Grades: Spurs vs. Pistons - Feb. 27, 2019

[timvp]

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The Spurs entered the game losers of seven of their previous eight games. The Pistons entered the game winners of seven of their previous eight previous games. Naturally, San Antonio cruised to a 105-93 victory in front of their home fans.

This affair followed a similar pattern throughout the evening: the Spurs would build a lead, the Spurs would sputter, the Pistons would get hot from the perimeter, the Pistons would close the gap, the Spurs would get back on track, the Spurs would build a lead ... and back to the beginning of the loop.

With five minutes remaining, the Pistons got within two points, 90-88. DeMar DeRozan responded with a three-point play that sparked a 9-0 run that essentially ended the drama.

Overall, this was a very good, much needed win. After the disaster that was the 2019 Rodeo Road Trip, San Antonio desperately needed to right the ship. Tonight's victory should help the good guys turn the page.

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LaMarcus Aldridge
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LaMarcus Aldridge played really good defense. He spent a lot of time on the perimeter trying to keep up with Blake Griffin and did a commendable job. He was stout in the paint and, even though he didn't grab many boards, Aldridge's boxing out was strong. Offensively, he was productive, hit important shots, passed well and went turnoverless in 39 minutes. It wasn't Aldridge's cleanest game but he played hard and played well.
Grade: A-
Summary: Aldridge got the job done.

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DeMar DeRozan
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DeMar DeRozan was two assists away from his second career triple-double. His 13 rebounds were the second highest mark of his career. Despite those notable numbers, it was a herky-jerky evening for DeRozan. He never got into much of a rhythm on offense and was second-guessing a lot of his decisions. DeRozan also got bailed out on a handful of occasions when he jumped with nowhere to pass. That said, he was rock solid down the stretch and played within the offense throughout the night. Defensively, he was more attentive away from the ball than usual and his rebounding total accurately tells the tale of how active he was on the glass.
Grade: B+
Summary: DeRozan played a winning brand of basketball.

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Bryn Forbes
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Bryn Forbes got hurt in the first quarter and didn't return. It looked like he slightly twisted his ankle and then got kicked in the calf by Griffin. Let's hope he can bounce back quickly; the fact that the Spurs listed his return as questionable following his injury is a good sign. Before he went down, Forbes hit both of his three-point attempts. That alone is noteworthy considering he had hit only two of his previous 18 attempts from three-point land.
Grade: Inc.
Summary: Forbes showed signs of three-point life and then got hurt.

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Derrick White
https://i.imgur.com/IrTA2dV.png
Derrick White is successfully working his way back to 100%. Tonight's outing was an uneven one for White but he got better and better as the game progressed. Throughout the contest, I liked White's decision-making in terms of when to shoot and when to pass. His playmaking was a plus, he kept his mistakes to a minimum and he was getting ample lift on his shots. Going into the game, White had a minute restriction of 25 minutes but waived off Pop late in the fourth when Pop tried to take him out. White then proceeded to be the best player on the court in the game's final five minutes. Hopefully that's a sign that White is feeling good enough to resume playing a larger role going forward.
Grade: B+
Summary: By the end of the game, it looked like White was back.

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Jakob Poeltl
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To combat Detroit's bigman duo of Griffin and Andre Drummond, Pop opted to started Jakob Poeltl next to Aldridge. That turned out to be a great call. Poeltl played very likely his finest game of the season -- and without a doubt his best game as a starter. On defense, his rim protection was excellent, as was his work on the defensive boards. Poeltl was also helpful on pick-and-roll defense and other times when mobility out on the perimeter was needed. Offensively, he did a really good job of remaining aggressive and not simply trying to stay out of the way. Poeltl isn't a natural fit next to Aldridge in today's NBA but if he confidently attacks the rim when given airspace, there's a chance the Spurs can make it work offensively. Defensively, San Antonio looked really good tonight when Aldridge and Poeltl were on the court together.
Grade: A
Summary: Poeltl took advantage of the opportunity to show what he can do as a starter.

