Jalen Smith - 2020 NBA Draft Prospect

[timvp]

https://i.imgur.com/a7lBwZ3.png

Jalen Smith

College: Maryland
Position: C/PF
Age: 20
Height: 6-foot-10
Weight: 225 pounds
Draft Range: 13 to 26

Why: Checks a lot of boxes for a modern big. Good form on his jumper and he hit 36.8% of threes and 75% of his free throws. He has a translatable future in the pick-and-pop. Aggressive finisher at the rim. Runs hard both ways; has above average speed for size. Plays with vigor on defense. Really good rebounder, reads the ball well off the rim. Length (7-foot-2 wingspan) plus courage makes him a stout shot blocker.

Why Not: His ability to play as a stretch big could be compromised by a lack of passing instincts. Has poor court vision and slow processing speed. Athletically, he has some flaws. He has slow-ish feet and stiff hips, which makes it difficult for him to close out on the perimeter. His body is top heavy, which will likely stop him from being a post-up threat. Unless he can become more fluid, might be relegated to center.

Spurs Fit: I don't think the G League would do much for him because he's pretty far along in his development. The Spurs might just play him early on as a rookie to see whether there's hope for him to be a long-term power forward or whether he's a full-time center.

Spurs Comparison - Ceiling: Antonio McDyess with Range

Spurs Comparison - Floor: Less Skilled Trey Lyles

Statistics (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/jalen-smith-1.html)
Scouting Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn3n0OzRiSg)
Interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8C1u53bUbg)

[Dejounte]

My guy. Here's hoping his work ethic will improve his lower body so he can become our future PF. SOMEONE has to replace Aldridge (production-wise) eventually... Might as well do it now while he's young enough to take someone under his wing.

https://twitter.com/lilabbromberg/status/1303807140063215616?s=19

I could see Jalen becoming a 17 ppg, 10 reb, 2 blocks type player. Maybe not as a rookie, but in a year or two.

[Russ]

Why: . . . has above average speed for size. . . .

I dunno. Running the floor, he kinda makes Big Country look like Usain Bolt.

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/SKPearlman/status/1236997004649271296?s=19

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/Ben_Pfeifer_/status/1235421996831272960?s=19

https://twitter.com/Ben_Pfeifer_/status/1235322406924881920?s=19

[Dejounte]

Jalen Smith doing Keldon things:

https://twitter.com/ericmyers531/status/1219834461644382213?s=19

[Dejounte]

He won't be doing this full-time, but this is promising:

https://twitter.com/DXContent/status/1291418615414009856?s=19

[Dejounte]

I dunno. Running the floor, he kinda makes Big Country look like Usain Bolt.

Doesn't seem too slow on the last play in this sequence:

https://twitter.com/EliHershkovich/status/1224956066728947715?s=19

He was in takeover mode during these series of plays.

[Dejounte]

Switches on a forward here:

https://twitter.com/MavsDraft/status/1289061067033845762?s=19

[Dejounte]

Some more examples of his speed:


https://youtu.be/wtVDNmEpPN8

[Dejounte]

Disclaimer: I don't think he will play the wing in the NBA.

In this video, the interviewer asks if he will play the 4 or 5 for the 2019-2020 season. He answers by saying he will play any position the coach wants him to play and that he will play the wing if he is asked to. Will do what the team needs to win. Says he would be able to attack on the wing and find open players. Timestamp is 2:50.


https://youtu.be/CfQta_5NHa0

[Dejounte]

Probably the most hilarious clip I've found on a prospect thus far:


https://youtu.be/fDD7N6ucbO8

[Dejounte]

Very few weaknesses as a scorer, probably would solve the scoring droughts the Spurs experienced during the season. Doesn't play soft like most of our current players.


https://youtu.be/8bFITxocMrs

He knows how to use the backboard effectively, which to me is an underrated skill to have on offense:


https://youtu.be/hW8-6Drw2D4

The Spurs need a boost of length, toughness, and basketball IQ.

It's time to end the days where players like Michael Porter Jr (or Paul Millsap last year) is abusing us because we're putting a 6'7" player on him.

It's time to end the days where players like Marcus Morris, Montrezl Harrell are abusing Trey Lyles because he's soft and has a narrow body.

It's time to end the days where players like JJJ, Tobias Harris are having their way with us.

[Dejounte]

Statistical comparison between Jalen and the top big men prospects:

https://i.imgur.com/jl4q381.png

I see Jalen as being a mix of Raptors' Chris Bosh (his offense) with Pascal Siakam (body type, some of the speed and mobility). Heat Bosh shot more fadeaways and mid-range J's, so I chose the Raptors version of him.

Little refresher on what Chris Bosh used to do:


https://youtu.be/lrqqFX4ax-0

[BackHome]

Dejounte (https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=51342)

Keep preaching the gospel I really like this Kid he reminds me of a shorter David Robinson with a little toughness to boot. He is in my top 3 really love how well he can play defense he is a rebounding machine and a pretty good shot blocker you add those two and his ability to score makes him a great selection for who ever selects him.

His numbers are really good per 36 minutes we looking at 12.1 Rebound and 2.7 Blocks to go with 17.8 pts.

Take out LMA and Derozz and I think he is tied with White as far as talent and yeah would I like to draft a All Star player at 11 sure but with this draft not going to happen. For me I just want to draft players that are as good as Keldon, and White.

[Dejounte]

Numbers are VERY similar across the board between Jalen and Chris Bosh:

https://i.imgur.com/xCgKE8d.png

[JuneJive]

He will most likely be there @11.

I really think he is pretty high up on the Spurs board.

He's got a pretty impressive skillset and not a lot of flaws.

[ZeusWillJudge]

My guy. Here's hoping his work ethic will improve his lower body so he can become our future PF. SOMEONE has to replace Aldridge (production-wise) eventually... Might as well do it now while he's young enough to take someone under his wing.

I could see Jalen becoming a 17 ppg, 10 reb, 2 blocks type player. Maybe not as a rookie, but in a year or two.


Probably the most hilarious clip I've found on a prospect thus far.


Damnation! He really is your boy. I feel like I know almost as much about him as I do my wife. His physique reminds me of a young Dwight Howard - is he really only 225 lbs.?

I like the clip with him talking trash with the fans. I don't want someone who climbs up into the stands or anything, but I'm tired of this team being soft. Of course, he'd wind up in the doghouse like Bertans. :lol

[Dejounte]

Damnation! He really is your boy. I feel like I know almost as much about him as I do my wife. His physique reminds me of a young Dwight Howard - is he really only 225 lbs.?

Lmfao


I like the clip with him talking trash with the fans. I don't want someone who climbs up into the stands or anything, but I'm tired of this team being soft. Of course, he'd wind up in the doghouse like Bertans. :lol

It's almost as good as this:

https://i.imgur.com/k6Nb0.gif

[Sugus]

After watching more than a couple games on Smith per Dejounte's suggestions, this guy is legit. It's between him and Precious for "my guy", I'd be stoked to land any one of them for different reasons.

Smith just has so many tools that are valuable in the modern NBA... Starting with his shooting. It's for real, and very versatile. He has minor things to work on there but he's really comfortable letting it fly from any point of the 3pt line, doesn't shy away from shooting like so many of the Spurs players do and which is actually nerve-wracking to see. I also think he's a very smart player and, if coupled with a good passing guard that can play the PnR with him and also feed him near the rim (ahem, White...), he's gonna produce a lot of easy looks for the team that they currently lack and Poeltl will never provide. I would like to see him play the 4 and small-ball 5 but it'd be fine if he was deemed a full-time 5; he's just one of those players that you want to have on the court, no matter where.

As others mentioned already, his energy is also eye-catching and infectious. Let this guy run around with Keldon and our young guys... That's just havoc waiting to be wrecked. I can already see a lineup that goes something like White-Dejounte-Lonnie-Keldon-Jalen as a small-ball unit that runs out the other team, is active on both ends of the court, hustles and shoots at every position. That's a perfectly modern team, a great transition off the DD-LMA midrange ISO heavy era, and a step forward into the new NBA.

Still, I would explore a trade-down with the Celtics. I doubt he's gonna be gone at #14, and Spurs could really use an extra first-round pick. But I'd be content with any outcome that turns him into a Spur. I'm a believer.

[BackHome]

One question do you think him and Luka could play together full time and who would you see playing Center and Power Forward?

[DAF86]

Probably the most hilarious clip I've found on a prospect thus far:


https://youtu.be/fDD7N6ucbO8

That's not even Smith's most hilarious clip. The one where he's being tackled by the ref is, tbh. :lol

[Sugus]

One question do you think him and Luka could play together full time and who would you see playing Center and Power Forward?

Maybe I'm not the person you asked this, but I could perfectly see them sharing the court (if Luka pans out, that is, right now he's ready for little more than riding the bench). In fact, I'd say their abilities and strengths compliment each other's quite well: Smith is a rebounding machine, shot-blocker, rim protector, can stretch the floor, can be a roll-man on the PnR or shooter on the PnP, dunks with authority and finishes above the rim; but on the other hand, he doesn't really have handles that can break a defense down nor playmaking instincts. Luka, meanwhile, is (projected to be) also a shooter, but he's more quick, nimble, a miles better handler with the ball, has a higher ceiling as a passer; but he's not a rebounder at all, doesn't play the toughest D or close to it, doesn't really finish at the rim with strength or play above the rim.

So the synergy in terms of skill-set is pretty much there, the way I see it. Of course, Luka would be the PF and Smith the C, just based off both players' defensive prowess but also due to Smith being taller and longer, if I'm not mistaken. Luka doesn't have anywhere near the strength or size to play full-time C, I see him as a strict 4, whilst Smith could slide from 4 to 5 (perhaps even 3?) depending on the lineups and matchup. And I gotta say, the allure of having both a stretch-4 and stretch-5 is immense. Definitely the way the league is trending and will be trending for the foreseeable future, and it'd give us so much more spacing and shot opportunities that just aren't there right now when we play Poeltl, pretty much a zero on offense, and... The corpse of Rudy Gay at the 4. Yuck. Gimme developed Samanic + Smith any day of the week, tbh.

[timvp]

I see Jalen as being a mix of Raptors' Chris Bosh (his offense) with Pascal Siakam (body type, some of the speed and mobility). Heat Bosh shot more fadeaways and mid-range J's, so I chose the Raptors version of him.

I'm higher on Jalen than most but I don't see that at all, tbh. Siakam has elite fluidity for his size, while fluidity is one of Jalen's biggest issues. Bosh was a top prospect in high school, super polished as an 18-year-old freshman in college, had elite touch from day one and had a body that allowed him to be a post-up threat.

IMO, Jalen at his best will be a third option on offense who relies on others to create for him. It looks like he'll be useful in the right system but I don't see any star qualities like were apparent with Bosh on Day 1.

[Russ]

I'm higher on Jalen than most but I don't see that at all, tbh. Siakam has elite fluidity for his size, while fluidity is one of Jalen's biggest issues. Bosh was a top prospect in high school, super polished as an 18-year-old freshman in college, had elite touch from day one and had a body that allowed him to be a post-up threat.

IMO, Jalen at his best will be a third option on offense who relies on others to create for him. It looks like he'll be useful in the right system but I don't see any star qualities like were apparent with Bosh on Day 1.

I agree. Smith looks like a nice player but comparisons to Siakam or Chris Bosh are a bit much.

Smith just doesn't have the speed or quickness of a thoroughbred. It may be overly harsh, but he looks like the type of player who may be better in college than the pros.

As for comparing college stats with Okongwu or Wiseman (although I realize he wasn't included in the comparison grid yet), those guys are freshmen and about a year younger than Smith.

[DAF86]

Jalen Smith best comparisson is present day Ibaka, imho.

[Sugus]

Jalen Smith best comparisson is present day Ibaka, imho.

Considering how much Ibaka is going to get paid with his recent bubble performances, and his amazing production... Yeah, I'll take one, tbh.

[DAF86]

Considering how much Ibaka is going to get paid with his recent bubble performances, and his amazing production... Yeah, I'll take one, tbh.

Yeah, well, that would be best case scenario, tbh. :lol

I would still rather get a wing, but I wouldn't be mad with Smith. Better than timvp's beloved combo guards, tbh. :lol

[Dejounte]

I'm higher on Jalen than most but I don't see that at all, tbh. Siakam has elite fluidity for his size, while fluidity is one of Jalen's biggest issues. Bosh was a top prospect in high school, super polished as an 18-year-old freshman in college, had elite touch from day one and had a body that allowed him to be a post-up threat.

IMO, Jalen at his best will be a third option on offense who relies on others to create for him. It looks like he'll be useful in the right system but I don't see any star qualities like were apparent with Bosh on Day 1.

When people see someone compare prospects to top caliber players, they automatically think their peak production. It's fair to do that, but I don't think of it that way at all when I write that. I'm thinking stylistically when I mention those players. Jalen has shades of Bosh' post up game when you squint your eyes, it's as if they have the same layup package and shot tendency (if we are thinking NBA 2k). I acknowledge Bosh's rating may be higher on "touch", but it's not what I think about when I make these comparisons. The big difference in tendency though, is I don't think Bosh exhibited the pick and pop ability that Jalen has shown.

For instance, I was close to using Porzingas as a comparison for Jalen because most of Porzingas' points comes from the 3 pt line and some inside. However, upon deeper look I saw that his 3 point shooting mainly came from spot ups. Rarely are there pick and pops, or off the dribble shots, which are what Jalen does to get his shots outside the paint. So, using Porzingas would have been a bad comparison given the ways he scores.

As far as Siakam, all you have to do is look at his college tape and tell me he doesn't look like Jalen right now in college. I should have been more specific. Siakam looks completely different today than in college, especially the fluidity as you mentioned.

[Dejounte]

Yeah, well, that would be best case scenario, tbh. :lol

I would still rather get a wing, but I wouldn't be mad with Smith. Better than timvp's beloved combo guards, tbh. :lol

I haven't had time to dig up your shit because I'm lazy and the search feature is down, but this right here is an example of why it can be annoying to read your posts.

Making definitive statements like "well, that would be the best case scenario" is pretty much a "cuz i said so" statement and it makes you look like an idiot.

You wanted me to point it out, so there it is. It's just the way you phrase things.

[Dejounte]

Also, Serge Ibaka as a comparison for Jalen was my initial lazy comparison before I had started checking out his games. It's an easy assessment to make... They both shoot 3s, they both block shots, both tall, muscular.... But that's about where it ends.

Peak Ibaka got most of his blocks from weakside help and using his exceptional foot speed to catch players on the drive. Jalen gets his blocks from individual post up defense and some on weakside when they attack.

Ibaka had little to no post offense to speak of. He scored most of his points from spot up shooting in the mid range (almost automatic). He did not display the same layup package as Jalen. He rarely knew how to use the backboard. Jalen had that interior offense and wasn't scared to get physical and get bumped. Ibaka would almost always go for the rim running facial during his peak years. He was super athletic, but wasn't very physical inside. Completely different tendencies on offense between the two.

[mo7888]

I'm higher on Jalen than most but I don't see that at all, tbh. Siakam has elite fluidity for his size, while fluidity is one of Jalen's biggest issues. Bosh was a top prospect in high school, super polished as an 18-year-old freshman in college, had elite touch from day one and had a body that allowed him to be a post-up threat.

IMO, Jalen at his best will be a third option on offense who relies on others to create for him. It looks like he'll be useful in the right system but I don't see any star qualities like were apparent with Bosh on Day 1.

Miles Turner is a closer comp to me.

[Dejounte]

CDHLH7nlzic

July 26, 2019 Photo

Yoga:

CDFrG9jA-vf

[ZeusWillJudge]

I knew I watched Maryland play this year, and I've been trying to figure out why Smith didn't register on me. It was against Ohio State, late in the season, and Kaleb Wesson just totally overshadowed him.

