What makes the spurs one of the worst teams this season

[BlackAndWhite]

Does anyone have a neutral analysis on why the spurs are under-performing and having humiliating losses. I remember last season the spurs had the same talent but went much further while this iteration of the spurs is significantly weaker. It seems like the Spurs are weak offensively but I'm not sure if that's the only reason.

[spurraider21]

marco has been too competitive

[spurraider21]

they blew the MLE on a guy that can't even crack the rotation

[BatManu20]

Lack of talent would be my first guess.

[dbestpro]

Pop has lost his damn mind.

[Genovaswitness]

the nutless coach that's probably going to talk about the impeachment probe after this hilarious loss? the fucktarded rotations he runs?

cuckold psycho depressed players like defrozen and LMA? as I type this demar bricked a 3 (0/3 this season btw) and then went on to brick the technical FT

zero regard was paid by the front office to roster construction. why the FUCK do we have lonnie if we're not playing him? what is carroll good for in his current role? derozan is 0/4 now

fucking retard pop is smiling and laughing right now and we're 0.500

[RD2191]

We're being led by a has been coach and 2 career losers in LMA and DD.

[mo7888]

LMA and DDR aren't a good fit unless you can surround them with 3 outside shooters capable of playing high level defense. Even if you could, LMA has digressed. Basically, our players don't compliment each other.

[Joseph Kony]

spurs were under .500 werent they, like 9-10 in the first 19 last year? we can only hope pop stops playing beli like he did Cunningham last year. but even this teams absolute ceiling is 8th seed / 1st round exit

[cjw]

they blew the MLE on a guy that can't even crack the rotation

Technically not. Which is why Bertans is off the team.

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

dejounte is pretty garbage tbh

[BatManu20]

Lack of talent and coaching this season. It’s that simple.

[Down Under]

The fit of the starters.

[itzsoweezee]

They have no shooting, their point guard is coming off ACL surgery and is still a year away from being truly healthy, they play a bunch of minus defenders a ton of minutes, they are not particularly elite at anything, ... I could go on

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Derozan and no 3 and D players

[Mugen]

they blew the MLE on a guy that can't even crack the rotation

Demarre hit 2 threes in the first half against the Celtics and hasn't sniffed the court since. :lol

[timtonymanu]

Lack of talent and coaching this season. It’s that simple.

[ZeusWillJudge]

We're being led by a has been coach and 2 career losers in LMA and DD.


And Beli. Don't you leave Beli out.

And Wombat. Beli and Wombat.

And Forbes' lack of defense. Definitely Beli, Wombat, and Forbes' lack of defense.

So that's Pop, and DDR, and LMA, and Beli, and Wombat, and Forbes' lack of defense.

[spurraider21]

Demarre hit 2 threes in the first half against the Celtics and hasn't sniffed the court since. :lol
marco felt threatened, so pop had to nip that in the bud

[Dhbsr555]

lets be honest we are lucky to be 5-5 somehow we lucked out and beat the trailblazers.. could of easily lost to the Knicks and the wizards. We could be 2-8 right now

[raybies]

i really feel it's the rotations... you can't preach defense and have so many weak links paired together. Pop is gonna have to start choosing what's more important, defense or his guys. One of Patty and Bryn should be out of the rotation or never be paired together. Belinelli needs to be out of the rotation. Demarre solves a lot but for some reason Pop is so rigid with what people's roles are. Dejounte and White should be paired more. If DJ doesn't play with white more now that his minutes restrictions is decreasing i don't know. White should not be playing 24 minutes a night when he is healthy. I don't care who's minutes you need to cut you need to do it. I know Pop loves 10 man rotations but maybe you cut it to 9 and play White and Murray more. Fat needs to be trimmed on this team. It's frustrating but if Pop could play Dante at 3 and 4 last year he can do it for Demarre. He's much better than we got now. Pop can be doing a lot more. Last year it took drastic measures for change and it sucks it's like that with him cause most of us see the obvious but changes need to be made.

[tim_duncan_fan]

Does anyone have a neutral analysis on why the spurs are under-performing and having humiliating losses. I remember last season the spurs had the same talent but went much further while this iteration of the spurs is significantly weaker. It seems like the Spurs are weak offensively but I'm not sure if that's the only reason.

