Game Thread: Spurs vs Rockets — Jan. 16, 2021 - 4:00pm CT

[DC23]

Loving the early start.

[MoSpur02]

Injury report out yet?

[ace3g]

https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/1350513659655708672

[ace3g]

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/706942258176614400/tv9P1s33_normal.jpg
Tom Orsborn Tom_orsborn
(https://twitter.com/tom_orsborn) 1m (https://twitter.com/tom_orsborn/status/1350538758848962562)
Pop on if he has a clearer picture of when Becky Hammon, Drew Eubanks and another team staffer will be released from quarantine in Los Angeles, "All we get is projections. I think they will be with us sometime next week. Both other than that, I don't have anything more specific."

[ace3g]

https://twitter.com/cayleighgriffin/status/1350541386953592832

[Sugus]

Predicting a W tonight since I'm catching the game, tbh. Let's hope our guys (the youngings at least....) come out with a vengeance. Hoping for big performances from Lonnie and also Keldon, who has a chance to further move up the ranks of points scored in Spurs players' first 30 games. Let's get it.

[Thomas82]

Predicting a W tonight since I'm catching the game, tbh. Let's hope our guys (the youngings at least....) come out with a vengeance. Hoping for big performances from Lonnie and also Keldon, who has a chance to further move up the ranks of points scored in Spurs players' first 30 games. Let's get it.

You could almost pencil in a W for us if the Rockets only suit up 8 players.

[TXstbobcat]

https://twitter.com/cayleighgriffin/status/1350541386953592832


JeffMcDonald tweet
I don't think that is going to happen this close to tipoff. Rockets will have to dress a questionable guy to make the minimum, like Philly did with Mike Scott last week.

[Larry O]

If you have access to NBA TV, it will be televised there at 4:00 pm CT. GSG!!!

[ace3g]

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1197929409044504576/nKXnm0aN_normal.jpg

Shams Charania ShamsCharania

(https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania) 2m (https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1350547933725392897)
Sources: The four-team, James Harden-Victor Oladipo-Caris LeVert-Jarrett Allen trade is complete. An additional second-round pick and cash were sent to Indiana in order to finish the deal after an issue was discovered in LeVert’s physical with Pacers, sources say.

Allows Kurucs to play for Rockets


https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1220554886837948417/1kI0L9IR_normal.jpg
Cayleigh Griffin @cayleighgriffin
(https://twitter.com/cayleighgriffin) 2m (https://twitter.com/cayleighgriffin/status/1350547966659088385)
Rodi Kurucs WILL play for the #Rocketshttps://abs.twimg.com/hashflags/NBA_2021_Teams_Rockets/NBA_2021_Teams_Rockets.png (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Rockets). Sterling Brown is OUT. Houston has 8 available players.

[Ocotillo]

https://twitter.com/JeffGSpursZone/status/1350545638115700736?s=20

Oh noes, the rotation...

[Dex]

With all these guys out, there is no way the Spurs should lose this...

....


........


...........right?

:pctoss

[Robz4000]

With all these guys out, there is no way the Spurs should lose this...

....


........


...........right?

:pctoss


:lol























:depressed

[timvp]

With all these guys out, there is no way the Spurs should lose this...

....


........


...........right?

:pctoss

Wood going for 40, Kurucs for a surprise 15 incoming in 3 ... 2...

[John B]

With only 8 players available for the Rockets (Cousins out), the Spurs should beat them handily. Or would they? :lol:lol:lol

[John B]

Spurs by 18 pts

[ace3g]

With 8 players available for Rockets, Spurs either win by 1 or lose by 3.

[Chomag]

With all these guys out, there is no way the Spurs should lose this...

....


........


...........right?

:pctoss

:pop: Not if I still have something to say about it with my pet line-ups.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Destroying the Rockets never gets old. I hope we get it done today.

[PhantomDashCam]

Dejounte ‘sboy Jones with the start. Could spell trouble...

[GreekSpursfan]

:flag:

[YoungbuckMurray]

Effort level is horrible

[Robz4000]

:lol already smells like another loss

[Robz4000]

DePression/LMA just suck the life out of this team with their terrible effort/body language.

[PhantomDashCam]

KJ on Wood to start the game. Doing a solid job so far. What a luxury to have your under sized 4 man guard the teams opposing C.
If this kind of assignment becomes common, love to see KJ with spot 5 minutes.
Then the dream lineup - DJ, White, Lonnie, Vassell and KJ as a situational rotation.