It's a good reminder. Wesson was one of the guys I thought might be a second round sleeper. If the Spurs don't take a big man with 11, I would definitely be okay with Wesson at 41.

[DAF86]

I haven't had time to dig up your shit because I'm lazy and the search feature is down, but this right here is an example of why it can be annoying to read your posts.

Making definitive statements like "well, that would be the best case scenario" is pretty much a "cuz i said so" statement and it makes you look like an idiot.

You wanted me to point it out, so there it is. It's just the way you phrase things.

And how is that different from the way you and every other poster here talks? :lol Everybody expresses their opinions in definitive fashion. Nobody uses "in my opinion", "in my view", "the way I see things" everytime they are about to share a thought about an issue. :lol

You want an example of someone posting a "cuz I said so" comment? Look no further than this next comment:


Also, Serge Ibaka as a comparison for Jalen was my initial lazy comparison before I had started checking out his games. It's an easy assessment to make... They both shoot 3s, they both block shots, both tall, muscular.... But that's about where it ends...

So, yeah, like I was saying, it's clear you have some strange personal issue with me. The worst part is that for the most part I tried to avoid quoting you, but you just can't seem to avoid quoting me. If I disturb you so much why don't you try putting me on ignore? That way you won't have to fight urge of quoting me everytime you read one of my posts. You would be doing me a favour since I'm done trying to put the other cheek and I wouldn't need to keep dealing with your retarded, clearly slightly autistic ass, tbh.

[Dejounte]

And how is that different from the way you and every other poster here talks? :lol Everybody expresses their opinions in definitive fashion. Nobody uses "in my opinion", "in my view", "the way I see things" everytime they are about to share a thought about an issue. :lol

You want an example of someone posting a "cuz I said so" comment? Look no further than this next comment:



So, yeah, like I was saying, it's clear you have some strange personal issue with me. The worst part is that for the most part I tried to avoid quoting you, but you just can't seem to avoid quoting me. If I disturb you si much why don't you try putting me on ignore? That way you won't have to fight urge of quoting me everytime you read one of my posts. You would be doing me a favour since I'm done trying to put the other cheek and I wouldn't need to keep dealing with your retarded, clearly slightly autistic ass, tbh.

Ahh, here you go again. Crying. Too bad you couldn't get it through your thick skull and take the advice to heart, and use it constructively. Of course, your go-to remarks are your emojis. It's alright... let it all out, you clown. Stop being in your own feelings and try to be better. You're a joke.

I tried to go light on your ass, and yet here you are reverting to a five year old. Sad...

You literally can't put 2 + 2 together and when you're challenged, it's back to your defense mechanisms. Maybe there are just people like you who will never get it.

[kobyz]

I'm seeing a chance for him to become the next Robert Horry

[Dejounte]

B9P9ityjX0-

B82W11KD6lI

Give me some nasty! This guy is a trash talker Jimmy Butler:

CDT7iWEHiX5

B-ug0iIDOfA

[Chinook]

Kind of a man crush with Smith you have going on there. I love it. We need more people with their horses in the draft. Ex and DAF are riding with Poke. I'll fight anyone who doesn't think Toppin is worth trading up for. We have like two more months until the draft. Let's get some churches going.

[XDT76]

He really needs to put a bit more time on his lower body, his forearm seems almost the same size as his legs.

[Dejounte]

Kind of a man crush with Smith you have going on there. I love it. We need more people with their horses in the draft. Ex and DAF are riding with Poke. I'll fight anyone who doesn't think Toppin is worth trading up for. We have like two more months until the draft. Let's get some churches going.

I'm letting go like a hot potato if he doesn't get drafted by us.

If there were vegas bets, i feel good about putting it all in on Smith though.

He seems like a classic but also modern Spursy pick. Checks a lot of boxes. Ready to play? Check. Potential? Check.

[pad300]

He really needs to put a bit more time on his lower body, his forearm seems almost the same size as his legs.

Hell, I think Pokusevski has bigger legs...

[Dejounte]

Kind of a man crush with Smith you have going on there. I love it. We need more people with their horses in the draft. Ex and DAF are riding with Poke. I'll fight anyone who doesn't think Toppin is worth trading up for. We have like two more months until the draft. Let's get some churches going.

Don't forget pad300 on the Poke train.
ZeusWillJudge on the Saddiq train.
Thomas82 on the James Wiseman train (literally every post is about Wiseman lmao)
Sugus on the Precious train (recently on Smith train as well)
objective on the Patrick Williams train
timvp on any combo guard train

[R. DeMurre]

Hell, I think Pokusevski has bigger legs...

Poku's arms and upper body are very thin, but his legs are relatively sturdy for his size.

[Dejounte]

Not sure yet how thin or thick legs factor in practicality in a basketball sense.

Would there be an advantage with thinner legs? Is it the reason for his quick hops for blocks?

https://twitter.com/AhbAnalytics/status/1287868781587386368?s=19

In any case, I hope he works on his legs enough to be quicker laterally. It seems to support him enough against bigs somewhat.

CAK9DsvHMHc

[R. DeMurre]

Not sure yet how thin or thick legs factor in practicality in a basketball sense.

Would there be an advantage with thinner legs? Is it the reason for his quick hops for blocks?
https://twitter.com/AhbAnalytics/status/1287868781587386368?s=19

In any case, I hope he works on his legs enough to be quicker laterally. It seems to support him enough against bigs somewhat.

CAK9DsvHMHc

I think that's one of those "eye test" things that doesn't always add up. Scottie Pippen and Tayshaun Prince both had rail thin legs and were relative Iron Men in terms of durability.

[mo7888]

Don't forget pad300 on the Poke train.
ZeusWillJudge on the Saddiq train.
Thomas82 on the James Wiseman train (literally every post is about Wiseman lmao)
Sugus on the Precious train (recently on Smith train as well)
objective on the Patrick Williams train
timvp on any combo guard train

I'm on the Woodard train....albeit at a lower pick than #11

[Biggems]

So what about drafting Jalen Smith and Vernon Carey Jr. We have our startig bigs for the future. Our one glaring hole would be SF.

[BackHome]

I really like for the first to be Smith and our second to be Woodard or Nwora for SF. That will allow Walker, Keldon, Murray and White to really figure out where they fit in with the future and which positions they can be successful at.

One thing is I have my likes but I am also cool with them drafting another player like Poku or William or even Precious.

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

I like Smith’s potential and I feel he will be a better NBA player and have a better career (barring injuries) than Precious.

[exstatic]

Kind of a man crush with Smith you have going on there. I love it. We need more people with their horses in the draft. Ex and DAF are riding with Poke. I'll fight anyone who doesn't think Toppin is worth trading up for. We have like two more months until the draft. Let's get some churches going.

Just for clarification, what I’m doing is different from pretty much everyone else here. I don’t have a weekly or monthly man crush on players. I don’t really have a dog. I’m trying to suss out who the Spurs want. Pretty much everyone else is advocating this player or that player. I’m trying to figure out who the Spurs are advocating, based on player type, Spurs draft history, and the draft pool. I don’t give a rats ass if they pick Poku, I just really think he fits the circumstances of tepid draft player pool, without even a clear #1, coupled with a mediocre pick.

[timvp]

Kind of a man crush with Smith you have going on there. I love it. We need more people with their horses in the draft.

Yeah, by the draft comes around (whenever that is), it'd be entertaining if everyone had a horse :tu


Don't forget pad300 on the Poke train.
ZeusWillJudge on the Saddiq train.
Thomas82 on the James Wiseman train (literally every post is about Wiseman lmao)
Sugus on the Precious train (recently on Smith train as well)
objective on the Patrick Williams train
timvp on any combo guard train

Going to publish my Big Board 1.0 in the next couple of days. There are some combo guards up on there. Good call :lol

[Dejounte]

Stat Nuggets

-Jalen Smith was 2nd in the Big Ten in Defensive Win Shares (2.4) and 4th in Defensive Rating (88.9)
-Jalen’s 2.4 blocks per game was 2nd and his 8.2% block percentage was good for 3rd in the Big Ten
-His combination of defensive prowess and offensive efficiency led to him having the 19th best win shares in the NCAA (6)
-He had the 2nd best offensive rating in the Big Ten at 123.9 and true shooting percentage of 62.6%
-Smith had the #1 effective field goal percentage in the Big Ten at 59%
-Smith was one of the most efficient players in NCAA, finishing with the 3rd best player efficiency rating at 29.3

https://www.google.com/amp/s/thepaintedlines.com/potential-sixers-draft-target-jalen-smith/%3famp

[Dejounte]

Great article on Jalen:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/basketball/bs-sp-maryland-basketball-jalen-smith-20191102-pgzhrjtqnzgfpmakskwxtm6hwa-story.html%3foutputType=amp

A positive head game
Along with the time he has spent in the gym trying to improve his consistency and in the weight room to put mostly upper body muscle on his 225-pound frame, Smith — whose nickname is “Stix” — is now also working on his mind.

Since the spring, Smith has met regularly with Dr. Michelle Garvin, one of two full-time sports psychologists Maryland employs to work with its student-athletes.

“I was a little nervous about it because I didn’t know who the person was and this was my first time [working with a sports psychologist],” he said. “When I first got there, pretty much a lot of things opened up that I really didn’t know that I knew about. It started to help me cope.

"I have a lot of expectations on myself this year. It helps me take some of the pressure off myself and makes me realize that I’ve just got to play every game. There’s just a certain method just to keep myself happy no matter if I’m doing good or bad. Try to limit outside distractions.””

Lisa Smith said her son had spoken to her and her husband, Charles, about what he had been feeling during his freshman year.

“He had expressed the anxiety he was feeling,” she said. “We wanted him to focus on school and focus on basketball, but that’s easy for us because we’ve never experienced anything like he’s going through. We don’t understand it. He’s now been equipped with how to better deal with it.”

Garvin is prevented from speaking about Smith individually but in general what she does is geared to improving performance through visualization, goal setting and overall positive feedback.

“There’s a lot of different pressures that these athletes are under,” Garvin said Friday. “One of the things we worked toward with the athletes is helping them perform the best they can in whatever domain they’re in, how they can be fully focused on their sport when they’re in that moment.”

Smith, who is being mentioned in NBA mock drafts as everything from a lottery pick to going early in the second round, said he thinks he will be able to block out the criticism on social media as well as whether his stock takes a hit after a bad game or skyrockets after a good one more than he was able to last season.

“I’m actually doing a lot better than I did,” he said. “Probably at the beginning of my freshman year, it would all be in my mind, ‘I could go to the NBA’ [after this year], but during the season, it was like, ‘I may need more time here.’ I really just push it aside. I’m here right here so that’s the only thing I have to worry about it.

“I know people criticizing my game is always going to happen. At the end of the day, I know that they don’t affect my future, I affect my future. The NBA’s always going to be at the back of my head. At the end of day, I’m here at Maryland right now; it’s what I can do here right now.”

One NBA executive said recently that because of his frame, Smith will likely have to be a stretch 4 — a power forward who is a reliable 3-point shooter — in the pros. Smith shot just 26.7 percent last season, but showed flashes of being a capable 3-pointer, including a big late 3 against LSU. After shooting well in preseason practice, Smith missed all three 3′s he attempted in Friday’s exhibition win over Fayetteville State.

“I told our guys that I think his ascent to success will be based on his ability to shoot,” the executive said after watching a recent Maryland practice. “In college, he’s going to be able to post [inside] and have a matchup because he’s bigger and quicker."

“Really it was about February when he realized how hard you have to work to be successful,” Turgeon said. “There are so many things that we can get better at with Jalen between now and March. His disposition, his worth ethic, his confidence. He’s just totally a different kid, which is fun to see.”

[Dejounte]

It's a fucking slow offseason, so I'm going to post as much juicy info I can lmao

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/bs-sp-maryland-basketball-jalen-smith-ohio-state-20200107-k6hdir5sinbdheq4ew2fy6c7ja-story.html%3foutputType=amp

“It’s going to help me out a lot, allow me to play a different position for a while,” Smith said of being used more as a stretch four, a power forward facing the basket and shooting from the perimeter. “Just being out on the wing, show versatility and just create offense for my team.”

[Dejounte]

https://dbknews.com/2020/02/17/maryland-mens-basketball-jalen-smith-proved-crucial-michigan-state-win/

It’s a skill that stems from one-on-one sessions with Cowan this summer, when the senior guard would challenge the Maryland forward with matchups such as Saturday’s in mind.

“You gotta be able to step up and guard guards,” Cowan told Smith.

And Smith stepped up, helping hold Winston to just one shot — a miss — in the final three minutes. Postgame, Winston admitted Smith’s reach made it hard for him to find any open looks from beyond the arc, closing down space rapidly and showing enough lateral quickness to pester the guard.

“Ant’s one of the fastest players I’ve ever played,” Smith said. “Just knowing I’m able to stay in front of him, I can stay in front of anybody.”

[Dejounte]

Wizards have already interviewed Jalen apparently:

https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/wizards-pre-draft-interviews-include-jalen-smith-immanuel-quickley-adjusted-process

[ZeusWillJudge]

Wizards have already interviewed Jalen apparently:

https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/wizards-pre-draft-interviews-include-jalen-smith-immanuel-quickley-adjusted-process


Not sure what you can make of that. It also says that they interviewed Zeke Nnaji, and I know they aren't considering him at 9.

[XDT76]

Stat Nuggets

-Jalen Smith was 2nd in the Big Ten in Defensive Win Shares (2.4) and 4th in Defensive Rating (88.9)
-Jalen’s 2.4 blocks per game was 2nd and his 8.2% block percentage was good for 3rd in the Big Ten
-His combination of defensive prowess and offensive efficiency led to him having the 19th best win shares in the NCAA (6)
-He had the 2nd best offensive rating in the Big Ten at 123.9 and true shooting percentage of 62.6%
-Smith had the #1 effective field goal percentage in the Big Ten at 59%
-Smith was one of the most efficient players in NCAA, finishing with the 3rd best player efficiency rating at 29.3

https://www.google.com/amp/s/thepaintedlines.com/potential-sixers-draft-target-jalen-smith/%3famp

What is his weakness that cause mock draft to consistently have him in the mid 1st rounder?

[rankingtear]

What is his weakness that cause mock draft to consistently have him in the mid 1st rounder?

Everything that stems from his narrow hips, high center of gravity and thin legs. Strength to post up and defend the post, lateral quickness from stiff hips etc.

[Dejounte]

Not sure what you can make of that. It also says that they interviewed Zeke Nnaji, and I know they aren't considering him at 9.

I think maybe like any team keeping their options open in case a trade opens up for other picks in the draft.

Or maybe he's just a huge riser. Not sure.

[Dejounte]

What is his weakness that cause mock draft to consistently have him in the mid 1st rounder?

Uncertainty about his mobility. It's a gamble teams would need to make. One I feel would be worth it due to his work ethic and the fact that it's not hopeless (some examples in this thread) as it stands right now. I think he moves better than Metu and Luka, for example.

Work ethic examples: gaining 25 lbs after his freshman year. Improving his 3 pt shot by .100, being open to using atypical sources such as yoga, sports psychologists for help on his shot

[exstatic]

Everything that stems from his narrow hips, high center of gravity and thin legs. Strength to post up and defend the post, lateral quickness from stiff hips etc.

Hips are what differentiate NFL cornerbacks from NFL safeties. Two guys can have the same height, weight, wingspan and 40 times, and only one of them will play corner in the NFL. The physical requirements for defense are not dissimilar between the leagues.

[Ocotillo]

Not sure what you can make of that. It also says that they interviewed Zeke Nnaji, and I know they aren't considering him at 9.

He is sort of a local talent for them. Would be like a Texas team speaking with an A&M or UT kid.