Last year's team had all the same problems, minus a few clutch steals and rebounds from Dejounte:

1. Literally one guy on the team can shoot 3s with any consistency when it matters.

2. We couldn't defend Like Mike-aged Lil Bow Wow, let alone your average 2nd year first-round guard.

3. We can't stop anybody taller than 6'8 regardless of their skill level displayed against other teams+

4. Did I mention we can't shoot?

5. The team's "stars" are built differently from how they like to play and how they like to play is the least efficient way to play: long 2-pointers and never 3s.

6. The most promising guard on the roster is old enough to be an all-star and has the tools, but is hindered by a complex that leaves him far too hesitant to shoot the basketball.

7. Our cat-quick starting point ALSO has a deadly fear of shooting the basketball from range, so no points from him unless they are letting him in the paint uncontested.

8. Our best defenders are both 6'4 guards, but they never play at the same time.

9. Our coach has yet to develop any sort of scheme to maximize what the roster is good at and may have been coasting on a lucky draft pick from 23 years ago all this time.

[DMC]

Too many grey name players. Not enough bolds on the floor.

[r0drig0lac]

problem 1 - the person responsible for assembling the roster.
problem 2 - the person responsible for training this team.

[JADG79]

I vote for the impeachment of Pop.
A coach that doesn’t care about Team USA losing and now he is not care about the Spurs.
He like to talk about politics and he cannot do his own job right.

A liberal with a communist and dictator mind.

[tim_duncan_fan]

I vote for the impeachment of Pop.
A coach that doesn’t care about Team USA losing and now he is not care about the Spurs.
He like to talk about politics and he cannot do his own job right.

A liberal with a communist and dictator mind.

Worshipping retarded criminals that wear Chinese-made red hats with dumb catch-phrases won't make the Spurs win games. Fuck off, Jimbob.

[DAF86]

Spurs don't have the same talent as last year. They are missing their best on/off player from last season. I know many ignorants didn't realize the impact of Bertans but it is showing now.

[MoSpur02]

Lack of defense and too many turnovers. Maybe Murray doesn't deserve to be in the starting lineup.

[ZeusWillJudge]

:pop: "The other teams just make more shots than us. It's really not that hard to figure out."

[heyheymymy]

Derozan seems like a cancer that has spread through the locker room

[C-Dub]

In order: LMA, Rudy, Pop and Marco.
LMA has no court awareness, touch around the rim, court vision, basketball instinct or passion for the game. All he has is a pretty smooth midrange jumper nowadays every once in a while.
Rudy has no BBIQ at all especially for a player his age, no hustle and seems to me his body is braking.
Pop want get over himself at all anytime soon, he want play LW4 because the fans want it right now but it has to happen on his terms to be in control.
Marco has the gansta lean syndrome on all his shots for no reason other than he made a few of them during a hot streak but is really messing up his shot right now but it's a habit now therefore his shot is M.I.A. and his defense is not acceptable and that's putting it lightly.

Brighter days coming in a few years:
Luka, DJM, LW4, KJ, White and maybe Quindary.

[Slippy]

Getting Derozan put this team on the wrong track . Said this last season. Kawhi You really screwed the team in so many ways and it's still happening to this day. Pop is invested in Demar unfortunately.

This season pop has to own it. The roster construction, through to rotations. From prioritizing spacing over defense and talent . It all falls on pop.

[Chinook]

A combination of age and inexperience. LMA and Gay just can't bring it every night (at least, they aren't giving that indication). DeJounte and White haven't reached that point where they can make consistently good plays the vast majority of their time out there. DeRozan is in the middle where he doesn't have much of an excuse to be inconsistent. And to be fair to him, he's probably been the most consistent of the team's "Big Five". He gets blamed for a lot of things that aren't his fault, but he also hasn't stepped up to be the driving force he was at times last year. Until at least three of those guys figures out how to get it done on a nightly basis, none of the other things will do anything.

