Our future: White, Murray and Walker combine for 7pts.

[Bballplaya]

The so-called building blocks of the spurs franchise according to ST posters provided little offensive punch despite the absence of LMA. Posters have been demanding for the Spurs to move on from lma and derozanTo let the young ones show their stuff.
i guess yesterday showed Talents Exposed .!

[HarlemHeat37]

I agree with the posters wanting to see more of the young players, what's the point of not developing them? This team isn't going to make the playoffs.

However, as I and others have said repeatedly, none of the young players on this team are anything special, at all. They don't have a single player with star potential. Walker might become a notable player, but I'm only giving him the benefit of the doubt at the moment because we haven't seen enough of him to completely dismiss the possibility.

It certainly doesn't help that Pop built a weird team with stupid rotations, but I don't see any potential there.

[ZeusWillJudge]

So... three young players didn't score many points in a game? Got it.

[EasyMoney]

It was one game. Where were you when lamarcus scored 4 points earlier this season ?

[UZER]

Pop has these young dudes all confused. He has the old guy Carroll extra confused. Hell EVERYONE is just so confused right now, except Bryn.

[vander]

Oh no! if Spurs give more minutes to the young guys they might lose a lot of games?

That's terrible, much better idea to contend for the championship with LMA/DDR

[phxspurfan]

Walker is James White 2

[J_Paco]

I agree with the posters wanting to see more of the young players, what's the point of not developing them? This team isn't going to make the playoffs.

However, as I and others have said repeatedly, none of the young players on this team are anything special, at all. They don't have a single player with star potential. Walker might become a notable player, but I'm only giving him the benefit of the doubt at the moment because we haven't seen enough of him to completely dismiss the possibility.

It certainly doesn't help that Pop built a weird team with stupid rotations, but I don't see any potential there.

First, how can you assess that any of them are "special" if they've only played 2 or 3 seasons?

Second, again of course the Spurs "young core" isn't "elite" prospects when none were selected in the lottery.

Third, I think that people are high on them because they are young and could be good/great supplemental pieces if/when the team can find elite talent.

I think Walker might not be "special" (whatever the hell that means), but could potentially be a perennial all-star. People seem to forget he's had a topsy turvy season with no defined role (while playing a lot of SF).

[J_Paco]

Walker is James White 2

You realize James White saw little court time and wasn't nearly as young as Walker IV, right?

[Coach X]

The more the season advances the more I understand Popovich handling of Walker's developement.

Don't skip steps. That's one of the mantras in San Antonio and we can see the meaning of the sentences observing Murray and White performance this season.

I think Spurs expected too much from them both for this season but they're not ready to be the players the team needs. They're still young so mistakes and some inconsistency are allowed but above all, they should be playing much better after 45 games.
Everybody here blames Derozan because he's supossed to be our #1 player and it's true he hasn't delivered in the clutch but his overall performance is consistently good, the best in the team. What about Aldridge season? what about Murray and White? They've been even further from the level we expected from them.

I'd rather have Walker learning lessons through this season instead of having another case of Murray and White. Probably this way Lonnie becomes solid, which is mandatory before becoming great.

There is just one thing I admit as a valid excuse for Murray's case: he was told to be given the keys of the team as a PG but after a few games the deal was broken. Since then, I earrned the return to the starting line up but he never has been trusted as our PG in the clutch. He hasn't been given the chance of prooving himself for the role he was chosen. However, I can see where this mistrust has come from: he has been too insconsistent as PG in so many important moments in so many games. So I think this is 50% Pop's fault but 50% his fault.

Speaking of Pop, having dead weight Forbes next to them doesn't help Murray and White at all. That's 100% on Popovich.

I'm really dissapointed with Murray and White, I expected so much from both but I don't see them having an important role in a winning team. They might be not as good as we thought or their developement process has gone too fast

[tbdog]

I am more dissapointed in White than Murray. Murray was expected to take a year to sort things out coming from his rehab. You don't see many players play well in season 1 after the injury. But White was playing for Team USA in the off season. Thats a lot of pickup games against good players. And obviously Carrol signing has hurt the team. Thats a full MLE not playing.

[Coach X]

I am more dissapointed in White than Murray. Murray was expected to take a year to sort things out coming from his rehab. You don't see many players play well in season 1 after the injury. But White was playing for Team USA in the off season. Thats a lot of pickup games against good players. And obviously Carrol signing has hurt the team. Thats a full MLE not playing.

