Our completely inability to hit from outside will be a big problem

[Amuseddaysleeper]

6-25 and it didn’t even feel like we were shooting below average. Forbes is the only decent shooter and in today’s NBA you’re gonna need at least 3-4 strong shooters and we barely have 2 at the most.

Losing Bertans hurts but hopefully SA can get another pair of shooters asap

[GAustex]

Mills and Beli are not earning their playing time against reasonable competition.
White needs some more 3s maybe.
There is just not much there.

[BlackAndWhite]

Trey lyles need to shoot way more later into the season. Otherwise we don't have another shooter except for Forbes

[RC_Drunkford]

3s? This team can't even shoot 2s

[r0drig0lac]

our inability to generate open looks against elite defenses

[Mugen]

You're just drinking the Sniffer kool-aid for why Derrick/Dejounte aren't playing together tbh.

[TheRemix]

I honestly feel like they could be attempting more shots. I've been seeing them pass up open looks just so LA or Demar can do a dumb mid range fadeaway

[Chinook]

Trey lyles need to shoot way more later into the season. Otherwise we don't have another shooter except for Forbes

Rather, Lyles needs to be on the bench. The SL doesn't need a non-shooter who passes the ball and plays okay defense. It never did. That's why I haven't been the fan of him there than other people are. This isn't the type of roster where there are a lot of shooters but no one to set them up. They need pure spacing because their stars can't even space for each other. Yes, had Morris been on the roster and starting, the SL would have everything it needed. But he's not, and merely slipping a much worse player in his place (WITHOUT a competition unless you couldn't Poeltl starting, which was never going to be a real thing for the whole year) isn't the solution. And it's weird because the team got Carroll theoretically with a plan for him to be in the rotation, and somehow not having the guy who would have most taken his minutes means DMC has even less of a role. It's bonkers.

I''m not cliff-jumping. The Spurs will figure something out, and Aldridge will likely wake up in a few weeks. Murray will hopefully get off his minutes restriction too. But I am just amazed that Pop can keep a guy like Beli in the rotation because he knows the team needs shooting but then try shit like Poeltl/Aldridge or playing Lyles or not making guys like LMA, Murray and DMDR shoot more threes. At least try the obvious things first.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Worst constructed spurs team of the last 25 years.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

You're just drinking the Sniffer kool-aid for why Derrick/Dejounte aren't playing together tbh.

Not true, they absolutely should be playing together

Our defense is rough

[Mugen]

Rather, Lyles needs to be on the bench. The SL doesn't need a non-shooter who passes the ball and plays okay defense. It never did. That's why I haven't been the fan of him there than other people are. This isn't the type of roster where there are a lot of shooters but no one to set them up. They need pure spacing because their stars can't even space for each other. Yes, had Morris been on the roster and starting, the SL would have everything it needed. But he's not, and merely slipping a much worse player in his place (WITHOUT a competition unless you couldn't Poeltl starting, which was never going to be a real thing for the whole year) isn't the solution. And it's weird because the team got Carroll theoretically with a plan for him to be in the rotation, and somehow not having the guy who would have most taken his minutes means DMC has even less of a role. It's bonkers.

I''m not cliff-jumping. The Spurs will figure something out, and Aldridge will likely wake up in a few weeks. Murray will hopefully get off his minutes restriction too. But I am just amazed that Pop can keep a guy like Beli in the rotation because he knows the team needs shooting but then try shit like Poeltl/Aldridge or playing Lyles or not making guys like LMA, Murray and DMDR shoot more threes. At least try the obvious things first.

You seem like a smart guy. Why would this still amaze you? :lol

[sananspursfan21]

3s? This team can't even shoot 2s

Kinda where I’m at with it.

[K...]

Worst constructed spurs team of the last 25 years.

Did you sleep through 2017¿ no point guard, fathead at sf, pau gasol.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Did you sleep through 2017¿ no point guard, fathead at sf, pau gasol.