[pad300]

Just for clarification, what I’m doing is different from pretty much everyone else here. I don’t have a weekly or monthly man crush on players. I don’t really have a dog. I’m trying to suss out who the Spurs want. Pretty much everyone else is advocating this player or that player. I’m trying to figure out who the Spurs are advocating, based on player type, Spurs draft history, and the draft pool. I don’t give a rats ass if they pick Poku, I just really think he fits the circumstances of tepid draft player pool, without even a clear #1, coupled with a mediocre pick.

Yeah, I'm not too sure I'm on a train, especially in terms of personal investment. I think we need a game changer; picking at 11 that implies some risk. In this draft, I think Poku is the best bet... but if the FO feels otherwise, well, I will hold out hope for whomever they draft. Just like I'm hoping Samanich comes good...

[pad300]

...

Along with the time he has spent in the gym trying to improve his consistency and in the weight room to put mostly upper body muscle on his 225-pound frame, Smith — whose nickname is “Stix” — is now also working on his mind.
...


Someone please buy this man a mirror and get him to add squats and deadlifts...

[Biggems]

Wizards have already interviewed Jalen apparently:

https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/wizards-pre-draft-interviews-include-jalen-smith-immanuel-quickley-adjusted-process

Well he is in their backyard, so quick and easy interview to set up.

[NASpurs]

Yeah, by the draft comes around (whenever that is), it'd be entertaining if everyone had a horse :tu



Going to publish my Big Board 1.0 in the next couple of days. There are some combo guards up on there. Good call :lol

Can’t wait for the next combo guard that they’re going to fail to convert to PG.

[Biggems]

I am not feeling any SF in this draft......however, I love me some Vernon Carey Jr. After this thread, I love me some Jalen Smith. The 3rd player I really like is that Paul Reed kid from DePaul.


I would love to draft a player at 11 for another team and have them draft Smith and Carey. We trade our pick and a player or two for the rights to Smith and Carey. Then use our 2nd to draft the best SF available.

[Dejounte]

Someone please buy this man a mirror and get him to add squats and deadlifts...

To be fair, article was from November 2019

[pad300]

To be fair, article was from November 2019

True enough, but's also true that he still has skinny girly legs...

[Dejounte]

Looks like he's been getting professional basketball training since at a young age:

https://twitter.com/thejalen_smith/status/728219344354869248?s=19


https://youtu.be/qEZs4sspLsc

Video is from four years ago, 2016

[Dejounte]

https://youtu.be/G-zor93A85A

New Jalen Smith footage (some old ones included)

I really like the way he can shoot off the dribble. Hardly any bigs do that in the NBA. Most only spot up to shoot. He recognizes screens and moves around off the ball like a wing.

Highlights for me are when he fakes out a shooter, takes one or two dribbles, then pulls up for a mid-range shot. Shows his potential as an all around shooter from anywhere on the court.

Even his misses look good. His shooting form is solid and consistent. None of his looks look forced, either. They come from the scheme of the offense (which is my critique for a couple of the prospects).

He completely obliterates a guy at 33:14

Look at the move at 37:12

Mid range spot up at 37:45. He's a threat from anywhere

Sugus

objective

BackHome

[Dejounte]

Interesting. It's a passing montage from 41:00 to 50:10. His passing and vision is not bad at all. timvp

[The Truth #6]

Very random, but to me has a Kevin Willis type of personality. Polite but tough. That’s a good thing. Or maybe it’s the thin legs and over-developed arms that remind me.

[XDT76]

After watching the video I believe he really needs to work more on his legs, it seems that posting and banging in the post are areas for improvement. A fair number of misses seems to be hitting the front rim.

[Dejounte]

https://youtu.be/G-zor93A85A

New Jalen Smith footage (some old ones included)

I really like the way he can shoot off the dribble. Hardly any bigs do that in the NBA. Most only spot up to shoot. He recognizes screens and moves around off the ball like a wing.

Highlights for me are when he fakes out a shooter, takes one or two dribbles, then pulls up for a mid-range shot. Shows his potential as an all around shooter from anywhere on the court.

Even his misses look good. His shooting form is solid and consistent. None of his looks look forced, either. They come from the scheme of the offense (which is my critique for a couple of the prospects).

He completely obliterates a guy at 33:14

Look at the move at 37:12

Mid range spot up at 37:45. He's a threat from anywhere

Sugus

objective

BackHome

All steals from 1:18:51 to 1:22:42

His awareness for disrupting the passing lanes are excellent and he has a knack for poking the ball free from the ball handler.

[Dejounte]

All switching defense plays shown from 1:29:29 to 1:37:50

[objective]

I am watching the scouting video and it does have clips from his freshman year.

I wouldn't mind if it was in sequence to show improvement. But it's all jumbled together and could give the wrong impression if it's a suspect play from last season that he's already improved at

Watching the rest now

[Dejounte]

If you go on Jalen Smith's twitter, he retweeted this:

https://twitter.com/JoAngelgee/status/1308073456496332800?s=19

[JuneJive]

He is almost everything you would want in a big man nowadays.

My favorite.

[spurspl]

If you go on Jalen Smith's twitter, he retweeted this:

https://twitter.com/JoAngelgee/status/1308073456496332800?s=19

If jalen smith is a spurs fan hes my top1 at 11th.

[kobyz]

How is he compared to JJJ from Memphis?

[Dejounte]

How is he compared to JJJ from Memphis?

I haven't watched JJJ much, maybe I will watch him later. All I know is he makes a lot of back breaking 3s, and sure, I could see Jalen doing that.

[pad300]

How is he compared to JJJ from Memphis?

Not as mobile. Not sure who's bigger, but JJJ had a huge wingspan 7'5.25", and was a big-time shot blocker. JJJ shot a better 3P% on more attempts/game, and shot a better FT%... http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=jalen-smith--jaren-jackson-jr

[Dejounte]

Not as mobile. Not sure who's bigger, but JJJ had a huge wingspan 7'5.25", and was a big-time shot blocker. JJJ shot a better 3P% on more attempts/game, and shot a better FT%... http://www.tankathon.com/players/compare?players=jalen-smith--jaren-jackson-jr

I would be careful to use this comparison page. JJJ played 22 minutes (compared to Jalen's 31) and they're skewing his numbers based on higher productivity per 36.

It's like Boban's superstar numbers per 36. Just because he does it in less minutes, you never assume he will or could. Otherwise, Boban would have been a star years ago.

[The Truth #6]

I would be careful to use this comparison page. JJJ played 22 minutes (compared to Jalen's 31) and they're skewing his numbers based on higher productivity per 36.

It's like Boban's superstar numbers per 36. Just because he does it in less minutes, you never assume he will or could. Otherwise, Boban would have been a star years ago.

Or a victim of Marfan discrimination??

But seriously, back to Jalen, his lack of fluidity compared to JJJ has to be one reason he has a lower ceiling, right? I’m asking and still getting up to speed on Jalen. To me, so far, he looks highly functional in the NBA but not a star.

[Dejounte]

Or a victim of Marfan discrimination??

But seriously, back to Jalen, his lack of fluidity compared to JJJ has to be one reason he has a lower ceiling, right? I’m asking and still getting up to speed on Jalen. To me, so far, he looks highly functional in the NBA but not a star.

Jalen's appeal to me isn't his upside as a star (even though I believe there is some chance due to the Spurs development staff) but his ready-to-play quality. He makes game winning plays and knows where to be on the court. I believe he would be able to find minutes easily and may replace Lyles as a starter.

At the 11th pick, that's great value.

[BackHome]

If he and Luka can start together then I think you make the pick to me that is the question is can they co exist together. To me I think they can and I like that Smith doesn’t need the ball in his hands to to effective and I like what he brings to the defense and just his whole approach to getting better every year.

White
DJ
Keldon
Smith
Luka

[The Truth #6]

Unfairly or not, I see Jalen as everything I wanted Metu to be.

[Dejounte]

Jalen is the type of player similar to Tony and Manu where NBA casuals were in denial for the first five years of their career thinking they weren't all stars because although their numbers were solid, they werent eye popping like most of the empty stat all stars during that time.

Jalen impacts winning.

[buttsR4rebounding]

If he and Luka can start together then I think you make the pick to me that is the question is can they co exist together. To me I think they can and I like that Smith doesn’t need the ball in his hands to to effective and I like what he brings to the defense and just his whole approach to getting better every year.

White
DJ
Keldon
Smith
Luka

I think that they compliment each other quite well. Both can play the perimeter, both can go inside. Both can put it on the floor. Smith is the better rebounder, shot blocker. Luka I think ends up as the better scorer and playmaker.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I'm kind of digging this guy as a possible Spur. He physically looks like freeze-dried version of David Robinson.

[MultiTroll]

When i first saw this i misread it as Jaden Smith. :lol
Thought maybe this faggot had his daddy buy him a draft spot in some publicity stunt.
Warriors or Lakers being a fit.
https://th.bing.com/th/id/AMMS_925fdfa86bf8a14f8c8d9491630db55a?pid=Api&rs=1

[Dejounte]

Maybe it was how JJJ was utilized, but it seems he's more of a face up forward than a low post one. I didn't see any low post action from him from the footage I looked at. He hangs out in the perimeter like a small forward a lot, doesnt really bang down low on offense like Jalen. So, there are probably better comparisons.

[Sugus]

Maybe it was how JJJ was utilized, but it seems he's more of a face up forward than a low post one. I didn't see any low post action from him from the footage I looked at. He hangs out in the perimeter like a small forward a lot, doesnt really bang down low on offense like Jalen. So, there are probably better comparisons.

It's because their games are really different. JJJ isn't a good comparison to Smith. Jackson plays much more like a "unicorn" in the sense that he plays like a forward and shoots like a guard, in a C's body. He can do some nasty stuff, and there's a reason he was picked #4. I see Smith as a more "traditional" big man in the sense that he, as you said, prefers to play back to the basket or be a roll man instead of trying to dribble, penetrate, or create. But the thing about Smith is that, on top of his post and around-the-rim game, he's also a solid shooter from outside, which makes him a really versatile player (not unlike JJJ himself).

I've been thinking about it and I might rather have Jalen than even Precious. That shooting ability from your 4/5 is just a game-changer in the modern NBA... And would allow the Spurs a LOT of roster flexibility going forward in terms of spacing, not to mention provide a solid PnR partner for our many guards to feed off of, that can actually finish a play (looking at you Jakob, we don't need more no-O players on the team). And the fit with Luka is seamless, IMO, you can have one working close to the basket whilst the other stretches out the defense beyond the 3pt line to provide further space. There's a lot of potential on such a team.

[Ocotillo]

I am starting to lean toward this guy. Every draft season good or bad is the same, the more you look at the prospect, the more excited you get and talk yourself into how each one would fit.

[DAF86]

It's because their games are really different. JJJ isn't a good comparison to Smith. Jackson plays much more like a "unicorn" in the sense that he plays like a forward and shoots like a guard, in a C's body. He can do some nasty stuff, and there's a reason he was picked #4. I see Smith as a more "traditional" big man in the sense that he, as you said, prefers to play back to the basket or be a roll man instead of trying to dribble, penetrate, or create. But the thing about Smith is that, on top of his post and around-the-rim game, he's also a solid shooter from outside, which makes him a really versatile player (not unlike JJJ himself).

I've been thinking about it and I might rather have Jalen than even Precious. That shooting ability from your 4/5 is just a game-changer in the modern NBA... And would allow the Spurs a LOT of roster flexibility going forward in terms of spacing, not to mention provide a solid PnR partner for our many guards to feed off of, that can actually finish a play (looking at you Jakob, we don't need more no-O players on the team). And the fit with Luka is seamless, IMO, you can have one working close to the basket whilst the other stretches out the defense beyond the 3pt line to provide further space. There's a lot of potential on such a team.

Sos argento?

[Sugus]

Sos argento?

Tomó la foto del flaco para que te dieras cuenta? :lol séh, de Capital. Te vengo siguiendo a vos, Daffy, así que ni te pregunto lo mismo... De qué parte sos? Veo que somos bastantes argies acá en el foro. No me puedo imaginar tener que lidiar con los boludos que hay por acá desde hace más de una década igual... Jajaja

[DAF86]

Tomó la foto del flaco para que te dieras cuenta? :lol séh, de Capital. Te vengo siguiendo a vos, Daffy, así que ni te pregunto lo mismo... De qué parte sos? Veo que somos bastantes argies acá en el foro. No me puedo imaginar tener que lidiar con los boludos que hay por acá desde hace más de una década igual... Jajaja

De chubú.

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/JeffGSpursZone/status/1310617810331205633?s=19

Not sure why Jeff Garcia tweeted this today...

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/tom_orsborn/status/1310621393327972352?s=19

https://twitter.com/tom_orsborn/status/1310621393327972352?s=19

https://twitter.com/tom_orsborn/status/1310622299301842944?s=19

Oh I guess the Spurs did interview him.

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/tom_orsborn/status/1310623066096050176?s=19

Where there's smoke, there's fire?

I guess Sam Vincenze was right (a source people doubted when he reported the Spurs had interest)

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/tom_orsborn/status/1310625596213538821?s=19

[ZeusWillJudge]

Oh I guess the Spurs did interview him.


Where there's smoke, there's fire?


I don't know it for a fact, but I would think that interviewing is much more serious business this year, because of all the virtual rules. Teams are limited to 20 interviews, and players are limited to 13 teams. I know that still sounds like a lot, but I don't think a team would want to waste an interview on a player they aren't really considering. Of course, I wouldn't think the Spurs would want it to be public knowledge either.

After you started posting about him, I started looking and I think I watched his worst game of the season against O State. I can see why you like him as a Spur. One of the things I like is that he improved his 3P and his FT shooting by a bunch, from the season before. To me, that says he put in a lot of work to shore up a weakness. That's always a good sign.

I also like it that he's talking about making an impact with his defense. He may just be sucking up to the Spurs, since they interviewed him. But if that's it, he's probably wise. Pop hasn't been much of a fan of guys who like to live above the rim like that.

He's got some negatives. The biggest negative is that everything I've read about him says he's a good rim protector, but not outstanding in space. He's really bad when he puts the ball on the floor, and coughs the ball up a lot. And I don't see any sign of him setting picks. If he came to the Spurs I think he'd spend more time in the Gatorade League than if he went some other places.

[Dejounte]

^hmm thanks for your post but not sure about the "not setting of picks" part. That's something he does frequently. Perhaps it wasnt captured in the footage you found? There are full games available on youtube if you search "maryland basketball full game"

He has low turnover rates compared to his peers at the PF/C position

ZeusWillJudge

[Sugus]

https://twitter.com/tom_orsborn/status/1310623066096050176?s=19

Where there's smoke, there's fire?

I guess Sam Vincenze was right (a source people doubted when he reported the Spurs had interest)

Nice, nice, very nice... At least we know there's mutual interest there. I'm still expecting the Spurs to (try to) pull off a draft-day trade for a vet that will net them a second FRP. We'll see what happens, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them take someone like PatWill at #11, and Smith with that second FRP they might get for, say, Rudy or Patty. It's kind of a pipe dream knowing the Spurs FO, but we also have to take into account that they've seen with Keldon first-hand the benefits of picking multiple times with their drafting ability.

[Dejounte]

Smith told reporters he has met with the Bulls, Nets, Raptors, Spurs, Suns and Wizards among others so far teams begin doing their homework.

https://www.si.com/.amp-maryland/college/maryland/basketball/jalen-smith-nba-draft-process?__twitter_impression=true

[Dejounte]

Said he played out of position in college, believes he's a natural 4.

https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/wizards/jalen-smith-says-he-played-out-position-terps

"I was pretty much playing out of position most of the year because [coach Mark] Turgeon wanted me to play the four, but most of the year I played at the five due to issues we had behind the scenes with the team," Smith said.

