Game Thread: Spurs vs. Jazz — Jan. 3, 2021 - 6:00pm/C

[venitian navigator]

This team is just not constructed to win that's why the losses don't get to me. As good as Keldon is on a normal team he would be playing the 3 and not 4. Demar is also playing out of position as a 3. The team doesn't have any legit solid bigs. LMA is looking washed up right now. White is now out again with the same injury. Factor all of these things and we got a lottery team. For me it's all about watching the development of all our young guys Keldon,Dejounte,Walker,Vassell. Keldon has been so far the most consistent out of the 4 and most promising but I think those other 3 will have nights where they look good.

Sadly I agree, at least all the early "signs" looks to be in the sense that this one is gonna be the typical "transition season" that a lot of teams need to face when your team is gonna fall from contention/playoffs status to lottery status....the only real worryng sign is the White reinjury...hope its just extreme vcaution that lets him out, but that said I would only play him when I'm 100 % sure he totally recovered from his injury....also if this means stayinf out for a big part of the season. In fact, once we all embrace this one as a losing season ther's no reason to take also a minimum risk to one of our important players of the future (as the recent extension of White prove him as one of them).
In a sense I try to stay positive and seeing this season like a blessing in disguise. For many reasons.
The first of all, but not the most important, is the obvious and consequential high lottery pick.
The most important, imho, is tha fact that we need a season like this to get rid or at least re evaluate the real value of the supposed or our so said "veteran stars" of the team.
Of all of them as of today are going to be fully exposed in their incompetence on the defensive side of the court...LMA, DDR, Gay, Mills all of them for different reasons (age LMA and Gay, skills for Mills and DDR) are not and are never gonna be and will never be accountable for over the par defense, and their ceiling is just decent defense...and this simply means that nowadays their actual earnings, for saying the minimum, don't respect their actual value as nba players.
Yes, also DDR.
Actually he's not even the best player in a lottery team (as a two way player actually Johnson is more valuable than him, and White is quite in the same way)...and in any case he currently does not have the skills to deserve anything resembling to a big time (I won't even pronuonce then term "max") contract.
Then, if the trend is gonna stay the same, the consequences should be:

1) more time for the young guns just for developing purposes (and I'm including raw prospects like Samanic);
2) explore at the maximum of our capabilities the trade opportunities of our veterans for picks or young prospects;
3) in case we can't trade them for anything decent, evaluate what kind of post season offers, if any, we are gonna consider...

imho, and without further questions, the actual value of our veteran players (except DDR) for the coming season is the minimum that nba veterans players can gain...and that, in any case, is not pennies, considering the big amount of years they all have under their belt.
So, LMA, Mills and Gay, if not traded, should all be offered that and nothing else...
For DDR, the maximum I would give him is something just over the contract of our best young pieces. Something like a flat ( I don't believe in decreasing contracts) 20 millions for some years.
So he can mantain his status as the supposedly most important player of the team as the highly paid, but at the same time not compromise our coaching decisional freedom and the cap in case we have same chance to sign a good piece in the open market. I don't think he's gonna command much more than this in the open market, considering his lack of defense and 3 point shooting.

Another route for next season, considering our lack of big bodies, should be evaluating the chance to finally bring Milutinov. The poor performances of Poeltl as a starting center could convince the FO and Himself that his best way to play the actual game is as a reserve center (also if frankly he's paid for 3 years a little bit in excess for this kind of role). I don't know if the's an nba escape clause in Milutinov's contracts, but in any case the 3 years time is gone so we can sign him at any price we and him want (and that could become a decent price, considering he's one of the best big men in europe).

In the end, seeing our team struggle is a suffering path, but I just hope that is the first step to a real changing in the right direction...and that luck, in the next few years, will came be to look at us in a smiling way!

[tbdog]

I didn't watch the game. So I am unsure why we got blown out. Good teams these days get blown out, see Heat and Clippers this year. To put it in context, our 2nd best and 3rd best player are out (LMA and White). Our currently second best healthy player had a shocker (Murray).

Move on to the next one.

Also Jazz are much better than I thought.

[EasyMoney]

Tre Jones looked real smooth out there.

[tapiefan]

Luka is the leader of this game in terms of +/- (+6). Deal with it.

[duncan2k5]

I just don't understand.....being competitive gets us shit at this point. If your going to suck let the young dudes suck. LA, Gay and DD need to go at best we get some needed assets at worst we get crap and we open up minutes for young guys as well as a better lottery pick. Why is there such a need to try and be mediocre? Just get what you can for those 3 old talented dudes.
Mills can stay he can be a good vet to teach pops ways. He has the longest tenure under pop to teach these kids what is expected of a spur.