Parker green kawhi LA Gasoft. Is a better starting line up than the shit theyre trotting out now, and that's saying something. Kawhi just quit that year

[TD 21]

Bertans was a loss this team couldn't afford and as much as they're better off with Murray and splitting Forbes/Mills, as well as cutting back on Belinelli's minutes, the one downside is it means they're starting 1 shooter and playing 2 off the bench. Last season, they may have only started 1, but they'd play a good amount with 2-3 and sometimes 4.



Rather, Lyles needs to be on the bench. The SL doesn't need a non-shooter who passes the ball and plays okay defense. It never did. That's why I haven't been the fan of him there than other people are. This isn't the type of roster where there are a lot of shooters but no one to set them up. They need pure spacing because their stars can't even space for each other. Yes, had Morris been on the roster and starting, the SL would have everything it needed. But he's not, and merely slipping a much worse player in his place (WITHOUT a competition unless you couldn't Poeltl starting, which was never going to be a real thing for the whole year) isn't the solution. And it's weird because the team got Carroll theoretically with a plan for him to be in the rotation, and somehow not having the guy who would have most taken his minutes means DMC has even less of a role. It's bonkers.

I''m not cliff-jumping. The Spurs will figure something out, and Aldridge will likely wake up in a few weeks. Murray will hopefully get off his minutes restriction too. But I am just amazed that Pop can keep a guy like Beli in the rotation because he knows the team needs shooting but then try shit like Poeltl/Aldridge or playing Lyles or not making guys like LMA, Murray and DMDR shoot more threes. At least try the obvious things first.

Exactly. I don't get the crowd that seems to think he's played well. As I've said, they don't need a big man version of fathead; they need a bona fide sniper or at least a gunner willing to attempt to impersonate one. He used to be the latter, but in true Spurs fashion has inexplicably become 3 phobic.

I don't know if they will figure out something this time. Bertans was a massive loss. Maybe this is the year age finally catches up to Aldridge. After the Aldridge fiasco and Scumbag saga, the genius clearly decided he was too old for this shit, which is why he's been apathetic and enabled DeRozan's reverting to being 3 phobic.

Unless they trade for a starting caliber PF, they're going to have to start Gay and play him something like 28 mpg at some point, with Carroll primarily backing up.

It's all window dressing though. When your preferred starting 5 features an at best fringe rotation player and DeRozan having to defend the likes of Scumbag, James and even Davis, that says it all about the construction of the roster.

[itzsoweezee]

I've been saying this for a while. This team has zero chance to advance past the second round. Why not move DeRozan for an asset or two and see how these guys can do with no expectations?

[ElNono]

Don’t overlook the absolute shitty spacing and slow ball movement. Pop correctly preaches not to take contested 3s, but this team doesn’t move the ball quickly and well enough to get great looks. Bryn and Gay are probably the exception here, the former having a quick release and the latter having the size to shoot over people, but in general the offense gums up a lot and it’s hard to see clean looks.

[LongtimeSpursFan]

Three point shooting is overrated. Lakers were 6-24 and won with defense. The top 10 3 point percentage teams are not even playoff contenders. Wake me up when a three point shooting team besides GS wins a championship.

[tbdog]

our inability to generate open looks against elite defenses

We actually are generating looks and getting good shots. What we are not getting is creating a 3 off the dribble. It's not a bad thing (see Sixers, they have not hit a non assist 3 all season). But unless DD and LMA are not getting doubled team frequently,

[21209]

Player movement is poor, spacing is poor. What do you expect?

[monty4329]

Don’t overlook the absolute shitty spacing and slow ball movement. Pop correctly preaches not to take contested 3s, but this team doesn’t move the ball quickly and well enough to get great looks. Bryn and Gay are probably the exception here, the former having a quick release and the latter having the size to shoot over people, but in general the offense gums up a lot and it’s hard to see clean looks.

can't get consistent 3pt shooting without ball movement and spacing. That's why Pop still tries to salvage Beli's season. The offense is agonizingly static, therefore zero outside shooting threat.
And an inexperienced coaching staff too.