[Dejounte]

Could he be snatched right before our pick?

https://twitter.com/ChaseHughesNBCS/status/1310619978559901701?s=19

Or Phoenix?

https://twitter.com/DuaneRankin/status/1310619030890274818?s=19

[Dejounte]

Nice, nice, very nice... At least we know there's mutual interest there. I'm still expecting the Spurs to (try to) pull off a draft-day trade for a vet that will net them a second FRP. We'll see what happens, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them take someone like PatWill at #11, and Smith with that second FRP they might get for, say, Rudy or Patty. It's kind of a pipe dream knowing the Spurs FO, but we also have to take into account that they've seen with Keldon first-hand the benefits of picking multiple times with their drafting ability.

Getting rid of Rudy would be a major addition by subtraction on-court. Not sure about all the off-court stuff, obviously. But the dude is a cancer with his minutes on the floor with his poor BBall IQ.

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/ZacharySRosen/status/1310614067682435075?s=19

[Sugus]

Getting rid of Rudy would be a major addition by subtraction on-court. Not sure about all the off-court stuff, obviously. But the dude is a cancer with his minutes on the floor with his poor BBall IQ.

For sure, not to mention Rudy doesn't provide a lot of anything other than black-hole offense and the rare assist here and there. Doesn't rebound much, for sure doesn't defend much, he's a shell of himself. Replacing him with an athletic big for our guards to feed off him would be massive, whether that's Smith, or Precious, or even PatWill down the line... Whomever's fine by me, as long as I don't have to watch that POS Gay with his overpaid ass slog through our court next season.

[Dejounte]

Full quote on KG and Jaren:

“I always try to model my game after Kevin Garnett,” Smith said. “His work ethic never (diminished) whether he was having a good game or a bad game. In the modern game, one of the people I look up to is (Memphis’) Jaren Jackson, a big that can come off screens and shoot threes and be able to attack slower defenders and just be that new, modern-day big.”

[look_at_g_shred]

Killian Hayes also had a zoom meeting with the spurs per Jeff Garcia

[RC_Drunkford]

definitely one of my top prospects. Also if he's a 4 and not a 5 that's even more valuable. We need a shot blocking shooter at the 4 more than anything.

[ZeusWillJudge]

^hmm thanks for your post but not sure about the "not setting of picks" part. That's something he does frequently. Perhaps it wasnt captured in the footage you found? There are full games available on youtube if you search "maryland basketball full game"

He has low turnover rates compared to his peers at the PF/C position

ZeusWillJudge (https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=54031)


LOL. Well he sure as shit turns it over less than Bruno Fernando did the year before. Fernando was a freaking TO factory, and he got NBA minutes this season.

That's the problem with not really watching a guy play and looking at clips. I'll look for those full games.

[Sugus]

definitely one of my top prospects. Also if he's a 4 and not a 5 that's even more valuable. We need a shot blocking shooter at the 4 more than anything.

He's a 4 with small-ball 5 potential. As a PF, his rebounding, defense, shot-blocking and shooting make him a valuable prospect. But as a C... He can develop into an invaluable archetype in the modern game: an athletic, rim-running stretch 5.

[PhantomDashCam]

https://www.nba.com/amp/league/video/2020/09/29/20200929-draft-combine-media-avail-jalen-smith

Media availability interview from combine for Jalen Smith.

[Dejounte]

https://www.nba.com/amp/league/video/2020/09/29/20200929-draft-combine-media-avail-jalen-smith

Media availability interview from combine for Jalen Smith.

Thanks for posting!

Couple tidbits that weren't tweeted:

He said he spoke to "everybody" on the Spurs. The GMs, the assistant managers, and some of the scout personnel.

Says shooting form has gotten quicker.

Says he has been working on his dribble to attack other bigs.

Says he has noticed the hard work Bam has put in to be where he is today (in the bubble).

[Dejounte]

CF2Em4MnHbK

[Chinook]

Doesn't look like finishing through contact is going to be an issue for him.

[Dejounte]

Doesn't look like finishing through contact is going to be an issue for him.

Meh, Lonnie has a big body but it's still an issue for him. It's all in the head and good thing Jalen has shown in college that he is fearless and doesn't mind the contact unlike Lonnie.

[spurspl]

perfect body-structure for a modern 4 and 5. Just hope he will be available at 11th. Maybe he should do sth stupid to slow down a lil bit this hype in media so we could take him :lol

[The Truth #6]

I would be surprised if he isn’t available at 11. I would take him over Poku, but not over Halliburton or Vassell, the only two that might fall to us in my opinion.

[objective]

The October 1st podcast of LOCKED ON JAZZ features David Locke's scouting report on Jalen Smith.

An incomplete scout as Locke explains he'll revisit with another game later. Smith is his first draft breakdown.

Starts around 2:15 or so

Locke's breakdown of Dejounte Murray from 2016 is on YouTube for a fun revisit

[Dejounte]

The October 1st podcast of LOCKED ON JAZZ features David Locke's scouting report on Jalen Smith.

An incomplete scout as Locke explains he'll revisit with another game later. Smith is his first draft breakdown.

Starts around 2:15 or so

Locke's breakdown of Dejounte Murray from 2016 is on YouTube for a fun revisit

I haven't listened to it yet.

But if how I interpreted your text is correct

He scouts him off of one game.

To me, this is silly because a player cannot be examined accurately enough in one game only. They could have a bad night and it wouldnt tell the entire story.

It's like if Bryn Forbes had one game defending a player really well and calling Bryn Forbes a good defender.

You got to examine a player from the sum of its parts, not just a single part.

[Sugus]

perfect body-structure for a modern 4 and 5. Just hope he will be available at 11th. Maybe he should do sth stupid to slow down a lil bit this hype in media so we could take him :lol

It's wild that he was projected as a late first-rounder a month and a half ago, and now we're saying we hope he's there at 11. I'm not sold on the Hawks taking him, tbh, he should be there unless someone overtakes the Spurs after learning their pick.

[Dejounte]

The October 1st podcast of LOCKED ON JAZZ features David Locke's scouting report on Jalen Smith.

An incomplete scout as Locke explains he'll revisit with another game later. Smith is his first draft breakdown.

Starts around 2:15 or so

Locke's breakdown of Dejounte Murray from 2016 is on YouTube for a fun revisit

Just listened to the segment. He seems to really be high on Jalen but I still stand by what I said... 1-2 games isn't enough.

[Dejounte]

https://youtu.be/PO5pSy_RcWU

David Locke from the podcast is freaking out about the play at 0:41 saying he takes only two steps to get to the basket. Didn't notice the number of steps before... Pretty impressive.

[XDT76]

It's wild that he was projected as a late first-rounder a month and a half ago, and now we're saying we hope he's there at 11. I'm not sold on the Hawks taking him, tbh, he should be there unless someone overtakes the Spurs after learning their pick.

It's not the Hawks, it's rumoured that the Suns is leaning heavily on him. Yeah within a month a lot of views changed those that were viewed as raw with high upsides are losing steam like PatWil, Nesmith, Poku, Precious thus propelling more steady prospect like Jalen up the draft board.

[BackHome]

Actually Poku is still gaining steam..........

[objective]

Just listened to the segment. He seems to really be high on Jalen but I still stand by what I said... 1-2 games isn't enough.

fwiw, he covered him again on the October 6 show, around the 3 minute mark. His one additional game was against Minnesota. Tiny sample size, so take it with a giant grain of salt of course. He does raise an interesting statistical quirk among college players and roll scoring that could bode well for Smith or Achiuwa for that matter.

[Dejounte]

fwiw, he covered him again on the October 6 show, around the 3 minute mark. His one additional game was against Minnesota. Tiny sample size, so take it with a giant grain of salt of course. He does raise an interesting statistical quirk among college players and roll scoring that could bode well for Smith or Achiuwa for that matter.

Just listened to it, thanks. He thinks he will be a stretch 4 in the NBA also.

[exstatic]

Actually Poku is still gaining steam..........

Googled him recently, and three different team fan analysts are advocating him on their websites, NYK (who I said might be interested), Detroit, and someone else who I forget. All of the articles were at least as recent as September.

One of the most interesting comparisons was to LaMelo Ball, both 18, both played pro against grown men, and didn’t post great numbers.

[DAF86]

CF2Em4MnHbK

How can you have that Upper body with those rakitic ass legs? Looks so fucking weird. :lol

[Dejounte]

How can you have that Upper body with those rakitic ass legs? Looks so fucking weird. :lol

Johnny Bravo

[spurspl]

How can you have that Upper body with those rakitic ass legs? Looks so fucking weird. :lol

looks funny but nowadays it can be more pros than cons.

[DAF86]

looks funny but nowadays it can be more pros than cons.

How? The legs are the base of the body. You need a strong base.

[Dejounte]

How? The legs are the base of the body. You need a strong base.

Legs aren't as much of a factor as you're making it seem... Plenty of successful NBA players with skinny legs... KG, KD...

[Russ]

looks funny but nowadays it can be more pros than cons.

Yeah, when you're trying to establish yourself under the basket, having a low center of gravity is way overrated . . .

[DAF86]

Legs aren't as much of a factor as you're making it seem... Plenty of successful NBA players with skinny legs... KG, KD...

Not as skinny as Smith's, tbh.

Also, that wasn't the point. I guess you can get by with skinny legs, but spurspl talked about "more pros than cons". Which are the benefits of having rakitic ass legs over strong muscular ones?

[Dejounte]

Not as skinny as Smith's, tbh.

Also, that wasn't the point. I guess you can get by with skinny legs, but spurspl (https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=54768) talked about "more pros than cons". Which are the benefits of having rakitic ass legs over strong muscular ones?

Beg to differ...

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9a/aa/2f/9aaa2f182ed4745a00dc2483a216fb81.jpg

Kevin Garnett:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51dX-w8VfHL._AC_.jpg

I don't know what spurspl (https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=54768) is talking about. In fact, I don't think anyone on this forum would know. No one here is a sports physical therapist. Anyone who says they know how it affects basketball play or thinks they know is bullshitting.

[DAF86]

Beg to differ...

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9a/aa/2f/9aaa2f182ed4745a00dc2483a216fb81.jpg

Kevin Garnett:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51dX-w8VfHL._AC_.jpg

I don't know what spurspl (https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=54768) is talking about. In fact, I don't think anyone on this forum would know. No one here is a sports physical therapist. Anyone who says they know how it affects basketball play or thinks they know is bullshitting.

You don't need to be a sports physical therapist to apply common logic, tbh.

Everybody knows strong muscular legs help avoid injuries, and a strong lower body is very important in basketball for bigmen banging down low, tbh.

In Smith's case it is particularly weird because he seems to have such a strong upper body compared to those legs, unlike like a Durant who is skinny through and through. I can't help but wonder just how much upperbody weight those legs can carry, tbh.

In any case, it's not a deal breaker for me (heck, my favourite target is Poku), I'm just saying there's no way having skinny legs is better than having strong legs, tbh.

[kobyz]

Skinny legs are sometimes a genetic thing they you can't do anything about no matter how much weight you lift

[kobyz]

You don't need to be a sports physical therapist to apply common logic, tbh.

Everybody knows strong muscular legs help avoid injuries, and a strong lower body is very important in basketball for bigmen banging down low, tbh.

In Smith's case it is particularly weird because he seems to have such a strong upper body compared to those legs, unlike like a Durant who is skinny through and through. I can't help but wonder just how much upperbody weight those legs can carry, tbh.

In any case, it's not a deal breaker for me (heck, my favourite target is Poku), I'm just saying there's no way having skinny legs is better than having strong legs, tbh.

They could be skinny but still strong

[spurspl]

for clarification, saying more pros than cons i meant that during this whole small ball era forwards dont need to be bulky and having strong big legs. U dont need to fight under the basket like in 90' or 00'. Theoritically skinnier legs = quicker footwork. But still u can be fast with big legs thanks to for example fast twitch muscle fibers but we cannot say this seeing only a photo. Same thing with legs strenght. Skinny legs not always mean weak or injury prone legs

[BackHome]

Actually you needed a big old butt to play in the old day Charles Barkley but now that we playing sissy 3 ball you can be skinny and be successful.

[DAF86]

for clarification, saying more pros than cons i meant that during this whole small ball era forwards dont need to be bulky and having strong big legs. U dont need to fight under the basket like in 90' or 00'. Theoritically skinnier legs = quicker footwork. But still u can be fast with big legs thanks to for example fast twitch muscle fibers but we cannot say this seeing only a photo. Same thing with legs strenght. Skinny legs not always mean weak or injury prone legs

There aren't sportmen with quicker footwork than soccer players, and they have some of thickest legs in all of sports, tbh. There isn't a single benefit that comes from having skinny legs, tbh.

[buttsR4rebounding]

Actually you needed a big old butt to play in the old day Charles Barkley but now that we playing sissy 3 ball you can be skinny and be successful.

[Dejounte]

https://youtu.be/2cvNmncN2cc

The full length video finally came out today.

Mike thinks he'll play the 4 in the NBA. He thinks he's the "perfect fit" in today's game.

[DesignatedT]

Unless someone unexpectedly falls or the Spurs make some drastic roster changes, I think this is where the Spurs go at 11. I’m high on him and would be good with it. I’d love to have a second pick in the 8-16 range also. I think there’s a lot of good talent in this draft.

[DPG21920]

He seems kind of stiff

[R. DeMurre]

Have to admit, the legs do look out of proportion. Even Poku's legs look beefier. But looks can be deceiving. Look at a guy like Tayshaun Prince-- he was rail thin from head to toe and was the premiere NBA Iron Man from '03-'09: he played an incredible 82 games per year six seasons in a row!

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/princta01.html

[BackHome]

Just look at David Robinson’s picture and I think he did OK if I am not mistaken.

[look_at_g_shred]

Not sure if this has been posted, but here is RC at a Maryland game.

1237026774556557313

[Dejounte]

Not sure if this has been posted, but here is RC at a Maryland game.

1237026774556557313

How the fuck did you find this lol

[Dejounte]

Everytime I see RC scouting players, he's always super focused on his phone. Probably typing some serious notes

Everytime RC is reported as scouting a prospect, it's that prospect we end up drafting.

[look_at_g_shred]

How the fuck did you find this lol
Circulating on "spurs twitter"

[ZeusWillJudge]

Not sure if this has been posted, but here is RC at a Maryland game.


Damn! That's when I knew the Spurs were serious about Sammich. That's a good find.




Everytime RC is reported as scouting a prospect, it's that prospect we end up drafting.

I didn't see your comment before I posted. It's not a guarantee they will draft him, but it's a damn good sign of their interest.

[Dejounte]

I see Jalen Smith liked this tweet:

https://twitter.com/DejounteMurray/status/1318978567657738240?s=19

Hmmmmmmmm when there's smoke, there's fire??

Edit: he also liked a tweet from Trae Young and Kyle Kuzma

[mo7888]

A year or two down the road I could see Smith and Samanic fitting together really well in a starting unit. If we stay at 11 I'd be more than ok with this pick.

[Dejounte]

A year or two down the road I could see Smith and Samanic fitting together really well in a starting unit. If we stay at 11 I'd be more than ok with this pick.

White
M. Jones
Keldon
Samanic
Smith

*Salivates*

[Seventyniner]

So all signs are pointing to the Suns taking Smith at #10 then?

[SpurPadre]

I know some of you don't like mock drafts and the analysts who get paid to do them but most of them see him as a reach at #11. If he can be had later in the round, we might as well trade down, right?

[spurspl]

I know some of you don't like mock drafts and the analysts who get paid to do them but most of them see him as a reach at #11. If he can be had later in the round, we might as well trade down, right?

i doubt we can get sth worthy in return by trading down few spots. plus we take a risk i guess.

[ginobilized]

I'm warming to him, but, still have a hard time seeing him head-to-head with players like AD, Zion, LeBron, Bam, Embiid and the list goes on. His gait is odd, not very fast and it is hard to gauge his intensity.

