Game Thread: Spurs at Timberwolves — Jan. 9, 2021 - 7pm CT

[GreekSpursfan]

Murray lets go

[Dverde]

Bad when you need OT to beat the Terriblewolves.

[ace3g]

big Oreb and put back by Keldon!!!

[ace3g]

g'day mate!!!

[GreekSpursfan]

pattyyy

[ace3g]

DeRozan draws foul on Edwards with the pump fake.

Spurs up 121-117

[Robz4000]

Beasley dicking the Spurs as if he were still in prison tbh.

[ace3g]

DeRozan hits both FTs

123-117 2:10 left

[Robz4000]

Bad when you need OT to beat the Terriblewolves.

Spurs aren't any better than the T'Pups tbh.

[daslicer]

Bad when you need OT to beat the Terriblewolves.

Not really considering they only have a bad record because KAT has missed a bunch of games.

[Robz4000]

:lmao refs

[RC_Drunkford]

how is that a foul on Keldon?

[tim_duncan_fan]

Alright. Time to slice Towns' Achilles. Fuck that.

[Dejounte]

Towns over here injuring people. Fuck I hope Keldon is okay

[GreekSpursfan]

MvPattyyyyyyyyy

[ace3g]

Patty baseline buzzer beater 2

125-119

45.7 left

[KaiRMD1]

Murray got fn clobbered

[RC_Drunkford]

that was a clear foul on DJ. WTF are these refs doing?

[KaiRMD1]

PATTY!!!!

[duncan2k5]

How is that not a foul? Dude clobbered Murray

[Robz4000]

Its a sad day when the NBA is rigging Spurs games for Minny of all teams.

[Sugus]

Oh there is still time.


Great, Spurs get to lose in OT now.

I swear, I'll never understand the ST brand of pessimism towards their own team.......

[james evans]

I’m confused as to what a foul is in the NBA today.

[RC_Drunkford]

Patty is by far the clutches player on this entire roster. He's the only NBA champ too, so that kinda makes sense

[GreekSpursfan]

Murray should've shot that three, no time to pass on open looks

[spurs1990]

Great win here. Good chance to win again Sunday

[spurraider21]

Patty is nice when there isn't a redundant smurf on the roster getting 20+ minutes tbh

[SPURt]

This team is fun like the Strickland/Anderson/Sean/Cummings/D Rob team was

[Arcadian]

Good thing Rubio jumped completely out of the way for Mills :lol

[Robz4000]

Spurs lucky Minny is just as retarded as they are.

[GreekSpursfan]

Spurs wiiin, :flag:

[Mugen]

:lmao

[NASpurs]

:lmao nuts

[Mugen]

They finally found a team more retarded than them < 2mins

[tim_duncan_fan]

Lol these teams are dumb.


But yay, win.

[KaiRMD1]

That was a HORRIBLE brain fart. Holy cow

[NASpurs]

Same team tomorrow night :lol

[BillMc]

Victory!

Just as Vegas Bill predicted.

[Robz4000]

I swear, I'll never understand the ST brand of pessimism towards their own team.......

:lol what about this game gives you optimism? They were in a dogfight against the mighty 15th-seeded T'Pups.

[DeRozan m8]

We should win by double digits tomorrow....they over achieved....

No way they shoot 50% from 3 and the field again

[SPURt]

Weird ending lol

[james evans]

Defrozen with the smart defense by letting him drive.

[Robz4000]

At least I get to bump a certain thread downstairs.

[NASpurs]

Wolves are 2-1 now with KAT

[paperboy77]

I'll take it/

[RC_Drunkford]

I take any win we can get. It was ugly but at least they won. With that being said this team is just horrible in the last 2 minutes

[justinandimcool]

Won a game after playing extremely shitty for 44 minutes. I am happy, go cry yourselves to sleep whiners lmao

[cjw]

Lol Anthony Edwards. Just take the two.

[Mugen]

I mean trade Patty or a first tbh. What's the closing lineup gonna look like when Derrick is back? Gotta sell high like crazy now, bunch of teams would give up a 1st for him.

[Mr. Body]

If this game doesn't convince anybody how vital our vets are, I don't know what to say.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Phew. These refs were terrible.

Murray's defense on Russell in overtime was great.

[NASpurs]

We should win by double digits tomorrow....they over achieved....

No way they shoot 50% from 3 and the field again

I guess we’ll find out tomorrow night

[Mr. Body]

I mean trade Patty or a first tbh. What's the closing lineup gonna look like when Derrick is back? Gotta sell high like crazy now, bunch of teams would give up a 1st for him.

That's like two stupid statements at once, so good job.

[ace3g]

Bump up to the 5th seed after the win.

[Sugus]

:lol what about this game gives you optimism? They were in a dogfight against the mighty 15th-seeded T'Pups.

Uh, the fact that they beat every shit take from hot take artists on this forum, yourself included, and got the nail-biting W in this game, for starters?

The fact that they managed to close out against a team shooting 50% from deep? That they didn't let the effort level go down, managed clutch plays, and stayed focused through the ending? That they managed to climb back up from an awful 3rd quarter? The fact that they're in a 3-game winning streak right now, with two of those wins coming from LA teams?

It's such a pessimistic take to say "what about this game gives you optimism?" after you've been screaming SPURS LOSE the entire 4th quarter, tbh. At least acknowledge you were dead wrong, this Spurs squad beat your expectations, and they're playing some solid ball, tbh. Credit where it's due.

[Dejounte]

Keldon goes for 10 easy points in the first 9 minutes of the game. Kid has a bright future.