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Marco Belinelli
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Alright, this is the Marco Belinelli the Spurs need. After a couple passive performances to end the Rodeo Road Trip, Belinelli entered tonight's game with both guns blazing. Within two minutes of stepping on the hardwood, Belinelli had poured in eight points to spark what had been a sputtering offensive attack. After Forbes went down, Belinelli stepped into a bigger role without skipping a beat. His defense was forgettable and he wasn't doing much playmaking but all was forgiven because Belinelli displayed the scoring zeal that had been missing as of late.
Grade: A-
Summary: Belinelli provided the offensive lift San Antonio needed.

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Rudy Gay
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Strange game for Rudy Gay. He missed all five of his shots from the field but handed out seven assists in only 21 minutes. While he authored a few really good passes, Gay was also turning down shots he needs to take. Defensively, Gay didn't look too limber and also forgot to help out on the boards a couple times (Pop sternly reminded him), but he was physical most of the time and provided needed toughness on both ends.
Grade: C+
Summary: Gay came off the bench and posted an unusual statline.

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Patty Mills
https://i.imgur.com/gTa4B5z.png
The good: Patty Mills straightened out his shooting stroke. After going 3-for-21 in his last two outings, Mills wasted little time ending his slump. I thought his defense was better than usual. He stuck his nose in the middle of the action and pressured the ball more than is typical. The bad: Mills' time management was terrible. It's amazing that a player with as much experience as he has is so bad at managing the clock at the end of quarters. Mills also recorded four of the team's ten turnovers.
Grade: C
Summary: Mills' sloppiness overshadowed what was otherwise a solid performance.

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Davis Bertans
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Davis Bertans got lost in the shuffle tonight. He was the fourth player off the bench and then was never involved much. Even when Pop successfully drew up plays for Bertans, the Latvian didn't deliver. Defensively, he was decent -- particularly out on the perimeter -- but he didn't move the needle much on that end either. In his last three games, Bertans has scored six points in 70 minutes and is 2-for-11 from the field, including 0-for-6 from three-point range.
Grade: C
Summary: Bertans played a forgettable 15 minutes.

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Dante Cunningham
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Dante Cunningham played five minutes in the second half and reminded everyone why he's no longer part of the rotation. He got in the way offensively and was slow to react defensively. Cunningham entered the game when the Spurs had a 14-point lead. The Pistons immediately went on a 14-4 run. Not good.
Grade: C-
Summary: Cunningham provided a reminder.

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Pop
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Starting Poeltl worked out perfectly. Allowing White to stay in the game in the fourth quarter despite the minute restriction worked out rather well. Aldridge and DeRozan played a lot of minutes but considering San Antonio's desperation for a win and the fact that the team has an extra day off before their next game, I can't criticize the decision.
Grade: B+
Summary: Pop's button pushes were right ones tonight.

Looking ahead: Good win. Well done, especially on the defensive end.

The Spurs complete their three-game homestand with a pair of difficult contents: Saturday versus the Thunder and Monday versus the Nuggets. A win against OKC would make the failed Rodeo Road Trip seem like a distant memory. Get it.

[SpurPadre]

Griffin deserves an A+ for taking out Forbes, tbh.

[John B]

Thanks for the grades Timvp. Poeltl re-inserted in the starting line-up did wonders to his focus and morale. I hope it continues. 93 allowed points is Spurs’ best as of late. Poeltl’s block shots and rim protections, White’s perimeter defense, and maybe Forbes absence (addition by subtraction) maybe helped? But one thing, this is the best basketball as of late and hopefully it continues. GSG!

[dbestpro]

Interesting how much better the defense can be when Forbes gets limited minutes.

[spurs10]

Yes, great to see us close out the game with some authority after giving up a couple of good leads in the game. I was happy for the team, the fans, and anyone else who cares for a win after the debacle of the last few weeks. Now if we can beat either OKC or Denver, that would be a good thing!