But yeah, there are schematic issues on both ends. Lyles has caught up to what Pop wanted him to be, but Beli has yet to reward Pop's faith. Offensively, Pop needs to run more plays, especially plays to get three-point looks for guys who aren't Forbes or Mills. Spacing is NOT based on three-point percentage. It's based on the reputation of the guys playing off the ball. Even if Murray and Aldridge are now decent shooters, they won't improve spacing unless they SHOW it. They need to do more than just run various iso's with the SL. Defensively, Pop needs to give the guys out there basic principles and have them follow those rigorously. There's way too much confusion over things like picking up players in transition and switches.

[BlackAndWhite]

I think Gay's body is falling apart but for Aldridge, I'm skeptical his age has really caught up with him. Right now his play is similar to how he played in his first two seasons which isn't an indictment of physical decline. I agree with you that the schematic isn't optimized for the team. The players simply do not fit together and it results in players like Derozan getting blamed even though he's playing ok

[tbdog]

No identity is my issue. It does not look like LMA team anymore. And Pop is not utilising DD like he did last season. White and Murray take turns, whilst Forbes, Mills, and Beli have the green light to just shoot. This is what happens when you don't have a clear offensive schemes. Spurs use to be a well oil'd machine. Now I don't know what we will get.

[vander]

Bertans

Also, Marco and Forbes were shooting better from behind the arc

Also, Both LMA and Derozen want to dominate the ball, but now we bring back Murray to run point, and he ain't doing it so well. He should just feed LMA/DDR and play D

[raybies]

No identity is my issue. It does not look like LMA team anymore. And Pop is not utilising DD like he did last season. White and Murray take turns, whilst Forbes, Mills, and Beli have the green light to just shoot. This is what happens when you don't have a clear offensive schemes. Spurs use to be a well oil'd machine. Now I don't know what we will get.
Haven't seen anybody mention it, but with the current roster construction and these two "stars" we have... they need to play more two man game in the starting lineup and let everyone feed off them. They both need the ball and need each other to score. I agree its identity indeed. You got pop running plays for Forbes on the three and he's chucking almost every time he gets it. Then you got Murray trying to establish himself and calls his number. Offense needs to be more focused attack. Pop likes to let his teams figure it out but it would help to be more like Miami where everyone knows there roles. Pop honestly needs to coach more. For example players rushing shots at the end of the clock are partly his fault no matter what the players experience level is. You got a lot of new players from different systems... He needs to remind everyone every play what he wants. Team is running reckless out there. Pop needs to establish himself. This isn't the big 3 that made your job easy. This team is a lot of work. Can't preach defense then play so many weak links on D and say the defense is terrible or soft etc. Feel like Pop is putting people in positions to fail. Mills guarding all stars. Demar vs LA was another... He was getting abused by LeBron all game and he did nothing to help. Pop has to assert himself. This team needs to be put in a position to succeed tbh These stars are not all time greats. They have glaring weaknesses that need to be covered better.

[itzsoweezee]

No identity is my issue. It does not look like LMA team anymore. And Pop is not utilising DD like he did last season. White and Murray take turns, whilst Forbes, Mills, and Beli have the green light to just shoot. This is what happens when you don't have a clear offensive schemes. Spurs use to be a well oil'd machine. Now I don't know what we will get.

This is definitely true. No one seems to know what their role is. This is not the 2014 Spurs, who could have different guys take over different nights/plays without issue.

Also, this team does not have the personnel to be a dynamic offense. They should just focus on the defensive side and hope for the best.

[RC_Drunkford]

the problem is that the coach and GM don't realize the roster ain't talented enough. Pop probably thinks it's a mental/motivation issue not realizing that the team simply lacks talent

[raybies]

the problem is that the coach and GM don't realize the roster ain't talented enough. Pop probably thinks it's a mental/motivation issue not realizing that the team simply lacks talent
nah man we have talent.. it's just not being used properly

the talent argument is weak

[Stabula]

DeRozan

[spurs10]

I vote for the impeachment of Pop.
A coach that doesn’t care about Team USA losing and now he is not care about the Spurs.
He like to talk about politics and he cannot do his own job right.

A liberal with a communist and dictator mind.
Your English is probably better than my version of your language, but Pop could care less if you don't like what he has to say about the piece of shit about to be impeached in the White House. The Orange Imbecile is not fit to be in office and most people with an IQ in triple digits would agree with that.