[LeBowen]

Literally the worst frontcourt rotation in the league.
Every single game is a layup drill.

[NASpurs]

I fucking LMA and DeRozan. Get them off the team. Poop's gotta go too.

[onechance87]

walker keldon or murray better ball out this game....no excuse

[Thomas82]

And how did Christian Wood go undrafted again?

[GreekSpursfan]

There's nothing inside to stop anybody, can't win if you can't protect the rim.

[GreekSpursfan]

What the fuck is Sean saying, thats not world class, that's LMA slow as fuck can't stand in front of him and contest him make him work for his points.

[PhantomDashCam]

Nice controlled finish KJ.

[GreekSpursfan]

We're gonna win this game, its gonna be close but we should be tanking.

[DJR210]

How the fuck did Wood go undrafted though

[Sugus]

https://twitter.com/JeffGSpursZone/status/1350545638115700736?s=20

Oh noes, the rotation...

Lmao, Sammich just keeps shooting himself in the foot with the most unlikely ailments just when he'd be poised to play. Tonight is the most likely game all season that he'd have a chance to play in garbage time, and he's got a sore throat? Damn... Reminds me of Metu in a way

[Larry O]

It was disappointing to hear 3-D say in the closing of the pregame show on his take of the state of the Spurs for this season. He said that if LMA is the center piece, this team is trending downward. Sure hope he's wrong with his statement, but... GSG!!!

[Leetonidas]

Trash mills again today

[Trill Clinton]

smh the vets again.

[PhantomDashCam]

Why the f* would both Rudy and DDR think they can “body” PJ Tucker? Blows your mind.

[Robz4000]

:lol Spurms

[Chinook]

Pop needs to not try to be cute with line subs and just take the ball out of Murray's hands.

[YoungbuckMurray]

What a gutless effort. Absolutely embarrassing

[r0drig0lac]

Wood alone probably has as much talent at the real level (out excel spreadsheet) as the whole SA roster combined.

[Dex]

Losing these two games would officially erase all the good we did on the road trip, tbh.

[timtonymanu]

The vets just suck the life out of this team

[Barfunk]

Mills with more minutes than Lonnie

[MannyIsGod]

These 5 quarters against Houston are easily the worst of the year. Really hard to be optimistic with this ongoing shit show.

[SPURSCHAMP]

When Demar isnt playing at an All-NBA level this team looks terrible

[onechance87]

we need a playmaker....Cause murray aint doing shit...Hopefully he gets going

[spurspl]

great dribble by murray at the end of quarter xdd

[YoungbuckMurray]

0 3 point makes in a quarter

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Derozan B- Mills B+ Pop A-

[emanueldavidginobili]

I wish Pop would give some minutes to Jones over Patty.

[Sugus]

Watching Murray lose his handle without outside intervention never gets old :lol

[DJR210]

smh the vets again.

As soon as they start force feeding Gay, DeRozan and LMA the offense stops. Can't wait to move on from these corpses

[Sugus]

Jakob the only player showing up today :lmao

[timtonymanu]

Extend Derozan, they said.
He fits with the young guys, they said.

[spurspl]

poeltl scored a layup and ft.. WOW

[SPURSCHAMP]

DJ has been absolutely brutal today

[LeBowen]

This is really difficult to watch.

[Leetonidas]

:lmao

[timtonymanu]

When we get this version of Murray, we almost always lose.

[Sugus]

I fucking hate, loathe, despise Rudy Gay. What a trash ass player the Spurs are cursed with bearing. Can't wait until he's off the team, my most hated of the 4 vets by FAR.

[Chinook]

Extend Derozan, they said.
He fits with the young guys, they said.

DeRozan staying it's own thing, but he's not even close to the problem right now.

[AusSpur]

Diva DeRozan

[onechance87]

murray wtf

[MoSpur02]

Derozan’s crybaby antics get old

[Sugus]

DeRozan is an emotional child alright, but what a soft ass tech, smh. Seriously, punching a ball? League is painfully soft these days...

[PhantomDashCam]

I fucking hate, loathe, despise Rudy Gay. What a trash ass player the Spurs are cursed with bearing. Can't wait until he's off the team, my most hated of the 4 vets by FAR.

:lol It’s a rotating carousel for me.