[Fireball]

OP stating the obvious ... go back to the Warriors forum ... obviously you are allowed to do game threads there

[Kurgan]

Even if we attempted more, we don't have the personal to make them. Absolutely terrible roster construction. What handicaps us even more is Pop telling those players that used to be three point threats on their previous teams to ignore that shot all together on the Spurs(LMA and Demar).

[R. DeMurre]

After six games, Derrick White leads the team in FG%, 3pt%, TS%, EFG% and PPS. And he's a better defender than DeMar, Patty, Bryn, or Marco.
DeMar's team ranking in those same categories is 5th, 8th, 8th, 8th, and 6th.

Not quite sure what the great mystery is here.

[itzsoweezee]

Popovich is going with last year's strategy of trotting out a shitty starting lineup and hoping a better than average bench will get some wins against trashy teams.

It's good enough for the regular season, but it's not going to produce anything other than a first round knockout in the playoffs.

[itzsoweezee]

Three point shooting is overrated. Lakers were 6-24 and won with defense. The top 10 3 point percentage teams are not even playoff contenders. Wake me up when a three point shooting team besides GS wins a championship.

Lol. Thanks, grandpa. This might be the dumbest take I've seen in Spurstalk, not to mention absolutely wrong.

[duncan2k5]

Popovich is going with last year's strategy of trotting out a shitty starting lineup and hoping a better than average bench will get some wins against trashy teams.

It's good enough for the regular season, but it's not going to produce anything other than a first round knockout in the playoffs.

That's a dumb strategy... That's like the warriors benching KD or Klay to prop up the bench... Sometimes the smart thing to do is the obvious... Start ur best players

[exstatic]

Parker green kawhi LA Gasoft. Is a better starting line up than the shit theyre trotting out now, and that's saying something. Kawhi just quit that year

That was his fake an injury 9 game season, so it hardly counts.

[DAF86]

This is where many folks will start to realize how valuable Bertans was. Not for nothing he was the Spurs' leader in BPM.

[cd021]

Beli's been awful and that has really hurt the 3pt percentage, he shot 39% on 5 3's per game last season.

Bertans is obviously missed, which also hurts, as well as Pop not starting Carroll who is a known 3pt bomber and from Atlanta- on has been an above average shooter.

The funny thing is White, Aldride and Gay are all shooting more 3 and the Spurs are still worse than last season at getting up up 3s-when they were dead last in that stat.

7-20 and 8-23 nights aren't going to cut it; either they need to strangle teams or get up a lot more, or some combination of the two, but it's the scariest stat thus far.

[monty4329]

Three point shooting is overrated. Lakers were 6-24 and won with defense. The top 10 3 point percentage teams are not even playoff contenders. Wake me up when a three point shooting team besides GS wins a championship.

There are 30 teams in the league. 16 go the PO. So according to your fine analysis, 16 of the 20 worse shooting teams go to the PO. And the 10 best don't.

Do you have a nephew you are trying to manage?

[mo7888]

Let's face it, the answer to our shooting problem at the 4 (and 3) isn't on the current roster. We have contracts we can package with a draft pick after December 14th. If we make a move the west is pretty open for us and if we don't then what we are seeing will continue.

[monty4329]

Beli's been awful and that has really hurt the 3pt percentage, he shot 39% on 5 3's per game last season.

Bertans is obviously missed, which also hurts, as well as Pop not starting Carroll who is a known 3pt bomber and from Atlanta- on has been an above average shooter.

The funny thing is White, Aldride and Gay are all shooting more 3 and the Spurs are still worse than last season at getting up up 3s-when they were dead last in that stat.

7-20 and 8-23 nights aren't going to cut it; either they need to strangle teams or get up a lot more, or some combination of the two, but it's the scariest stat thus far.

