Game Thread: Spurs @ Rockets - Oct. 16, 2019 @ 7:00 PM CT - Preseason Game #4

[timvp]

SpursTalk preview of this game and the season series between the Spurs and Rockets in general:

https://www.spurstalk.com/san-antonio-spurs-houston-rockets-2019-2020-season-preview/

The Rockets are broadcasting this game so it should be on League Pass.

[John B]

Thanks for the preview. We lose again this game, but could see the emergence of White. He’s due.

[GusT15]

Preseason Spurs Records

2002-03. 5-3
2003-04. 4-4
2004-05. 4-3
2005-06. 2-7
2006-07. 2-3
2007-08. 5-2
2008-09. 3-4
2009-10. 4-3
2010-11. 4-3
2011-12. 1-1
2012-13. 4-3
2013-14. 3-4
2014-15. 2-5
2015-16. 2-4
2016-17. 4-2
2017-18. 3-2
2018-19. 3-2
2019-20. So far 0-3,2 games left.

The Memphis game will probably ruin our perfect 0-5 and we will end at 1-4.
But it's only preseason.
Who cares that we're playing uninspired,incohesive,without a clear identity,bad basketball on both ends of the floor?
It's only preseason.

[look_at_g_shred]

^^^^^^ most of those seasons were with the goat though so.....

[r0drig0lac]

well...

[look_at_g_shred]

How many bricks does westchimp throw up? Over/Under set at 5

[Larry O]

Everyone gets up for the Spurs, preseason or not. The Rocketts could come out swinging and punch the Spurs in the mouth with a barrage of three pointers; Westbrook attacking the rim; Harden doing his fouling thing to get to the line, or a fast paced game with allyoop lobs to the basket to establish a big lead in the game. Or, on the other hand, the Spurs can make a competitive game out of it for a while until somehow,
they take their foot off the gas and fall behind. Unfortunately, I'm expecting another "L," but it's preseason. Perhaps on their final preseason game, they will treat it as though it were a regular season game and play more competitively to give them momentum going into the regular season. GSG!!!

[GusT15]

^^^^^^ most of those seasons were with the goat though so.....

Oh,i'm not delusional.
I know that the Spurs can't content without a Duncan or a Big3,or D-Rob,or even Nephew leading the way.

But we are playing bad basketball and it's showing both at losses and the way we're losing.
It's one thing to lack top end talent and know you can't win it all,and it's another thing to lack team identity.

Are we the good on offense/bad on defense team like last year?
Are we the team that takes midrange jumpers and limits 3pt shots?
Are we an ISO team that will play slow paced,half court sets?
Are we lacking in offense but have a tough defense?

Cause Beli shooting the ball whenever he feels like it,Mills not knowing where to pass the ball,static offense,slow rotating defense,DeMar running a play one time and standing in the corner for the next 3,Poeltl just being there,White being uncertain if he should shoot or pass and turning the ball over in the end,LMA shooting a 3 and never stepping out to the perimeter again,Murray driving on a packed paint,Forbes shooting more than he should have to cause everybody's just standing there,looking at him...

That's not a team with a basketball identity!
That's every Spur doing whatever he damn pleases.

And the season starts in a week!

[Dex]

Preseason Spurs Records

2002-03. 5-3
2003-04. 4-4
2004-05. 4-3
2005-06. 2-7
2006-07. 2-3
2007-08. 5-2
2008-09. 3-4
2009-10. 4-3
2010-11. 4-3
2011-12. 1-1
2012-13. 4-3
2013-14. 3-4
2014-15. 2-5
2015-16. 2-4
2016-17. 4-2
2017-18. 3-2
2018-19. 3-2
2019-20. So far 0-3,2 games left.

The Memphis game will probably ruin our perfect 0-5 and we will end at 1-4.
But it's only preseason.
Who cares that we're playing uninspired,incohesive,without a clear identity,bad basketball on both ends of the floor?
It's only preseason.

Even though it's less games to watch, I'm so glad we don't play 7-to-9 preseason games every year anymore.

[look_at_g_shred]

Oh,i'm not delusional.
I know that the Spurs can't content without a Duncan or a Big3,or D-Rob,or even Nephew leading the way.

But we are playing bad basketball and it's showing both at losses and the way we're losing.
It's one thing to lack top end talent and know you can't win it all,and it's another thing to lack team identity.

Are we the good on offense/bad on defense team like last year?
Are we the team that takes midrange jumpers and limits 3pt shots?
Are we an ISO team that will play slow paced,half court sets?
Are we lacking in offense but have a tough defense?

Cause Beli shooting the ball whenever he feels like it,Mills not knowing where to pass the ball,static offense,slow rotating defense,DeMar running a play one time and standing in the corner for the next 3,Poeltl just being there,White being uncertain if he should shoot or pass and turning the ball over in the end,LMA shooting a 3 and never stepping out to the perimeter again,Murray driving on a packed paint,Forbes shooting more than he should have to cause everybody's just standing there,looking at him...

That's not a team with a basketball identity!
That's every Spur doing whatever he damn pleases.

And the season starts in a week!
Those are things we aren't going to learn way into the season because well you know, Pop. He doesn't have a set lineup until the end of march imho

[RC_Drunkford]

Oh,i'm not delusional.
I know that the Spurs can't content without a Duncan or a Big3,or D-Rob,or even Nephew leading the way.

But we are playing bad basketball and it's showing both at losses and the way we're losing.
It's one thing to lack top end talent and know you can't win it all,and it's another thing to lack team identity.

Are we the good on offense/bad on defense team like last year?
Are we the team that takes midrange jumpers and limits 3pt shots?
Are we an ISO team that will play slow paced,half court sets?
Are we lacking in offense but have a tough defense?

Cause Beli shooting the ball whenever he feels like it,Mills not knowing where to pass the ball,static offense,slow rotating defense,DeMar running a play one time and standing in the corner for the next 3,Poeltl just being there,White being uncertain if he should shoot or pass and turning the ball over in the end,LMA shooting a 3 and never stepping out to the perimeter again,Murray driving on a packed paint,Forbes shooting more than he should have to cause everybody's just standing there,looking at him...

That's not a team with a basketball identity!
That's every Spur doing whatever he damn pleases.

And the season starts in a week!

B-b-b-but they are coached by the greatest coach of all time :lmao

Rockets by 30

[TDomination]

If Timmy sees something he doesn't like about the team, i truly hope he doesn't hesitate to tell Pop. And most of all, I hope Pop actually listens to Duncan.

[TDomination]

B-b-b-but they are coached by the greatest coach of all time :lmao
Well arguably he is the greatest coach of all time.

But sadly, he is well past his prime and its showing.

[GusT15]

Those are things we aren't going to learn way into the season because well you know, Pop. He doesn't have a set lineup until the end of march imho

Fair point.
But with the way the West is stacked this year,we may not have until March to figure things out.

That's why this preseason in particular has me worried.
What if the Kings start off well and we are 5 Ws behind them?
What if the Mavs click and are in front?
What if the Pels have the same record with the Spurs post Allstar break?