His BB IQ and attitude seem right on the money and he has a sweet stroke from 3.

Damn, this is the weirdest offseason ever. These guys get drafted and the season starts 2 weeks later?!?!?

[spurspl]

I'm warming to him, but, still have a hard time seeing him head-to-head with players like AD, Zion, LeBron, Bam, Embiid and the list goes on. His gait is odd, not very fast and it is hard to gauge his intensity.

His BB IQ and attitude seem right on the money and he has a sweet stroke from 3.

Damn, this is the weirdest offseason ever. These guys get drafted and the season starts 2 weeks later?!?!?

theres noone in the 1st rnd of this draft who can guard guys u mentioned, maybe except wiseman and achiuwa. but there are a couple of big decent defenders in a 2nd rnd.

[Dejounte]

theres noone in the 1st rnd of this draft who can guard guys u mentioned, maybe except wiseman and achiuwa. but there are a couple of big decent defenders in a 2nd rnd.

Right. Good teams rarely rely on 1 on 1 lockdown defenders, they usually have a game plan to limit the other players around the opposing star.

[ginobilized]

theres noone in the 1st rnd of this draft who can guard guys u mentioned, maybe except wiseman and achiuwa. but there are a couple of big decent defenders in a 2nd rnd.

Oh, yeah guarding those types, no way. I literally meant it is hard to see Smith running up and down the court with them. Something seems off with him body-wise. Either way, if he's the guy, we could probably do much worse.
Do other teams still try to poach Spurs picks?

[Sugus]

Oh, yeah guarding those types, no way. I literally meant it is hard to see Smith running up and down the court with them. Something seems off with him body-wise. Either way, if he's the guy, we could probably do much worse.
Do other teams still try to poach Spurs picks?

I know for sure Jalen won't have a problem running up and down the court behind Embiid :lol

The body thing that's "weird" (to me at least) is the disproportion between his upper and lower body. I'm not a sports physiologist or close to it, so as to make a claim on whether it's a good or bad condition to have (rather, a bad or not-bad condition, since I guess lower body mass is hardly really "good"), but having watched a lot of his games, he never seems to be hindered by it; he's a good leaper, can dunk, is athletic, doesn't look too slow nor flat-footed. And as others have said, you don't really draft a #11 pick thinking whether or not they can go up against the FMVP runner-up, or the second and third best C's in the league... I'm still not convinced Smith can't play PF, but it'll depend on the way the league trends as well.

[PhantomDashCam]

His skill set is tantalising, no doubt.

My biggest concerns though stem from him being a pre dominant 4 man at the next level, which I think limits his value.

Who do you pair with him at the 5?

He seems like a big who plays smaller than his size - which is a problem because I am unsure of how he guards in space and on switches yet seems to get overpowered by (bigger) wings/bigs on the block.

He also seems to get pushed and nestled out of rebounding position quite often.

Happy to eat humble pie on this, and will support whoever we draft - but if Wiseman/Double O off the table, would like to look at Stewart or Reggie Perry in certain scenarios if we are going for a big.

[The Truth #6]

His skill set is tantalising, no doubt.

My biggest concerns though stem from him being a pre dominant 4 man at the next level, which I think limits his value.

Who do you pair with him at the 5?

He seems like a big who plays smaller than his size - which is a problem because I am unsure of how he guards in space and on switches yet seems to get overpowered by (bigger) wings/bigs on the block.

He also seems to get pushed and nestled out of rebounding position quite often.

Happy to eat humble pie on this, and will support whoever we draft - but if Wiseman/Double O off the table, would like to look at Stewart or Reggie Perry in certain scenarios if we are going for a big.

I see Stewart getting mentioned more and more. I'm trying to make sense of his style of play and if it will translate. He has a huge wingspan but very little vertical lift. He seems to have a Michael Cage or Zach Randolph type of game with a super soft touch around the rim. But Stewart appears to be an anachronism being mostly an inside presence and I think Jalen's outside shooting gives him a better upside in the modern game. Personally, for reasons I can't justify, I'm interested in Tyrese Maxey for the team.

[Dejounte]

His skill set is tantalising, no doubt.

My biggest concerns though stem from him being a pre dominant 4 man at the next level, which I think limits his value.

Who do you pair with him at the 5?

He seems like a big who plays smaller than his size - which is a problem because I am unsure of how he guards in space and on switches yet seems to get overpowered by (bigger) wings/bigs on the block.

He also seems to get pushed and nestled out of rebounding position quite often.

Happy to eat humble pie on this, and will support whoever we draft - but if Wiseman/Double O off the table, would like to look at Stewart or Reggie Perry in certain scenarios if we are going for a big.

I think rebounding is more instinctual than it is about strength. Jalen was one of the top rebounding college players despite occasionally being pushed off balance. Not only that, but I noticed he has a knack for tipping off rebounds properly to nearby teammates, sort of how Timmy used to do. This is a valuable skill and usually leads to clutch play. Just an overall smart player that this team needs. Regarding his other deficiencies, it seems he has the character to seek help in places that aren't typical. When he was having issues with his shot, he sought after a sports psychologist. Recently, he took up yoga. Match him with a resourceful organization like the Spurs and his development will skyrocket.

[PhantomDashCam]

I see Stewart getting mentioned more and more. I'm trying to make sense of his style of play and if it will translate. He has a huge wingspan but very little vertical lift. He seems to have a Michael Cage or Zach Randolph type of game with a super soft touch around the rim. But Stewart appears to be an anachronism being mostly an inside presence and I think Jalen's outside shooting gives him a better upside in the modern game. Personally, for reasons I can't justify, I'm interested in Tyrese Maxey for the team.

I agree. Stewart reminds me of Marv from Sin City and Dwight’s description of such. :lol (1:20 mark of the vid below.)
The thing is for me, you have to game plan - as opposition, for his post touches and rebounding - things I am sure will translate to the NBA.
If his passing and shooting have improved as reported, he could really be a force - that ‘gravity’ type of player.

With he and Keldon, we would have our own version of ‘Wild Stallyns’. :hungry:


https://youtu.be/Qdaw7FUJyp0

[ginobilized]

Why Not: His ability to play as a stretch big could be compromised by a lack of passing instincts. Has poor court vision and slow processing speed. Athletically, he has some flaws. He has slow-ish feet and stiff hips, which makes it difficult for him to close out on the perimeter. His body is top heavy, which will likely stop him from being a post-up threat. Unless he can become more fluid, might be relegated to center.

After going back to the original timvp scouting report, I think he sees what I see but, says it more concretely. Stiff hips and slow-is feet make it hard to stay with perimeter players. With that said, I'd still be happy with him at 11. I can see him meshing well with the young guns on the team.

[Dejounte]

Why Not: His ability to play as a stretch big could be compromised by a lack of passing instincts. Has poor court vision and slow processing speed. Athletically, he has some flaws. He has slow-ish feet and stiff hips, which makes it difficult for him to close out on the perimeter. His body is top heavy, which will likely stop him from being a post-up threat. Unless he can become more fluid, might be relegated to center.

After going back to the original timvp scouting report, I think he sees what I see but, says it more concretely. Stiff hips and slow-is feet make it hard to stay with perimeter players. With that said, I'd still be happy with him at 11. I can see him meshing well with the young guns on the team.

It's a question mark, for sure. Refer to the first page of this thread where I posted 10 clips about this.

[ginobilized]

It's a question mark, for sure. Refer to the first page of this thread where I posted 10 clips about this.

I know he's your boy! It is hard to miss those clips.
I like him, too. I see something different in his fluidity that might be exposed at a higher level, that's all.
That said, Duncan could be a tremendous asset in his development. His energy with Keldon would be awesome.
It never hurts to have a strong rebounder who can shoot the 3.

[Dejounte]

Freshman year Tim Duncan vs Freshman year Jalen Smith...



Season
School
Conf
G
GS
MP
FG
FGA
FG%
2P
2PA
2P%
3P
3PA
3P%
FT
FTA
FT%
ORB
DRB
TRB
AST
STL
BLK
TOV
PF
PTS

SOS


1993-94 (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/seasons/1994.html)
Wake Forest (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/wake-forest/1994.html)
ACC (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/acc/1994.html)
33
32
30.2
3.6
6.7
0.545
3.6
6.6
0.543
0
0
1
2.5
3.3
0.745


9.6
0.9
0.4
3.8
1.2
2.5
9.8

7.84


2018-19 (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/seasons/2019.html)
Maryland (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/maryland/2019.html)
Big Ten (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/big-ten/2019.html)
33
33
26.7
4.4
8.9
0.492
3.8
6.8
0.563
0.6
2.2
0.268
2.3
3.5
0.658
2.7
4.1
6.8
0.9
0.4
1.2
1.2
2
11.7

10.09




Sophomore year Tim Duncan vs Sophomore year Jalen Smith...



Season
School
Conf
G
GS
MP
FG
FGA
FG%
2P
2PA
2P%
3P
3PA
3P%
FT
FTA
FT%
ORB
DRB
TRB
AST
STL
BLK
TOV
PF
PTS

SOS


1994-95 (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/seasons/1995.html)
Wake Forest (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/wake-forest/1995.html)
ACC (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/acc/1995.html)
32
32
36.5
6.5
11
0.591
6.4
10.8
0.594
0.1
0.2
0.429
3.7
5
0.742


12.5
2.1
0.4
4.2
2.8
2.4
16.8

10.83


2019-20 (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/seasons/2020.html)
Maryland (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/maryland/2020.html)
Big Ten (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/big-ten/2020.html)
31
31
31.3
5.4
10.1
0.538
4.4
7.3
0.604
1
2.8
0.368
3.6
4.8
0.75
3.2
7.3
10.5
0.8
0.7
2.4
1.7
2.4
15.5

10.5

[Dejounte]

Official measurements for Jalen Smith, in comparison to Luka's combine measurements





Body Fat%
Hand Length
Hand Width
Height W/O Shoes
Height W Shoes
Standing Reach
Weight
Wingspan


Jalen Smith
PF-C
3.70%
9.25
9.25
6'9.25''
6'10.25''
9'2.00''
224.6
7'2.25''


Luka Samanic
PF
5.60%
8.5
9
6' 9.5''
6' 11''
8' 11''
227.2
6' 10.5''



Our future front court???

[JuneJive]

Lookin' good.

Hopefully Spurs get him.

[Dejounte]

Jalen Smith measurements compared to other past PF's and C's:





Body Fat%
Hand Length
Hand Width
Height W/O Shoes
Height W Shoes
Standing Reach
Weight
Wingspan


Jalen Smith
PF-C
3.70%
9.25
9.25
6'9.25''
6'10.25''
9'2.00''
224.6
7'2.25''


Chris Bosh
PF
8.00%
-
-
6' 10.25''

9' 1''
225
7' 3.5''


Nicolas Claxton
C
4.50%
9.25
9.5
6' 10''
6' 11.75''
9' 2''
216.6
7' 2.5''


Jaxson Hayes
PF
5.00%
9.25
10.5
6' 10.25''
6' 11.5''
9' 2.5''
218.6
7' 3.5''


Darius Bazley
PF
3.60%
9
9.75
6' 7.75''
6' 9''
8' 11''
208.4
7' 0''


P.J. Washington
PF
8.60%
9
10.25
6' 6.5''
6' 8''
8' 10.5''
230.4
7' 2.25''


Jaren Jackson
PF-C
7.20%
10
10
6' 9.75''
6' 11.25''
9' 2''
236
7' 5.25''


Michael Porter
SF-PF
6.40%
8.75
9.25
6' 9.5''
6' 10.75''
9' 0.5''
211
7' 0.25''


Chimezie Metu
PF-C
5.05%
9
9.25
6' 8.5''
6' 9.5''
9' 0''
219.6
7' 0.5''


Bam Adebayo
PF-C
5.20%
9.5
8.75
6' 8.75''
6' 9.75''
9' 0''
242.6
7' 2.75''


Pascal Siakam
PF
5.20%
9.25
10
6' 8.25''
6' 9.5''
8' 11.5''
226.6
7' 3.25''


Jakob Poeltl
C
5.80%
9.25
10.25
7' 0.25''
7' 1''
9' 3.5''
239
7' 2.75''


Myles Turner
C-PF
9.30%
9.25
9.25
6' 9.75''
6' 11.5''
9' 4''
238.6
7' 4''


Trey Lyles
PF
12.10%
9.25
10.25
6' 9''
6' 10.25''
9' 0''
241.2
7' 1.5''


Montrezl Harrell
PF
11.90%
9
9.75
6' 7''
6' 7.5''
9' 1''
253.4
7' 4.25''


Aaron Gordon
PF
5.05%
8.75
10.5
6' 7.5''
6' 8.75''
8' 9''
220.1
6' 11.75''


Robert Covington
SF-PF
4.70%
9
8.5
6' 6.25''
6' 7.5''
8' 10''
208.6
7' 1.75''


Andre Drummond
C
7.50%
9.5
9.5
6' 9.75''
6' 11.75''
9' 1.5''
278.6
7' 6.25''


Anthony Davis
PF-C
7.90%
9
8.5
6' 9.25''
6' 10.5''
9' 0''
221.8
7' 5.5''


Draymond Green
PF-SF
11.30%
9
9.5
6' 5.75''
6' 7.5''
8' 9''
235.6
7' 1.25''


Tristan Thompson
PF
6.20%
8.75
9.25
6' 7.5''
6' 8.75''
9' 0.5''
227.4
7' 1.25''


Marcus Morris
PF-SF
8.00%
8.25
8.5
6' 7''
6' 8.75''
8' 9.5''
229.6
6' 10''


LaMarcus Aldridge
PF-C
8.70%
-
-
6' 10''
6' 11.25''
9' 2''
234
7' 4.75''

[Dejounte]

The 3.70% body fat is eye popping. Dude is an absolute work horse.

[R. DeMurre]

The 3.70% body fat is eye popping. Dude is an absolute work horse.

:lol Complete opposite of someone like Zion or DeJuan Blair. His metabolism is more like Rodman's. His trainer is feeding him french fries and twinkies.

[Sugus]

Official measurements for Jalen Smith, in comparison to Luka's combine measurements

Our future front court???

Subscribe. Some solid measurements for the both of them... Luka and Jalen as a modern frontcourt, stretch 4&5, would be awesome to see if the both of them pan out. They have a lot of potential as both project to be volume shooters from deep, and (if Luka keeps on putting muscle) could switch to both positions on defense. Hopefully the Spurs don't have to give up #11 if they do trade up, I'd love to have Smith on the team.

[spurspl]

damn, luka is taller than jalen :o

btw pretty nice measurements from jalen, this body fat % looks impressive

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/byJohnDiaz/status/1326950809117089803?s=19

HYPE!!!

This is the same thing they did with Kawhi.

Sugus

[Seventyniner]

https://twitter.com/byJohnDiaz/status/1326950809117089803?s=19

HYPE!!!

This is the same thing they did with Kawhi.

Sugus (https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=54941)

I'd prefer the Spurs to do this after they pick him. :lol

I do wonder if and how high the Spurs would have to trade up to assure themselves of getting him, if he really is their guy.

[mo7888]

I'd prefer the Spurs to do this after they pick him. :lol

I do wonder if and how high the Spurs would have to trade up to assure themselves of getting him, if he really is their guy.

I think he'll be there at 11.... I'd be happy with him or Nesmith assuming a bigger fish doesn't fall...

[RC_Drunkford]

I'd be hyped if we pick Jalen, cause I think he's a sleeper. Not sure if you need to use the 11th pick on him though, he seems to be in the 15-20 range

[Degoat]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Both Patrick Williams and Jalen Smith said they preferred not to name the teams they have worked out for.</p>&mdash; Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/KeithSmithNBA/status/1326953162306179081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

GD I’m never gonna learn how to attach the link but the tweet says both Patrick Williams and Jalen Smith didn’t want to say who they have worked out for because of promises to draft them

[Sugus]

https://twitter.com/byJohnDiaz/status/1326950809117089803?s=19

HYPE!!!