[TheGreatYacht]

"No way they shoot 50% from 3 again"

Lmao they'll shoot 60% against this defense that hands out open corner 3's

[cascaders]

great win tonight

[Dejounte]

Lonnie, Vassell probably play more tomorrow.

[Robz4000]

We should win by double digits tomorrow....they over achieved....

No way they shoot 50% from 3 and the field again

Spurs have the worst 3-pt defense in the league, and after tonight it won't even be close.

https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/opponent-three-point-pct

[Blackhaus]

Win! All these comments make it seem like I’m on another teams chat board, smdh. Be happy we winning and the youngins are getting experience, sheesh

[TheGreatYacht]

That's like two stupid statements at once, so good job.
He's not wrong. At all. Contract year Patty is the perfect player teams would throw a 1st for.

[siraulo23]

Spurs W baby!

[RC_Drunkford]

Spurs have the worst 3-pt defense in the league, and after tonight it won't even be close.

https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/opponent-three-point-pct

I also assume we have won of the worst pick & roll defenses in the league as well. Pop's schemes are not ideal right now

[Robz4000]

Uh, the fact that they beat every shit take from hot take artists on this forum, yourself included, and got the nail-biting W in this game, for starters?

The fact that they managed to close out against a team shooting 50% from deep? That they didn't let the effort level go down, managed clutch plays, and stayed focused through the ending? That they managed to climb back up from an awful 3rd quarter? The fact that they're in a 3-game winning streak right now, with two of those wins coming from LA teams?

It's such a pessimistic take to say "what about this game gives you optimism?" after you've been screaming SPURS LOSE the entire 4th quarter, tbh. At least acknowledge you were dead wrong, this Spurs squad beat your expectations, and they're playing some solid ball, tbh. Credit where it's due.

:lol this post screams vanilla take. They'll let the T'Pups shoot 50%+ from three tomorrow night too, its not like today was any sort of anomaly.

[Thomas82]

The Spurs got away with one tonight. These kinds of things tend to even out over time.

[ace3g]

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/sa.png&h=100&w=100Spurs



Starters
MIN
FG
3PT
FT
OREB
DREB
REB
AST
STL
BLK
TO
PF
+/-
PTS


D. DeRozan (https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3978/demar-derozan)SF
44
13-23
0-2
12-13
1
4
5
5
0
0
1
1
+4
38


K. Johnson (https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4395723/keldon-johnson)SF
42
6-12
2-5
3-4
3
6
9
4
1
0
0
3
+4
17


L. Aldridge (https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2983/lamarcus-aldridge)C
33
4-11
1-3
1-2
1
2
3
1
2
1
0
4
+5
10


D. Murray (https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3907497/dejounte-murray)PG
41
7-18
3-6
5-6
2
12
14
4
1
1
2
2
+7
22


L. Walker IV (https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4277890/lonnie-walker-iv)SG
28
2-8
1-3
2-2
0
2
2
0
2
0
0
1
+6
7


Bench
MIN
FG
3PT
FT
OREB
DREB
REB
AST
STL
BLK
TO
PF
+/-
PTS


R. Gay (https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3005/rudy-gay)SF
17
4-9
1-3
0-0
0
4
4
3
0
1
1
2
-3
9


J. Poeltl (https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3134908/jakob-poeltl)C
16
0-3
0-0
1-2
3
4
7
1
1
0
2
1
-3
1


P. Mills (https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4004/patty-mills)PG
30
8-14
5-8
0-0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
4
+0
21


D. Vassell (https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4395630/devin-vassell)SG
15
0-3
0-2
0-0
2
2
4
3
1
0
0
1
-5
0

[tim_duncan_fan]

I swear, I'll never understand the ST brand of pessimism towards their own team.......

You must not have watched them do really, really, dumb things like compete against themselves for a rebound and lose it to the other team and other nonsense 10 times a game. Our lone center refuses to dunk. We just started shooting 3s yesterday and only manage like 5 made per game when the league average is 40. Our point guard can't dribble. The most naturally talented and watch-worthy guys on the team other than Derozan don't take lots of shots. Pop doesn't gameplan or call plays. We leave the opponents best 3-point shooters open on literally every possession. No one on the team instinctively recognizes game situations except maybe Devin.

There are reasons.


-This post is hyperbolic but not far enough away from the truth.

[Blackhaus]

Keldons off ball defense was some of the worst I have ever seen. Beasley got so many open looks

[Sugus]

I mean, seriously. Does anyone really think we win this game last year? Fuck no, we don't. That squad doesn't even get it to OT, tbh, likely a 10pt deficit after that Wolves run in the 4th.

So many posters unable to acknowledge that the team is actually better this season. They have noticeably better (albeit improvable) defense, which allows them to stay in games that would otherwise slip out of reach, and make a couple timely buckets to get in front. Young guys almost all look markedly improved, team cohesiveness and camaraderie is great RN. Vets are playing useful roles whilst not hogging the ball too much, and have taken a backseat to the young players on the roster, most notably DJ. Overall, it's a much, much better team effort on both ends of the court - which directly translates into fun games to watch, no matter the outcome. I haven't been bored by a single of our games except for the Jazz blunder, and that's something to say considering I regularly found myself switching channels last season.

Go fucking Spurs go. 3 game W streak. Tonight... We celebrate.

[Sugus]

Keldons off ball defense was some of the worst I have ever seen. Beasley got so many open looks

I noticed it too this game, and the last one. He's a good on-ball defender but has a LOT to learn in terms of off-ball awareness, play reading, and acting before a play takes place. I'm trying to keep in mind that he's only a second year player, though, but it can still be frustrating at times.