And keep in mind we have another 5 game road trip late in March and the hardest schedule in April...


2019-2020 Strength of Schedule
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EBzG0S4WkAASh5D.png:large

If we fall behind,it's not looking good.

[TDomination]

This matchup is where, IMO, having a Murray/White starting combo would help. And this is where Rudy Gay @ the 4 probably helps too but I could live with Poetle in the Starting unit if our backcourt D is shored up.

We will not outscore Houston. We definitely won't outshoot Houston.
But one thing Mike D'Antoni teams struggle with is any team that has a defense. Especially Westbrook and Harden. They begin getting flustered and start hoisting up out of rhythm shots.

I'm not saying White and Murray would shut down Harden and Westbrook but I can guarantee they would give them more fits than a Murray/Forbes, White/Mills combo.

Offensively speaking I'm sure would not be as fluid and spacing may be off. BUT, I would be willing to gamble that and hope that we get more transition points due to the D being on point.

And as far as the bench goes, if Poetle is starting, first off the bench FOR ME would be Gay/Forbes/Carrol then Walker with a sprinkle or 2 of Mills. Left out would be Marco.

[RC_Drunkford]

Murray and White should start against any team with 2 star players in the back court. So Dubs, Rockets, Blazers and maybe even Jazz are a perfect match up for that. Any team with their star player at SF, Carroll gotta start. That's just common logic.

[John B]

I don’t know why Spurs have to play “modern” basketball. Imo they should play their strength, which is potentially a better defensive team. It starts with Murray/White to control the flow. Aldridge can score on anyone down low. Demar can penetrate at will, and able to dish to an open player. White/Murray/Aldridge can hit open baskets and Poeltl can roll and put backs. I’m not better in coaching, but it seems like a simple game. Slow down the pace with defense and make Aldridge work the post.

[r0drig0lac]

I don’t know why Spurs have to play “modern” basketball. Imo they should play their strength, which is potentially a better defensive team. It starts with Murray/White to control the flow. Aldridge can score on anyone down low. Demar can penetrate at will, and able to dish to an open player. White/Murray/Aldridge can hit open baskets and Poeltl can roll and put backs. I’m not better in coaching, but it seems like a simple game. Slow down the pace with defense and make Aldridge work the post.

kinda agree, it makes no sense not to use the Murray / White combo against starting lineups when perimeter defense was the team's main problem
in the last season, the rest of the starting lineup (and bench) should be planned around Murray, White, Aldridge

[John B]

kinda agree, it makes no sense not to use the Murray / White combo against starting lineups when perimeter defense was the team's main problem
in the last season, the rest of the starting lineup (and bench) should be planned around Murray, White, Aldridge
The issue is no PG for the 2nd team. I know it’s not happening, but I think they should accelerate Spoon’s development. He is poised and has all the tools to become a pure PG with defensive skills, unlike Mills.

[r0drig0lac]

The issue is no PG for the 2nd team. I know it’s not happening, but I think they should accelerate Spoon’s development. He is poised and has all the tools to become a pure PG with defensive skills, unlike Mills.

yes, I understand, but I think solving our perimeter defense should be a priority right now (due to what happened last season, obviously)

[TDomination]

yes, I understand, but I think solving our perimeter defense should be a priority right now (due to what happened last season, obviously)
i would agree with that. we have many holes but if we can at least be a respectable defensive team, i would be happy and i'm surprised defensive minded Pop is not going for that.

[SAGirl]

Oh,i'm not delusional.
I know that the Spurs can't content without a Duncan or a Big3,or D-Rob,or even Nephew leading the way.

But we are playing bad basketball and it's showing both at losses and the way we're losing.
It's one thing to lack top end talent and know you can't win it all,and it's another thing to lack team identity.

Are we the good on offense/bad on defense team like last year?
Are we the team that takes midrange jumpers and limits 3pt shots?
Are we an ISO team that will play slow paced,half court sets?
Are we lacking in offense but have a tough defense?

Cause Beli shooting the ball whenever he feels like it,Mills not knowing where to pass the ball,static offense,slow rotating defense,DeMar running a play one time and standing in the corner for the next 3,Poeltl just being there,White being uncertain if he should shoot or pass and turning the ball over in the end,LMA shooting a 3 and never stepping out to the perimeter again,Murray driving on a packed paint,Forbes shooting more than he should have to cause everybody's just standing there,looking at him...

That's not a team with a basketball identity!
That's every Spur doing whatever he damn pleases.

And the season starts in a week!
Great post. Good summary with adequate dose of humor.

[SAGirl]

If Timmy sees something he doesn't like about the team, i truly hope he doesn't hesitate to tell Pop. And most of all, I hope Pop actually listens to Duncan.
I think TimmyD is at this point learning his own coaching style. I don’t expect him to rock the boat or anything yet, and probably not until he has to.

[RC_Drunkford]

i would agree with that. we have many holes but if we can at least be a respectable defensive team, i would be happy and i'm surprised defensive minded Pop is not going for that.

starting Carroll would improve that as well

[jermaine]

Will this game be televised or on league pass?

[RD2191]

ESPN asking who's more likely to miss the playoffs, Blazers or Spurs? :lol wtf

[r0drig0lac]

Jeff McDonald
@JMcDonald_SAEN
·
16 min
No DeMar DeRozan or Rudy Gay for Spurs tonight in Houston, for rest purposes. Second consecutive DNP for Gay. Will double-check to make sure there's nothing injury related there.

[SpurPadre]

Jeff McDonald
@JMcDonald_SAEN
·
16 min
No DeMar DeRozan or Rudy Gay for Spurs tonight in Houston, for rest purposes. Second consecutive DNP for Gay. Will double-check to make sure there's nothing injury related there.

Kawhi Leonarding already in the preseason?

[gambit1990]

spurs should move on from gay... gets injured too often...

[timtonymanu]

spurs should move on from gay... gets injured too often...

32 million for a guy who can’t even play a whole season :lol

[EasyMoney]

No demar and no rudy means more lonnie. Or... more Marco.

[poopbox]

No demar or rudy...lonnie better get 25 minutes tonight at least...

[ace3g]

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/971852605390336000/uA0TeMUO_normal.jpg (https://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN) Jeff McDonald (https://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN) (https://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN) @JMcDonald_SAEN (https://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN)




Spurs: Murray, Forbes, Walker, Lyles, Aldridge

[FkLA]

post a link faggots

[r0drig0lac]

Jeff McDonald
@JMcDonald_SAEN
·
1 min
Spurs: Murray, Forbes, Walker, Lyles, Aldridge

[SpurSpike]

Here is the rockets feed

http://nba4free.com/stream/hou/ (http://nba4free.com/stream/hou/)

[ace3g]

Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN
(https://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN) 1h (https://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN/status/1184602373316104193)
Rudy Gay has been dealing with a hamstring issue and is out tonight. DeMar DeRozan is out after bruising his chest against New Orleans. Neither serious, per Pop, although Gay's issue has lingered.