[alpha_HaZE]

DeMar played better than LA, the latter had fewer rebounds than ANY starter not named Bryn Forbes. The former, was just two assists away from a triple-double. Fans give sh1t on DeMar about defence, based on reputation and his recent slump. He is playing much better since the All Star Game. Especially on defence. And today was an example on that. He rebounded the ball, +8 rebounds over LA, he also had more steals, and fewer fouls. He stayed in front of his man, and overall was wonderful. Yes, LA was the number one scorer but DeMar and Derrick had 12 assists combined, and at least one third of them was to LA. Also, LA took 22 shots, DeMar on the other side only 13.

[vavvi]

I wouldn't draw any conclusions from this game. Detroit is probably the best matchup for us in the whole league -- a team with no wings, no guards killers and two traditional bigs in the starting unit + 2 centers off the bench.
Keep that in mind it's still impressive how much better the defense looked without Forbes.

[ceperez]

Time to see if Heustis can be of greater value than either QPon or Cunningham.

[MoSpur02]

Thanks for the grades.

I finally watched a game. I hadn't watched a game since before the All Star break. Poeltl and White were studs tonight. Aldridge was solid. I'm super tired of seeing Mills chucking early in the shot clock and Derozan jumping before deciding where to pass. That's something they teach you your freshman year NOT to do.

[RC_Drunkford]

DeMar played better than LA, the latter had fewer rebounds than ANY starter not named Bryn Forbes. The former, was just two assists away from a triple-double. Fans give sh1t on DeMar about defence, based on reputation and his recent slump. He is playing much better since the All Star Game. Especially on defence. And today was an example on that. He rebounded the ball, +8 rebounds over LA, he also had more steals, and fewer fouls. He stayed in front of his man, and overall was wonderful. Yes, LA was the number one scorer but DeMar and Derrick had 12 assists combined, and at least one third of them was to LA. Also, LA took 22 shots, DeMar on the other side only 13.

He was also matched up with Ellington and Brown while LA had to go against Drummond and Flake:rolleyes

[$pursDynasty]

How when the team is in the midst of a 7-0 run to finally regain a lead in a game that is still in doubt with White on the floor during the stretch run of the 4th quarter, Pop was about to sub in Patty, WTF! In fact I think the Pistons called a timeout to facilitate this self sabotage. I don't know if Ime or Becky dissuaded him or if Pop just woke the heck up but to have even considered it is scary, in a game that Patty was showing zero basketball IQ.

[monty4329]

DDR took 13 shots only and passed the ball a lot. No surprise we won.

Pistons are bad though.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Great write up. As disappointing as the road trip was, it was great to see the Spurs get back on track with a win. I think a first round matchup with Denver might end up being closer than people think, so I’m still hopeful we rise to the 7 seed. I just don’t want to see the Spurs sneak into the first round only to be Warrior fodder again. It would nice to see us lose to someone else for a change.

I’ll be rooting for my Spurs though, and hope we can keep the playoff appearance streak alive.

[ZeusWillJudge]

How when the team is in the midst of a 7-0 run to finally regain a lead in a game that is still in doubt with White on the floor during the stretch run of the 4th quarter, Pop was about to sub in Patty, WTF! In fact I think the Pistons called a timeout to facilitate this self sabotage. I don't know if Ime or Becky dissuaded him or if Pop just woke the heck up but to have even considered it is scary, in a game that Patty was showing zero basketball IQ.


If Patty had come back into that game in place of White, the Spurs probably lose. It says a lot about White's confidence and leadership that he knew that, and wanted to stay in the game. It says even more about his game that he was able to steady the team down the stretch. He has come a very long way this season. It's not a matter of White having a good game anymore - he's legitimately good.

[Mugen]

:lol Patty is so bad at closing quarters, like I can't remember the last time he initiated a 2 for 1 yet Pop always has him in to close....

Didn't know about the minute restriction so I was pretty impressed when Pop was about to sub out his best player for Patty Fucking Mills to close the quarter, thinking he finally saw the light and was ready to tank the rest of the season but oh well....you'd also think that a HOF coach would know how to manage minutes to have his only perimeter defender close games but that's 2019 Pop for you....also pretty painful that DWhite had to defer offensively for most of the night to loser ball with Derozan and LMA.....

Normally, I'd be happy that Forbes might miss a few games and Lonnie gets some burn but it's probably just going to be Pop playing Dante at the 2 like we saw in the 4th, yep 2019 Pop alright....

