Grades: Spurs at Timberwolves - Jan. 10, 2021

[timvp]

https://www.spurstalk.com/grades-san-antonio-spurs-at-minnesota-timberwolves-game-10/

Winning streak status: Snapped

[Robz4000]

Spurs are 5-5, not 5-6 (yet). Disagree with Lyle's grade, actually felt like he made a difference until the fourth (when everyone shat the bed). Pop should also be a D, he coached a poor game on both ends.

[Fireball]

Watching Lonnie go to the basket time after time was fun to watch ... hopefully he did not pull his hammy there in the end. Johnson with a game to forget hopefully he will pick up steam again.

[tbdog]

Losing DDR for extended time, plus white, unknown on vessel and Walker. Prepare for double bigs.

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

Hopefully Lonnie is okay.

I wish he was more aggressive in the 2nd half offensively before he got hurt. This type of game is why I feel (if he would stop being soft when driving to the hoop) he has the potential out of all the young players on our squad to be a super star. His shooting form is too good and his athletic ability is too dynamic to ignore. He just has to absorb the contact from defenders when he drives to the hoop instead of trying to avoid it. All great scorers go to the line a decent amount.

[John B]

Thanks for the grades Timvp. It started very exciting with Lonnie who seemed to be the only one who picked-up where Demar left off. But it seemed that only Lonnie got the memo. The rest played subpar, with probably the exception of Aldridge. Aldridge tried to carry the team the rest of the way, but he was gassed up towards the end. And the refs could’ve called fouls for us. But eventually TWolves seemed to have all the breaks. Well you can't win it all. But more importantly, Jakob needs to effing wake-up.

[ragas]

I said it before. If Jakob doesn't get his mental shit together, he's not worth playing in the NBA. He has some useful skills for the team, but seemingly not the mental toughness to show it consistently. He started slow last season and there's hope he improves. But I'm not that confident anymore to be honest.

[Truth4sale$]

Good write up Timvp.
Lonnie really needs to finish strong at the rim. He shot 9/19 but 3 for 7 on threes. Take out missed threes and that is 6 shots missed, which probably were 5 close baskets missed. If he hits those, and Spurs possibly win this game.
On a back to back, Popovich has to go into his bench especially with players out. Tre Jones should have gotten a few minutes, the offense struggled without a more natural point guard out there. Better to give him some minutes early in the season, the Spurs could have used his defense too , along with his high Basketball IQ

[sananspursfan21]

Didn’t play well at all. The refs were calling the game like it was the Lakers too, for good measure. Definitely not a burn the tape type of game, but given the circumstances I can see why our guys lost. Watching the offense, a lot of times it looked like they just ran out of ideas and waited for the shot clock to run out. Thanks for the grades!

[Trill Clinton]

Keldon looked gassed towards the end of the game. Pop should have gave Vassell more than 10 minutes to give some of the starters a break.

[Darius Bieber]

Losing DDR for extended time, plus white, unknown on vessel and Walker. Prepare for double bigs.

Totally forgot about the quarantine rule... So even once Demar comes back from visiting his father, we'd still be without him for a bit.

[SpursDynasty85]

Keldon looked gassed towards the end of the game. Pop should have gave Vassell more than 10 minutes to give some of the starters a break.

nobody was passing to Devin. Was frustrating to watch especially Patty ignoring the rookie the last few games. Patty needs to be a much better facilitator especially while White is out.

[offset formation]

I said it before. If Jakob doesn't get his mental shit together, he's not worth playing in the NBA. He has some useful skills for the team, but seemingly not the mental toughness to show it consistently. He started slow last season and there's hope he improves. But I'm not that confident anymore to be honest.


Team needs him to be aggressive. Timid Jakob is barely a third stringer. Aggressive Jakob is a borderline starter. But we haven't seen aggressive Jakob this season and only a few flashes last season. So the question becomes, is timid Jakob the only real consistent version?