[KDKSpurs24]

Jeff McDonald
@JMcDonald_SAEN
·
1 min
Spurs: Murray, Forbes, Walker, Lyles, Aldridge
Hmm.. for some reason this choice of lineup makes things interesting since Poeltl isn't starting. Is this some kind of sign that he will consider Poeltl off bench?

[EasyMoney]

Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN
(https://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN) 1h (https://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN/status/1184602373316104193)
Rudy Gay has been dealing with a hamstring issue and is out tonight. DeMar DeRozan is out after bruising his chest against New Orleans. Neither serious, per Pop, although Gay's issue has lingered.




Fuck it. I consider this good news because this explains why he has half assed it thus far in the preseason

[BatManu20]

Season hasn’t even begun and Rudy’s already on the IR smh..

[FkLA]

:flag:

[r0drig0lac]

wow Murray and White

[Chinook]

Are we allowed to post links to pre-season games here or not? I haven't seen any legit links posted for any of the games this year.

[emanueldavidginobili]

Murray and White, woah

[emanueldavidginobili]

Lmao never mind

[r0drig0lac]

nice d by Murray on Westo

[FkLA]

Are we allowed to post links to pre-season games here or not? I haven't seen any legit links posted for any of the games this year.


Here is the rockets feed

http://nba4free.com/stream/hou/ (http://nba4free.com/stream/hou/)

Whats wrong with that one^?

[emanueldavidginobili]

Wow DJ pulling up on Capella very confidently and knocking it down

[Joseph Kony]

fucking westchimp wtf are you doing retard, its a preseason game

[emanueldavidginobili]

Again woah. Man if DJ really has a consistent jumper this season

[r0drig0lac]

great start

[Spurs fever]

Murray and Walker my niggas

[FkLA]

This team would be so much better if they just got rid of Mills and Belli. Don't even need to get anything in return. Addition by subtraction.

[TheRemix]

Murray looking good. Liked the mid range shot.
Lonnie is playing aggressive.
LA is doing what he does.
Forbes knocking down shots.
Looking good

[r0drig0lac]

Walker!!!

[BatManu20]

Offense looks the best they have all preseason. Interior Defense is horrible though..

[BatManu20]

Flop by sefalosha. Can’t stand him tbh

[RC_Drunkford]

How the fuck is this sucker Ryan Anderson back on the Rockets?

[Leetonidas]

Spurs looking good with space. What a surprise

[TheGreatYacht]

Poeltl doesn’t start and we actually look good offensively. Shocker. Welcome to 2019, Pop!

Also... Lonnie can’t be in the doghouse ever again

[RC_Drunkford]

This team would be so much better if they just got rid of Mills and Belli. Don't even need to get anything in return. Addition by subtraction.

Facts


Murray looking good. Liked the mid range shot.
Lonnie is playing aggressive.
LA is doing what he does.
Forbes knocking down shots.
Looking good

that's what happens when you play line ups that actually make sense

[FkLA]

Also... Lonnie can’t be in the doghouse ever again

He'll go back to being Belli's water boy after DePression returns. Guarantee it.

[Leetonidas]

Bryns defense has impressed me. Nothing special but he's gotten bodied up a few times and did a great job holding position and not fouling. I think he may have a real breakout year. He's absolutely oozing confidence

[RC_Drunkford]

Derrick White still passing up shots smh

[SpurSpike]

If there is one bad thing about the spurs silver and black colors its that i see multiple passes every year to the refs...

[Leetonidas]

These rockets announcers are horrible to listen to

[Spurs fever]

Marco lol

[r0drig0lac]

modern offense = 37 points #noDemar

[poopbox]

How Poeltl not see that pass from white coming a mile away

[BatManu20]

Poeltl with stone hands and Marco with the answered prayer.

That was our best quarter of the preseason by far. Rockets looking lazy on D though. Ready for the reg. season to start tbh.

[ducks]

Fuck China fuck China fuck China

[Dex]

Are we allowed to post links to pre-season games here or not? I haven't seen any legit links posted for any of the games this year.

People have been posting links in every thread during the preaseason, but that will probably have to stop.

I would recommend bookmarking all of them because some are spottier and others

[DJR210]

:lol Rockets announcers blaming pre-season on the lack of Rockets defense

[SpurPadre]

Flop by sefalosha. Can’t stand him tbh

I always wanted him to be a Spur, though. He could've been Bowen 2.0 for us. And never forget, he made TP his bitch for years.

[RC_Drunkford]

Poeltl doesn't have great hands. He had butterfingers in a couple of games this preseason. I hope at least his free throw shooting has improved. Looks like the same player from last year

[r0drig0lac]

Murray for three

[SpaceCoast Spursfan]

2 fumbles by Jakob, but need to play the White/Poeltl combination more. If Jakob can catch their pnr game can be very important

[BatManu20]

Crazy how much Murray his improved his outside shooting from 2 seasons ago. Love to see it.

[emanueldavidginobili]

DJ looks light years better than he’s ever looked.

[Dex]

Also, :lol Westbook with 3 fouls and 3 points in the first quarter. Looks like he is fitting right in

[Leetonidas]

Lol terrible foul call

[TheRemix]

dejounte pull up 3...nice

[Maddog]

Murray for three

Nice looking stroke...

[DJR210]

Murray's got a 3 now fellas :tu

[RC_Drunkford]

Dejounte is the real deal. Midrange, 3-pointers, assists, drives to the rim in transition. He gon be a monster by the end of regular season

[Dex]

Murray with 9 points already, including one three and a couple from mid-range.

Looks like he may have figured out that jumpshot

[SpurPadre]

Fuck Trump fuck Trump fuck Trump

FIFY

[SpurPadre]

Has Murray dunked in the preseason yet?

[RC_Drunkford]

Poeltl's follow through on free throws looks much better

[Dex]

:lol Chuckbrook loses the ball then bitches at the ref for a foul

[TheGreatYacht]

Anyone have a better link than the NBA4free one? PM

[DJR210]

FIFY

Fuck em both would be fixing properly

[Dex]

This game is a perfect example of why playing the Rockets is frustrating.

Houston is playing porous defense and really doesn't have any flow offensively...but like 55% of their makes are worth 3, so they are still right in the game. They just chuck away knowing that each shot is worth more.,

[poopbox]

does trey lyles do anything other than be tall enough to be an nba player

[r0drig0lac]

Murray is the man

[Leetonidas]

does trey lyles do anything other than be tall enough to be an nba player

He had a nice block earlier

[RC_Drunkford]

Poeltl would be so much better if he could actually post up. Had Gordon and Rivers on him and didn't know what to do

[jermaine]

Murray looking good

[Leetonidas]

Murray looking damn good

[Dex]

does trey lyles do anything other than be tall enough to be an nba player

He's been serviceable on defense tbh...but so far seems to provide nothing on offense. Doesn't even look to shoot.

Basically like Cunningham 2.0. Actually, at least Dante would toss up a 3 occasionally.

[SpurPadre]

does trey lyles do anything other than be tall enough to be an nba player

Austin Daye 2.0 tbh

[SpurPadre]

Murray looking damn good

Best player on the team, tbh. The leader, the hope, the star, the future, tbh.

