Grades: Spurs vs. Thunder - Jan. 2, 2020

[timvp]

https://www.spurstalk.com/grades-san-antonio-spurs-oklahoma-city-thunder-january-2-2020/

tl;dr: Unfortunately coaching and unfortunately forbesing.

[spurraider21]

Forbes and Pop grades too high

[spurs10]

Great write-up. It would seem that every comment, everywhere, I've read has been discussing how lame Forbes was and how taking Walker out was just a horrible move. Of course, everyone is right. Walker was very impressive and Forbes playing was abysmal. I'm at a loss and back to my thinking 'are we trying to lose?' I expect to lose against the Bucks. As you said, a split would be killer though it's unlikely with the current rotations. Thanks again for the article, as usual!

[phxspurfan]

Lonnie is looking more and more like the black Manu Ginobili. Something that Pop took forever to get used to. Perhaps he needs to get used to the mistakes and crazy plays like he had to with Manu.

[R. DeMurre]

Yet another game where DeRozan leads the team in scoring and has the worst +/-. Take ten minutes away from DeRozan and five minutes away from Forbes and give them to White (+10) and Walker (+2) and the Spurs probably win this game. Again.

[Shakril]

Yet another game where DeRozan leads the team in scoring and has the worst +/-. Take ten minutes away from DeRozan and five minutes away from Forbes and give them to White (+10) and Walker (+2) and the Spurs probably win this game. Again.

This was definitly not on DeRozean. He was just unfortunate to be on the court with Forbes. He is the one who cost the Spurs this game..again. 29 mins and nothing to show for, while Poeltl has only 15 mins playing hard an briging something tot he table.

[KimmyGib]

No Belinelli, but Forbes with like 30 minutes. . Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Lol @ having both of these jokers.

[get_mills_out]

Team that plays its best players on the floor together runs circles around team that plays "fl:pop::pop:r spacers".

Shocked.

[RC_Drunkford]

Flopovich and his dumbass line ups cost the team another game. How many games did the senile grandpa throw now? 10? This team only has a chance if he finds a way to pull his head out of his ass and start the best players on the roster, which will probably never happen.

[r0drig0lac]

Forbes and Pop grades too high

[John B]

https://www.spurstalk.com/grades-san-antonio-spurs-oklahoma-city-thunder-january-2-2020/

tl;dr: Unfortunately coaching and unfortunately forbesing.
This was coaching. Spurs had the momentum and Pop plugged in Forbes and killed the momentum. I can’t really blame Forbes so much, although he could learn to take charge sometimes. But to expect him to guard a bonafide athletic scorer, is asking for trouble. Pop should’ve kept Lonnie in, should’ve called plays against Adam who’s in foul trouble. Murray is NOT a PG. Sorry as much as I like him, he’s a combo guard who can beat his defender. White should be the one setting up the offense. Timvp, you mentioned scouting. Yup I think it is what Spurs are missing whoever is doing the scouting. Pop doesn’t seem to know who he is matching his players. Messina? Udoka? Hmm

[ZeusWillJudge]

I don't know, LJ. Seems to me that scouting and in-game adjustments are about the most fundamental coaching requirements. And that's if we take those at face value. Do you really believe that Pop should need a scouting report to know that SGA is kinda good? Or that the only place Forbes could guard him is on an episode of Fantasy Island? But is there a high school coach in the country who couldn't have figured it out sooner, after watching SGA manhandle him over, and over, and over?
Jason Garret is still employed in Dallas, so I guess there's room for discussion over what coach has done the worst job in the current season. But there's still a lot of basketball left to play, and Pop is on pace to take over the #1 position, even if Garret somehow survives.

When his decisions are so bad that there is literally no explanation for them, g
ive the man an F. Minus.

[SAGirl]

Ughhh too much Forbes has been Pop’s problem for going on 3 years. It doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop unfortunately. One can only hope Walker continues to make play and stays healthy (less Forbes minutes).
:pop: “We are defensively challenged”

[daslicer]

Lonnie is looking more and more like the black Manu Ginobili. Something that Pop took forever to get used to. Perhaps he needs to get used to the mistakes and crazy plays like he had to with Manu.

When are we going to get the black Tim Duncan?

[Mugen]

:lol Giving Pop credit for "trying out Murray and White"

What a joke

[BackHome]

We played pretty good but once again coaching and Forbes killed us. I am beginning to think CIA Pop is doing a soft tank either way I am so looking forward to the draft. I also agree Murray is not a PG he does not have the skill set I always felt he should have just be put as a SG his mid and 3 ball has improved so I am thinking that he will continue to improve.

[Mugen]

The funny thing is that Pop's eventual retirement is actually going to make OP upset :lmao

[FkLA]

Imagine having an emerging, two-way, SG/SF star and closing with Brent Forms instead. :lol

This team would have 10+ more wins with a coach pulling the right strings, tbh.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

:pop: you gotta play so good that I'd be a fool not to play you, that's my philosophy; Bryn get in there!

[elbamba1]

I keep getting emails from a Spurs rep trying to get me to buy tickets for the rest of this year and next. I told him that I can't buy into this team with the rotations Pop is running. The fall back was that Pop is a championship coach and to trust the system. I just don't see how the team can't grasp that Pop is killing this team right now with his crap rotations. No season tickets for me.

[r0drig0lac]

:lol Giving Pop credit for "trying out Murray and White"

What a joke

unbelievable
Pop is the only coach in the league who would not have started these two together since day 1.
Pop is the only coach in the league who wouldn't have given Walker minutes since day 1 (even in contenders like 76ers, Bucks and Lakers, this kid would be playing 15-20 mpg before game 10).