I mean eat why not add some new faces some picks? This is infuriating!!! Having those three is a luxury we don't need.
if you could add an Aaron Gordon or a Fournier or both. Imagine just adding Gordon how athletic this team would be and the young guys wouldn't feel like they need to defer to LA or DD etc. please pull the plug add some new blood. Nobody that's a true superstar will sign here the cap space will mean squat. Signing and overpaying for a bunch of "B" level stars won't cut it.

im begging make the trades or regretfully I say pop just go.

I've been saying this for years, but get attacked as an LMA and DDR hater... But some ppl clearly don't mind building around players that ensure a ceiling of mediocrity

[duncan2k5]

This team is just not constructed to win that's why the losses don't get to me. As good as Keldon is on a normal team he would be playing the 3 and not 4. Demar is also playing out of position as a 3. The team doesn't have any legit solid bigs. LMA is looking washed up right now. White is now out again with the same injury. Factor all of these things and we got a lottery team. For me it's all about watching the development of all our young guys Keldon,Dejounte,Walker,Vassell. Keldon has been so far the most consistent out of the 4 and most promising but I think those other 3 will have nights where they look good.

Keldon is actually a 2... nothing about him is a 3...he doesn't post and he is 6'5...I think Pop is confused about what "small ball" really means... there's zero advantage for having keldon play the 3

[EasyMoney]

Keldon is actually a 2... nothing about him is a 3...he doesn't post and he is 6'5...I think Pop is confused about what "small ball" really means... there's zero advantage for having keldon play the 3


He's not 6'5. He has to be a legit 6'6. Anyway, I think vassell should be the future 3. Spurs shot themselves in the foot accumulating all these guards. None of them can play 4 full time and its only a matter of time before one or 2 of them want more playing time but can't get it. Unless the league gets even smaller

[rankingtear]

Keldon is actually a 2... nothing about him is a 3...he doesn't post and he is 6'5...I think Pop is confused about what "small ball" really means... there's zero advantage for having keldon play the 3

Keldon is better at the 3/4, he always had trouble with quick guards and movement shooters. You put him at the 2 that first step becomes less of an advantage.

[Blackhaus]

Is this White toe debacle going to continue his whole career? Seems like every year he misses time or is limited in min due to it. Love when White is on the floor (when’s he’s aggressive), but I Hope the Spurs didn’t sink more money into a lemon.

[cd021]

Keldon is actually a 2... nothing about him is a 3...he doesn't post and he is 6'5...I think Pop is confused about what "small ball" really means... there's zero advantage for having keldon play the 3

Most big 3's are now 4's nowadays i.e Rudy Gay. Having a strong, 6'6 player with a decent arm span at the 3 should be fine. Spurs are 9th in pace, playing four wings and a center has had a positive effect in terms of pace.

I also think its just Pop's way of getting minutes for the young guys without cutting minutes for the vets. Being able to start Murray, Walker, and Johnson, while still relying on DDR and LMA.

[cd021]

I didn't watch the game. So I am unsure why we got blown out. Good teams these days get blown out, see Heat and Clippers this year. To put it in context, our 2nd best and 3rd best player are out (LMA and White). Our currently second best healthy player had a shocker (Murray).

Move on to the next one.

Also Jazz are much better than I thought.

The Spurs struggled finishing around the rim and shooting from outside while the Jazz hit 21 3's. I don't think their as worse as they played but the Spurs looked pretty bad save for Big Body.

[Blackhaus]

I didn't watch the game. So I am unsure why we got blown out. Good teams these days get blown out, see Heat and Clippers this year. To put it in context, our 2nd best and 3rd best player are out (LMA and White). Our currently second best healthy player had a shocker (Murray).

Move on to the next one.

Also Jazz are much better than I thought.

they finished really soft around the rim in the first quarter. Every time Spurs missed a point blank shot or wide open three, jazz came right down and scored. U could tell it was over after the first quarter

[spurraider21]

Don't understand the hate for Luka... He doesn't contribute much to this team's problems.
the bolded is the problem

he was a first round pick, in year 2, and doesnt look remotely close to ready to being a rotation player. that's not what first round picks are supposed to be, unless its a shitty stash pick like Milutinov

[Dejounte]

the bolded is the problem

he was a first round pick, in year 2, and doesnt look remotely close to ready to being a rotation player. that's not what first round picks are supposed to be, unless its a shitty stash pick like Milutinov

So many other players are busts too on other teams. The Spurs problems are the front and center issue right now. Not a pick from two years ago.

[spurraider21]

So many other players are busts too on other teams. The Spurs problems are the front and center issue right now. Not a pick from two years ago.
man, its almost like drafting Samanic to contribute to those areas is part of the problem

[Dejounte]

man, its almost like drafting Samanic to contribute to those areas is part of the problem

You can't expect every pick to pan out and fill every hole. NO team has ever done that.

Why should the Spurs be the exception? Because they're your team?

[spurraider21]

You can't expect every pick to pan out and fill every hole. NO team has ever done that.