[Leetonidas]

But yeah he's been unimpressive. Fuck Marcus Morris for making us trade Bertans only to end up with Lyles. Faggot

[Leetonidas]

Best player on the team, tbh. The leader, the hope, the star, the future, tbh.

:tu

The new HoTS

[Spurs fever]

DJ!

[Dex]

"Harden takes him to school"....and clanks the shot against Murray

[RC_Drunkford]

DJ schooling Harden

[Leetonidas]

HoTS flexing on Harden :wow

[r0drig0lac]

Harden is unreal

[gospursgojas]

Rockets commentators are horrible. “Harden scared the heck out of him”. Like harden scares anyone with his defense.

[Dex]

:lmao Aldridge just loves fucking over the Rockets

[Leetonidas]

LMAlpha going to work now

[poopbox]

Lost in all of the Dejounte shot is better now talk is just how ridiculously good his defense is...his defensive IQ is also through the roof...

[Dex]

Don't be fooled...Walker has played very good defense against Harden. Stayed in front of him, keeps a hand in his face, hasn't fallen for his tricks or been lured into cheap fouls.

You aren't going to stop Harden from scoring at this point, you just have to try to make him earn it like Bowen always did against Kobe...that's a great sign for Lonnie.

[Down Under]

Lonnie is a good man defender. Him & Dijon should eliminate 18 footers off the dribble though...

[SpurPadre]

But yeah he's been unimpressive. Fuck Marcus Morris for making us trade Bertans only to end up with Lyles. Faggot

Morris is up there in bitch-madeness along with Load Management, tbh.

[KDKSpurs24]

Lost in all of the Dejounte shot is better now talk is just how ridiculously good his defense is...his defensive IQ is also through the roof...
He's been gambling a lot for steals in this preseason and coming up short but I feel like he will regain his feel (and timing) of the game on defense and start having those breakaway steals again. I'm excited.

[Spurs fever]

I'll need to get me a Murray jersey

[FkLA]

-IB looks like the real deal
-Pop playing Belli over Lonnie is criminal
-DeRozan can GTFO

[BatManu20]

Pops rotations tonight have been pretty on point tbh. Minus the Belli for Lonnie sub, which didn’t last very long. For the first time all preseason.

[KDKSpurs24]

Don't be fooled...Walker has played very good defense against Harden. Stayed in front of him, keeps a hand in his face, hasn't fallen for his tricks or been lured into cheap fouls.

You aren't going to stop Harden from scoring at this point, you just have to try to make him earn it like Bowen always did against Kobe...that's a great sign for Lonnie.
I agree and I hope Pop sees this. The only thing I hate for Walker is when he is missing his semi-contested midrange jumpers because I know Pop is gonna use that against him to justify playing Marco (which clearly shouldn't be the case regardless).

[TheGreatYacht]

Murray and Aldridge love playing in Houston :lol

Great game so far from us. No complaints aside from wanting to watch Keldon over Marco.

[GusT15]

Much,much better shot selection than previous games,playing to our strengths,better picks and better ball movement.Good stuff.

Defensively you can't really draw conclusions because of the moronic Houston offense (26 3s already) but at least personal defense looks more focused.

Regarding Houston,if Westbrook keeps shooting like last year from 3 their ceiling lowers considerably.

And DJ Murray,i just hope he stays healthy for his career,he is destined to be the best defensive guard in the League.

(See,i managed to go through an entire post without saying even a word on how better we look without DeMar!)
(Ah shit....)

[KDKSpurs24]

-IB looks like the real deal
-Pop playing Belli over Lonnie is criminal
-DeRozan can GTFO
I respect how unbiased you're being. I hope Walker's defense is catching Pop's eye. And you should have put White on this list because he's playing well tonight.

[RC_Drunkford]

Don't be fooled...Walker has played very good defense against Harden. Stayed in front of him, keeps a hand in his face, hasn't fallen for his tricks or been lured into cheap fouls.

You aren't going to stop Harden from scoring at this point, you just have to try to make him earn it like Bowen always did against Kobe...that's a great sign for Lonnie.

was about to say this. Very good defense from Lonnie, he just has to get better at getting through picks. Also missed some bunnies on offense due to bad bounces, he looks legit out there just needs some consistent minutes

[Dex]

Much,much better shot selection than previous games,playing to our strengths,better picks and better ball movement.Good stuff.

Defensively you can't really draw conclusions because of the moronic Houston offense (26 3s already) but at least personal defense looks more focused.

Regarding Houston,if Westbrook keeps shooting like last year from 3 their ceiling lowers considerably.

And DJ Murray,i just hope he stays healthy for his career,he is destined to be the best defensive guard in the League.

(See,i managed to go through an entire post without saying even a word on how better we look without DeMar!)
(Ah shit....)

I know it's just preseason and there aren't a lot of conclusions to be drawn...but so far, Westbrook has shown exactly why he doesn't fit Houston in this game.

Terrible shooter from three, but very willing to chuck them up (which will only get worse). Loves to try to feast in mid-range (a no-no in Morey's system). Doesn't know what to do when the ball isn't in his hands. Gets chippy when things aren't going well, picking up cheap fouls on both offense and defense.

Houston is still going to be very good because they have two MVPs on their team which is enough to win against 80% of the NBA. But I fully expect a Westbrook meltdown to lose a playoff game or two for the Rockets, and that very well could be the difference for their season.

[timtonymanu]

Mills and Beli need to leave. And please for god sake don’t offer Demar the max.

[gambit1990]

32 million for a guy who can’t even play a whole season :lol
can't even play a whole preseason :lol

[ace3g]

https://twitter.com/MikeSGallagher/status/1184634268334489600

[Dex]

Damn :wow...Murray from about 30 feet, looked comfortable with it.

[Down Under]

I've said a few times, DD would make a really good 6th man - he'd obliterate 2nd units with his scoring & find shooters at will. Hopefully they're upfront with him at some point about the young guys being the future, he opts into his final year of his deal, then signs a shorter deal, even if it's for a higher amount (maybe not quite Lowry's annual :lol)

[KDKSpurs24]

Houston commentators are disrespectful as fk.

[Dex]

:lol Then DJ draws the 4th foul on Westbrook with 10-and-a-half left in the third.

[r0drig0lac]

the leader is the better player on the team

[timtonymanu]

https://twitter.com/MikeSGallagher/status/1184634268334489600

Wombat would have just kept his hands up while giving Harden a red carpet to the rim.

[Chinook]

Damn, might have to give DJM that $100 Million now. Could save a ton of money on the back end.

[r0drig0lac]

spurs 2.0

[timtonymanu]

Damn props to DJ. So fun to watch his improvement. If Walker can be consistent on defense and White fully gets out of his funk and plays like last year, the Spurs have some good defensive options. Ugh please Pop don’t mess it up with overplaying Mills and Beli. I’m not even gonna get into how good the team looks without Joker.

[BatManu20]

Damn Spurs looking good rn

[tim_duncan_fan]

Get you somebody that looks at you the way Forbes and Murray look at each other.