[ZeusWillJudge]

Ughhh too much Forbes has been Pop’s problem for going on 3 years. It doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop unfortunately. One can only hope Walker continues to make play and stays healthy (less Forbes minutes).
:pop: “We are defensively challenged”


SAGirl - there were a couple of people maybe two seasons ago who were adamant that Aldridge would make 3's at a good clip, if he was taking them? The idea didn't get much traction here, as I recall. (Not that we have any influence.) So far, at least, it looks like they were right.

[BillMc]

Thanks OP

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

WTF is Pop thinking???!!!


Walker needs to be out there. Playing Forbes essentially the entire 4th quarter was one of the dumbest moves I've ever seen. OKC went right at Forbes and/or Mills when they were in the game. I don't understand not playing Carroll when Lyles is obviously limited in what he can bring. Walker needs 30+ minutes. Someone needs to tell Derrick White he's the only point guard worth a sh!t on this team and he needs to start playing with purpose, and Pop needs to hand the coaching keys to someone who wants to scout, wants to gameplan, wants to coach, and wants to pull their head out of their ass long enough to make even half-wit in-game coaching decisions.

Last night was another winnable game that Pop's ineptness has thrown away. Maybe he wants to make his successor look good...but he sucks this year. I don't know if Tim and Becky are just hanging out on the sideline, but someone needs to notice the obvious that all of us are seeing as fans and get the old man to act like he gives a fvck this season.

Got damnit.

[emanueldavidginobili]

It’s mind boggling that Forbes is the third leading player in MPG. I really can’t wrap my head around it.

It’s not even Forbes is fault I feel bad for the kid. He has no business playing the minutes he is on an NBA court, He went undrafted for a reason. He honestly tries really hard but he’s just limited and quite frankly sucks as an NBA player.

It seems like none of these assistant coaches have a backbone. Someone in this organization has to see that Forbes playing the 3rd most MPG is attributing to some of these losses. Imagine swapping Bryn’s minutes with Lonnie’s...smfh

[SAGirl]

SAGirl - there were a couple of people maybe two seasons ago who were adamant that Aldridge would make 3's at a good clip, if he was taking them? The idea didn't get much traction here, as I recall. (Not that we have any influence.) So far, at least, it looks like they were right.
There were times that the Spurs relied on LMA for a lot more paint scoring after Kawhi decided to sit out the season. Plus the team had paid out a ton of dough to Pau Gasol, who was a stretch center that could pass to him in the high/lo. Not defending those teams, just simply stating that him standing at the 3 point line back then wasn't as necessary as him looking to score in the paint. However, with this current team (and last season too) with Demar featured now and Murray next to him, asking him to shoot the 3 more definitely is a requirement.

[wildbill2u]

Can't win many games if your "shooters" Mills and Forbes go 2/17. I give credit to the Thunder defense which was taller and made them rush shots, but the dry spell in the 4th spelled doom. Forbes and Mills are both streaky shooters but unusual for both to turn up bad in the same game.

I'd rather watch Walker, Murray and White make mistakes and shoot poorly. At least we'd have expectations and hope for the future.

[phxspurfan]

When are we going to get the black Tim Duncan?

Dwight Howard? The Lakers already got him :depressed:

[phxspurfan]

Can't win many games if your "shooters" Mills and Forbes go 2/17. I give credit to the Thunder defense which was taller and made them rush shots, but the dry spell in the 4th spelled doom. Forbes and Mills are both streaky shooters but unusual for both to turn up bad in the same game.

I'd rather watch Walker, Murray and White make mistakes and shoot poorly. At least we'd have expectations and hope for the future.

bet they'd shoot better than 2/17. Hell, LMA's 3 point game looked better

[ZeusWillJudge]

There were times that the Spurs relied on LMA for a lot more paint scoring after Kawhi decided to sit out the season. Plus the team had paid out a ton of dough to Pau Gasol, who was a stretch center that could pass to him in the high/lo. Not defending those teams, just simply stating that him standing at the 3 point line back then wasn't as necessary as him looking to score in the paint. However, with this current team (and last season too) with Demar featured now and Murray next to him, asking him to shoot the 3 more definitely is a requirement.


Sigh. All I asked is if you were one of the ones who said that Aldridge could knock down 3's if he shot them. I was going to give you credit for seeing it coming. Must have been someone else.

[SAGirl]

Sigh. All I asked is if you were one of the ones who said that Aldridge could knock down 3's if he shot them. I was going to give you credit for seeing it coming. Must have been someone else.
I misunderstood your question. He is a fan of the long 2 and there have been several posters who have argued that just stepping back 2 -4 feet on many of his long shots would improve his efficiency. I can’t recall who brought this up either.

[Sugus]

Has anyone noticed that Lonnie's sudden minutes increase came right after he was asked by a reporter why he wasn't playing as much? Can't be a coincidence... When is a reporter going to ask why Forbes is playing so much, so Pop can give him some DNPs and act like it was his idea all along?

[RC_Drunkford]

Has anyone noticed that Lonnie's sudden minutes increase came right after he was asked by a reporter why he wasn't playing as much? Can't be a coincidence... When is a reporter going to ask why Forbes is playing so much, so Pop can give him some DNPs and act like it was his idea all along?

yup. Tom Orsborn is the sole reason why Lonnie is even getting minutes over Belinelli. Need to call out Senilovich more often tbh