[SPURSCHAMP]

Derozans been bad today but he hasnt been getting any calls against “physical defender” Tucker

[Chinook]

After this game, folks are going to pretend like Walker barely got touches because he didn't demand the ball or some other bullshit. The ball has barely been on his side of the floor all game. It's embarrassing that the Spurs' offense has no idea how to get guys shots.

[MoSpur02]

I wish the old Pop would get in Derozan’s and Aldridge’s faces and yell at them for their soft play

[C-Dub]

Why is LW4 just standing around doing nothing? Why is the entire team looking disinterested?

[PhantomDashCam]

After this game, folks are going to pretend like Walker barely got touches because he didn't demand the ball or some other bullshit. The ball has barely been on his side of the floor all game. It's embarrassing that the Spurs' offense has no idea how to get guys shots.

Yeah the team has frozen him out completely today. He should at least be given a chance to run a play, right? Maybe the left hand is still a problem?

[Sugus]

:lol It’s a rotating carousel for me.

Ehh, I feel like I can't hate too much on LMA - he's just old at this point, and doesn't really force things unless Pop is force-feeding him in the post. Chucky Mills is another one I dislike, but he usually makes a lot of his shots, so I can't complain too much. And DeRozan... Yeah, he's the other member of the carousel for me. But fuckign Gay, man..... Not only is he old, slow, and trash, but he consistently forces his own stupid shots, ices out the rest of the team on ISO possessions, doesn't hustle, doesn't defend a lick, he's just there to chuck up shots which he doesn't even make most times. Just a shit player.

[Robz4000]

After this game, folks are going to pretend like Walker barely got touches because he didn't demand the ball or some other bullshit. The ball has barely been on his side of the floor all game. It's embarrassing that the Spurs' offense has no idea how to get guys shots.

Pop will still get that B+ while Walker gets a D tbh.

[Chinook]

Why is LW4 just standing around doing nothing? Why is the entire team looking disinterested?

See?

[8sy21vd]

Gay and Aldridge make this team worse and hard to watch. They are iso players on the decline who are traffic cones on defense.

[Elementis]

When Poeltl's scoring is what keeps you in the game, you know something's wrong...

[Larry O]

It seems to be evident that the refs have no respect for the Spurs, SMH...

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Why is LW4 just standing around doing nothing? Why is the entire team looking disinterested?
Derozan Ball demotes him to that role

[Sugus]

Why is LW4 just standing around doing nothing? Why is the entire team looking disinterested?

Check how many times he gets passed the ball vs how many possessions end up in a Rudy or DeMar iso. It's by design tbh, when either of those vets are on the court, Lonnie is relegated to "spot up shooter" status unless he starts forcing things (at which point he's pulled out at the first miss).

[timtonymanu]

DeRozan is an emotional child alright, but what a soft ass tech, smh. Seriously, punching a ball? League is painfully soft these days...

Hated hated bringing him back in the first place, couldn’t understand why so many people praised that contract he got after a contract season. He only came back older and more injury prone and they paid him 32 million for it. Spurs really have a fetish for these useless old farts.

[Robz4000]

Ehh, I feel like I can't hate too much on LMA - he's just old at this point, and doesn't really force things unless Pop is force-feeding him in the post. Chucky Mills is another one I dislike, but he usually makes a lot of his shots, so I can't complain too much. And DeRozan... Yeah, he's the other member of the carousel for me. But fuckign Gay, man..... Not only is he old, slow, and trash, but he consistently forces his own stupid shots, ices out the rest of the team on ISO possessions, doesn't hustle, doesn't defend a lick, he's just there to chuck up shots which he doesn't even make most times. Just a shit player.

Gay is what he is tbh, and it isn't like he's holding someone back from getting minutes since there's no depth at his position. His body language also doesn't hold down the team like a certain depressed player.

[NASpurs]

Derozan Ball denotes him to that role

Seriously this. DeRozan Ball causes the ball to stay on one side of the court, time winds down and the ball never sees the light on the other side. Saying "DeRozan isn't the problem" is inherently wrong because he's the main cog on offense and his antiquated style of basketball causes problems.

[YoungbuckMurray]

Fuck this team and it’s trash ass effort

[SPURSCHAMP]

Id like to see some more ball screens using Keldon/Lonnie w DDR as the ball handler to switch a non-Tucker/Wood player on him. Derozan feasts on scrubs

[onechance87]

Both our pgs are trash today

[mystargtr34]

Booty Gay

[NASpurs]

Seriously is Pop a fucking idiot or what? If you're going to have Lonnie float on an island by himself, just bring him off the bench and let him tear the other team's bench. Start Vassell to improve the defense.