[SPURt]

Houston commentators are disrespectful as fk.
Seriously, one of my least favorites to watch, straight poop

[Chinook]

Damn, Trey looks like Cory Joseph and Kyle Anderson mixed together.

[Genovaswitness]

murray: 20 points

white: 6 points

LMAO :lmao :lmao :lmao

THE OLYMPIAN!!!!!! :lmao :lmao :lmao

[Mr. Body]

Even with White not playing well, the guard corps is a load. A lot of different looks.

[EasyMoney]

I'm ready to trade demar before they get on the plane tbh

[Dex]

Walker getting good shots, just not converting. Have to believe that will change over time.

Murray looks like a totally different player on offense.

Forbes shot still looking crisp and he can actually play some defense now too.

Houston commentators continue to be some of the worst in the biz, blaming "jet lag" on their teams performance.

[poopbox]

He's been gambling a lot for steals in this preseason and coming up short but I feel like he will regain his feel (and timing) of the game on defense and start having those breakaway steals again. I'm excited.

To me it's how you can tell he knows what Houstons sets are and the way he switches what side he shades Harden to based on the play Houston was running...

They ran this play where Harden came off a capella screen and DJ knew that Gordon was popping out to the left and so he just wouldn't let Harden get to his left to pass it to him...just single handidly ruined the play...

The problem though watching him do this reminds you just how not only bad but just how dumb defenders like marco, mills, and derozan are cause they could never hope to do something like that...

Hopefully he can rub off on Derozan...

[Down Under]

Lyles has great court awareness & is a good passer. It sucks he can't do much else :lol

[r0drig0lac]

I'm ready to trade demar before they get on the plane tbh

amem

[tim_duncan_fan]

I have seen enough. Sit DJM down. This game is meaningless.

[timtonymanu]

Damn, Trey looks like Cory Joseph and Kyle Anderson mixed together.

If only he played like a mix of them. Might have one hell of a player there.

[FkLA]

Such a massive improvement in a shot in such a short amount of time is crazy.

Nephew-esque. Hopefully IB doesn't end up fucking us over like that other faggot.

[Dex]

Lyles has gotten some really bullshit fouls tbh

[Leetonidas]

Such a massive improvement in a shot in such a short amount of time is crazy.

Nephew-esque. Hopefully IB doesn't end up fucking us over like that other faggot.

Luckily for us he can't ditch us to go home :lol

[timtonymanu]

“Offer Demar an extension. We won’t get any star players.”

But DJ has all that potential already right there.

[RC_Drunkford]

Murray and White should both play 30 or at least 25 minutes per night which means they should be on the court together occassionally

[SpaceCoast Spursfan]

murray: 20 points

white: 6 points

LMAO :lmao :lmao :lmao

THE OLYMPIAN!!!!!! :lmao :lmao :lmao

I thought White was fine in the 9 minutes he played.. 6pts, 3 reb, 2 asst should of been 4. Obviously Murray has been great, hopefully at some point Pop will actually put both on the court together

[Leetonidas]

Spurs should just trade Demar to the Lakers for Green and Kuz tbh

[Dex]

White's shot looks totally off right now :(

[Genovaswitness]

I thought White was fine in the 9 minutes he played.. 6pts, 3 reb, 2 asst should of been 4. Obviously Murray has been great, hopefully at some point Pop will actually put both on the court together

I looked up and saw white brick a shot just now

[Leetonidas]

Aldridge skull fucking the Rockets

[RC_Drunkford]

To me it's how you can tell he knows what Houstons sets are and the way he switches what side he shades Harden to based on the play Houston was running...

They ran this play where Harden came off a capella screen and DJ knew that Gordon was popping out to the left and so he just wouldn't let Harden get to his left to pass it to him...just single handidly ruined the play...

The problem though watching him do this reminds you just how not only bad but just how dumb defenders like marco, mills, and derozan are cause they could never hope to do something like that...

Hopefully he can rub off on Derozan...

great observation. I guess that's an after effect of him being in the coaches meetings last season

[timtonymanu]

I thought White was fine in the 9 minutes he played.. 6pts, 3 reb, 2 asst should of been 4. Obviously Murray has been great, hopefully at some point Pop will actually put both on the court together

Get ready for a full year of this faggotry of fans rooting for one to fail over the other. So far Murray has proved me wrong On the things he needed to fix in his game and I’m giving him his props.

[poopbox]

marco and mills are the dumb and dumber of the nba

[gospursgojas]

I can’t wait for the same people who talked shit about how bad spurs are based on preseason games to say this good game is “just preseason”.

[FkLA]

Whatever shooting program IB is on, put White on it.

[timtonymanu]

marco and mills are the dumb and dumber of the nba

“B-b-but their culture. Does anyone else take players out for coffee or do a big balls dance after hitting a shot?”

[Chinook]

Spurs should just trade Demar to the Lakers for Green and Kuz tbh

Probably something like DMDR and Metu for Green, KCP and Kuz could work. Lakers will probably end up needing that third star, and DeRozan is probably the best they could afford.

[RD2191]

I hope White hasn't lost his shot a la Danny Green tbh.

[timtonymanu]

I can’t wait for the same people who talked shit about how bad spurs are based on preseason games to say this good game is “just preseason”.

Ehh it’s more like pop is pushing the right buttons right now. Not a guarantee he will stick with it. There’s still the Derozan issue and his obsession with giving Mills and Beli too much minutes.

[FkLA]

I'm so fucking tired of these two losers.

:pctoss

[timtonymanu]

I'm so fucking tired of these two losers.

:pctoss

“My sources say they’re playing less minutes. You basement dwellers are pathetic.” - T Pork

[Dex]

Did they just say "DeMarre Carrol 'trying to make the team'?"

God, the Rocket announcers really are fucking clueless.

[gospursgojas]

How does D’Antoni stay employed. Nothing has changed- it’s still just harden ISO for 20 secs and shoot.

[RC_Drunkford]

Carroll has looked terrible this game. Worse than Dante Cunningham bad

[FkLA]

This hairstyle looks better on White than the mohawk, tbh.

[SpurSpike]

Hope this game was a gamble the Spurs took for DDR contract talks. Spurs sat him and told him "lets see how the team does without you and we will negotiate from there..."

[gambit1990]

I can’t wait for the same people who talked shit about how bad spurs are based on preseason games to say this good game is “just preseason”.
preseason is always fluff.

this game doesn't change the spurs roster being DOA.

[Dex]

Austin Rivers with the flop. Sissy boy doesn't know what to do now that he isn't coached by his dad

[SpurSpike]

Looks like the Spurs are doing that thing where they all grow beards to bond lol.

[Dex]

Nice shot by White...looking much better this quarter.

[SpurSpike]

White has been the closer the last 2 quarters. Looks like hes getting the Manu role.

[FkLA]

White is lowkey having a solid ass game. Much more aggressive on both ends. :tu

Maybe IB balling out is lighting a fire under his ass.

[CGD]

Really liking the Poertl-White PnR action. Looks promising.