The problem is, he's just not even necessary to guard 5 feet beyond the basket (which frees up a defender in the paint) and can't hit a FT if he does try to get aggressive. He's really not doing himself any favors but the team needs him desperately.

[TimDunkem]

nobody was passing to Devin. Was frustrating to watch especially Patty ignoring the rookie the last few games. Patty needs to be a much better facilitator especially while White is out.
At the end of the 1st as Patty turned it over again, Vassell looked at him like "wtf" as he stood there wide open. Patty just waved him off like "yeah whatever no biggie mate". :lol

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Disappointing but not surprising.

We're not the deepest team this year, and anytime I see Trey Lyles getting extended minutes I automatically assume we're going to lose. With him and Forbes on the floor so much last year I'm amazed we did as well as we did. He was secured to the end of Denver's bench for a reason.

Demar looks like our glue guy this year.

[SpursDynasty85]

Team needs him to be aggressive. Timid Jakob is barely a third stringer. Aggressive Jakob is a borderline starter. But we haven't seen aggressive Jakob this season and only a few flashes last season. So the question becomes, is timid Jakob the only real consistent version?

The problem is, he's just not even necessary to guard 5 feet beyond the basket (which frees up a defender in the paint) and can't hit a FT if he does try to get aggressive. He's really not doing himself any favors but the team needs him desperately.

Personally I'm giving Poetl a slight pass because he is not getting the ball at the right time and the right position. He needs a solid facilitator and with White out and him playing with a out-of-control Patty he is not set up to succeed. Give him the ball in rhythm at the right time 7 times out of 10 it's a bucket. When White comes back and they've played about a dozen games then we can better scrutinize or when Patty stops playing hero ball.

[TheGreatYacht]

Would love to see Vassell start. He’s not going to get many opportunities to score while sharing the court with Patty on a contract year and ISO Rudy. He already shows the usual rookie timidness players have to not piss Pop off.

Not a fan at all of Lyles starting. He’s not good at any facet of the game. I have no idea why Pop played a walking negative 35+ minutes after he was in his doghouse. He doesn’t pass the eyeball test, his advanced stats are horrible, and his basic stats are trash. I don’t see what people see in him, I’m sorry.

[TimDunkem]

Hey, Timvp. What is going to happen to this site when the FBI finds it after Derptacular goes on a Sandy Hook-esque rampage? 40 alts later and this man is losing his mind FAST. You should probably get this place cleaned up a bit before it gets shut down, tbh. If only to save a life or two...

[JeffDuncan]

The complaints about Lyles, in that game, are just typical Spurstalk. Blathering ignorance.

Lyles led the team in rebounds. That is not "nothing," it is extremely helpful to the team.

His defense in that game was no worse than anybody else's, and better than some. When Minny scored, it usually wasn't Lyles getting beat.

Lyles' usage rate in that game was 6.8%. As long as we're looking at advanced stats. That's less than Vassell. It's by far the lowest on the team. Good, you think. Except, Lyles shot .387 from three-point range for the Spurs last year. (Mills for his career is .392.) Late in the game you'll see Murray driving for a layup, and missing, with Lyles standing wide open at the arc. And stuff like that. And you think Lyles is the problem. Not so, kids.

[Sugus]

I've seen a lot of people mentioning it as fact, but do we know if Lonnie actually got injured yesterday? Looked like a cramp or something minor to me. He played a great game, all things considered... Only young guy to step up in DeMar's absence. We'll see if it's a recurring thing - hopefully it is, since we need to fill that offensive void.

[Mugen]

Disappointing but not surprising.

We're not the deepest team this year, and anytime I see Trey Lyles getting extended minutes I automatically assume we're going to lose. With him and Forbes on the floor so much last year I'm amazed we did as well as we did. He was secured to the end of Denver's bench for a reason.

Demar looks like our glue guy this year.

I actually think we're pretty deep this year. Like we could run 10 deep no issue with Derrick back. The problem is I don't think we have a Top 35 player in the league and a few of our better players are young/inconsistent (Keldon, Lonnie, etc.)