They keep saying they want Lonnie to have a different attackers mentality but that's kind of difficult when you never see the ball. Vassell is a good spot up shooter which is what Lonnie has been relagated to.

[tbdog]

This is just an no example of one team making threes while the other isn't. Both teams getting looks.

[Sugus]

Gay is what he is tbh

Yeah, a trash ass player and by far our worst vet.


, and it isn't like he's holding someone back from getting minutes since there's no depth at his position. His body language also doesn't hold down the team like a certain depressed player.

I'd rather play Keldon at the 4, or DD at the 4, every single game rather than have Gay out there. At its worst, at least it allows for another shooter on the court (and a shooter that might get the ball passed to him, unlike every single player on the floor when Gay is out there). His body language isn't bad, but when that's the most redeeming quality of a player..... You know the answer.

[MoSpur02]

It seems like the lack of effort from Aldridge and the horrible attitude from DeMar rub off on the rest of the team and it reflects on their play.

[Sugus]

Seriously is Pop a fucking idiot or what? If you're going to have Lonnie float on an island by himself, just bring him off the bench and let him tear the other team's bench. Start Vassell to improve the defense.

I thought not even Pop would be able to dismiss Lonnie's back-to-back 20+pt games once he actually got looks and was allowed to make plays for himself. I was naive to think that, tbh, we're back to the old ways

[SPURSCHAMP]

STOP RUNNING PNRS AND HAVING DDR ISO AGAINST WOOD. Seriously that has yet to work once in both games

[tim_duncan_fan]

I had begun to waffle on the notion of this team needing Derrick.

I am sorry for my insolence, Derrick.

[PhantomDashCam]

Wood with a Poeltl

[Sugus]

Wood might actually single-handedly defeat the Spurs :lmao

[MoSpur02]

It’s like this team’s IQ took a major hit

[onechance87]

try another defender to guard wood....wtf man

[8sy21vd]

Vassell is like White-they don't have to put up big numbers to be really effective because they play both ends and are fundamentally sound.

[Chinook]

I think a lot of people are coming up with reasons to not accept that the bubble offense was not sustainable or even desirable. Of course, maybe White fixes everything. But Pop needs to run legit structure and stop catering to folks who can't play in the half-court efficiently. Having a good transition offense and pace is nice, but it's not a foundation. It's not even like the Spurs have elite rim-runners anyway. Too many guys are taking sub-optimal shots and then compounding that with bad rebounding and inconsistent defense. Back it up. Slow it down. Play bigger. Run more sets, and tell guys to stop calling their own number nearly as much.

[Sugus]

It’s like this team’s IQ took a major hit

White is out, after all, he's like 40% of the team's collective IQ

[Chinook]

I thought not even Pop would be able to dismiss Lonnie's back-to-back 20+pt games once he actually got looks and was allowed to make plays for himself. I was naive to think that, tbh, we're back to the old ways

You were wondering why I don't feel like Walker is a long-term Spur. It's clear Pop doesn't care about him at all.

[Uriel]

We suck.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Seriously this. DeRozan Ball causes the ball to stay on one side of the court, time winds down and the ball never sees the light on the other side. Saying "DeRozan isn't the problem" is inherently wrong because he's the main cog on offense and his antiquated style of basketball causes problems.
He’s clearly stunting the growth of the young guys at this point. Pop is an enabler

[ace3g]

Opponent with a quick answer 3...

1.1

https://a1.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/hou.png&h=100&w=100

Mason Jones makes 28-foot three pointer

53 - 50



13.0

https://a1.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/sa.png&h=100&w=100

DeMar DeRozan makes free throw 2 of 2

50 - 50

[onechance87]

we are suppose to be blowing them out...But we are looking stupid,Playing with no effort

[Sugus]

I think a lot of people are coming up with reasons to not accept that the bubble offense was not sustainable or even desirable. Of course, maybe White fixes everything. But Pop needs to run legit structure and stop catering to folks who can't play in the half-court efficiently. Having a good transition offense and pace is nice, but it's not a foundation. It's not even like the Spurs have elite rim-runners anyway. Too many guys are taking sub-optimal shots and then compounding that with bad rebounding and inconsistent defense. Back it up. Slow it down. Play bigger. Run more sets, and tell guys to stop calling their own number nearly as much.

