Grades: Spurs @ Timberwolves - Nov. 13, 2019

[timvp]

https://www.spurstalk.com/grades-san-antonio-spurs-minnesota-timberwolves-november-13-2019/

tl;dr: Third loss in a row. Couldn't even blame Aldridge or DeRozan for this one. Pop could get some blame, though.

[Spurs fever]

First!

[joeyjfive]

First!

If you are going to make a useless comment like that at least thank him for the grades.

[Fireball]

while we are hoping for more minutes for both White and Murray Pop trots out Patty, Forbes and Belli together while the game is still in reach ... its puzzling

[tbdog]

I had my rant. Pop and staff needed to look internally. Also, I think the DD talks are for real.

[dbreiden83080]

while we are hoping for more minutes for both White and Murray Pop trots out Patty, Forbes and Belli together while the game is still in reach ... its puzzling

Murray has been awful with the minutes he gets.. Terrible..

[Fireball]

Murray has been awful with the minutes he gets.. Terrible..

you are right ... but if we want to compete defensively he has to be on the court ... if you know you get enough playing time you gamble less on defense to look for the big play ... he needs to learn on the court and not off

[Thunder1]

Thanx for the grades, sir..this may very well be what the team w/b this season..we may be in a rebuilding mode..if so, I'd like to see even more of our younger players get more playing time...I've seen enough of some of a few of the older vets..

[ragas]

Murray's lack of playmaking skill would worry me, if I were the Spurs GM. Or doesn't he want to pass? That would worry me even more.

People who wonder about Poeltl's defense: Who wouldn't suck if he had to play with Forbes, Belli & Mills on the court. Whatever you do, you can only lose.

[poopbox]

Murray has looked really bad 4 of the last 5 games but that is to be expected...he is still young and coming off a season lost to injury...I expect him to be up and down all season but I do expect in the long run he is going to pan out to be a great player...

It would be nice if San Antonio did something to build a modern nba team around him though...when he rebounds it and pushes the ball the only person consistently in the frame with him is Forbes...who stops at the 3 point line...as he should...

What if we lived in a world where we had Aaron Gordon on our team...a guy who would get out and run in transition with Dejounte...wouldn't that be something?

How Derozan get an A- when he is the one who pretty much made the play that killed what little momentum the spurs had? How do you get an A - for having the signature foul, tantrum, and tech that lost the game?

[BillMc]

Thanks as always OP.

[BillMc]

Murray has been awful with the minutes he gets.. Terrible..

Kind of wondering if he's ever going to have the handles or passing/instincts to be a great true point guard. He ain't that young anymore. Just like Jakob and Lonnie time to start showing us more.

[DPG21920]

I was pretty irate at that Derozan meltdown. As you said, it was a 2PT game than Emo Derozan struck. It was a selfish act and it sucked the life out of everything.

Also telling that Derozan & LMA played well yet led the team in negative +/-

[r0drig0lac]

the only way for an lineup with Demar/Aldridge to work and really fight against the best teams is with 3 elite 3&D in SL (ex: Brogdon/Danny/Demar/Covington/Aldridge), the fit around these guys is probably the toughest task in the league, Demar has a limited range and Aldridge a fickle engine.

[TDomination]

Murray looks young but he still shows flashes and that’s enough for me. Once he can get in control and know when to speed it up and slow it down he will be good.

that 4th quarter lineup though...ugh aggravating

[Slippy]

I was pretty irate at that Derozan meltdown. As you said, it was a 2PT game than Emo Derozan struck. It was a selfish act and it sucked the life out of everything.

Also telling that Derozan & LMA played well yet led the team in negative +/-

To me it says starting unit led by DJ and midget defender in Bryn ain't going to cut it

[Truth4sale$]

Thanks for the write up Timvp
I am not an advocate of load management but I think Murray might be pushing himself too hard, and the Spurs should sit him a game or 2. It definetley is time to shock the lineup if guys are not going to give any effort on defense. I know the "stars" will put but you put the best 5 guys who give you a chance to win. Right now, I dont know who these guys are, but if you have defensive issues, Derozan, Belinelli, Mills, Forbes are not in that discussion of your best 5. Great defenders need to know if they get beat, their will be help defense. Coaching staff needs to send a message, give the "stars", a night off and start the young players, including our gleague guys and see what happens.

[sananspursfan21]

Dammit, are the pundits actually right this year? Will these guys make the playoffs? I’m still confused how we’ve even won 5 games

[LaMarcus Bryant]

we're finished

mouse needs to post his nuclear explosion season over picture

[Mugen]

You're putting more effort into these Grades than the coach/players are putting towards the real thing tbh. :lol

[Mugen]

But yeah - it's the same shit as last year.

1 dimensional "shooters" being prioritized over guys that can (in theory) be much more stout defensively.

Bryn is what I thought he was a last year, a bench guy somehow masquerading as the 3rd most important player on the roster right now. He can give all the effort he wants but he's just way too limited physically to be any good on defense. Putting him on Wiggins to start the game was just another joke move by Pop in a season already chock full of jokes.