This is the same thing they did with Kawhi.

Sugus

IT'S HAPPENING!!! or close to, at least...

I'm still on the fence on what I'd like the Spurs to do regarding the draft though, because I don't know if I'd rather have the Spurs trade up into the lottery, but lose #11, or just get some solid frontcourt depth at #11 and try to make other trades to gather more picks. I'd absolutely love Jalen, but the temptation of lottery-level talent without having to tank for it is also huge...

All that said, it's great to see the Spurs and Smith interacting. I've been getting higher on him through the last month or so, and his solid combine measurements are just icing on the cake. No doubt he'd be good value at #11.

[4lifecowboy]

My choice if we keep the 11th pick.

[Russ]

https://twitter.com/byJohnDiaz/status/1326950809117089803?s=19

HYPE!!!

This is the same thing they did with Kawhi.

Sugus

This is reaching the point of absurdity.

[Dejounte]

This is reaching the point of absurdity.

Good

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/NBADraft/status/1327076216256401415?s=19

“My lateral quickness, that’s been a main focus this offseason, making sure everything is more fluid, working on my footwork. Being able to guard a lot of guards that came through the gym during the summer has been helping me a lot.”

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

https://twitter.com/NBADraft/status/1327076216256401415?s=19

“My lateral quickness, that’s been a main focus this offseason, making sure everything is more fluid, working on my footwork. Being able to guard a lot of guards that came through the gym during the summer has been helping me a lot.”


yeah, I heard this and his college coach interview on NBA radio a couple of days ago. It’s good that he knows he has to improve on his lateral movement and is working on getting better before the draft.

his coach talked about how hard he worked to get more muscle and improve his shooting and how Jalen being a military kid assist in his hard working process

[Dejounte]

CHsyQRgAXGN

Those handles and that beautiful shot off the dribble

OOoooOooOoOOoWeEeEEeEEeEe

Sugus

[Dancelot]

Really hope we draft this kid. I like him a lot more than Patrick Williams.

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/TerrapinHoops/status/1328729890401738754?s=09

Got the juice!?!??

[look_at_g_shred]

https://twitter.com/TerrapinHoops/status/1328729890401738754?s=09

Got the juice!?!??
Celtics bound imho

[Sugus]

CHsyQRgAXGN

Those handles and that beautiful shot off the dribble

OOoooOooOoOOoWeEeEEeEEeEe

Sugus

Heeell yeah, brother. Thanks for the content. Skilled, shooting bigs are the name of the game right now, and Jalen is poised to be a solid player for years to come, with an outside shot at stardom. He's just the perfect package for a 4 or even small-ball 5, you really can't ask for much else. I'm torn on whether I want the Spurs to stick to #11 and get him, or trade up to get Wiseman... Either would be good to me. Just hope one of them does end up happening :lol

[Degoat]

If Jalen Smith became a star, you could totally market the goggles he wears lol

[Dejounte]

If Jalen Smith became a star, you could totally market the goggles he wears lol

He already has a marketable nickname: Stix

[look_at_g_shred]

He already has a marketable nickname: Stix
Long Dix Stix

[PhantomDashCam]

My issue with his dribbling is his head is down the whole time in a 1 on none environment.
It’s nice to see he’s practicing it though.

[Sugus]

My issue with his dribbling is his head is down the whole time in a 1 on none environment.
It’s nice to see he’s practicing it though.

Good catch, you're right. To be fair, it's definitely something he's still working on and can be developed - but I don't expect handles to ever be a strong point about him. It's more about being serviceable in these areas at an NBA level, whilst bringing his actual strengths (defense, rebounding, volume shooting) to the table.

[KobesAchilles]

No thank you. We have a lot of needs on this team and Jalen Smith ain't one of them. He fixes zero issues that we have

[Chinook]

No thank you. We have a lot of needs on this team and Jalen Smith ain't one of them. He fixes zero issues that we have

The Spurs aren't good enough to have needs.

The draft isn't supposed to be for filling needs.

Smith would clearly have a rotation spot this season.

[Dejounte]

No thank you. We have a lot of needs on this team and Jalen Smith ain't one of them. He fixes zero issues that we have

So you're one of those people with a broken faucet and says "it still runs water, its fine"

Theres literally going to be zero scoring output from our bigs after Aldridge is gone next year. Who are you going to rely on after he's gone?

But why am I surprised by your take? You never see the forest beyond the trees. Youre always concerned with right now instead of the plan ahead.

Are the Rockets still going to the playoffs next year? Lmfao

[gospursgojas]

Cool. A really shitty Dwight Howard.

[Dejounte]

Cool. A really shitty Dwight Howard.

Yeah because Dwight Howard has always known how to shoot

I guess the closer you get to the draft, the more of these dumbass takes come out. Thought it would be the opposite ...since you know, that would be logical.

[PhantomDashCam]

No thank you. We have a lot of needs on this team and Jalen Smith ain't one of them. He fixes zero issues that we have

I’m not sure any one pick is going to address this teams’ needs though. What we need is to draft is a player who has potential to become a great player, is committed to development of winning habits and is given a pathway to contribute to a team’s progression - sooner, rather than later. Smith has those tools and while he wouldn’t be my choice at #11, I can understand why to some he makes a lot of sense and is their preferred choice.

[Sugus]

No thank you. We have a lot of needs on this team and Jalen Smith ain't one of them. He fixes zero issues that we have

How does he fix zero issues that we have? We've got mother fucking Trey Lyles as our STARTING PF and it's not likely to change for next season, unless either Luka takes a massive jump which doesn't look likely, or we draft a PF (even then, they'd probably be Austin-bound for next season). We have no reliable 3pt shooters who can do volume and not be a defensive liability in the meantime - the closest we have is White, and he's not only not enough for the modern game, he's too passive/has a distributor role. Another need. Lastly, we're bleeding points as a team, and have been playing DeMar DeMotherfuckingRozan at PF for long stretches of the season just because the roster is so ill-fitted. Smith projects to be a solid, reliable, defending PF who can shoot out the gym.

I'm actually really curious to know what prompted this comment, because it lacks all common sense or knowledge of the Spurs' roster/needs. Or are you just that low on Smith, that you don't think he'd ever be better than Trey Lyles? :lol

[KobesAchilles]

So you're one of those people with a broken faucet and says "it still runs water, its fine"

Theres literally going to be zero scoring output from our bigs after Aldridge is gone next year. Who are you going to rely on after he's gone?

But why am I surprised by your take? You never see the forest beyond the trees. Youre always concerned with right now instead of the plan ahead.

Are the Rockets still going to the playoffs next year? Lmfao
Weird take. I actually am thinking about the future. We have ONE person under contract slated to be here after this season that can dribble the basketball. That's it. ONE. That same person, DW, is also the only one who can initiate any offense. What's the plan going forward for that?

As long as they have Harden then yes they will make the playoffs. A pretty simple and straight forward answer. Harden has made the playoffs every year as a Rocket. If they do trade him, then probably won't make the playoffs, but they should get an impressive haul for him and could have a quicker rebuild than us. The Pels also have a brighter future than us, if you're talking about future and so do the Mavs. You're so hung up about the Rockets, who I admit it sounds grim right now but they are under no obligation to make any trades and remain a playoff team.

yet you stay far the fuck away from answering about who has a better future, us or the Mavs. Us or the Pels?

[Dejounte]

Weird take. I actually am thinking about the future. We have ONE person under contract slated to be here after this season that can dribble the basketball. That's it. ONE. That same person, DW, is also the only one who can initiate any offense. What's the plan going forward for that?

As long as they have Harden then yes they will make the playoffs. A pretty simple and straight forward answer. Harden has made the playoffs every year as a Rocket. If they do trade him, then probably won't make the playoffs, but they should get an impressive haul for him and could have a quicker rebuild than us. The Pels also have a brighter future than us, if you're talking about future and so do the Mavs. You're so hung up about the Rockets, who I admit it sounds grim right now but they are under no obligation to make any trades and remain a playoff team.

yet you stay far the fuck away from answering about who has a better future, us or the Mavs. Us or the Pels?

James Harden's uncertainty is my point from the freaking beginning! A lot of IFs in your post, when we first argued about this, you were so certain about their future. Now it's "IF". You fail to see the point here. Again I say to you: things. Change. Fast. In. The. NBA. That applies to the Mavs and the Pels. The offseason isnt even done yet. Any team is one or two dumb moves away from being bad. Im not just talking about transactions. Im talking about EVERYTHING, as in the Rockets' case: their ownership. Youre quick to condemn the Spurs' management style but give free leeway to teams with a good future AT THIS MOMENT when all in a matter of a month, that team could go downhill FAST. See your hypocrisy here and wake up, dude.

[KobesAchilles]

How does he fix zero issues that we have? We've got mother fucking Trey Lyles as our STARTING PF and it's not likely to change for next season, unless either Luka takes a massive jump which doesn't look likely, or we draft a PF (even then, they'd probably be Austin-bound for next season). We have no reliable 3pt shooters who can do volume and not be a defensive liability in the meantime - the closest we have is White, and he's not only not enough for the modern game, he's too passive/has a distributor role. Another need. Lastly, we're bleeding points as a team, and have been playing DeMar DeMotherfuckingRozan at PF for long stretches of the season just because the roster is so ill-fitted. Smith projects to be a solid, reliable, defending PF who can shoot out the gym.

I'm actually really curious to know what prompted this comment, because it lacks all common sense or knowledge of the Spurs' roster/needs. Or are you just that low on Smith, that you don't think he'd ever be better than Trey Lyles? :lol

I am more on the point guard train than a PF I know isn't going to do much for us. I'm not saying Smith is shit or anything but the best (in my humble opinion) he will probably be is like a 10 point a game and 7 rebound a game guy. Rookies suck on defense, but even going forward I'm not sold on his quickness to stay in front of guards in the pic n roll. He shoots pretty good from 3 but it's a weird shot. I don't know if it will translate all that well. Tbf all he needs to be is Trey Lyles on offense I suppose, but I rather have a set up man like Lewis who can create for himself and others or just dribble the ball and still can shoot.

My main issue is that he needs to be paired with an elite scorer to be effective for our team and once LMA and DDR leave, like most of us expect, we will no longer have that. Like who is supposed to create for Smith beyond maybe White? Himself? Forbes? Lonnie? Murray? Bc he needs someone to create his offense

[gospursgojas]

Yeah because Dwight Howard has always known how to shoot

I guess the closer you get to the draft, the more of these dumbass takes come out. Thought it would be the opposite ...since you know, that would be logical.

I’m sure Dwight can knock down shots in an empty gym too. Dude can’t even pick his head up when dribbling. Plus he wears rec specs. What a lame ass.

[KobesAchilles]

James Harden's uncertainty is my point from the freaking beginning! A lot of IFs in your post, when we first argued about this, you were so certain about their future. Now it's "IF". You fail to see the point here. Again I say to you: things. Change. Fast. In. The. NBA. That applies to the Mavs and the Pels. The offseason isnt even done yet. Any team is one or two dumb moves away from being bad. Im not just talking about transactions. Im talking about EVERYTHING, as in the Rockets' case: their ownership. Youre quick to condemn the Spurs' management style but give free leeway to teams with a good future AT THIS MOMENT when all in a matter of a month, that team could go downhill FAST. See your hypocrisy here and wake up, dude.

Literally in both scenarios, Harden being gone or them trading him, Houston will have the better future.
We have bad management though. We have bad ownership. We don't know about the GM (to be fair) but we just replaced a main stay on our team in RC. That usually doesn't end all too well. Things do change fast in the NBA... Except when they don't. Like the Wolves haven't won a playoff game in 13 years. THINGS. CHANGE. FAST.
Kings haven't been to the playoffs since, even I don't know 2006?? THINGS. CHANGE. FAST. Phoenix hasn't been to the playoffs in like 7 years. It took the LAKERS 7 years to make the playoffs. How fast is that? Golden St made 5 finals in a row. That's not fast. Pels have won 1 playoff series in 8 years. That's not fast. Players might come and go, but it's easy to be where you're at for a good long while

Let me be clear. Pop is going to retire soon. We don't have anyone on the horizon to replace him. We are going through assistant coaches like crazy and have no clear leader among the ones we do have. So we have no future coach. RC retired from being a GM and we have Brian Wrong as his replacement. Jury is still out on him but how much do you trust a rookie GM with zero experience to guide us through a rebuild? We went from Peter Holt, to his wife, to his kids, who have zero knowledge on ho to run a team. We went from a guy who was the spokesman of the owners and respected league wide to Jim Buss. And you're laughing at the Houston Rockets for going through the exact same shit we are going through? That makes sense

[Dejounte]

Literally in both scenarios, Harden being gone or them trading him, Houston will have the better future.
We have bad management though. We have bad ownership. We don't know about the GM (to be fair) but we just replaced a main stay on our team in RC. That usually doesn't end all too well. Things do change fast in the NBA... Except when they don't. Like the Wolves haven't won a playoff game in 13 years. THINGS. CHANGE. FAST.
Kings haven't been to the playoffs since, even I don't know 2006?? THINGS. CHANGE. FAST. Phoenix hasn't been to the playoffs in like 7 years. It took the LAKERS 7 years to make the playoffs. How fast is that? Golden St made 5 finals in a row. That's not fast. Pels have won 1 playoff series in 8 years. That's not fast. Players might come and go, but it's easy to be where you're at for a good long while

Let me be clear. Pop is going to retire soon. We don't have anyone on the horizon to replace him. We are going through assistant coaches like crazy and have no clear leader among the ones we do have. So we have no future coach. RC retired from being a GM and we have Brian Wrong as his replacement. Jury is still out on him but how much do you trust a rookie GM with zero experience to guide us through a rebuild? We went from Peter Holt, to his wife, to his kids, who have zero knowledge on ho to run a team. We went from a guy who was the spokesman of the owners and respected league wide to Jim Buss. And you're laughing at the Houston Rockets for going through the exact same shit we are going through? That makes sense

Did you really just say the Rockets have a better future after Harden is gone?

Did you say that with a straight face?

No spilled drink on your keyboard?

Please head over to the Rockets forum and see if they believe the same thing.

For all intents and purposes, make sure you check your biases before you come up with a post like this.

No sane person thinks the same thing.

[KobesAchilles]

Did you really just say the Rockets have a better future after Harden is gone?

Did you say that with a straight face?

No spilled drink on your keyboard?

Please head over to the Rockets forum and see if they believe the same thing.

For all intents and purposes, make sure you check your biases before you come up with a post like this.

No sane person thinks the same thing.
Than us? Yes. They lose their stars for picks and somewhat decent players. We lose ours for nothing.

[Dejounte]

There's this overemphasis on Brian Wright's influence as a GM when it should not be a thing to worry about. RC is still holding his hand as per recent interviews. There's no reason to believe he is the puppet master in control of everything. The Spurs have always operated collectively. It's why every time it's time to hire new front office employees, anybody from the Spurs is enticing.

[KobesAchilles]

There's this overemphasis about Brian Wright's influence as a GM when it should not be a thing to worry about. RC is still holding his hand as per recent interviews. There's no reason to believe he is the puppet master in control of everything. The Spurs have always operated collectively. It's why every time it's time to hire new front office employees, anybody from the Spurs is enticing.
So us getting new ownership, a new GM, new assistant coaches, and a head coach that is going to retire soon doesn’t have any negative effects on our long term future??

[TD 21]

The Rockets could easily end up with a better future than the Spurs . . .

- Harden for Simmons+
- Westbrook to Hornets/Knicks for some or all of: salary relief (Batum/Zeller/Portis/Ellington), a young veteran starter (Rozier/Randle), failed prospects (Monk/Smith Jr.), a 2nd round pick(s)
- Tucker to a contender for salary relief and 2 1sts (he's older but more durable than Covington, so if he could fetch it, why not?)