[r0drig0lac]

5-4

[Sugus]

:lol this post screams vanilla take. They'll let the T'Pups shoot 50%+ from three tomorrow night too, its not like today was any sort of anomaly.

What's the point of non-vanilla takes when they're absolutely wrong? You were flinging shit at the walls to see if anything stuck all game long, tbh, and were dead wrong in every one of your assumptions. Hurray for non-vanilla takes, I guess...?

Funny that you still can't manage to bring yourself to say the Spurs grinded out a good W. It would've undeniably been a loss last season - and that sort of linear, upwards progression is valuable regardless of anything else, tbh. Especially considering it's mostly at the hands of our young players.

[RC_Drunkford]

team just has to play smarter basketball on offense. Especially in the 4th. On defense we have to fix giving up these open 3s, that's a huge red flag as well as our pick & roll D.

[poopbox]

who's saying we're not winning it?

We would have won handedly if we could get literally anything out of our backup center...

So far this season when Poeltl has been on the floor we are playing 3.5 on 5 offensively

[BillMc]

14 boards by DJ!

[FlAVaK]

1348115282334769152

[Sugus]

You must not have watched them do really, really, dumb things like compete against themselves for a rebound and lose it to the other team and other nonsense 10 times a game. Our lone center refuses to dunk. We just started shooting 3s yesterday and only manage like 5 made per game when the league average is 40. Our point guard can't dribble. The most naturally talented and watch-worthy guys on the team other than Derozan don't take lots of shots. Pop doesn't gameplan or call plays. We leave the opponents best 3-point shooters open on literally every possession. No one on the team instinctively recognizes game situations except maybe Devin.

There are reasons.


-This post is hyperbolic but not far enough away from the truth.

I mean, yeah I did...? It's not like I'm calling this team perfect, or above reproach or betterment, tbh. The truth is we're still far away from true contention, and I'd still like for the Spurs to timely tank one season and nab a true centerpiece from the lottery. I can, at the same time, acknowledge that the team's effort level and playing level are markedly improved in regards to last season - and the fact that it's made even better because it's at the hands of the youngings. Lonnie is playing markedly better (though far from perfect); so is DJ, and so is Keldon. Seriously, brighten up.

The rest of your takes are hyperbolic nonsense. Just started shooting 3's yesterday? What? Our PG can't dribble? What? We don't leave shooters open "on every possession", though the defensive gameplan is admittedly outdated. Overall, though, it's clear that you're hard pressed at watching NOTHING but the bad things about this team. Did you even enjoy watching the game and W? I seriously wonder this sometimes, reading some of the things y'all post on here.

[PhantomDashCam]

My observations:

- Physical finish. Who plays in tomorrow’s game? KJ, Dejounte, LMA all took physical contact towards the end of the game. With the Spurs getting the W, wonder if anybody rests on what turned out to be a physical start of a b2b.

- DDR read and played against the zone perfectly. With DDR seemingly attacking and scoring at will inside, T’Wolves went to a zone to stem the attack. Derozan picked his spots and created numerous open shot opps. for the team. When they switched back to man, he outclassed his primary defender and drew a key foul on ANT-Man, nailed the free throws etc. A sublime game for DDR.

- LMA engaged defensively is the key to this team’s ceiling. For 2 straight games, I thought LMA was a plus on the defensive end. He got beaten on a couple of P’nPops but the team benefitted greatly (for the most part) with his engaged play on that end. Not every team has a KAT or Anthony Davis so he needs to bring the same mindset going forward no matter the opposition.

- Vassell’s impact belies the box score. The kid’s a stud. He got blocked by Naz Reid, a huge, for most, confidence shaking block. Yet he’s up the other end competing, going into next play mode. I hope Lonnie is taking notes.

[Sugus]

We would have won handedly if we could get literally anything out of our backup center...

So far this season when Poeltl has been on the floor we are playing 3.5 on 5 offensively

That's a roundabout way to say you were dead wrong on your hot take, tbh :lmao

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/JeffGSpursZone/status/1348116235284869120?s=19

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/PaulGarciaNBA/status/1348114971377479682?s=19

[Sugus]

My observations:

- Physical finish. Who plays in tomorrow’s game? KJ, Dejounte, LMA all took physical contact towards the end of the game. With the Spurs getting the W, wonder if anybody rests on what turned out to be a physical start of a b2b.

- DDR read and played against the zone perfectly. With DDR seemingly attacking and scoring at will inside, T’Wolves went to a zone to stem the attack. Derozan picked his spots and created numerous open shot opps. for the team. When they switched back to man, he outclassed his primary defender and drew a key foul on ANT-Man, nailed the free throws etc. A sublime game for DDR.

- LMA engaged defensively is the key to this team’s ceiling. For 2 straight games, I thought LMA was a plus on the defensive end. He got beaten on a couple of P’nPops but the team benefitted greatly (for the most part) with his engaged play on that end. Not every team has a KAT or Anthony Davis so he needs to bring the same mindset going forward no matter the opposition.

- Vassell’s impact belies the box score. The kid’s a stud. He got blocked by Naz Reid, a huge, for most, confidence shaking block. Yet he’s up the other end competing, going into next play mode. I hope Lonnie is taking notes.

Finally, some reading-worthy analysis of the game. Much appreciated.

I think, actually, the first one to sit tomorrow will be Towns. He was taking a beating on some portions of tonight's game, and I saw him grabbing his injured hand several times. Wouldn't surprise me if he's not giving 100% effort or even minutes limited tomorrow, especially considering it's the second leg of a B2B and he's just coming off injury. But I also can see the Spurs vets getting limited minutes. I predict we'll see some Luka and Tre tomorrow - especially if one team or the other manages to pull away early. Tonight was strangely even matched down to the wire.