- The awful shooting % can only get better. We are just 6 games in, not the time to panic (yet)

- What is scary is thet there is reason for the bad %. The offense has zero movement. Besides the usual suspects DDR and LMA, Murray is exciting on his burst of energy but he is really not doing a good job as a point guard, in terms of offensive flow. Again, 6 games in, it will all improve.

A year ago we were losing by miles.

[Bojo]

- The awful shooting % can only get better. We are just 6 games in, not the time to panic (yet)

- What is scary is thet there is reason for the bad %. The offense has zero movement. Besides the usual suspects DDR and LMA, Murray is exciting on his burst of energy but he is really not doing a good job as a point guard, in terms of offensive flow. Again, 6 games in, it will all improve.

A year ago we were losing by miles.


Top notch analysis tbh.

[cd021]

- The awful shooting % can only get better. We are just 6 games in, not the time to panic (yet)

- What is scary is thet there is reason for the bad %. The offense has zero movement. Besides the usual suspects DDR and LMA, Murray is exciting on his burst of energy but he is really not doing a good job as a point guard, in terms of offensive flow. Again, 6 games in, it will all improve.

A year ago we were losing by miles.

-It will, largely as a result of Beli and Forbes improving to the mean but the attempts are fat more concerning. Taking 25 3's while 10 other teams are taking at least 10 more 3's a game. 24 teams are taking at least 30 attempts per game.

-Taking so few while others take so many increases variance so bad teams are able to play us closer and mediocre or good teams have advantage.

-I think Murray's play making has been fine, his turnovers have been something that he'll have to improve on but I've generally been pleased with his court vision.

[Dex]

We are once again in the bottom of the league in attempts and makes (next to last).

The difference is, unlike last year, we are 20th in percentage. I'm still hopeful we regress to mean percentage wise...but the lack of attempts is still a concern considering Murray, Aldridge, and DeRozan were all supposed to increase their attempts and we are still trotting guys like Beli out there purely for his shooting. If Pop benches Beli (which seems entirely likely if he keeps playing like he is), it's only going to dip further.

[baseline bum]

Three point shooting is overrated. Lakers were 6-24 and won with defense. The top 10 3 point percentage teams are not even playoff contenders. Wake me up when a three point shooting team besides GS wins a championship.

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/j-rT02ua2ea3yTz-HJI2p56WyMo=/0x0:1000x662/1200x800/filters:focal(453x144:613x304)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65271820/usatsi_7956015.0.jpg

[J_Paco]

Worst constructed spurs team of the last 25 years.

Isn't that the last two seasons y'all been bitching about????

I guess every year they don't win a title and have a roster flaw (like nearly every other team) that is obvious it be considered "the worst constructed roster ever...."

If Trey Lyles isn't going to shot three's then he needs to be removed from the rotation. Carroll or Gay can start at the 4 against most teams, but bigger lineups will be an issue with no true 3rd center.

Beli could regain his form, yet I think it'll be lost cause to continue going with a guy who is so porous on defense. I'm not sure if Johnson, Walker IV or Weatherspoon could consistently provide the needed outside shooting that Beli can (when he's on).

[313]

The Spurs rank second in the NBA in offensive efficiency (112.4 points per 100 possessions) despite ranking second to last in 3-pointers made (8.3 per game) and attempted (25.3). Another statistical oddity: San Antonio ranks second in rebounding percentage (53.7) despite the fact that a skinny point guard on a minutes restriction is leading the Spurs in rebounding, with Dejounte Murray (https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3907497/dejounte-murray) grabbing 8.6 boards in only 23.3 minutes per game. -- MacMahon

[RC_Drunkford]

The 3-point attempts don't worry me, Spurs are able to offset that by taking it to the rim a lot and having good midrange shooters. What worries me is the spacing on offense. In the playoffs team can easily play zone defense and force us to shoot 3s. I think Murray should increase his attempts, his 3-Point shot has looked good so far. Lyles starting to hit from outside would help too