Yeah, the team building wasn't optimal thinking on their developement. Our youngsters aren't surround by the ideal environment:
- DeRozan, a responsible but not a winner #1 player/leader.
- Aldridge, we all know his low impact low profile presence in the locker-room and the team plus his more inconsistent season ever.
- Rudy Gay, another good guy but not the competitivity model you want for your young players.
- Mills, the solely veteran with the correct attitude but in a secondary role.
- Belinelli, very far from being a reference by himself.
- Carroll, out.
- A bunch of more yung players.
- AND the most unexperienced coaching staff in the last 20 years in San Antonio.

So we just have a bunch of youngsters and a team lacking positive references for them. Anyway, there are some other players able of growing and progressing into the league with not too much help so I don't feel so understanding.

I still have some faith in Murray, I'd give him 100% confidence and see what happens with him playing 30' and closing games as our PG. I've already watched White playing PG in the clutch enough games and nah, that's not his role. Not yet at least.

[duncan2k5]

If u surrounded a young giannis with players that don't complement him, he wouldn't grow into the MVP he is today

[ZeusWillJudge]

The more the season advances the more I understand Popovich handling of Walker's developement.

Don't skip steps.


I don't have a copy of the Player Development Handbook. What step is "Sit on the bench"?

But maybe you're right. Maybe Pop learned from his mistakes of the past. Because in Forbes' second year, he played in 80 games, and averaged 19 minutes, and we all see how shitty he is. I guess it's Pop's fault for skipping steps with him.

[Coach X]

I don't have a copy of the Player Development Handbook. What step is "Sit on the bench"?

But maybe you're right. Maybe Pop learned from his mistakes of the past. Because in Forbes' second year, he played in 80 games, and averaged 19 minutes, and we all see how shitty he is. I guess it's Pop's fault for skipping steps with him.

Whatever Pop is doing with Forbes escapes to my understanding. I don't get it. It happenned before several times with some other players. I remember getting really frustrated with the Blair over Splitter case. I had watched Splitter play in Spain for years. The DNP CDs + Blair starting and playing 25', even in playoffs! That was incredible to me.

And I could give you a good list with similar examples. But the list with succesful decissions is still much longer IMO.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

If u surrounded a young giannis with players that don't complement him, he wouldn't grow into the MVP he is today

Literally the worst choice to defend your point - young Giannis was surrounded by a ton of players who didn’t compliment him - Greg Montoe, MCW, Brandon Knight, Zaza... the list is endless. Bucks had no idea what they were doing.

[Genovaswitness]

Whatever Pop is doing with Forbes escapes to my understanding. I don't get it. It happenned before several times with some other players. I remember getting really frustrated with the Blair over Splitter case. I had watched Splitter play in Spain for years. The DNP CDs + Blair starting and playing 25', even in playoffs! That was incredible to me.

And I could give you a good list with similar examples. But the list with succesful decissions is still much longer IMO.

pop plays favorites. always has. there's no big 3 to take his shit to show the "others" that they should fall in line and we're seeing the results

[TDMVPDPOY]

You realize James White saw little court time and wasn't nearly as young as Walker IV, right?

more like james anderson

[Texas_Ranger]

Walker is James White 2

no way Walker can dunk like James White could.

who thinks this 3 are our future? They should all be on the trading block.

[duncan2150]

If you want to have something from young players, you need to let them play and not for 15 minutes or 20-25 minutes.... they need to run multiple games with a lot of playing times and let them make some mistakes also.

the way they are coached can be good but not always, imo that hurt them bad.

And if you like at the per 36 numbers :

White 15 pts 5 rbd 4.6 asst 0.9 stl 1.3 blk 46.2% 2 pt 37.8 % 3pt
Murray 15 pts 8.6 rbd 5.9 ast 2.4 stl 50 % 2pt 36.7 3pt
Walker 16.6 pts 5.5 rbd 1.8 asst 1.3 stl 46 % 2 pt 40.7 3 pt

JUST LET THEM PLAY

So talking about this game is just trash...

[exstatic]

no way Walker can dunk like James White could.

who thinks this 3 are our future? They should all be on the floor together.

fify.

BTW, dunking doesn't make you a basketball player. Flight White almost could do nothing at an NBA level. All three of our young swingmen are better players than James already.