[Dex]

Pop is probably gonna break out the Austin Spurs this quarter...so win or lose, this game should go down as a victory. The rotation guys definitely getting the job done.

[RC_Drunkford]

White has been the closer the last 2 quarters. Looks like hes getting the Manu role.

surprising that it wasn't Mills. If it stays that way during the regular season that would be great

[CGD]

Spurs looking good with space. What a surprise

This pretty much

[SpurSpike]

Mills getting the Ledbetter role lol.

[Dex]

D'Antoni playing Harden late into the 4th while down 25 in a PRESEASON game....what an idiot

[Genovaswitness]

samanic looks great. way better than that fucking pussy bertans tbh

[Leetonidas]

Lol Metu fucking sucks

[BatManu20]

Mills stinking up the joint per par

[cool cat]

WTH is Harden playing 35+ mins down 20?

*my bad they took him out playing 34 mins.

[poopbox]

Bye Metu

[Leetonidas]

WTH is Harden playing 35+ mins down 20?

*my bad they took him out playing 34 mins.

So he can score 40

[Russ]

I hope White hasn't lost his shot a la Danny Green tbh.

In that case, he'll fail upward . . .

[Leetonidas]

Metu is the worst player I've ever seen in a Spurs uni

[FkLA]

Why the hell is Pop playing his closer with the young pups? :lol

[Dex]

Well, one thing we know is our scrubs suck

[Genovaswitness]

man I remember when kawhi would abuse macklemore on the reg. better days..

[BatManu20]

Our scrubs have let a 25-pt lead dwindle to a 10-pt lead... shameful

[EasyMoney]

Never seen bertans post up

[Dex]

Metu is the worst player I've ever seen in a Spurs uni

Dude is a waste. Has the body and tools of an NBA player but, unfortunately...he fucking sucks at basketball

[timtonymanu]

Bryn and Patty should have their contracts switched. FFS 50 million for a 3rd string tier PG

[cool cat]

Going to line up at Academy now for the championship gear...

[ZeusWillJudge]

The best thing about this game is Walker hitting 3's. It was only 2, but it's still a big addition. I liked White showing signs of life, especially with the steal and two blocks. If this team is going to make the playoffs, those two are going to be key.

[Dex]

The best thing about this game is Walker hitting 3's. It was only 2, but it's still a big addition. I liked White showing signs of life, especially with the steal and two blocks. If this team is going to make the playoffs, those two are going to be key.

*Murray

[BatManu20]

1184643108064989184

[Dejounte]

Imagine Murray and White reaching their full potential. Thats 48 minutes of great guard play. Will def put pressure on teams.

[SpurPadre]

Metu is the worst player I've ever seen in a Spurs uni

Ayres, Lavergne and Bonner say hi, tbh.

[acoelho1]

Murray just has that it factor that will propel him to be star. The guy is fearless and that one sequence with Harden just shows you his mental toughness that he's not intimidated and wants to proof that he's the best player on court. Nothing I've seen is all that surprising though since it was pretty clear that he had the tools to be great. He will have a huge year for sure.

Also, Walker has to play for his defense alone. I was really impressed with his tenacity on that end of the floor and his offense will only get better if he gets consistent minutes.

[Dejounte]

Looks like Lyles will be getting serious minutes this year...

Option 1
Starting
Dejounte/ DeRozan/ Carroll/ Aldridge/ Poetl
Bench
White/ Lonnie/ Gay/ Lyles/ Eubanks

Option 2 ( you can kinda see how Morris would have fit well with this one)
Starting
Dejounte/ Forbes/ DeRozan/ Lyles/ Aldridge
Bench
White/ Lonnie/ Carroll/ Gay/ Poetl

Option 3
Starting
Dejounte/ Derozan/ Lonnie/ Aldridge/ Poetl
Bench
White/ Forbes/ Carroll/ Gay/ Lyles

Option 4
Starting
Dejounte/ DeRozan/ Lonnie/ Lyles/ Aldridge
Bench
White/ Forbes/ Carroll/ Gay/ Poetl

[Dejounte]

Murray just has that it factor that will propel him to be star. The guy is fearless and that one sequence with Harden just shows you his mental toughness that he's not intimidated and wants to proof that he's the best player on court. Nothing I've seen is all that surprising though since it was pretty clear that he had the tools to be great. He will have a huge year for sure.

Also, Walker has to play for his defense alone. I was really impressed with his tenacity on that end of the floor and his offense will only get better if he gets consistent minutes.

Murray's reminds me of Nephew's rise.

And yes, Lonnie's defense was really good. He was in the right spots at all times. Very impressive

[SpursDynasty85]

These rockets announcers are horrible to listen to

+5000000×

[SAGirl]

Jeff McDonald @JMcDonald_SAEN
(https://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN) 1h (https://twitter.com/JMcDonald_SAEN/status/1184602373316104193)
Rudy Gay has been dealing with a hamstring issue and is out tonight. DeMar DeRozan is out after bruising his chest against New Orleans. Neither serious, per Pop, although Gay's issue has lingered.



Explains a little why Gay had been looking so slow...

[Chinook]

You just can't ask more from Murray at this point. Everything was working for him. It's not reasonable to expect him to do that against teams without terrible D, but he could go down a few pegs and still be an impact offensive player. The biggest change this year to me has been his added bulk. Two years ago, Murray was pretty much a PG defender only. He just didn't have the base to hold up against legit wings. From the outset this year, Pop has had DJM on guys like Butler, and Murray has held up well. Against LAC, there's a great chance that he's going to be the guy on Kawhi (since PG is a bit bigger and probably the one DeRozan will check unless the Clips play small), Harden and other star SFs. He's not quite the floor-spacer yet. (Contrary to popular belief, it's not based on 3P%) But he can get himself open looks from all over the court because he can convert whatever type of opportunity the defense gives him.

I hope Pop realizes Walker has to be in the rotation. Beli certainly has his benefits, but Walker's upside is amazing. Forbes is playing entirely too well to unseat at the moment, but the starting two-guard spot is Lonnie's eventual home. Harden isn't nearly the challenge to defend as people might think (you just have to be okay with him making some really inefficent shots and focus on not fouling and not giving up great threes by overhelping), but he's already at least as good as Simmons ever was on that end for the Spurs. He also played a pretty solid offensive floor game. He didn't shoot well, but it's clear he can get to so many shots most players just can't find an angle for. You add in solid D and good passing? I don't see how you can overlook him. He's not going to be perfect, but he seems like the guy you want running with Mills, White, Carroll/Gay and Poeltl. At least let him play himself out of the role. You can even disguise it as "saving Beli for the home stretch".

[DRob_50]

Metu is the worst player I've ever seen in a Spurs uni
By far the most awkward and raw player I’ve seen in a Spurs uni. That’s saying a lot considering we’ve had guys like Mengke Bateer, Uwe Blab & Dwayne Schintzius. Honestly, sometimes he looks like he’s never played the game before.

[r0drig0lac]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzbvMqu-1MA

[Dejounte]

By far the most awkward and raw player I’ve seen in a Spurs uni. That’s saying a lot considering we’ve had guys like Mengke Bateer, Uwe Blab & Dwayne Schintzius. Honestly, sometimes he looks like he’s never played the game before.