[Dejounte]

So us getting new ownership, a new GM, new assistant coaches, and a head coach that is going to retire soon doesn’t have any negative effects on our long term future??

What is the Spurs' track record or pattern of their behavior and philosophies?

They have always preached and marched on continuity.

There's more reason to give them the benefit of the doubt than it is to doubt them and believe they're going to just let it "gone with the wind".

Until there is a display of erratic behavior or an unwillingness to learn from their mistakes, then there is no reason to think otherwise.

[Sugus]

Weird take. I actually am thinking about the future. We have ONE person under contract slated to be here after this season that can dribble the basketball. That's it. ONE. That same person, DW, is also the only one who can initiate any offense. What's the plan going forward for that?

As long as they have Harden then yes they will make the playoffs. A pretty simple and straight forward answer. Harden has made the playoffs every year as a Rocket. If they do trade him, then probably won't make the playoffs, but they should get an impressive haul for him and could have a quicker rebuild than us. The Pels also have a brighter future than us, if you're talking about future and so do the Mavs. You're so hung up about the Rockets, who I admit it sounds grim right now but they are under no obligation to make any trades and remain a playoff team.

yet you stay far the fuck away from answering about who has a better future, us or the Mavs. Us or the Pels?

It never fails to amaze me what a negative view people in this forum hold on the Spurs - and how they completely and utterly disregard context when discussing how other teams are so much better than us. Do the Mavs have a brighter future? Yes, probably. They also have been shit ever since Dirk left, haven't won a chip since '11, and tanked for the #3 pick that ended up being Luka. The Pels are a similar example - being shit for years, they lucked into Anthony freaking Davis, paired him with All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, and still couldn't win shit, and had to trade AD away. Only now do they look like they have a nice core that could make some noise - yet they haven't even made the playoffs, and their star Zion looks dangerously close to a career-altering injury with that size.

The Rockettes, if Harden leaves, are absolutely poised to be worse than the Spurs - this isn't even supposed to be a question. It's not even about the picks they could get for him or whatever; they're still stuck with WB's contract and will lose assets dumping him, have bad contracts with money tied to over-the-hill vets like Gordon or Tucker, and have absolutely no young talent to speak of. Ben Simmons, by far the best they could get for Harden, is a very flawed player and probably doesn't get them to the PO's by himself - and even then, making the playoffs is far from what I'd call "a great future".

I get it - RC is a drunkard, Pop is senile, all our young guys will amount to nothing. What is stopping us from being shit for years, tank our way into a superstar, and being in the position of the Pels or Mavs in a few years? Why are you so fixated on the right now, when you've been enjoying Spurs playoff basketball for the better part of two decades already? It's unfair to ask for continuous, ever-lasting excellence. And even then, I agree with Dejounte - the league changes, fast. These teams whose futures you salivate over, could very well end up back where they started with a bad move or two. Just looking at the Sixers and the botched Process should be proof enough.

[KobesAchilles]

What is the Spurs' track record or pattern of their behavior and philosophies?

They have always preached and marched on continuity.

There's more reason to give them the benefit of the doubt than it is to doubt them and believe they're going to just let it "gone with the wind".

Until there is a display of erratic behavior or an unwillingness to learn from their mistakes, then there is no reason to think otherwise.
i wish I had your optimism. I see us following the footsteps of the post Lombardi Packers or post Red Celtics/Jerry Lakers. When one person has that much influence on an organization, it’s hard to be successful once they leave.

For me, all we have is Pop and RC. To lose our real replacements for both to other organizations killed us. Continuity sounds good but we don’t have it. We have too much change which is just as deadly as too little change

[Sugus]

Literally in both scenarios, Harden being gone or them trading him, Houston will have the better future.
We have bad management though. We have bad ownership. We don't know about the GM (to be fair) but we just replaced a main stay on our team in RC. That usually doesn't end all too well. Things do change fast in the NBA... Except when they don't. Like the Wolves haven't won a playoff game in 13 years. THINGS. CHANGE. FAST.
Kings haven't been to the playoffs since, even I don't know 2006?? THINGS. CHANGE. FAST. Phoenix hasn't been to the playoffs in like 7 years. It took the LAKERS 7 years to make the playoffs. How fast is that? Golden St made 5 finals in a row. That's not fast. Pels have won 1 playoff series in 8 years. That's not fast. Players might come and go, but it's easy to be where you're at for a good long while

Let me be clear. Pop is going to retire soon. We don't have anyone on the horizon to replace him. We are going through assistant coaches like crazy and have no clear leader among the ones we do have. So we have no future coach. RC retired from being a GM and we have Brian Wrong as his replacement. Jury is still out on him but how much do you trust a rookie GM with zero experience to guide us through a rebuild? We went from Peter Holt, to his wife, to his kids, who have zero knowledge on ho to run a team. We went from a guy who was the spokesman of the owners and respected league wide to Jim Buss. And you're laughing at the Houston Rockets for going through the exact same shit we are going through? That makes sense

Ok, that bolded part is peak Spurs fan entitlement. Let me tell you - you are lucky to be naive enough to think the Spurs have bad ownership. Literally. The Holts have never skimped on the tax, have afforded title teams and have never pinched a penny at the teams' expense. You want bad ownership? Look at Fertitta right now, so concerned about his bottomline that he runs one of the best GM's in the league out of town, after gutting a title-contending team, and wants to gut it even more to avoid the luxury tax. Look at Dolan or Jordan, overruling their GMs to make stupid draft picks and trades that don't lead them nowhere. Bad management? What for? The Gasol contract? :lol

It's cliche, but so very true - most Spurs fans wouldn't last a season following the Knicks, or Wolves, or Suns. My god.

[Dejounte]

i wish I had your optimism. I see us following the footsteps of the post Lombardi Packers or post Red Celtics/Jerry Lakers. When one person has that much influence on an organization, it’s hard to be successful once they leave.

For me, all we have is Pop and RC. To lose our real replacements for both to other organizations killed us. Continuity sounds good but we don’t have it. We have too much change which is just as deadly as too little change

We don't know if "we don't have it". For all we know, a lot of training is going on behind the scenes for the next Pop and RC. Both Pop and RC love our current players. They love DJ, they love Keldon, they love White. This team is their child. They're not going to fuck them over and waste their careers. I'm certain they have a solid transition plan, we just to wait and see what it is.

[Sugus]

I am more on the point guard train than a PF I know isn't going to do much for us. I'm not saying Smith is shit or anything but the best (in my humble opinion) he will probably be is like a 10 point a game and 7 rebound a game guy. Rookies suck on defense, but even going forward I'm not sold on his quickness to stay in front of guards in the pic n roll. He shoots pretty good from 3 but it's a weird shot. I don't know if it will translate all that well. Tbf all he needs to be is Trey Lyles on offense I suppose, but I rather have a set up man like Lewis who can create for himself and others or just dribble the ball and still can shoot.

My main issue is that he needs to be paired with an elite scorer to be effective for our team and once LMA and DDR leave, like most of us expect, we will no longer have that. Like who is supposed to create for Smith beyond maybe White? Himself? Forbes? Lonnie? Murray? Bc he needs someone to create his offense

Wait, I missed this reply.

Saying you're on the PG train, and saying a PF prospect fixes "zero" issues for us, are abysmally different things, my guy. With the hole that we have at the frontline, you tell me we can draft a perennial 10/7 guy with outside shooting potential - and you're saying no to that? What? It's an #11 pick, what's your expectations? Kira Lewis is rumored to go in the top 10, from what I've heard. As much as we could use another primary initiator, it's not ALL that the team needs, and the draft is certainly not the only way to find those players. As for Smith's critiques - defense isn't only staying in front of guards on PnR (even then, Spurs have already told him to work on lateral quickness, which he's doing), and I don't see the weirdness in his shot (I'd agree if we were talking Halliburton, but Smith's release is pretty "normal" for a big with a high release point), though I guess that's arguable.

Also, I don't see why we can't have Lonnie (who already was using his speed and athleticism to create assists for teammates in the bubble) or Keldon (who's got a strong dribble and penetration game, plus good vision) can't grow into primary initiatiors. Your argument relies on our young guys not getting even a tiny bit better, and well, I just disagree I guess. And I say again - there's no reason we can't draft the bigs that we're lacking, then trade for a primary creator like White is. Or draft him next year, or the next one... It's not like we'll be out of the lottery next season, tbh.

[KobesAchilles]

Ok, that bolded part is peak Spurs fan entitlement. Let me tell you - you are lucky to be naive enough to think the Spurs have bad ownership. Literally. The Holts have never skimped on the tax, have afforded title teams and have never pinched a penny at the teams' expense. You want bad ownership? Look at Fertitta right now, so concerned about his bottomline that he runs one of the best GM's in the league out of town, after gutting a title-contending team, and wants to gut it even more to avoid the luxury tax. Look at Dolan or Jordan, overruling their GMs to make stupid draft picks and trades that don't lead them nowhere. Bad management? What for? The Gasol contract? :lol

It's cliche, but so very true - most Spurs fans wouldn't last a season following the Knicks, or Wolves, or Suns. My god.
I just meant as far as leadership and knowing how to run a franchise go. Right now the kids are letting PATFO do their thing but once Pop retires, it’s on the kiddos to run the ship. No more mommy or daddy or Pop holding their hand.

[TD 21]

So according to the brainwashed apologists, we should disregard virtually all of the (many) teams with a current brighter future because of the past and the fact that things can change fast. Even by their paltry standards, this is a new low.


Bad management? What for? The Gasol contract? :lol

You're either being facetious or have been under a rock the past 3 years.

[Dejounte]

Leave it to TiDiot 21 to butt in a conversation and be the pompous dick he is by shaming people who believe in the team. Get off the pedestal you're on and stop being an arrogant prick. You're not better than anyone just because you criticize the team. That doesn't make you intelligent, it makes you a fool.

[TD 21]

1. It's a message board. If you don't want it public, then PM.
2. Get a sense of humor, you raving lunatic.
3. Look up the word hypocrite, crybaby.
4. You're a fool for drinking the front office's Kool-Aid and buying into Spurs mystique. They lucked into a dynasty and have done nothing but look incompetent since the moment it ended.

[Sugus]

So according to the brainwashed apologists, we should disregard virtually all of the (many) teams with a current brighter future because of the past and the fact that things can change fast. Even by their paltry standards, this is a new low.



You're either being facetious or have been under a rock the past 3 years.

What part of my comment makes me brainwashed, or an apologist? Be specific. Or is it just the general outlook of not being absolutely, thoroughly, depressingly negative about the state of the Spurs at every turn? There's a saying in Spanish - "a la derecha del Diablo, son todos santos", meaning, compared to the Devil, everyone's a saint. Being even slightly positive about the Spurs' outlook makes me a saint in this case, I guess.

My point was - why should I care that the Mavs or Pels right now look like they have a better future, when they've been dogshit for years and years, while we continuously enjoyed deep playoff runs and rings? You speak of the past 3 years, do you really think that's a long time for the league? The Kings haven't made the playoffs in a decade and a half. Be real. Yes, I'd love to have Luka Doncic or Zion on the team, but I'm not short-sighted enough to mouth-water over them, whilst ignoring the years of true awfulness that it took their respective teams to get them. Your comment is actually a great example of my point - the Spurs have missed the playoffs for just one season, and already posters in here talk about the team like there's no future, no direction, no hope. What the fuck? Talk that shit when we've missed them for 5 years whilst whiffing on every one of our draft picks in the meantime.

I mean, or don't.... Think what you will. It's not like you'll be penalized for saying stupid shit in an online forum. You should just be aware that it's, well, stupid shit. I say it again: most Spurs fans, probably including you, wouldn't last a year following the Knicks, the Wolves, the Suns. Those are franchises that truly don't have a future or hopes.

Lastly, yes, I was being facetious, but to be honest, for every "wrong" that the Spurs have done in the short-term, I can one-up you with an even stupider move by other teams. It's a never ending game, and the bottom line is that no team is perfect. And yet Spurs fans here, instead of being grateful to the FO and the team for decades of continued success and rings, are shit-slinging the very people who made it possible once the wheels fall off.... I'd say it's sad, but it really isn't. Just entitlement, all around.

[Sugus]

4. You're a fool for drinking the front office's Kool-Aid and buying into Spurs mystique. They lucked into a dynasty and have done nothing but look incompetent since the moment it ended.

Thinking you can luck into two decades of continued success is the most foolish thing I've read this month. There's a picture of you next to the word "entitlement" in the dictionary, my guy. But now I kind of get it... I guess, if you just attribute every good FO move, trade, scheme, and plan they've made over 20 years to just sheer "luck", and then assume it's run out for the Spurs, your impressively negativistic outlook is explained. That's one mystery solved.

[r0drig0lac]

What is the Spurs' track record or pattern of their behavior and philosophies?

They have always preached and marched on continuity.

There's more reason to give them the benefit of the doubt than it is to doubt them and believe they're going to just let it "gone with the wind".

Until there is a display of erratic behavior or an unwillingness to learn from their mistakes, then there is no reason to think otherwise.

have a superstar on your team, which didn't happen for the first time in its history in the last season.

[Sugus]

I just meant as far as leadership and knowing how to run a franchise go. Right now the kids are letting PATFO do their thing but once Pop retires, it’s on the kiddos to run the ship. No more mommy or daddy or Pop holding their hand.

Well, to be honest, owners being too involved in the basketball side of things isn't really common - and when it is, it usually isn't good (see Jordan and the Hornets for the easy example, or Dolan). So I'm not really expecting the Holt kids to be any more involved than they are now. The question, then, becomes - how will the Spurs' way of doing things change after Pop and RC are gone? In the sense that, right now, Pop as a coach and RC as a non-GM executive, have way too much input on personnel decisions. It's proved to be a good thing in the past (well, seeing this thread, I guess it'd depend on who you ask), but there's no indication that this over-involvement can work out for other people that come into place.

I'm really iffy on Wright. I feel like he hasn't gotten a true chance to prove himself, with both Pop and RC having that power and "antiquity" or "veteran" voice over him. I see him in a similar way than Nash coaching with MDA as an assistant - Wright learning the ropes, with more experienced people by his side teaching him and having an unusual amount of input for their roles. I don't think we'll truly see what Wright can do (for better or worse) until one or both Pop/RC retires. So I also don't understand people's hatred of him. Yes, he's unproven, but so was Nick Nurse when coming into the Raptors, and he turned out to be a far better coach than Casey ever was. We also have to remember, Pop too was once unproven and inexperienced - and that didn't work out so bad (again, I guess it depends on who I'm asking on here...).

I'm not ready yet to be pessimistic about the Spurs' future. Besides the obvious fact that we don't have a true star on the team right now, I really don't see a reason to be negative... We have our picks, we have young players, we have flexibility both in personnel and money-wise, we have a lot of options, a good culture, and a good reputation as a team. All important things that many other teams don't have and would kill for. People are too quick to drown in a glass of water, IMO.

[TD 21]

What part of my comment makes me brainwashed, or an apologist? Be specific. Or is it just the general outlook of not being absolutely, thoroughly, depressingly negative about the state of the Spurs at every turn? There's a saying in Spanish - "a la derecha del Diablo, son todos santos", meaning, compared to the Devil, everyone's a saint. Being even slightly positive about the Spurs' outlook makes me a saint in this case, I guess.

My point was - why should I care that the Mavs or Pels right now look like they have a better future, when they've been dogshit for years and years, while we continuously enjoyed deep playoff runs and rings? You speak of the past 3 years, do you really think that's a long time for the league? The Kings haven't made the playoffs in a decade and a half. Be real. Yes, I'd love to have Luka Doncic or Zion on the team, but I'm not short-sighted enough to mouth-water over them, whilst ignoring the years of true awfulness that it took their respective teams to get them. Your comment is actually a great example of my point - the Spurs have missed the playoffs for just one season, and already posters in here talk about the team like there's no future, no direction, no hope. What the fuck? Talk that shit when we've missed them for 5 years whilst whiffing on every one of our draft picks in the meantime.