Really hoping Ime or Ettore knows to play DWhite, and Poetl 30+ minutes next year no matter what and not have to hand out rotation minutes to losers like Forbes, Dante....

[jermaine]

I dont see why our closing unit isn't White, Demar, Gay, LMA, & Purtel....

[Mugen]

It's also pretty damn depressing to know that Patty will almost be a 100% guaranteed to get an extension whenever he's eligible, he's so fucking bad.

[Coach X]

Interesting change in the starting line-up. Going back to the classic Spurs structure.

Pop returned to the two bigs unit and almost completely forgot about the zone defense. Playing Poetl next to Aldridge secured the rebound and increased the defense in the paint. It helped the fact that the Pistons play 2 bigs as well, the same way OKC and Denver do usually. I can see Poetl staying as a starter for at least the next two games.

Playing Poetl next to Aldridge allows the team to have more chances for an offensive rebound which gives more time for the team to sprint back in the transition defense. Unless the opponent's PF and C run the court faster than Spurs, it guarantees a big can help out against the early offense. Poetl + Aldridge simultaneous presence on the court helps Spurs to protect the defensive rebound and increases the fastbreak opportunities.

You can throw all this by the window if Jacob doesn't play hard. Yesterday he did but sadly he's done just the opposite too often.

It's been already said here that Forbes injury improves the team defense as well. I'm eager to see the Spurs rotation next game. The two bigs unit +DeRozan+White clearly needs a shooter that can space the floor (also, you need to have an eye in the second unit). I'd go with Belinelli as he doesn't need a lot of ball on his hands to score and can play decent defense surrounded by White, Poetl and Aldridge. A secondary effect of starting Poetl is that Popovich can play the Gay+Bertans duo at the forwards. Them 2 + a Center makes a solid backup frontcourt in terms of defense and rebounding and they fit very well in the offense as well. Complete the unit with Mills + Beli/DeRozan and you can even play Cunningham 5-10' instead of Gay so Rudy can close the game. Let me highlight how much better of a defender and rebounder Davis is playing the SF rather than PF.

It looks a much more balanced team to me and strengthens the weakest area of the Spurs game: the defense. I'd go with it as long as they play teams starting two bigs.

[KDKSpurs24]

DDR took 13 shots only and passed the ball a lot. No surprise we won.

Pistons are bad though.
Well Pistons were 7-1 in their last 8 games and we were 1-7 so I appreciate beating a hot team for this win.

[KDKSpurs24]

Interesting change in the starting line-up. Going back to the classic Spurs structure.

Pop returned to the two bigs unit and almost completely forgot about the zone defense. Playing Poetl next to Aldridge secured the rebound and increased the defense in the paint. It helped the fact that the Pistons play 2 bigs as well, the same way OKC and Denver do usually. I can see Poetl staying as a starter for at least the next two games.

Playing Poetl next to Aldridge allows the team to have more chances for an offensive rebound which gives more time for the team to sprint back in the transition defense. Unless the opponent's PF and C run the court faster than Spurs, it guarantees a big can help out against the early offense. Poetl + Aldridge simultaneous presence on the court helps Spurs to protect the defensive rebound and increases the fastbreak opportunities.

You can throw all this by the window if Jacob doesn't play hard. Yesterday he did but sadly he's done just the opposite too often.

It's been already said here that Forbes injury improves the team defense as well. I'm eager to see the Spurs rotation next game. The two bigs unit +DeRozan+White clearly needs a shooter that can space the floor (also, you need to have an eye in the second unit). I'd go with Belinelli as he doesn't need a lot of ball on his hands to score and can play decent defense surrounded by White, Poetl and Aldridge. A secondary effect of starting Poetl is that Popovich can play the Gay+Bertans duo at the forwards. Them 2 + a Center makes a solid backup frontcourt in terms of defense and rebounding and they fit very well in the offense as well. Complete the unit with Mills + Beli/DeRozan and you can even play Cunningham 5-10' instead of Gay so Rudy can close the game. Let me highlight how much better of a defender and rebounder Davis is playing the SF rather than PF.

