Zach Lowe critiques Spurs' shot selection

[DC23]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/28313228/ten-nba-things-like-including-philadelphia-76ers-big-question

#2 on the list and a good read. Couple jabs at DeRozan, LMA, and Pop.

[R. DeMurre]

100% accurate. Aldridge especially seems the perfect candidate to shoot more threes-- he's tall & has a high release point that is nearly unblockable, and has a very good career mid-range and FT%. He's aging and not as fast as he used to be. But while Vucevic, Giannis, Brook Lopez, etc. have all expanded their games by adding the three, Aldridge stubbornly keeps taking shots one step inside the line. It makes absolutely no sense.

[DAF86]

We finished among the best offenses in the league last season with, more or less, the same shot selection.

[RC_Drunkford]

We finished among the best offenses in the league last season with, more or less, the same shot selection.

But not the same roster

[ceperez]

100% accurate. Aldridge especially seems the perfect candidate to shoot more threes-- he's tall & has a high release point that is nearly unblockable, and has a very good career mid-range and FT%. He's aging and not as fast as he used to be. But while Vucevic, Giannis, Brook Lopez, etc. have all expanded their games by adding the three, Aldridge stubbornly keeps taking shots one step inside the line. It makes absolutely no sense.

I agree. Every big... even Baynes ... is taking the 3. For no reason, Aldridge refuses to use it as a weapon. Does not make sense.

[spurraider21]

We finished among the best offenses in the league last season with, more or less, the same shot selection.
rudy's career high 40% from 3 wasn't sustainable (nor his is current career low, to be fair). lost bick dick bert and replaced with lyles who theoretically can shoot but just kinda flows around there like diaw but without the talent to make things happen

[spurraider21]

LOL

"Pounding the Rock" Just PLAGERIZED Zach's Blurg in his post

https://www.poundingtherock.com/2019/12/20/21031960/the-spurs-refusal-to-embrace-the-three-pointer-is-finally-hurting-them

Which one of you is Marylin Dubinski aka alamoaggie? DC23 (https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=54434)

https://twitter.com/alamoaggie08?lang=en


:lmao
how is it plagiarized if they credit and link to his article?

[spurraider21]

Would that get a passing grade as a College Paper? NO.

Dunno been 20+ years in since I was matriculating

I hear everything is now taught at an 8th grade level.

My grade for her is F
yeah if a student's entire paper is reposting and crediting another article, i would fail them too

but thats not plagiarism

[J_Paco]

100% accurate. Aldridge especially seems the perfect candidate to shoot more threes-- he's tall & has a high release point that is nearly unblockable, and has a very good career mid-range and FT%. He's aging and not as fast as he used to be. But while Vucevic, Giannis, Brook Lopez, etc. have all expanded their games by adding the three, Aldridge stubbornly keeps taking shots one step inside the line. It makes absolutely no sense.

His futher and steep regression on defense has been a huge issue as well. And the fact that our best three-point shooters are net negatives on defense.

[TimDunkem]

Lowe is right on this one. The Spurs don't take good shots, and the ones they do get aren't being converted at the same rate as last season. Regression to the mean?

[spurs1990]

LOL

"Pounding the Rock" Just PLAGERIZED Zach's Blurg in his post

https://www.poundingtherock.com/2019/12/20/21031960/the-spurs-refusal-to-embrace-the-three-pointer-is-finally-hurting-them

Which one of you is Marylin Dubinski aka alamoaggie? DC23

https://twitter.com/alamoaggie08?lang=en


:lmao


Eerily similar to what happen a few years back where the ESPN website copied off a message board poster's analysis of a Spurs series to write one of their paywall articles. Just things evening out.

https://deadspin.com/former-nba-coach-plagiarizes-spurs-message-board-for-es-5910612

[Coach X]

We finished among the best offenses in the league last season with, more or less, the same shot selection.
I think Aldridge's post ups during last season were deeper and he attacked the rim much more often. Could anybody look for stats supporting/denying this impression?

3 reasons for that opinion:
- Aldridge isn't fighting for a spot in the post as hard as last season did. Motivation? Age? other reasons?
- Opp. defenses know Spurs sets and they are adjusting in order to avoid LA to get the ball close to the paint. That's pretty obvius watching games and Popovich and assistants should have done something about it already.
- Spurs aren't calling plays for Aldridge as regularly as last season did. The team is playing a more varied offense and our young point guards aren't executing well enough (too many posessions end up in shots out of the motions). A more basic playbook run by DeRozan as PG was probably more efficient for the team.