However with regard to basketball, he is not sticking around because he thinks he's going to win a championship. He'll likely retire after the Olympics and he'll probably have a gold medal to show for his efforts. This team just started the season and aren't very good. It's just the way it is. Watch another team if you are offended by Pop's politics, but I hate to tell you everyone in the NBA thinks Fat Nixon is is an abomination. Every coach and 99.9% of the players. Anyone who likes Plump can go fuck themselves and start watching NASCAR.

[dbreiden83080]

LA looks washed up..
Murray has done nothing this season..

[dbreiden83080]

the problem is that the coach and GM don't realize the roster ain't talented enough. Pop probably thinks it's a mental/motivation issue not realizing that the team simply lacks talent

Well we are still recovering from losing maybe the best player in the league.. Not exactly a small loss. Imagine if Tim had gone to the Magic? Lean years would have followed.. And in Tim's career we got lucky with Tony and Manu. 2 guys not projected to be All Star Players when drafted..

[ZeusWillJudge]

A combination of age and inexperience. LMA and Gay just can't bring it every night (at least, they aren't giving that indication). DeJounte and White haven't reached that point where they can make consistently good plays the vast majority of their time out there. DeRozan is in the middle where he doesn't have much of an excuse to be inconsistent. And to be fair to him, he's probably been the most consistent of the team's "Big Five". He gets blamed for a lot of things that aren't his fault, but he also hasn't stepped up to be the driving force he was at times last year. Until at least three of those guys figures out how to get it done on a nightly basis, none of the other things will do anything.

But yeah, there are schematic issues on both ends. Lyles has caught up to what Pop wanted him to be, but Beli has yet to reward Pop's faith. Offensively, Pop needs to run more plays, especially plays to get three-point looks for guys who aren't Forbes or Mills. Spacing is NOT based on three-point percentage. It's based on the reputation of the guys playing off the ball. Even if Murray and Aldridge are now decent shooters, they won't improve spacing unless they SHOW it. They need to do more than just run various iso's with the SL. Defensively, Pop needs to give the guys out there basic principles and have them follow those rigorously. There's way too much confusion over things like picking up players in transition and switches.


Hasn't the formula always been to put some older/experienced guys on the roster to sort of guide and stabilize the young talent?

The overall talent level on this team is low. What talent is there, Pop is mismanaging. That's a bad combination. And for all of his bullshit talk about drinking wine together, and long walks on the beach, there is no chemistry here. Last year (before Kawhi), the Clippers were much shorter on talent, but the chemistry on that team was obvious. They played for each other, and they over-achieved. The GOAT coach hasn't done anything that puts this team in that class. I'm willing to concede that he did great things in the past. But there's no denying that he isn't getting anything special out of this squad. Isn't that what being the GOAT coach is all about?

[r0drig0lac]

when you watch Raptors vs Clippers (or Jazz, or Bucks, or ... Grizzilies, etc.), and look at these teams from the point of view of athletics, versatility and hardness, you realize that the Spurs and their president of basketball operations simply stopped in the time.

[UZER]

marco felt threatened, so pop had to nip that in the bud

He also nipped Bud in the bud. That dude should be our coach right now, but noooooooo, the old man refuses to walk away and give up the reins.

[Fireball]

- two fading stars
- two young PGs who are way too inconsistent to take over the lead role
- Poeltl regressing instead of improving in his second year
- Belli sucks while Patty and Forbes are just too small in this league - Forbes has talent but you cannot teach length

overall it is indeed talent ... teams with much less experience and playing time together are wupping our butts just because their individual talent surpasses ours by far

[Fireball]

- two fading stars
- two young PGs who are way too inconsistent to take over the lead role
- Poeltl regressing instead of improving in his second year
- Belli sucks while Patty and Forbes are just too small in this league - Forbes has talent but you cannot teach length

overall it is indeed talent ... teams with much less experience and playing time together are wupping our butts just because their individual talent surpasses ours by far

[Genovaswitness]

In 2019 trump is a better president than pop is a coach T B H

[TimDunkem]

One 3pt shooter, too many poor defenders, no switchable bigs, no true starting caliber sf, no depth at the big positions, not enough athletes, an outdated system, our "stars" are regressing chokers who don't shoot the 3, awful home crowd, our PG is out of control 90% of the time, and truly awful coaching might have something to do with it.