It looks a much more balanced team to me and strengthens the weakest area of the Spurs game: the defense. I'd go with it as long as they play teams starting two bigs.
I think it may have only been a situational starting lineup to match up with Griffin and Drummond so might not see it next game. But we shall see.

[$pursDynasty]

I dont see why our closing unit isn't White, Demar, Gay, LMA, & Purtel....
it should be but with Rudy having to carry our erratic bench unit at beginning of the 4th he isn't available at the end. He can't play full quarters anymore. If our bench had a legit slasher/scorer then it would be easier.

[vavvi]

I dont see why our closing unit isn't White, Demar, Gay, LMA, & Purtel....

Because 27 teams in the league are playing small ball and will torture LMA-Purtle pairing

[alamo50]

Great read.

[TDomination]

I dont see why our closing unit isn't White, Demar, Gay, LMA, & Purtel....
THIS

Patty, for a "vet", makes so many stupid plays. Dumb unnecessary outlet passes. Dumb shots early in the shot clock, careless ball handling.
He's fine for 2nd, 3rd quarter action. But please don't finish a game with him.

[Spurs Homer]

If I squinted my eyes hard enough...

I could almost see a fuzzy pic of a half-still great Timmy playing next to a healthyesque Splitter -

Once Forbes got injured - I squinted again and almost swear I saw a decent Spurs NBA team!

[ZeusWillJudge]

Because 27 teams in the league are playing small ball and will torture LMA-Purtle pairing


With Bryn/Patty/DDR on the floor, yes. But if Murray comes back next season playing D like he was before the injury, along with White, I think it will be a different story. With those four players on the floor, I think they can get enough out of DDR to be a pretty stout defensive unit.

[Maddog]

Forbes hit both of his three-point attempts. That alone is noteworthy considering he had hit only two of his previous 18 attempts from three-point land.

What's up with Forbes and Feb?
Last year he had a 1-20 Stretch in Feb, this year another stretch...

Also Looks Like DDR dips in Feb also....

[Truth4sale$]

Forbes is struggling, he is not used to this workload. He might need to go the bench and let DDRozan play shooting guard and start Qpon and see what he has. In a few spot minutes I have seen him, he hustles. Worth a shot

[Play Boban]

Start Poeltl........

[vavvi]

With Bryn/Patty/DDR on the floor, yes. But if Murray comes back next season playing D like he was before the injury, along with White, I think it will be a different story. With those four players on the floor, I think they can get enough out of DDR to be a pretty stout defensive unit.

Murray/White/DDR/LA/Poeltl is awful spacing on offense until Murray consistently hits 3s. A closing line-up with zero proven 3pt shooting is doomed in today's league.
On D teams like the Rockets would kill LA-Poeltl. I think we will be less optimistic about LA-Poeltl after the next game if Pop decides to roll with it.

[wildbill2u]

Poertl stepped up and played so well, I was upset when he wasn't on the floor. White is proving himself to be very dominant and cool as a closing player on both ends of the court. WE need him on the floor at the end and he delivered.

[ZeusWillJudge]

Murray/White/DDR/LA/Poeltl is awful spacing on offense until Murray consistently hits 3s. A closing line-up with zero proven 3pt shooting is doomed in today's league.
On D teams like the Rockets would kill LA-Poeltl. I think we will be less optimistic about LA-Poeltl after the next game if Pop decides to roll with it.


You're right about that. I think both of those guys can and will shoot a lot more and better from the arc next season. In the last half of the season, Murray shot about 40% from 3P. (He was 4-6 in the playoffs.) He didn't shoot enough of them to call it a trend, but I'm sure he's been working on it. White I would almost guarantee you will be shooting the 3 at least at an acceptable rate next year. I guess we'll have to wait and see, but I'll call it a prediction. If those two don't shoot the 3 better next year, you can come back and tell me you were right and I was wrong.