"...starting to become indefensible"?

That shit was indefensible years ago, they just don't have the talent to overcome his garbage decision making anymore.

[SpursDynasty85]

But yeah - it's the same shit as last year.

1 dimensional "shooters" being prioritized over guys that can (in theory) be much more stout defensively.

Bryn is what I thought he was a last year, a bench guy somehow masquerading as the 3rd most important player on the roster right now. He can give all the effort he wants but he's just way too limited physically to be any good on defense. Putting him on Wiggins to start the game was just another joke move by Pop in a season already chock full of jokes.

"...starting to become indefensible"?

That shit was indefensible years ago, they just don't have the talent to overcome his garbage decision making anymore.

I agree with you that Pop is very frustrating but I will give you what I think his reasoning is.

Spurs longterm and short term vision is to compete with veterans and transition to the future. If we were currently winning, it would seem like a resounding success. Now that we are not, it looks quite frustrating. We heard about Belinelli being traded over the offseason with no takers. I believe Pop wants to trade him to a contender and get at least a 2nd rounder out of it. He has to play him continously for a team to want him. Too bad Marco is done in todays longer, faster, stronger NBA. People believe Mills is a lifelong Spur. I sort of believe he is tradable in the right conditions, mainly same as Marco but because he is more of a offcourt asset to the Spurs, and his bloated contract makes teamms value him less, he is even more untradable but if the right trade idea comes through, I think Spurs gladly say goodbye. In a more deeper roster, Patty could still do a lot of damage. The rest of the vets like Gay, DeRozan, and Aldridge will be more than likely used until their contracts are up unless another can't say no offer rolls in. In the end, Belli and Mills are the biggest problems right now. Replace all their minutes with young guys and I think Spurs are in much better shape this year but makes them less valuable for a possible trade as well.

[wildcardX]

Murray looks young but he still shows flashes and that’s enough for me. Once he can get in control and know when to speed it up and slow it down he will be good.

that 4th quarter lineup though...ugh aggravating

I've said before the season that Murray will need the first couple months to get into basketball shape(getting in rhythm, building chemistry, etc.). Looked good in first few games so I guess the expectations got higher. I thought they would keep White at starter and let Murray work his way into things, especially with minutes restriction. The more puzzling thing is why have they not been playing DMC. He was the first player they went after in free agency, they must have had some plan for him.

[R. DeMurre]

"He also wasn’t exploited much on the defensive end."

That pretty much sums up DeRozan. He gets a grade of A- for scoring, but our expectations of him defensively are so low that he doesn't need to excel or (god forbid) be a defensive stopper on that side of the floor at all... as long as he isn't exploited a lot, he's forgiven. I for one am tired of seeing him lead the team in minutes, negative +/-, and terrible body language.

[SAGirl]

highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjbMwZujwzg&feature=onebox

Credit to the Wolves, they played well. Spurs will continue to struggle with Forbes and Lyles in the starting lineup tbh. Forbes is too much of a sieve. Lyles just cannot defend bigs who have an inside game or are crafty. Carroll would also struggle in the same situation so I don't think him in exchange for Lyles is the answer. Forbes will continue to score well but give up much more on defense.

[r0drig0lac]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EJWBptZVAAAA4W8?format=jpg&name=small

[Spurs Homer]

A little different perspective here...you really made my day - possibly my season


when you said -

the inept Golden State Warriors -


The rest of the season is just gravy! Thanks!

[ShutUp SayItAgain!]

"...starting to become indefensible"?

That shit was indefensible years ago, they just don't have the talent to overcome his garbage decision making anymore.

Yup. Emphasis on YEARS AGO

[BackHome]

Pop just need to take one for the team and tank for the next two years. Hopefully able to move LMA and DEROZZ for assets.

[phxspurfan]

I had my rant. Pop and staff needed to look internally. Also, I think the DD talks are for real.

Without DeMar we lose this game by 40. Common take, poor timing.

[spurs10]

I was pretty irate at that Derozan meltdown. As you said, it was a 2PT game than Emo Derozan struck. It was a selfish act and it sucked the life out of everything.

Also telling that Derozan & LMA played well yet led the team in negative +/-
Thanks for the grades OP!

Yeah, justified or not, the timing couldn't have been worse for that technical and was the beginning of the end.

The Beli 'couldn't hit the ocean' world tour continues to do damage. If Pop has been trying to show him off for a trade I'm afraid it's not working. I like the guy and the good news is he is bound to creep into the low 20% range before long, but 'Lord have mercy.'

[Arcadian]

Maybe Pop is actually tanking.

[wildbill2u]

Time to give up on the season and start playing the youngsters lots more minutes? That probably doesn't sit well with LMA and DDR so what do we do with them? We aren't in the greatest position to get a lot in return unless a team is absolutely desperate for players with their skills--and limitations.