[Kobe'sAchilles]

I am more dissapointed in White than Murray. Murray was expected to take a year to sort things out coming from his rehab. You don't see many players play well in season 1 after the injury. But White was playing for Team USA in the off season. Thats a lot of pickup games against good players. And obviously Carrol signing has hurt the team. Thats a full MLE not playing.
Tbh White's struggles have a lot to do with coaching. White and Poetl have amazing chemistry with the screen and roll and yet Poetl plays like 12 minutes a game. White and LMA also had amazing chemistry last year and yet Pop doesn't play the two of them together much either. White needs to be starting. He needs his runmates as well

[exstatic]

Tbh White's struggles have a lot to do with coaching. White and Poetl have amazing chemistry with the screen and roll and yet Poetl plays like 12 minutes a game. White and LMA also had amazing chemistry last year and yet Pop doesn't play the two of them together much either. White needs to be starting. He needs his runmates as well

Agreed. I remember in that video about Derrick being drafted that his HS coach said that every coach (including himself) eventually realized that they should put the ball in his hands and let him run the show: HS, UCCS, and eventually, even as a senior transfer, UC.

[BD24]

Walker is James White 2
Walker could retire today and would have already had a better career than James white

[BD24]

I don't have a copy of the Player Development Handbook. What step is "Sit on the bench"?

But maybe you're right. Maybe Pop learned from his mistakes of the past. Because in Forbes' second year, he played in 80 games, and averaged 19 minutes, and we all see how shitty he is. I guess it's Pop's fault for skipping steps with him.
:lol

[duncan2150]

Tbh White's struggles have a lot to do with coaching. White and Poetl have amazing chemistry with the screen and roll and yet Poetl plays like 12 minutes a game. White and LMA also had amazing chemistry last year and yet Pop doesn't play the two of them together much either. White needs to be starting. He needs his runmates as well

+1

[TimDunkem]

The Spurs would look so much better if White started at PG, but Pop is a moron and doesn't know how to maximize the talents of all these guards he's collected over the past few years.

[phxspurfan]

more like james anderson

James Anderson had no athleticism and was much older (26 IIRC). He got a foot injury and was done. Walker OTOH like Charles Barkley says, runs like a gazelle, jumps like a gazelle, and thinks like a gazelle.

[Gibbz]

Holy shit--I didn't even notice. With Aldridge sitting, White and DJ really combined for 2 points against the Bulls. That's so insane that I can't help but laugh.

[JeffDuncan]

Holy shit--I didn't even notice. With Aldridge sitting, White and DJ really combined for 2 points against the Bulls. That's so insane that I can't help but laugh.

Yep, in 22 minutes of playing time for each of them, Murray scored 2 and White scored 0. Against the Bulls. It is pathetic beyond words.

[$pursDynasty]

Not to troll but all that complaining about their lack of scoring being because of "Muh touches" proves to be hogwash.

[razor247]

Every team has at least one awesome young player except the Spurs. White and Murray are garbage grade C players who have no business on a NBA court. They have no shot, no GREAT athletic ability, can't drive, and suck at passing. They need to tank get rid of Pop and draft talent. Murray is about the biggest waste of $$ I've ever seen. The guy can't shoot like AT ALL, how is he in the NBA.....

[EasyMoney]

Every team has at least one awesome young player except the Spurs. White and Murray are garbage grade C players who have no business on a NBA court. They have no shot, no GREAT athletic ability, can't drive, and suck at passing. They need to tank get rid of Pop and draft talent. Murray is about the biggest waste of $$ I've ever seen. The guy can't shoot like AT ALL, how is he in the NBA.....



If you're going to troll at least put some effort into it. You call Murray's contract the biggest waste of money ever but fail to realize that players like timofey mozgov, Bismack biyombo, joakim Noah, and Nicholas Batum exist.

[Maddog]

So... three young players didn't score many points in a game? Got it.

To put it another way, two 29th picks and an 18th pick didn't score many points.
I'm disappointed, especially with White. DJM and Walker I can kind of rationalize-injuries last year.
I thought White may have been hurt earlier in the year.
Unfortunately, most picks in this range don't turn into top tier starters. Many will do enough to keep you enticed early on. It's not their fault. Its tough to be an NBA player.

[tholdren]

So... three young players didn't score many points in a game? Got it.

And they all are awful.

[tholdren]

Every team has at least one awesome young player except the Spurs. White and Murray are garbage grade C players who have no business on a NBA court. They have no shot, no GREAT athletic ability, can't drive, and suck at passing. They need to tank get rid of Pop and draft talent. Murray is about the biggest waste of $$ I've ever seen. The guy can't shoot like AT ALL, how is he in the NBA.....
Because fans like you buy into the hype. It's simple. NBA is an image. It's just like airbrushed and photoshopped models, TV, movie stars... it's all fake, all hype, you fall for it and buy...

[Sugus]

The very same players have combined for 27 points the very next game, with some minutes to go. Weren't they such trash? Have we been misled? :wtf