I think part of the key is that those guys will play good enough perimeter defense that other teams won't be making the obscene 3P% that we see around the league. If raining 3's is everybody's game plan, and the Spurs perimeter defense can blow it up, maybe the Spurs can once again start forcing other teams to adapt to them, instead of the other way around. It's hard to run players off the 3P line when you don't have interior defense to keep them from killing you in the paint afterward.

[TDomination]

Murray/White/DDR/LA/Poeltl is awful spacing on offense until Murray consistently hits 3s. A closing line-up with zero proven 3pt shooting is doomed in today's league.
On D teams like the Rockets would kill LA-Poeltl. I think we will be less optimistic about LA-Poeltl after the next game if Pop decides to roll with it.
Man DDR NEEDS to get his 3 pt game going. Would be a great weapon for him. If he wants to continue getting better as a player, the 3 pt shot is definitely next on the list for him. Besides defense of course but offensively speaking.

[ZeusWillJudge]

Man DDR NEEDS to get his 3 pt game going. Would be a great weapon for him. If he wants to continue getting better as a player, the 3 pt shot is definitely next on the list for him. Besides defense of course but offensively speaking.


I wouldn't hold my breath. DeRozan isn't going to become a good 3P shooter.

The things most fans don't pay attention to could fill a book. Over the years, 95% of Danny Green's 3P's have been assisted. He's such a shit ball handler, he has virtually no responsibility for anything but shooting standstill 3P shots. This year something like 82% of White's 3P shots have been assisted, because he's responsible for keeping the ball moving so much more. I guarantee you, if White could stand out on the arc and take the same wide-open 3's that Danny has taken his whole career, White would be shooting something much closer to the 40% that Danny has made over his career.

With Murray, White, and DeRozan all three available to move the ball, I expect White to get a lot more opportunities to drop out to the arc and shoot open 3's. And I totally expect him to make a higher percentage as a result. And for those who haven't been looking, White rounds out his stat line with steals and blocks a LOT like Danny did. I expect the comparisons between those two to increase as he settles in here. Danny is a little taller, but White can score off the dribble better now than Danny ever has in his career. I think that more than makes up for the height difference.

[tbdog]

If we are playing zone, then we should be able to get away with starting Poeltl.

[Chomag]

Not saying it's all on him but Forbes gets only 6 minutes the other team has only 93 points that's something to seriously discuss about at least.

[TDomination]

I wouldn't hold my breath. DeRozan isn't going to become a good 3P shooter.

The things most fans don't pay attention to could fill a book. Over the years, 95% of Danny Green's 3P's have been assisted. He's such a shit ball handler, he has virtually no responsibility for anything but shooting standstill 3P shots. This year something like 82% of White's 3P shots have been assisted, because he's responsible for keeping the ball moving so much more. I guarantee you, if White could stand out on the arc and take the same wide-open 3's that Danny has taken his whole career, White would be shooting something much closer to the 40% that Danny has made over his career.

With Murray, White, and DeRozan all three available to move the ball, I expect White to get a lot more opportunities to drop out to the arc and shoot open 3's. And I totally expect him to make a higher percentage as a result. And for those who haven't been looking, White rounds out his stat line with steals and blocks a LOT like Danny did. I expect the comparisons between those two to increase as he settles in here. Danny is a little taller, but White can score off the dribble better now than Danny ever has in his career. I think that more than makes up for the height difference.

DDR has shown zero interest in gaining a 3pt shot this year which is unfortunate. But it would be nice if he gained a mentality thinking that in order for this team to get better, he needs to gain a 3pt shot.

And White has already shown high bball IQ and great defensive qualities. I would love getting danny green back next year, but we'll see.

[ZeusWillJudge]

DDR has shown zero interest in gaining a 3pt shot this year which is unfortunate. But it would be nice if he gained a mentality thinking that in order for this team to get better, he needs to gain a 3pt shot.

And White has already shown high bball IQ and great defensive qualities. I would love getting danny green back next year, but we'll see.



DDR has shown zero interest his whole career in gaining a 3P shot. He's something like 28% for his career from 3P. But that didn't stop him from jacking up almost 300 of them last year. I agree it would be nice, but if it happens someone needs to build Chip Engelland a cathedral. I'd be happy if he just makes some progress on the defensive end.