I think the worst part of it is his body language. He looks like the type who blames others aka Pop for his lack of minutes instead of actually working harder to improve.

[ginobilized]

Finally feels like there are some things to be genuinely happy about. Only took 4 games.
Hope Murray, White and Walker get to play together at some point. Poetl is great with the 2nd unit.
Might be close to the end of the #Metu movement.

[ZeusWillJudge]

*Murray


Heh. Yeah Murray. Walker hit 1 of 2, but I'm not sold on him doing that yet. I'm cautiously optimistic about Murray, though. Two each in 20 minutes of play is still a little light. The one thing I was hoping to see while it's still "just preseason" is those three youngs letting them fly.

Forbes still coughed it up 3 times in 22 minutes. That's not going to cut it. I think his D improved toward the end of last season. If he can keep knocking down 3's and defend, it will be enough - as long as he's not giving back everything good he does by turning the ball over.

[ginobilized]

Finally feels like there are some things to be genuinely happy about. Only took 4 games.
Hope Murray, White and Walker get to play together at some point. Poetl is great with the 2nd unit.
Might be close to the end of the #Metu movement.

[SAGirl]

-IB looks like the real deal
-Pop playing Belli over Lonnie is criminal
-DeRozan can GTFO
Agreed

[Amuseddaysleeper]

1184643108064989184

“Harden takes him to school”

God that commentator needed to stfu :lol

[SAGirl]

Much,much better shot selection than previous games,playing to our strengths,better picks and better ball movement.Good stuff.

Defensively you can't really draw conclusions because of the moronic Houston offense (26 3s already) but at least personal defense looks more focused.

Regarding Houston,if Westbrook keeps shooting like last year from 3 their ceiling lowers considerably.

And DJ Murray,i just hope he stays healthy for his career,he is destined to be the best defensive guard in the League.

(See,i managed to go through an entire post without saying even a word on how better we look without DeMar!)
(Ah shit....)
Definitely look better without DeMar. Spurs need to trade him.

[ZeusWillJudge]

You just can't ask more from Murray at this point. Everything was working for him. It's not reasonable to expect him to do that against teams without terrible D, but he could go down a few pegs and still be an impact offensive player. The biggest change this year to me has been his added bulk. Two years ago, Murray was pretty much a PG defender only. He just didn't have the base to hold up against legit wings. From the outset this year, Pop has had DJM on guys like Butler, and Murray has held up well. Against LAC, there's a great chance that he's going to be the guy on Kawhi (since PG is a bit bigger and probably the one DeRozan will check unless the Clips play small), Harden and other star SFs. He's not quite the floor-spacer yet. (Contrary to popular belief, it's not based on 3P%) But he can get himself open looks from all over the court because he can convert whatever type of opportunity the defense gives him.

I hope Pop realizes Walker has to be in the rotation. Beli certainly has his benefits, but Walker's upside is amazing. Forbes is playing entirely too well to unseat at the moment, but the starting two-guard spot is Lonnie's eventual home. Harden isn't nearly the challenge to defend as people might think (you just have to be okay with him making some really inefficent shots and focus on not fouling and not giving up great threes by overhelping), but he's already at least as good as Simmons ever was on that end for the Spurs. He also played a pretty solid offensive floor game. He didn't shoot well, but it's clear he can get to so many shots most players just can't find an angle for. You add in solid D and good passing? I don't see how you can overlook him. He's not going to be perfect, but he seems like the guy you want running with Mills, White, Carroll/Gay and Poeltl. At least let him play himself out of the role. You can even disguise it as "saving Beli for the home stretch".


Murray is still skinny, but he's definitely bulked up from where he was - and he looks much stronger. If you're right about him being assigned to Kawhi, and you probably are, that is going to be a real test of Murray's mettle. Your comment about spacing not being about 3P% though? It's not the only thing - but in this league, they way it's being played and called, somebody has to be a credible threat form the arc. More than one somebody.

With what Walker can do with the ball in his hands, he could get sent to the line a lot. But until he is a more efficient scorer, that's not going to happen. He can get a lot of shots, but some are better than others. If he wants to earn those minutes, it will be by playing more controlled and getting good shots, not impressive misses. Then he can add back more junk, and the defenders will bail him out with more trips to the FT line. He's got the making of a guy who can thrive at the line.

You mentioned running. I wouldn't mind seeing Pop calling for these young guys to jam it back down the other teams' throats. Maybe not D'Antoni ball, but often. Force the other teams to play some transition D.

[TDomination]

Definitely look better without DeMar. Spurs need to trade him.
Yup

And yet max extension is in the discussion smh

it just boggles the mind

[SpurPadre]

Definitely look better without DeMar. Spurs need to trade him.

Trade him back to Toronto for Siakam...

[daslicer]

1184643108064989184

I have said it for a while the guy Dejounte should model his game after is Gary Payton. His body build along with his athletic ability is similar to Payton's.

[ZeusWillJudge]

BTW - did anyone notice Murray talking smack to Harden on a defensive stop, and then taking it right at him for a score on the other end? One of my favorite moments of the night. Not just his attitude, but the fact that he backed it up with a score.

[SpurPadre]

BTW - did anyone notice Murray talking smack to Harden on a defensive stop, and then taking it right at him for a score on the other end? One of my favorite moments of the night. Not just his attitude, but the fact that he backed it up with a score.

Pop won't tolerate too much of that shit, though so I hope he cuts down on that, tbh. I mean, I'm sure he was provoked into it but Pop doesn't care.

[SAGirl]

Pop has to let players be themselves, Murray is not autistic and this team doesn’t have a leader. Let him be the guy he is, maybe he will be the leader the team needs

[SpurPadre]

Pop has to let players be themselves, Murray is not autistic and this team doesn’t have a leader. Let him be the guy he is

I agree but we have to face the fact that Pop won't budge from his philosophy about that stuff. I'm sure TD will be a good buffer about that, though.

[ZeusWillJudge]

Pop has to let players be themselves, Murray is not autistic and this team doesn’t have a leader. Let him be the guy he is, maybe he will be the leader the team needs

:tu

[SAGirl]

I agree but we have to face the fact that Pop won't budge from his philosophy about that stuff. I'm sure TD will be a good buffer about that, though.
Go Timmy D! I didn’t see anything he did as bad, hopefully Pop in his old age doesn’t catch everything going on ha ha. Thank God our leader is not an autistic guy with an uncle mouthpiece

[SpurPadre]

Go Timmy D! I didn’t see anything he did as bad, hopefully Pop in his old age doesn’t catch everything going on ha ha. Thank God our leader is not an autistic guy with an uncle mouthpiece

Murray's not an ass, either. For him to trash talk during a game is because he was provoked.