Agree on the rest. Both LMA and DD played good to great games. Vassell looks to be the real deal in terms of a 3&D prospect - though I still fail to see potential anywhere beyond that. It's not like getting a surefire 3&D player at #11 is bad or anything close to it, but he really looks to be living up to his high floor, low ceiling* pre-draft scouting reports. The key to expanding his game will be developing an NBA-calibre dribble, and I don't think it's out of reason for him to do so. An exciting prospect, for sure, and a sight for sore eyes after last season's No-D efforts.

[tim_duncan_fan]

I mean, yeah I did...? It's not like I'm calling this team perfect, or above reproach or betterment, tbh. The truth is we're still far away from true contention, and I'd still like for the Spurs to timely tank one season and nab a true centerpiece from the lottery. I can, at the same time, acknowledge that the team's effort level and playing level are markedly improved in regards to last season - and the fact that it's made even better because it's at the hands of the youngings. Lonnie is playing markedly better (though far from perfect); so is DJ, and so is Keldon. Seriously, brighten up.

The rest of your takes are hyperbolic nonsense. Just started shooting 3's yesterday? What? Our PG can't dribble? What? We don't leave shooters open "on every possession", though the defensive gameplan is admittedly outdated. Overall, though, it's clear that you're hard pressed at watching NOTHING but the bad things about this team. Did you even enjoy watching the game and W? I seriously wonder this sometimes, reading some of the things y'all post on here.

I didn't enjoy this win much, no tbh lol. It was kind of frustrating. We are one of the "dumb" teams now and this win fell in our laps in spite of us. We are dependent on Patty Mills for scoring....not just timely 3s in the last couple minutes, but to pace us in games as well. It's not a good look.

I'm not saying there aren't good things about the team, but fixing the problems, especially when the problems are mostly boneheaded nonsense (like doubling off of known 3 point shooters) criticizing that stuff comes 10 times over before praising some embarrassing upward fail of a win.

I don't know that we did anything particularly well this game. Just caught a couple breaks against a similarly goofy team.

I will cop to pessimism, absolutely, but there are reasons.

Edit: You KNOW DJ's handles are below average for a starting point guard. That was not one of the hyperbolic bits.

[ace3g]

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1069403041940602880/Bb1X4Bjr_normal.jpg
Tom Petrini realTomPetrini
(https://twitter.com/RealTomPetrini) 3m (https://twitter.com/RealTomPetrini/status/1348118571730300935)
"Definitely not the 82nd best player in the league, I'll damn sure tell you that" -Dejounte, with a big smile

[Dejounte]

You have your glass half full people and your glass half empty people. Each have something to contribute, and it only becomes extremely flawed when one side makes absurd statements such as, "DJ has a high dribble though" and won't budge on that dumb opinion even when said player is doing a superb job so far.

[Sugus]

I didn't enjoy this win much, no tbh lol. It was kind of frustrating. We are one of the "dumb" teams now and this win fell in our laps in spite of us. We are dependent on Patty Mills for scoring....not just timely 3s in the last couple minutes, but to pace us in games as well. It's not a good look.

I'm not saying there aren't good things about the team, but fixing the problems, especially when the problems are mostly boneheaded nonsense (like doubling off of known 3 point shooters) criticizing that stuff comes 10 times over before praising some embarrassing upward fail of a win.

I don't know that we did anything particularly well this game. Just caught a couple breaks against a similarly goofy team.

I will cop to pessimism, absolutely, but there are reasons.

Ok, now THIS is a more level-headed take. I can work with it, much better than the last one.

I also thought tonight's game was far from spectacular. BUT you ignore a monumental aspect of getting "bad wins" - redundant as it may be, they are getting the Ws. Yes, they didn't play their best game, there were countless little (and big) mistakes to be addressed... Yet they managed to stay on their feet the entire game and bring it home. Having forced myself to watch the entirety of last season, the effort level alone is commendable, tbh - and again, the fact that it was coming out of the young players makes it doubly so. Yes, it was Patty scoring the points - but who was facilitating for him to score? Some of DJ's passes to him were noteworthy, tbh. The offense is markedly fluid and democratic, and we're able now to feed different players at no detriment to the others (unlike last season, where a DJ entry pass to LMA on the block took an entire 10 seconds away from the possession and guaranteed a contested-fadeaway-turnaround jumper).

The big difference between good and bad teams, through an NBA season, is whether they let themselves get beaten by lesser teams or not, on any given night. You're never gonna have a team that goes 100% every game, every night - the question is, can your team's 70-80% still chunk out a W, ugly as it may? The Spurs of this season, so far, have been proving that yes, they can. Maybe it's just that I compare this season too much to last one, but the effort level alone is undisputably changed, and a SIGHT for sore eyes, to the point that I don't understand how anyone could've watched all of last season and STILL complain about this one. Seriously, have we so quickly forgotten Forbes AND Beli closing out games for us? :lol

I don't think tonight was an "embarrassing upward fail of a win". We can agree to disagree there. It was just a win. Ugly? Yes... But there's no beauty meter in the NBA, only results, tbh.

[Robz4000]

What's the point of non-vanilla takes when they're absolutely wrong? You were flinging shit at the walls to see if anything stuck all game long, tbh, and were dead wrong in every one of your assumptions. Hurray for non-vanilla takes, I guess...?