Why should the Spurs be the exception? Because they're your team?
a few years after drafting Milutinov to be their Center?

[Dejounte]

a few years after drafting Milutinov to be their Center?

Post makes no sense and I feel like you just gave up

[spurraider21]

Post makes no sense and I feel like you just gave up
no, post is another example of them blowing resources and failing to adequately address the very position you now cite as the team's biggest problem, Luka included

[Dejounte]

no, post is another example of them blowing resources and failing to adequately address the very position you now cite as the team's biggest problem, Luka included

I addressed this already by saying no team nails every pick. Name one team. Do you expect the Spurs to nail every pick just because you root for them?

[spurraider21]

I addressed this already by saying no team nails every pick. Name one team. Do you expect the Spurs to nail every pick just because you root for them?
no.

milutinov was not a matter of hitting or missing. they never brought him over :lol

and there were plenty of red flags about taking samanic, particularly at #19, which was seen as pretty early for him.

as a raider fan, i know all about teams reaching for players in the draft. the "well anybody can be a bust" talk doesnt justify reaching for players

[Dejounte]

no.

milutinov was not a matter of hitting or missing. they never brought him over :lol

and there were plenty of red flags about taking samanic, particularly at #19, which was seen as pretty early for him.

as a raider fan, i know all about teams reaching for players in the draft. the "well anybody can be a bust" talk doesnt justify reaching for players

You've made up your mind and going back and forth on this is pointless. You want to dwell on Luka like an ex girlfriend, be my guest.

[spurraider21]

You've made up your mind and going back and forth on this is pointless. You want to dwell on Luka like an ex girlfriend, be my guest.
its not like im beating the dead horse on a busted pick from 10 years ago who is no longer relevant :lol

[Payote75]

I also have been saying it but now am down right sick of it. It makes no sense I like both players I like DD seems like a good dude ..LA is a good player just seems like he whines but it's time to get pieces to add to your pieces. I mean it just makes sense. If we should suck we get our lottery pick which is part of rebuilding. I do see very good piece on this team. Whites now hurt but I think between white Keldon and the others we have some nice pieces. gay la and DD have to get us some stuff I'd keep mills as I said but for the love of god just commit to it. We have gotten luck before and we seem to have a knack for picking decent players for the most part.

At at the risk of repeating myself no free agent superstar will sign here and b level guys will be overpays.

[tim_duncan_fan]

I welcome the tank and kinda don't want to risk Keldon/waste his time on this season now that White is going to be out and we do not have a capable big on the roster.

We'll draft a big in this coming draft and re-up next year.

Goal for this season is now to give Vassell a lot of burn. Nothing else of value to get out of this season. We know what we have in the other 3 young guys:

Lonnie: Can't defend and will always shy away from contact so not a reliable finisher but can get really hot from 3. Keldon needs to start busting his ass in practice if he is going to be anything but a streaky jump-shooter. Way too soft.

DJ: Can get hot on offense on occasion but not to be relied on. Will follow any really good game with a really bad game. Mostly a gambler on defense. Great rebounder for a guard but we should get back to being an intelligent team and pay a big man to rebound.

Samanic: still technically has a chance to be an NBA player but looks totally unnatural as a hooper. 70% chance he is just a guy who happens to be tall and not a basketball player.

[daslicer]

I welcome the tank and kinda don't want to risk Keldon/waste his time on this season now that White is going to be out and we do not have a capable big on the roster.

We'll draft a big in this coming draft and re-up next year.

Goal for this season is now to give Vassell a lot of burn. Nothing else of value to get out of this season. We know what we have in the other 3 young guys:

Lonnie: Can't defend and will always shy away from contact so not a reliable finisher but can get really hot from 3. Keldon needs to start busting his ass in practice if he is going to be anything but a streaky jump-shooter. Way too soft.

DJ: Can get hot on offense on occasion but not to be relied on. Will follow any really good game with a really bad game. Mostly a gambler on defense. Great rebounder for a guard but we should get back to being an intelligent team and pay a big man to rebound.

Samanic: still technically has a chance to be an NBA player but looks totally unnatural as a hooper. 70% chance he is just a guy who happens to be tall and not a basketball player.

His time is not getting wasted. He's only 21 year old so he still has a lot growing to do when it comes to getting better as a basketball player. He needs to continue play so he can improve as a basketball player even if this team is lottery bound.

[tim_duncan_fan]

His time is not getting wasted. He's only 21 year old so he still has a lot growing to do when it comes to getting better as a basketball player. He needs to continue play so he can improve as a basketball player even if this team is lottery bound.

Yes you're right. I was a bit hyperbolic with that part.

[Ice009]

What do you mean by Keldon is way too soft?

[Ocotillo]

I want to see Tre Jones getting reps too. My hope for him is bench point guard at best but let's see what we got.