I mean, or don't.... Think what you will. It's not like you'll be penalized for saying stupid shit in an online forum. You should just be aware that it's, well, stupid shit. I say it again: most Spurs fans, probably including you, wouldn't last a year following the Knicks, the Wolves, the Suns. Those are franchises that truly don't have a future or hopes.

Lastly, yes, I was being facetious, but to be honest, for every "wrong" that the Spurs have done in the short-term, I can one-up you with an even stupider move by other teams. It's a never ending game, and the bottom line is that no team is perfect. And yet Spurs fans here, instead of being grateful to the FO and the team for decades of continued success and rings, are shit-slinging the very people who made it possible once the wheels fall off.... I'd say it's sad, but it really isn't. Just entitlement, all around.



Thinking you can luck into two decades of continued success is the most foolish thing I've read this month. There's a picture of you next to the word "entitlement" in the dictionary, my guy. But now I kind of get it... I guess, if you just attribute every good FO move, trade, scheme, and plan they've made over 20 years to just sheer "luck", and then assume it's run out for the Spurs, your impressively negativistic outlook is explained. That's one mystery solved.

All of it, especially the parts I addressed, namely where you pretended the Gasol contract was an outlier in recent years.

Why should you care about the past in a discussion that's about the future? These teams have centerpieces and tons of assets, the Spurs have neither and have wasted the past few years not attempting to so they could squeak into the playoffs and get summarily dismissed.

What you apologists and casuals don't get is, it's not about being able to handle losing (there was plenty last year and plenty more to come), it's about wanting to see a clear direction in the process which should eventually breed hope. Real fans are willing to critique the team when they make moves that are absurd the moment they're announced and sit through 60 loss seasons to get to that.

They didn't make it possible, the all time player/core did and the second they were gone, what they built fell apart. These idiots were just the beneficiaries of it, like every other front office/coach that's been fortunate to win championship(s).

[Sugus]

All of it, especially the parts I addressed, namely where you pretended the Gasol contract was an outlier in recent years.

Why should you care about the past in a discussion that's about the future? These teams have centerpieces and tons of assets, the Spurs have neither and have wasted the past few years not attempting to so they could squeak into the playoffs and get summarily dismissed.

What you apologists and casuals don't get is, it's not about being able to handle losing (there was plenty last year and plenty more to come), it's about wanting to see a clear direction in the process which should eventually breed hope. Real fans are willing to critique the team when they make moves that are absurd the moment they're announced and sit through 60 loss seasons to get to that.

They didn't make it possible, the all time player/core did and the second they were gone, what they built fell apart. These idiots were just the beneficiaries of it, like every other front office/coach that's been fortunate to win championship(s).

First off, I'll say I hate the "apologist" shtick. They're a sports organization, I don't need to be an apologist or whatever for anything that they do, and it's not somehow better to be overly critical of them than the opposite, and vice-versa. Weird mentality to have - you're not better just because you're bitter at the FO and criticize their every move. We get it, people see the glass half full, or half empty, you're looking below the table just to see no water at all. I'd rather be a bit optimistic when I haven't been given reasons not to be.

The Gasol contract, I mentioned because, while not a good move in hindsight, is FAR from representing true "bad management" or "bad ownership". Sometimes, teams try things and they don't work out (remember Pau got injured? You might have legitimately erased it from your mind, tbh). There's a wide gap between that, and a truly bad FO like the examples I've mentioned. But I have a feeling that you're so thoroughly convinced that the Spurs are the worst FO in the NBA by a mile, that nothing I say will resonate. I'll skip this point, then.

I care about the past, because you're looking at the absolute RIGHT NOW, with no consideration to the context of how things have turned into what they are today. Yes, the Pels' future looks better right now - now go ask any of their fans whether they'd rather have Zion, or a championship run like '14. I can spoil you the answer... I'll give you another easy example: Cleveland. They're shit, have been shit since '16 and their team is an absolute clusterfuck, with leftover contracts like KLove from the LeBron days. Do you think any of their fans looks at the RIGHT NOW, and cusses out their FO for having KLove there? No, because they understand it was a thank-you contract and the cost of a championship. The state of a team does not exist in a vacuum, and you continuing to ignore it looks increasingly like burying your head in the sand just so you can say the Spurs FO is shit. Again, something I don't understand.

The next 2-3 drafts are rumored to be loaded with high-end talent. For all we know, the direction of the Spurs can be to welcome a tank after Pop retires next season, and get the next Luka Doncic there. But you won't wait for that before you criticize them for it. You want a sense of direction? Are all the rumors about trading the vets and the bubble play not enough? You haven't even waited for the draft to continue shitting on them. Again I say, you're entitled - entitled to feeling like the FO owes you an explanation, owes you a sense of direction, owes you success. Newsflash - they don't. And the only reason you have this mentality, is because you have grown accustomed to expecting better from the Spurs, exactly because they are such a well-run organization and that turned into decades of success.

And about the last point... I don't know what to tell you if you think the FO had no part in making those title runs possible. Like, really? I don't want to call you stupid, but it's unimaginable how you can look at the moves the Spurs have made over the years, and never attribute any of them to anything more than ""Luck"". Was the Kawhi draft night trade "luck"? It sure as fuck wasn't. Was managing to keep together the Duncan-Parker-Manu core over their entire careers "Lucky"? It sure as fuck wasn't. Were the Diaw, Splitter, LaMarcus, Green signings "lucky"? They sure as fuck weren't. But, again - you have come to expect such a high level of production and success from the Spurs, that you can't comprehend just how well-run they are to make what they achieved, a reality.

I'll change my stance - maybe it's not that you couldn't be a Knicks fan, after all. It might be that you appreciate the Spurs so little, that you'd do well to go root for NY for a couple seasons, then come back with the humility and awareness to be grateful to an organization that has consistently managed to put the best possible product on the court for their fans.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

If we stay at 11 he’s my choice as well.

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

SMH.

[KobesAchilles]

Well, to be honest, owners being too involved in the basketball side of things isn't really common - and when it is, it usually isn't good (see Jordan and the Hornets for the easy example, or Dolan). So I'm not really expecting the Holt kids to be any more involved than they are now. The question, then, becomes - how will the Spurs' way of doing things change after Pop and RC are gone? In the sense that, right now, Pop as a coach and RC as a non-GM executive, have way too much input on personnel decisions. It's proved to be a good thing in the past (well, seeing this thread, I guess it'd depend on who you ask), but there's no indication that this over-involvement can work out for other people that come into place.

I'm really iffy on Wright. I feel like he hasn't gotten a true chance to prove himself, with both Pop and RC having that power and "antiquity" or "veteran" voice over him. I see him in a similar way than Nash coaching with MDA as an assistant - Wright learning the ropes, with more experienced people by his side teaching him and having an unusual amount of input for their roles. I don't think we'll truly see what Wright can do (for better or worse) until one or both Pop/RC retires. So I also don't understand people's hatred of him. Yes, he's unproven, but so was Nick Nurse when coming into the Raptors, and he turned out to be a far better coach than Casey ever was. We also have to remember, Pop too was once unproven and inexperienced - and that didn't work out so bad (again, I guess it depends on who I'm asking on here...).

I'm not ready yet to be pessimistic about the Spurs' future. Besides the obvious fact that we don't have a true star on the team right now, I really don't see a reason to be negative... We have our picks, we have young players, we have flexibility both in personnel and money-wise, we have a lot of options, a good culture, and a good reputation as a team. All important things that many other teams don't have and would kill for. People are too quick to drown in a glass of water, IMO.
I guess it’s bc there’s too much change at once. We’ve had like 20 years of constant ownership, GM, and coach. Then we got a new owner. Then a new GM. And next very soon will be a new coach. We have also been running through assistant coaches like crazy. And more likely than not, the guy we are going to hire will have zero nba head coaching experience. That much change, all in a matter of a few years, worries me. Companies go out of business with that sort of change. I’m not saying that the Spurs will go under or anything, but that it’s hard to get everything right. It’s hard getting the right GM. It’s hard getting the right owner (like you say in the Knicks and Wolves and even the Lakers for a while). It’s hard to get the right coach. And it’s even harder when our cupboard is bare. All the guys we were going to have as replacements are elsewhere already

As far as Smith goes, I just see him as an immediate need. Like we immediately need an athletic big. But he isn’t going to provide the scoring replacement you think he is mainly bc he can’t create for himself. He’s not a one on one player type. Lonnie could potentially create for others. I don’t know but honestly he hasn’t mastered enough of the offense for me to feel that way about him. Dude needs plays called for HIM before I can worry about him setting up others :lol

KJ is my wild card. He’s who I’m putting all my eggs in for. Dude looks like a stud. Has the right attitude and unlike other young guys, his gym improvements seem to transfer over to the real game. I suppose I should wait and see what he’s trending like to be all gloom and doom. But I just see us as another non playoff team that gets like the 12th pick in the draft which is a frustrating place to be

[Dejounte]

Speaking of Rasheed Wallace vs LaMarcus Aldridge ...

Rasheed and Bonzi Wells have their own podcast. The fuck? Lmfao


https://youtu.be/c9kZP89245c

They interview Jalen here.

[TD 21]

First off, I'll say I hate the "apologist" shtick. They're a sports organization, I don't need to be an apologist or whatever for anything that they do, and it's not somehow better to be overly critical of them than the opposite, and vice-versa. Weird mentality to have - you're not better just because you're bitter at the FO and criticize their every move. We get it, people see the glass half full, or half empty, you're looking below the table just to see no water at all. I'd rather be a bit optimistic when I haven't been given reasons not to be.

The Gasol contract, I mentioned because, while not a good move in hindsight, is FAR from representing true "bad management" or "bad ownership". Sometimes, teams try things and they don't work out (remember Pau got injured? You might have legitimately erased it from your mind, tbh). There's a wide gap between that, and a truly bad FO like the examples I've mentioned. But I have a feeling that you're so thoroughly convinced that the Spurs are the worst FO in the NBA by a mile, that nothing I say will resonate. I'll skip this point, then.

I care about the past, because you're looking at the absolute RIGHT NOW, with no consideration to the context of how things have turned into what they are today. Yes, the Pels' future looks better right now - now go ask any of their fans whether they'd rather have Zion, or a championship run like '14. I can spoil you the answer... I'll give you another easy example: Cleveland. They're shit, have been shit since '16 and their team is an absolute clusterfuck, with leftover contracts like KLove from the LeBron days. Do you think any of their fans looks at the RIGHT NOW, and cusses out their FO for having KLove there? No, because they understand it was a thank-you contract and the cost of a championship. The state of a team does not exist in a vacuum, and you continuing to ignore it looks increasingly like burying your head in the sand just so you can say the Spurs FO is shit. Again, something I don't understand.

The next 2-3 drafts are rumored to be loaded with high-end talent. For all we know, the direction of the Spurs can be to welcome a tank after Pop retires next season, and get the next Luka Doncic there. But you won't wait for that before you criticize them for it. You want a sense of direction? Are all the rumors about trading the vets and the bubble play not enough? You haven't even waited for the draft to continue shitting on them. Again I say, you're entitled - entitled to feeling like the FO owes you an explanation, owes you a sense of direction, owes you success. Newsflash - they don't. And the only reason you have this mentality, is because you have grown accustomed to expecting better from the Spurs, exactly because they are such a well-run organization and that turned into decades of success.

And about the last point... I don't know what to tell you if you think the FO had no part in making those title runs possible. Like, really? I don't want to call you stupid, but it's unimaginable how you can look at the moves the Spurs have made over the years, and never attribute any of them to anything more than ""Luck"". Was the Kawhi draft night trade "luck"? It sure as fuck wasn't. Was managing to keep together the Duncan-Parker-Manu core over their entire careers "Lucky"? It sure as fuck wasn't. Were the Diaw, Splitter, LaMarcus, Green signings "lucky"? They sure as fuck weren't. But, again - you have come to expect such a high level of production and success from the Spurs, that you can't comprehend just how well-run they are to make what they achieved, a reality.

I'll change my stance - maybe it's not that you couldn't be a Knicks fan, after all. It might be that you appreciate the Spurs so little, that you'd do well to go root for NY for a couple seasons, then come back with the humility and awareness to be grateful to an organization that has consistently managed to put the best possible product on the court for their fans.

I'd rather be realistic and not write short stories.

The Gasol contract wasn't good the moment it was signed, which goes for almost every move they've made (outside of the draft) in the past 3 years.

Again, the past is irrelevant in this case. These teams being mentioned clearly have brighter futures at this writing. Only a homer would pretend otherwise.

I'm not speculating on what might happen in the future, I'm just taking what we have at the moment and how they arrived at it. Every organization owes their fans because they don't exist without us.

I didn't say no part, just a far lesser one than they're often credited with because they didn't have a stereotypical superstar.

The past doesn't give these idiots free reign to run this franchise into the ground for however long they please.

[R. DeMurre]

Whew, emotions running high around here a few hours before the draft. Good stuff.

[Dejounte]

"I'd rather be realistic and not write short stories"

Words from a loser who was dismantled.

Nothing will get through to this pompous asshole.

He's as closeminded as those racist Trump supporters.

Forever stuck on a miserable loop. Too stupid to get it.

Glad this fucker got wrecked by Sugus.

[Sugus]

"I'd rather be realistic and not write short stories"

Words from a loser who was dismantled.

Nothing will get through to this pompous asshole.

He's as closeminded as those racist Trump supporters.

Forever stuck on a miserable loop. Too stupid to get it.

Glad this fucker got wrecked by Sugus.

To be fair, it wasn't all me. The Spurs FO made my job quite easy by being such a good organization over the years :spin

[Sugus]

I'd rather be realistic and not write short stories.

The Gasol contract wasn't good the moment it was signed, which goes for almost every move they've made (outside of the draft) in the past 3 years.

Again, the past is irrelevant in this case. These teams being mentioned clearly have brighter futures at this writing. Only a homer would pretend otherwise.

I'm not speculating on what might happen in the future, I'm just taking what we have at the moment and how they arrived at it. Every organization owes their fans because they don't exist without us.

I didn't say no part, just a far lesser one than they're often credited with because they didn't have a stereotypical superstar.

The past doesn't give these idiots free reign to run this franchise into the ground for however long they please.

Yeah, we're gonna have to agree to disagree here, then. I don't think I can try to convince you any further. I'll just say: if you're complaining this much about the Spurs right now, I can't imagine how bad it'd be if we were to miss the playoffs a couple more seasons during Pop's last years... Because in my mind, it's years, plural. Funny to see everyone here assuming he's gonna hang it up just after this season. He's got a lot of wine to buy, after all :lol

[TD 21]

"I'd rather be realistic and not write short stories"

Words from a loser who was dismantled.

Nothing will get through to this pompous asshole.

He's as closeminded as those racist Trump supporters.

Forever stuck on a miserable loop. Too stupid to get it.

Glad this fucker got wrecked by Sugus (https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=54941).

:lmao At this crybaby psycho's bizarre level of hatred over a random message board poster because he's far more knowledgeable than him about basketball. :cry

I hope they select Vassell/Bey tonight and wreck your life.



Yeah, we're gonna have to agree to disagree here, then. I don't think I can try to convince you any further. I'll just say: if you're complaining this much about the Spurs right now, I can't imagine how bad it'd be if we were to miss the playoffs a couple more seasons during Pop's last years... Because in my mind, it's years, plural. Funny to see everyone here assuming he's gonna hang it up just after this season. He's got a lot of wine to buy, after all :lol

Again, it has nothing to do with the losing.