively, Gay wasn't especially effective individually or team-wise but he was making things happen on that end with his athleticism and strength: challenging shots, closing passing lanes, running shooters off of shots, etc.
Grade: A-
Summary: Gay stepped up and met the challenge.
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Bryn Forbes
https://i.imgur.com/yXVIEAs.png
The good: Bryn Forbes shot the ball well from deep and was adequately aggressive on offense. He also kept his errors to a minimum on that end. The bad: Forbes struggled to score off the dribble, hitting just 1-of-5 two-pointers. Defensively, it wasn't pretty. He wasn't cutting off drivers, wasn't quick to contest shooters and simply made a lot of head-scratching decisions on that end. After one particularly egregious defensive error, Pop sent Forbes to the bench to think about it.
Grade: C
Summary: Outside hitting half his threes, this night was a forgettable one for Forbes.
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Derrick White
https://i.imgur.com/IrTA2dV.png
It was a tale of two halves for Derrick White. In the first half, he was extremely vital to the cause. With Aldridge struggling, it was White who stepped up with 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the floor in the first two quarters. In the second half, White was much more passive. He took only one shot in the second half ... but it was a big one: a made three-pointer with four minutes left that put the Spurs up by seven. Unfortunately, he followed that act of heroism with two costly turnovers down the stretch. But all in all, White was sturdy. He scored 15 points on only 8 shots, authored a couple good passes and his defense was average enough.
Grade: B
Summary: White continues to shine.
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Pau Gasol
https://i.imgur.com/oF0jVre.png
With DeRozan out, Pop opted to go big and put Pau Gasol in the starting lineup. His presence in the starting lineup played out how it has routinely played out since Gasol returned from injury: it gums up the offense and makes the defense susceptible to anything that resembles speed. Gasol rebounded well, which is ... something.
Grade: C-
Summary: Gasol got some token minutes.
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Marco Belinelli
https://i.imgur.com/hP9vIFY.png
Marco Belinelli's hot streak lives another day. And with DeRozan out, ever last ounce of it was needed tonight. Over his last four outings, Belinelli is averaging 19.8 points in 25.8 minutes per game, while shooting 53.3% from the floor, 55.6% from beyond the three-point line and a perfect 16-for-16 at the charity stripe. As you can surmise from those numbers, Belinelli is feeling it. He's in constant motion and is shooting whenever he gets a hint of daylight. Against the Timberwolves, his passing was better than usual. While he was trying harder than normal on defense (good work on the boards and swiped two of the team's three steals), Belinelli really struggled in one-on-one matchups.
Grade: B+
Summary: Belinelli supplied needed points.
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Davis Bertans
https://i.imgur.com/ucY2jSF.png
Davis Bertans is such a weapon right now. When he gets an open look, he's nearly automatic as of late. Whether it's Pop drawing up a play for him or bailing out a dying possession, Bertans is scorching the net. The only shot he missed tonight was a difficult, off-balance three-pointer that nearly dropped. I even liked his rebounding tonight, as he managed to pull down a couple hotly contested boards. Defensively, Bertans did mostly good work -- though he did get benched for a few minutes for a sloppy foul. But all was forgiven when he forced Rose into missing the potentially game-tying three at the buzzer.
Grade: A-
Summary: Bertans is providing great minutes off the bench.
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Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
What the Spurs were missing most with DeRozan sidelined was playmaking. It was, surprisingly, Patty Mills who filled that void. Never known as an especially good passer, Mills was dropping slick dimes left and right in Minnesota, tallying a season-high eight assists. That he finished without a turnover was a minor miracle considering the difficulty level of many of his passes. Outside of his otherworldly-for-the-night playmaking, Mills didn't do a whole lot. He probably shot too much and definitely did not make enough. His defense was about average for him, which isn't saying a whole lot. But overall, Mills' expert level passing more than made up for any of his faults.
Grade: B+
Summary: Patty Stockton doing work.
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Jakob Poeltl
https://i.imgur.com/FUIlW00.png
I was pretty damn disappointed with Jakob Poeltl for a majority of his minutes. His post defense was Charmin soft. It was literally some of the worst post defense I've seen from a Spur this season. His defense, as a whole, wasn't good. He had multiple defensive rebounds bounce right in front of him that he failed to corral. On offense, he wasn't doing a good job of holding his ground and making himself available. To his credit, Poeltl saved his best for last when he converted on a pair of shots in the lane in the fourth quarter.
Grade: D+
Summary: When Gasol plays, Poeltl isn't good. When Gasol doesn't play, he's really good. I don't get it.
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Dante Cunningham
https://i.imgur.com/W3QWUCI.png
Dante Cunningham got some minutes after a Bertans defensive mistake. Cunningham took advantage of the opportunity. He hustled on both ends, looked more capable than usual and actually helped out. Well done.
Grade: B+
Summary: Cunningham was ready.
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Pop
https://i.imgur.com/x7B1It7.jpg
I thought Pop coached a really good game. It was a vintage Pop game in terms of benching players for defensive mistakes. His players responded, to his credit. I didn't have an issue with the rotation. I don't love Gasol starting but it's obviously a way to just buy a few minutes in each half and keep the normal bench unit intact.
Grade: A-
Summary: Pop turned back the clock.
Looking ahead: Quality win. Remember, the last time the Spurs were in Minnesota, they lost by 39 points earlier this season. The improvement speaks to the growth San Antonio has made since then.
Next up is a home game against the Clippers. They've lost five games in a row, four of which where at home. So, yeah, the Spurs need to take care of business and extend this winning streak to three games.