Funny that you still can't manage to bring yourself to say the Spurs grinded out a good W. It would've undeniably been a loss last season - and that sort of linear, upwards progression is valuable regardless of anything else, tbh. Especially considering it's mostly at the hands of our young players.

:lol I was wrong about them losing, but everything else I said was spot on. This is a low-IQ team that plays the worst defense in the NBA even with the turd bros off the team, and there was nothing good about grinding out a win against the worst team in the NBA. Just because you wanna show off your inner homer doesn't make any of it better.

[Mr. Body]

Ok, now THIS is a more level-headed take. I can work with it, much better than the last one.

I also thought tonight's game was far from spectacular. BUT you ignore a monumental aspect of getting "bad wins" - redundant as it may be, they are getting the Ws. Yes, they didn't play their best game, there were countless little (and big) mistakes to be addressed... Yet they managed to stay on their feet the entire game and bring it home. Having forced myself to watch the entirety of last season, the effort level alone is commendable, tbh - and again, the fact that it was coming out of the young players makes it doubly so. Yes, it was Patty scoring the points - but who was facilitating for him to score? Some of DJ's passes to him were noteworthy, tbh. The offense is markedly fluid and democratic, and we're able now to feed different players at no detriment to the others (unlike last season, where a DJ entry pass to LMA on the block took an entire 10 seconds away from the possession and guaranteed a contested-fadeaway-turnaround jumper).

The big difference between good and bad teams, through an NBA season, is whether they let themselves get beaten by lesser teams or not, on any given night. You're never gonna have a team that goes 100% every game, every night - the question is, can your team's 70-80% still chunk out a W, ugly as it may? The Spurs of this season, so far, have been proving that yes, they can. Maybe it's just that I compare this season too much to last one, but the effort level alone is undisputably changed, and a SIGHT for sore eyes, to the point that I don't understand how anyone could've watched all of last season and STILL complain about this one. Seriously, have we so quickly forgotten Forbes AND Beli closing out games for us? :lol

I don't think tonight was an "embarrassing upward fail of a win". We can agree to disagree there. It was just a win. Ugly? Yes... But there's no beauty meter in the NBA, only results, tbh.

Grinding out bad wins is vital to any team. Some fans are just stupid.

[Atl Spur]

You have your glass half full people and your glass half empty people. Each have something to contribute, and it only becomes extremely flawed when one side makes absurd statements such as, "DJ has a high dribble though" and won't budge on that dumb opinion even when said player is doing a superb job so far.

That’s not pointed at me is it?

[Dejounte]

"Low IQ team" is a hyperbole. There are a few with bad IQ (Rudy, Patty, Lonnie sometimes, DJ sometimes) but as a whole? Nah.

Also, when Derrick comes back it raises the IQ by ten notches, and that's not a slight towards DJ. Derrick makes his impact in different ways that has nothing to do with the point guard role.

[Sugus]

Edit: You KNOW DJ's handles are below average for a starting point guard. That was not one of the hyperbolic bits.

Wait, you edited your comment, no fair. Glad that I caught it. I'm not disagreeing there at all! That's what you're not understanding - I can be happy with a W, and also acknowledge that there's a lot of work to be done still. Dejounte's handles need a LOT of work (his late-game turnover against the Fakers was evidence enough, never mind this game or any other), but it doesn't overshade the fact that he's markedly better at most other areas of his game (and I'd actually argue that his handles are better than last season, though it's not quantifiable at all beyond TO rate). As Dejounte says, just a glass-full, glass-empty approach to games that you and I have, I guess.

[SpurPadre]

Finally, some reading-worthy analysis of the game. Much appreciated.

I think, actually, the first one to sit tomorrow will be Towns. He was taking a beating on some portions of tonight's game, and I saw him grabbing his injured hand several times. Wouldn't surprise me if he's not giving 100% effort or even minutes limited tomorrow, especially considering it's the second leg of a B2B and he's just coming off injury. But I also can see the Spurs vets getting limited minutes. I predict we'll see some Luka and Tre tomorrow - especially if one team or the other manages to pull away early. Tonight was strangely even matched down to the wire.

Agree on the rest. Both LMA and DD played good to great games. Vassell looks to be the real deal in terms of a 3&D prospect - though I still fail to see potential anywhere beyond that. It's not like getting a surefire 3&D player at #11 is bad or anything close to it, but he really looks to be living up to his high ceiling, low floor pre-draft scouting reports. The key to expanding his game will be developing an NBA-calibre dribble, and I don't think it's out of reason for him to do so. An exciting prospect, for sure, and a sight for sore eyes after last season's No-D efforts.

You mean low-ceiling, high floor, right? High ceiling suggests he'd be more than just a 3 and D guy.

[Dejounte]

That’s not pointed at me is it?

No

[ace3g]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KePLbKA0tDU

[PhantomDashCam]

Finally, some reading-worthy analysis of the game. Much appreciated.

I think, actually, the first one to sit tomorrow will be Towns. He was taking a beating on some portions of tonight's game, and I saw him grabbing his injured hand several times. Wouldn't surprise me if he's not giving 100% effort or even minutes limited tomorrow, especially considering it's the second leg of a B2B and he's just coming off injury. But I also can see the Spurs vets getting limited minutes. I predict we'll see some Luka and Tre tomorrow - especially if one team or the other manages to pull away early. Tonight was strangely even matched down to the wire.

Agree on the rest. Both LMA and DD played good to great games. Vassell looks to be the real deal in terms of a 3&D prospect - though I still fail to see potential anywhere beyond that. It's not like getting a surefire 3&D player at #11 is bad or anything close to it, but he really looks to be living up to his high ceiling, low floor pre-draft scouting reports. The key to expanding his game will be developing an NBA-calibre dribble, and I don't think it's out of reason for him to do so. An exciting prospect, for sure, and a sight for sore eyes after last season's No-D efforts.