Thinking of last season and the offense, I remember DeRozan driving and kicking out more often than this year. The lost of 3pt shooters in the 2019/20 roster has had a direct impact on this play though.



I whish scoring was as easy as just shooting more threes. I don't think Spurs offense would be better with Forbes and Belinelli shooting more threes per game. I think nobody is looking to the lack of ball movement (there is a stat about number of passes), patience, attacking the rim (not just the paint), etc. and those are reasons for the worsening of Spurs offense.

Anyway, the Spurs biggest problem this season has been the defense. The worst defense I remember in any Spurs team I've seen. Absolutely atrocious and embarrasing. I bet as soon as Spurs' defense improves, the offense will look better and well balanced.

[ZeusWillJudge]

I am so.damn.sick of people talking about how the Spurs are just a game out of the playoffs, when 8th place is 12-15. Is squeaking into the playoffs with a sub-.500 record a goal now? Because from where I sit, doing that with no realistic chance of advancing, is the worst possible outcome. And worst possible outcome should not be a goal.


"By the way: Opponents have blitzed the Spurs by eight points per 100 possessions with DeRozan and Aldridge on the floor. That is a horror show."

So what's the theory here? Next year they'll be older, but better? Maybe climb up to neutral, like last season? Trade them. Trade them now, and get some value from them. Because an average 8 point deficit is not value.

[poopbox]

We lost all of Davis 3's and replaced them with Demarre Carrol setting on the bench and Lyles 4 points per game

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Difference last season was the Spurs played way more through Aldridge in the low post ( after the first couple of months where they played through DDR ). It's obviously not ideal in 2019, but an engaged Aldridge is a legit offensive focal point. This season they're all over the place offensively and the severe lack of spacing is stifling everything, thus the worse percentages. I guess Pop wants the to run but this roster isn't suited to it.

[DMC]

ESPN’s Zach Lower

:lol

I said this days ago btw... in my LMA and DDR thread.

[DMC]

I am so.damn.sick of people talking about how the Spurs are just a game out of the playoffs, when 8th place is 12-15. Is squeaking into the playoffs with a sub-.500 record a goal now? Because from where I sit, doing that with no realistic chance of advancing, is the worst possible outcome. And worst possible outcome should not be a goal.


"By the way: Opponents have blitzed the Spurs by eight points per 100 possessions with DeRozan and Aldridge on the floor. That is a horror show."

So what's the theory here? Next year they'll be older, but better? Maybe climb up to neutral, like last season? Trade them. Trade them now, and get some value from them. Because an average 8 point deficit is not value.
I've been saying this then someone called for a new forum for tank supporters.

Just keep the bitch on life support until we cash the check. That's how some here play it. They just want to make the playoffs so they can say "23 in a row". Yay small happy hour talking points. I want to see either a real season with a legit shot or full blown lottery. Either means the team is moving forward instead of this slow death spiral.

[TimDunkem]

I've been saying this then someone called for a new forum for tank supporters.

Just keep the bitch on life support until we cash the check. That's how some here play it. They just want to make the playoffs so they can say "23 in a row". Yay small happy hour talking points. I want to see either a real season with a legit shot or full blown lottery. Either means the team is moving forward instead of this slow death spiral.

They say that now. Wait until LeBron and AD, or Kawhi and PG are dunking all over us in the first round to a 4-1 exit (at best), then they'll change their tune.

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

gotta milk the remnants of the duncan dynasty bc it aint gonna happen again. tank or no tank

[itzsoweezee]

We finished among the best offenses in the league last season with, more or less, the same shot selection.

I haven't looked at the stats, but I am almost certain that was largely attributable to the play of the bench, not DeRozan and his mid-range garbage. I'm ok with LMA taking that shot, but a guard not shooting threes is fucking stupid

[CGD]

Who hasn’t called this out? Old news.

It wasn’t unsustainable shooting last year btw: we had Berty and Forbes off the bench (not starting).

Oh, and F Morris and the Knicks.

[DMC]

gotta milk the remnants of the duncan dynasty bc it aint gonna happen again. tank or no tank

The remnants? Like what, Patty Mills?

[RC_Drunkford]

Who hasn’t called this out? Old news.

It wasn’t unsustainable shooting last year btw: we had Berty and Forbes off the bench (not starting).

Oh, and F Morris and the Knicks.

you don't watch any games do you? Forbes started 81 games last year + playoffs :lol

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

The remnants? Like what, Patty Mills?

records such as playoff streak which will mean something in the future, ie 15 years when the team is playing the lottery every other year and never getting close enough in the playoffs to sniff lebron jrs jock