[ginobilized]

Why did Messina and Udoka leave? Did they see the writing on the wall? Has Pop lost his coaching and people skills?

What a pathetic start to the season. They look so disconnected from each other and from flat out competing.
Carroll seems like the perfect gritty 3 & D guy yet never plays. It's getting hard to care as a Spurs fan.

Not cliff-jumping yet, but, looking at other teams to watch this season. There are some good ones.

[couchman]

We are terrible on Defense.
Like really really bad.
I don't even know the stats, but to my eyes this is the worst defensive team we've had in decades.

[spurspl]

there is only one right answer: keeping pops streak alive instead of getting into rebuilding/reloading mode after kawhis trade.

[objective]

In addition to the bad coaching (worst of Pop's career) and player declines/underperforms of Aldridge, DeRozan, Poeltl, Rudy ...

Front office mistakes are coming home to roost.

The team has had only 2 concrete avenues to improve the roster: the MID-LEVEL exception and the draft.

They've blown the MLE two summers in a row. They initially were using it to get Carroll, who just isn't playing. And Marco last year was a terrible signing and he shouldn't ever play. Lyles doesn't happen without Bertans getting traded, so not what I would consider a straight MLE deal. Just because he starts like bogans doesn't mean like Lyles is doing great either.

Then they draft the opposite of their signings. They sign 'win now lol' guys in their 30s like Marco and Carroll, but draft developmental guys. They could have drafted an NBA ready shooter like Huerter over Lonnie, and Huerter was better than Marco before he ever played an NBA game. They could have drafted Thybulle or Clarke over Samanic. Clarke just shot 2-2 on threes on his way to 14 & 8 in 18 minutes against the Spurs. Maybe he's not 'ready' to perform in the deep playoffs, but he's more than ready to beat on mediocre and bad teams like San Antonio.

Spurs were trying to have it both ways and are losing big. Can't 'win-now' when the washed up guys you sign play like washed up tragedies or not at all ... But also don't want to replace them with young draft picks because the young guys 'aren't ready' or need years of development or maturity or whatever.

If the team had decided on 'compete now because Pop deserves it, no rebuild for Pop!' as it seems they did with DeRozan and the signings etc, then they also needed to draft NBA ready players to blend in with goal.

[TimDunkem]

In addition to the bad coaching (worst of Pop's career) and player declines/underperforms of Aldridge, DeRozan, Poeltl, Rudy ...

Front office mistakes are coming home to roost.

The team has had only 2 concrete avenues to improve the roster: the MID-LEVEL exception and the draft.

They've blown the MLE two summers in a row. They initially were using it to get Carroll, who just isn't playing. And Marco last year was a terrible signing and he shouldn't ever play. Lyles doesn't happen without Bertans getting traded, so not what I would consider a straight MLE deal. Just because he starts like bogans doesn't mean like Lyles is doing great either.

Then they draft the opposite of their signings. They sign 'win now lol' guys in their 30s like Marco and Carroll, but draft developmental guys. They could have drafted an NBA ready shooter like Huerter over Lonnie, and Huerter was better than Marco before he ever played an NBA game. They could have drafted Thybulle or Clarke over Samanic. Clarke just shot 2-2 on threes on his way to 14 & 8 in 18 minutes against the Spurs. Maybe he's not 'ready' to perform in the deep playoffs, but he's more than ready to beat on mediocre and bad teams like San Antonio.

Spurs were trying to have it both ways and are losing big. Can't 'win-now' when the washed up guys you sign play like washed up tragedies or not at all ... But also don't want to replace them with young draft picks because the young guys 'aren't ready' or need years of development or maturity or whatever.

If the team had decided on 'compete now because Pop deserves it, no rebuild for Pop!' as it seems they did with DeRozan and the signings etc, then they also needed to draft NBA ready players to blend in with goal.

Stop that makes too much sense. Pop has to do things his way cause "5 rings fgt". Don't question the almighty Poop.