One thing I’ve noticed from Vassell is that he is very adept at reading defences and makes solid passes. His court vision I feel is much better than advertised. If, like you have suggested, he can keep improving his handles and shot creation capability; I do see a bit of “good” Paul George type play possibly in his future.

[Sugus]

:lol I was wrong about them losing, but everything else I said was spot on. This is a low-IQ team that plays the worst defense in the NBA even with the turd bros off the team, and there was nothing good about grinding out a win against the worst team in the NBA. Just because you wanna show off your inner homer doesn't make any of it better.

Disagree on low-IQ. We have low-IQ players, that are notably likely to go off the team in the short term, but the core of the team is not bad in that regard. White is clearly high IQ, so is Keldon, so is Vassell - I'm inclined to say Lonnie isn't showing it right now at his best, but also is. Rudy Gay being a low IQ player is hardly on my concern list, tbh. Also, drop some statistics if you're gonna be hyperbolic - I absolutely doubt the Spurs are the "worst defense in the NBA", especially considering we've just played the actual worst defensive team in the NBA. You also have the Wizards... Though I doubt you're catching up on their games. Seriously, drop me a stat or two, because there's not a lot of substance to your claims otherwise, especially when they're easily disputed by the eye test (the Spurs didn't do league-worst-defense bad this game, tbqh).

The Spurs are pretty unarguably better on defense than last season, tbh. It's still too early for trustworthy stats, but I have little doubt that they'll back up what I claim in time. Are we league best? No, nor close to it. But better than last season, which is enough for me right now as a watcher. Also, saying "nothing good about grinding out a W" is HILARIOUS after most of ST (myself included) spent the entirety of last season shitting on this team for not closing out games, and losing winnable games against lesser competition. You seriously don't remember the 20pt embarrassment losses against the Bulls? The Hawks? The Cavs (one of them on Parker's retirement jersey night, if I'm not mistaken)? And now you say there's nothing good about grinding out W's? Come on..... Completely detached take from the continuity reality of this team.

[Sugus]

You mean low-ceiling, high floor, right? High ceiling suggests he'd be more than just a 3 and D guy.

:lol blunder on my part, Padre. You sure read between my lines. Thanks, fixed :tu

[tim_duncan_fan]

Ok, now THIS is a more level-headed take. I can work with it, much better than the last one.

I also thought tonight's game was far from spectacular. BUT you ignore a monumental aspect of getting "bad wins" - redundant as it may be, they are getting the Ws. Yes, they didn't play their best game, there were countless little (and big) mistakes to be addressed... Yet they managed to stay on their feet the entire game and bring it home. Having forced myself to watch the entirety of last season, the effort level alone is commendable, tbh - and again, the fact that it was coming out of the young players makes it doubly so. Yes, it was Patty scoring the points - but who was facilitating for him to score? Some of DJ's passes to him were noteworthy, tbh. The offense is markedly fluid and democratic, and we're able now to feed different players at no detriment to the others (unlike last season, where a DJ entry pass to LMA on the block took an entire 10 seconds away from the possession and guaranteed a contested-fadeaway-turnaround jumper).

The big difference between good and bad teams, through an NBA season, is whether they let themselves get beaten by lesser teams or not, on any given night. You're never gonna have a team that goes 100% every game, every night - the question is, can your team's 70-80% still chunk out a W, ugly as it may? The Spurs of this season, so far, have been proving that yes, they can. Maybe it's just that I compare this season too much to last one, but the effort level alone is undisputably changed, and a SIGHT for sore eyes, to the point that I don't understand how anyone could've watched all of last season and STILL complain about this one. Seriously, have we so quickly forgotten Forbes AND Beli closing out games for us? :lol

I don't think tonight was an "embarrassing upward fail of a win". We can agree to disagree there. It was just a win. Ugly? Yes... But there's no beauty meter in the NBA, only results, tbh.

I agree that the guys are more tenacious than last year. The team shouldn't rest on that though.

Don't get me too wrong though, yes, we should all acknowledge that there has been noticeable improvement.

[Sugus]

Grinding out bad wins is vital to any team. Some fans are just stupid.

Totally agreed - especially since, beyond any of our wishes, it's clear the Spurs are hell-bent on making the POs this season. THIS kind of game, exactly, kept us out of the POs last season, and posters are complaining even though we're winning them now? Smh...

[rankingtear]

Keldons off ball defense was some of the worst I have ever seen. Beasley got so many open looks

Him and Lonnie, i think it also has something to do with having no rim protector.

[Dejounte]

Did anyone catch Keldon holding back Poetl from talking back at Pop???

I think he's going to end up in the doghouse if he isn't in it already

[Sugus]

Did anyone catch Keldon holding back Poetl from talking back at Pop???

I think he's going to end up in the doghouse if he isn't in it already

Got a clip? Missed it... Also would be pretty disastrous if our backup C ends up in the doghouse less than 10 games into the season... Good or bad, we need the body to throw at the other team, lmao

[Robz4000]

Disagree on low-IQ. We have low-IQ players, that are notably likely to go off the team in the short term, but the core of the team is not bad in that regard. White is clearly high IQ, so is Keldon, so is Vassell - I'm inclined to say Lonnie isn't showing it right now at his best, but also is. Rudy Gay being a low IQ player is hardly on my concern list, tbh. Also, drop some statistics if you're gonna be hyperbolic - I absolutely doubt the Spurs are the "worst defense in the NBA", especially considering we've just played the actual worst defensive team in the NBA. You also have the Wizards... Though I doubt you're catching up on their games. Seriously, drop me a stat or two, because there's not a lot of substance to your claims otherwise, especially when they're easily disputed by the eye test (the Spurs didn't do league-worst-defense bad this game, tbqh).