[KobesAchilles]

This game proved just how much Morris really fucked us over. We could’ve won the chip this year if he didn’t bitch out. It was like a domino effect that should’ve happened but never did. We sign Morris and then trade Belli. Lonnie gets minutes now that Marco is gone. We have legit size so we don’t have to play 2 bad defenders at once (like Patty and Marco or Patty and Forbes). White and Murray wreck the opposing teams backcourt while Morris, LMA, and Poetl take care of the tough dirty work. Lonnie and Patty bring that crazy uptempo game for the subs along with Poetl and White pick n rolls to free up shooter and get easy buckets at the rim.

My personal belief is that Morris’ words played a far bigger impact on Pop and RC than they let on. He said something along the lines of would you rather live in NY or San Antonio? That’s a real insecurity issue with the Spurs and may be the reason why the front office feels so strongly that they have to re-sign Demar. Just my two cents

[ZeusWillJudge]

Go Timmy D! I didn’t see anything he did as bad, hopefully Pop in his old age doesn’t catch everything going on ha ha. Thank God our leader is not an autistic guy with an uncle mouthpiece


Heh. Hammering the autist card tonight. I like it.


Murray's not an ass, either. For him to trash talk during a game is because he was provoked.


It looked to me like Harden just disrespected him by going in like he could have his way with the young kid at will, and the talk was just him letting Harden know it's not that way. That part really didn't amount to much. What I liked was that he had the stones to go right at Harden on the other end. It was his game that spoke the loudest.

It's a man's league, and if a guy like Harden thinks he can bulldog you, you're in trouble. Harden is an MVP candidate, and everyone knows it. But Murry stood up and said that he's not going to be anybody's bitch. Everybody's entitled to their own opinion, but I liked seeing it.

[SpurPadre]

Heh. Hammering the autist card tonight. I like it.




It looked to me like Harden just disrespected him by going in like he could have his way with the young kid at will, and the talk was just him letting Harden know it's not that way. That part really didn't amount to much. What I liked was that he had the stones to go right at Harden on the other end. It was his game that spoke the loudest.

It's a man's league, and if a guy like Harden thinks he can bulldog you, you're in trouble. Harden is an MVP candidate, and everyone knows it. But Murry stood up and said that he's not going to be anybody's bitch. Everybody's entitled to their own opinion, but I liked seeing it.

I don't mind it, either, especially when everybody loves to pick on us for being "too nice" and "too classy". I take pride that we have that rep but we can't be pushovers either. Tired of that shit, tbh.

[timtonymanu]

This game proved just how much Morris really fucked us over. We could’ve won the chip this year if he didn’t bitch out. It was like a domino effect that should’ve happened but never did. We sign Morris and then trade Belli. Lonnie gets minutes now that Marco is gone. We have legit size so we don’t have to play 2 bad defenders at once (like Patty and Marco or Patty and Forbes). White and Murray wreck the opposing teams backcourt while Morris, LMA, and Poetl take care of the tough dirty work. Lonnie and Patty bring that crazy uptempo game for the subs along with Poetl and White pick n rolls to free up shooter and get easy buckets at the rim.

My personal belief is that Morris’ words played a far bigger impact on Pop and RC than they let on. He said something along the lines of would you rather live in NY or San Antonio? That’s a real insecurity issue with the Spurs and may be the reason why the front office feels so strongly that they have to re-sign Demar. Just my two cents

I really hope Morris has a career ending injury, tbh.

[SAGirl]

Heh. Hammering the autist card tonight. I like.
I actually liked Kawhi “the silent assassin” in the same sense I liked Timmy on the court. They were guys who don’t even acknowledge you but will beat you on the court. However after Kawhi screwed the team over, I have come to appreciate guys with a personality. Kawhi wasn’t a leader after all. Murray has the potential to be the whole package so I just hope Pop doesn’t expect him to be esperssionless on the court like Kawhi was.
I didn’t see anything that needs censoring. It’s not like anyone made a dirty play.

[vander]

I thought [hoped] that as he got older and thicker, Aldridge would start to bully guys in the post more and more. disappointing to see him still shooting fade-aways over much smaller defenders

[Fireball]

Finally a good preseason game ... Murray and Aldridge were great, White was solid imo ... he stopped the rockets run at the end of the 3rd. Walker was ok, Carroll looks like a bust though.

And please explain to me why Lonnie did not go to the FT line after that bs foul by Westbrook 1 minute into the game ...

[EricB]

Finally a good preseason game ... Murray and Aldridge were great, White was solid imo ... he stopped the rockets run at the end of the 3rd. Walker was ok, Carroll looks like a bust though.

And please explain to me why Lonnie did not go to the FT line after that bs foul by Westbrook 1 minute into the game ...

lol Carroll is a bust 4 games into preseason.


jesus fucking christ

[timtonymanu]

Oh look a TPork/EricBig sighting!

[Fireball]

lol Carroll is a bust 4 games into preseason. jesus fucking christ

you have anything else to say ... about the game perhaps?

[RC_Drunkford]

you have anything else to say ... about the game perhaps?

Don't pay him no mind, he's the guy with all the wrong inside information i.e. he follows a random dude on twitter

[DRob_50]

This game proved just how much Morris really fucked us over. We could’ve won the chip this year if he didn’t bitch out. It was like a domino effect that should’ve happened but never did. We sign Morris and then trade Belli. Lonnie gets minutes now that Marco is gone. We have legit size so we don’t have to play 2 bad defenders at once (like Patty and Marco or Patty and Forbes). White and Murray wreck the opposing teams backcourt while Morris, LMA, and Poetl take care of the tough dirty work. Lonnie and Patty bring that crazy uptempo game for the subs along with Poetl and White pick n rolls to free up shooter and get easy buckets at the rim.

My personal belief is that Morris’ words played a far bigger impact on Pop and RC than they let on. He said something along the lines of would you rather live in NY or San Antonio? That’s a real insecurity issue with the Spurs and may be the reason why the front office feels so strongly that they have to re-sign Demar. Just my two cents

Yeah Morris made that comment about how New York “embraces guys like him”. I thought that was the most telling statement he made, though not much was said about it. It suggested that he wasn’t excited about going to SA. It implied that he felt like the team’s image & culture and/or the city wasn’t a good fit for his personality or something along those lines.

It reminded me of a comment Derek Harper made back in the 90s when asked about why he reneged on an agreement to play for the Jazz.

[tmtcsc]

Y

I hope Pop realizes Walker has to be in the rotation. Beli certainly has his benefits, but Walker's upside is amazing. Forbes is playing entirely too well to unseat at the moment, but the starting two-guard spot is Lonnie's eventual home.

Walker needs to up his game and court awareness. He looks like he's floating out there sometimes. I agree he has upside and tremendous potential but outside of G & Summer League, he hasn't shown much. His defense is sub-par at the NBA level for the amount of athleticism he has. That needs to be his focus.

[Dex]

I thought [hoped] that as he got older and thicker, Aldridge would start to bully guys in the post more and more. disappointing to see him still shooting fade-aways over much smaller defenders

Aldridge did a lot more of that last season, especially down the stretch.

He's definitely going to always use that jumper to balance his game (and he should), but he doesn't need to be putting his body through bully ball in a meaningless preseason game. Save that for April and May.