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I actually think we're pretty deep this year. Like we could run 10 deep no issue with Derrick back. The problem is I don't think we have a Top 35 player in the league and a few of our better players are young/inconsistent (Keldon, Lonnie, etc.)

True. Deep with mid-level talent. Once our young guys are a little further along I think the roster will feel a lot deeper. Get White back, Devin playing well, and we're in pretty good shape. Good point. Seeing Lyles out there was giving me prior year flashbacks. :tu

[BillMc]

I've seen a lot of people mentioning it as fact, but do we know if Lonnie actually got injured yesterday? Looked like a cramp or something minor to me. He played a great game, all things considered... Only young guy to step up in DeMar's absence. We'll see if it's a recurring thing - hopefully it is, since we need to fill that offensive void.

Both Lonnie and Pop said postgame that it was cramps. No worries.

[spurs10]

Thanks for the grades! Vassell didn't play longer because he bumped knees with someone.

[RC_Drunkford]

Personally I'm giving Poetl a slight pass because he is not getting the ball at the right time and the right position. He needs a solid facilitator and with White out and him playing with a out-of-control Patty he is not set up to succeed. Give him the ball in rhythm at the right time 7 times out of 10 it's a bucket. When White comes back and they've played about a dozen games then we can better scrutinize or when Patty stops playing hero ball.

that's not true. Patty actually set him up near the basket a bunch of times. It's just that he can't score if somebody guards him (no matter what size this player is), so he passes the ball back out or turns it over

[JeffDuncan]

that's not true. Patty actually set him up near the basket a bunch of times. It's just that he can't score if somebody guards him (no matter what size this player is), so he passes the ball back out or turns it over

Poeltl also has trouble scoring when he gets the shot off. The only "outside" shot he has is that kind of shot-put thing he does. In the first Minny game they tried to get him going early, and got him chances for that shot on consecutive possessions, and he missed them both, about 5 or 6 feet from the basket.

[SpursDynasty85]

that's not true. Patty actually set him up near the basket a bunch of times. It's just that he can't score if somebody guards him (no matter what size this player is), so he passes the ball back out or turns it over

Those were not good passes. Lane was clogged and blocked off when Poetl received those passes. Poetl isn’t really a post up scorer anymore. Needs about half a lane open and with some room to run to the basket. Patty was just playing hero ball IMO. Had Vassell wide open instead of dumping it into the crowded paint.

[Ice009]

Good write up Timvp.
Lonnie really needs to finish strong at the rim. He shot 9/19 but 3 for 7 on threes. Take out missed threes and that is 6 shots missed, which probably were 5 close baskets missed. If he hits those, and Spurs possibly win this game.
On a back to back, Popovich has to go into his bench especially with players out. Tre Jones should have gotten a few minutes, the offense struggled without a more natural point guard out there. Better to give him some minutes early in the season, the Spurs could have used his defense too , along with his high Basketball IQ

I agree with you, but since it's been said that Trey isn't a great shooter, Pop probably doesn't want to play him, instead, he'd rather have a chucker out there like Mills who can't play PG or run an offense to save his life. I just don't get it. I give Mills props for the way he's played up until last night (it's probably been his best stretch of basketball for years), but it's fools gold IMO. Mills won't keep playing this well all season. I'd rather have a PG out there that can actually play PG and also defend. I'd rather give Jones a chance to see what he can do. Mills should always be pulled quickly if his shot is off.


Both Lonnie and Pop said postgame that it was cramps. No worries.

Thanks for the info about Lonnie. I was worried it was something worse. He play very well most of the game IMO. Hopefully he keeps up this aggression and stays healthy.

[Thomas82]

nobody was passing to Devin. Was frustrating to watch especially Patty ignoring the rookie the last few games. Patty needs to be a much better facilitator especially while White is out.

This is pretty much what I expected from Patty and the other 3 vets in contract years......to shoot everything they touch.