The Spurs are pretty unarguably better on defense than last season, tbh. It's still too early for trustworthy stats, but I have little doubt that they'll back up what I claim in time. Are we league best? No, nor close to it. But better than last season, which is enough for me right now as a watcher. Also, saying "nothing good about grinding out a W" is HILARIOUS after most of ST (myself included) spent the entirety of last season shitting on this team for not closing out games, and losing winnable games against lesser competition. You seriously don't remember the 20pt embarrassment losses against the Bulls? The Hawks? The Cavs (one of them on Parker's retirement jersey night, if I'm not mistaken)? And now you say there's nothing good about grinding out W's? Come on..... Completely detached take from the continuity reality of this team.

I dropped this link several times already:

https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/opponent-three-point-pct

Spurs are the worst 3-pt defense in the league. After tonight they'll be more than a percentage point worse than second to last.

https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/defensive-efficiency

Spurs are currently 22nd in defensive efficiency, but again after tonight that'll drop to around 25/26. You're correct in that Minny is the worst defense in the league, but the fact they're close to the worst team in the NBA in that category is not good.

I like most of our young players, but outside White none of them have a solid feel for the game. That may come with experience, but that just highlights the importance of having them grow in a high-IQ environment. No one will mistake LMA/DePression/Gay as high-IQ players on their best days, and their bad habits are starting to rub off on the young players, notably Murray and Lonnie. I don't know about you, but I don't wanna see Murray throwing a temper tantrum on the regular at the refs rather than getting back on D and pouting the rest of the game on the way to an L.

[BillMc]

One wonders who will ultimately win the Lonnie-White-Devin battle for the second guard spot. DJ has really changed my mind and cemented a place in the SL, as has KJ

[Atl Spur]

Did anyone catch Keldon holding back Poetl from talking back at Pop???

I think he's going to end up in the doghouse if he isn't in it already

Pop probably happy poodle shows some balls������ He plays soft way to often; I think pop is the master motivator if it’s in you.

[BillMc]

Did anyone catch Keldon holding back Poetl from talking back at Pop???

I think he's going to end up in the doghouse if he isn't in it already

I saw it but thought Jakob was going after a ref.

[SpurPadre]

Got a clip? Missed it... Also would be pretty disastrous if our backup C ends up in the doghouse less than 10 games into the season... Good or bad, we need the body to throw at the other team, lmao

And we definitely don't need Eubanks logging serious minutes ever again.

[Sugus]

I dropped this link several times already:

https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/opponent-three-point-pct

Spurs are the worst 3-pt defense in the league. After tonight they'll be more than a percentage point worse than second to last.

https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/defensive-efficiency

Spurs are currently 22nd in defensive efficiency, but again after tonight that'll drop to around 25/26. You're correct in that Minny is the worst defense in the league, but the fact they're close to the worst team in the NBA in that category is not good.

I like most of our young players, but outside White none of them have a solid feel for the game. That may come with experience, but that just highlights the importance of having them grow in a high-IQ environment. No one will mistake LMA/DePression/Gay as high-IQ players on their best days, and their bad habits are starting to rub off on the young players, notably Murray and Lonnie. I don't know about you, but I don't wanna see Murray throwing a temper tantrum on the regular at the refs rather than getting back on D and pouting the rest of the game on the way to an L.

Wait, you do realize that you told me the Spurs had the worst defense in the league, then you link me stats that actively say the Spurs don't have the worst defense in the league, right? :lol

Beyond that (and the fact that having the worst 3pt defense is not equal to worst defense, as the Bucks proved last season with their drop-D scheme), I don't disagree with the rest of what you're saying. I still (if you've read my recent posts on the DJ thread, you'll know) want the Spurs to ship off some of these vets, maybe even a young player or two, and tank this season out. I don't think these short-term Ws will help them in the long term. But tbh, as a fan, you sort of have to learn when to fight against the current, and when not to - the Spurs are clearly and unequivocally committed to making the playoffs this season, so if they manage a good win, why not celebrate it? At its crux, I think this is where I and depressive posters like you will disagree. I'm just going along with the ride, seeing the young players grow, seeing the game-by-game improvements, which thankfully have been plentiful to start this season. The Spurs are actually playing well, even if their defensive rating isn't league-beating.

And, speaking on that - you have to take into account that this is a mostly young team now. We're not in the Big 3 era anymore, with seasoned, championship-experienced vets closing out games in classy fashion; these are 20-something youngings, making mistakes and learning on the fly. I'm not expecting them to top the league in defense or whatever. Having witnessed the embarrassment that last season was, I'm just dandy seeing them fight out games, give full effort, and manage to wring out wins, however ugly they might be. It's ok if we disagree there, everyone is a fan for different reasons I guess.

[ismael-robert]

Rob u keep calling Minny a bad team pointing to their record while not acknowledging as others pointed out that they were missing their best player. Before he went down they beat the Jazz who killed us.
And relying on Mills scoring isn't really a bad look. Did he not tell us he would so this? Does he not do this for Australia? It's always been in him.

[Dejounte]

Got a clip? Missed it... Also would be pretty disastrous if our backup C ends up in the doghouse less than 10 games into the season... Good or bad, we need the body to throw at the other team, lmao

Will post tomorrow

[XDT76]

I dropped this link several times already:

https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/opponent-three-point-pct

Spurs are the worst 3-pt defense in the league. After tonight they'll be more than a percentage point worse than second to last.

https://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/defensive-efficiency

Spurs are currently 22nd in defensive efficiency, but again after tonight that'll drop to around 25/26. You're correct in that Minny is the worst defense in the league, but the fact they're close to the worst team in the NBA in that category is not good.

I like most of our young players, but outside White none of them have a solid feel for the game. That may come with experience, but that just highlights the importance of having them grow in a high-IQ environment. No one will mistake LMA/DePression/Gay as high-IQ players on their best days, and their bad habits are starting to rub off on the young players, notably Murray and Lonnie. I don't know about you, but I don't wanna see Murray throwing a temper tantrum on the regular at the refs rather than getting back on D and pouting the rest of the game on the way to an L.

I look up the table, of the top 7 in this list there is a total of 0 team having a better win/lose record than the Spurs. So I say let the rest of the league have a better 3 pt defence record and let the Spurs have a better win/lose record than the rest of them. End of the day it's the win/lose record that matters and not any other record.

[Robz4000]

I look up the table, of the top 7 in this list there is a total of 0 team having a better win/lose record than the Spurs. So I say let the rest of the league have a better 3 pt defence record and let the Spurs have a better win/lose record than the rest of them. End of the day it's the win/lose record that matters and not any other record.

:lol not a huge prediction but if the Spurs remain at the bottom of that ranking their win/loss record won't be so hot my dude

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

:lol not a huge prediction but if the Spurs remain at the bottom of that ranking their win/loss record won't be so hot my dude

True, but there's some context as well - Spurs have played a very tough schedule so far, have had important players missing games ( in fact they've not had their full team in a single game yet ), their opponents have been shooting lights out. Also Spurs are uncharacteristically bad at rebounding margins and allowing second chance points and points in the paint as well. And despite of all that they've fought and won a good amount of games so far. Now, an optimist would say some regression to the mean would be in their favour and a pessimist would say their record is better than it should be. It's an entertaining season so far, though, no doubt about it.

[Mugen]

That's like two stupid statements at once, so good job.

:lol Which part do you think is stupid? You don't think a contending team would trade for Fatty? You don't think the Spurs could get a late 1st rounder for him?

Pretty dense tbh

[ace3g]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErYwEE0WMAMfFUp?format=jpg&name=large

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErYwEblXcAEkJzx?format=jpg&name=large

CJ3mTiIsLU8

[Sugus]

I look up the table, of the top 7 in this list there is a total of 0 team having a better win/lose record than the Spurs. So I say let the rest of the league have a better 3 pt defence record and let the Spurs have a better win/lose record than the rest of them. End of the day it's the win/lose record that matters and not any other record.

Exactly, tbh. Certain defensive metrics are just a result of what your defense is willing to give up - the best modern offenses also tend to have the worst opposing midrange % defended, because that's the kinds of shots they're giving up. I still think giving up 3's like the Spurs are doing is not a good strategy in the modern game, and a lot of the ones we give up aren't due to scheme but defensive lapses (which probably will get better through the season), but it's still only one defensive metric, and not a comprehensive analysis.

At the end of the day, Spurs have been playing above anyone's expectations coming into the season - it's actually making me re-think my stance on the vets. The team is just gelling so well right now, and the results are translating into good wins and improvement for the young players... Hard to break up something like that just for a late first rounder, tbqh.

[LkrFan]

Forgot Hernangomez aka LkrFan (https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=18824) played for Minny tbh.

:lol

[Seventyniner]

I look up the table, of the top 7 in this list there is a total of 0 team having a better win/lose record than the Spurs. So I say let the rest of the league have a better 3 pt defence record and let the Spurs have a better win/lose record than the rest of them. End of the day it's the win/lose record that matters and not any other record.

Last year the Bucks gave up the 3rd-most 3PA per 100 possessions (behind TOR and MIA), and were 15th in opponent's 3PT%. Yet their defense was the best in the league by a good margin.

Prioritizing paint defense is a viable strategy, at least if you have good enough rim protectors.

[Dejounte]

Got a clip? Missed it... Also would be pretty disastrous if our backup C ends up in the doghouse less than 10 games into the season... Good or bad, we need the body to throw at the other team, lmao

https://i.ibb.co/yyrNrh5/VID-20210110-154120.gif

No ref where Poetl's looking, I think
BillMc

[BillMc]

https://i.ibb.co/yyrNrh5/VID-20210110-154120.gif

No ref where Poetl's looking, I think
BillMc (https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=16431)

True, but watching it again, I just think KJ was chatting with him, probably about some tactics, not that Jakob was going after Pop.

ST likes melodrama.

[Dejounte]

True, but watching it again, I just think KJ was chatting with him, probably about some tactics, not that Jakob was going after Pop.

ST likes melodrama.

From the T-Wolves feed:

https://i.ibb.co/g7JpX5Z/VID-20210110-155326.gif

Pop clearly yelling at Poetl here. Poetl may not have been going "after Pop", but Keldon for sure looks like he's trying to restrain him from responding to Pop... not to talk about any tactics. Still think it's "melodrama"?

[BillMc]

From the T-Wolves feed:

https://i.ibb.co/g7JpX5Z/VID-20210110-155326.gif

Pop clearly yelling at Poetl here. Poetl may not have been going "after Pop", but Keldon for sure looks like he's trying to restrain him from responding to Pop... not to talk about any tactics. Still think it's "melodrama"?

Yes, I do. Pretty normal scene.