Well, White was the engine of the bubble offense, and this current offense does look like a head-less chicken running around, so maybe there's a correlation there? It's also funny to suggest the Spurs should run more half-court offense, when they don't have the personnel for it in the slightest. Our starting PG cannot run a halfcourt offense, he can barely get the ball to LMA on the post and call it a day. How is slowing things down going to help the team, when the team's strengths lie in pace and athleticism, with multiple young players capable of outrunning the opponent?

I'd certainly love a bit more structure to the offense, but I doubt it's the same you're after. My kind of structure is the vets get no more than X amount of shot a quarter, and have to pass the ball after they've filled up the quota :lol. Seems like that would stop some of the embarrasing chucking going on these games...

[tbdog]

They scored 18 more points in 3s

[Sugus]

You were wondering why I don't feel like Walker is a long-term Spur. It's clear Pop doesn't care about him at all.

At this point, it really comes down to whether Lonnie can outlast Pop. I agree with you that it's clear that Pop has no interest in Lonnie - but how long will Pop be coaching, anyways? Doesn't Walker have one more season on his rookie scale contract? I'm fairly sure (wishing) that Pop is done after this season, making this a non-issue, tbh.

[MoSpur02]

Spurs really need to consider trading Aldridge. Besides that game where he turned back the clock, he’s looked horrible. Looks disengaged/uninterested.

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

You know, the veterans all suck on defense. They don’t talk or mix up switches on the picks, they all ball watch, Rudy and Aldridge a decent amount of times look like they are moving in quick dying cement.

I swear this game alone I’ve seen Patty ball watching and losing his man for open looks at least 4 times this half.

SMH

[Degoat]

Getting DWhite back plus adding a big like Myles turner would work miracles for the spurs but Pop/RC like what we have lol

[onechance87]

Vassell is like White-they don't have to put up big numbers to be really effective because they play both ends and are fundamentally sound.

Yea....Does all the lil things....Once he knocks down the 3 ball consistently,Hes gonna be real good

[RD2191]

:lolspurms

[Sugus]

Spurs really need to consider trading Aldridge. Besides that game where he turned back the clock, he’s looked horrible. Looks disengaged/uninterested.

There's no way any team in the league considers Aldrige a good value contract right now, after his shitty play to start the season and considering his $20M contract. The two options for the Spurs are either attaching an asset to get rid of LMA, or ride out his contract, of which I'd prefer the latter, tbh. But yeah, trash play from him so far.

[timtonymanu]

If this is just another year of swan songs for has beens (Pop included), then I really don’t see why this team needs to be successful or even try. Just tank as a result of the losing basketball you want on the floor, Pop.

[Sugus]

Also, I'm sure Jakob being paid $9M is the problem with this team after all, tbh :lmao

[Barfunk]

I really wish Becky could take over as coach. I just know she would shake things up in a good way so long as Pop wouldn't interfere with anything.

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

I’m not even mad at how shitty the offense is. The thing that kills me watching this team is how bad they are on defense. I mean they give up fast break points off of made baskets. SMH. Not long 3’s or broken down plays that get a score but regular offensive possessions. SMH

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Doesn’t help that when patty mills can’t make a shot he’s completely useless

[GreekSpursfan]

No consistent shooting from our guards coupled with low bball iq and zero rim protection(yeah poodle, whatever) and we can lose to any team. I'm not sold on our young talent, no one excels at something offensively. We need to tank and stop being a treadmill team, the 8th seed bs.

[PhantomDashCam]

Spurs really need to consider trading Aldridge. Besides that game where he turned back the clock, he’s looked horrible. Looks disengaged/uninterested.

I just don’t know if he has much value though. I don’t think he can start for a winner and I’m not sure he accepts a bench role. I think the only one who potentially gets traded is Gay out of the “Fab 4”.

[timtonymanu]

I wish the Spurs will be in a situation this game again where Pop is holding his cute little clipboard and calling for a Derozan midrange shot that will miss again. The more he embarrasses himself, the better I feel.

[Sugus]

I wish the Spurs will be in a situation this game again where Pop is holding his cute little clipboard and calling for a Derozan midrange shot that will miss again. The more he embarrasses himself, the better I feel.

Looks like it'll be a fun season for you to watch, I doubt we're anywhere near the end of that :lol

[Chinook]

Well, White was the engine of the bubble offense, and this current offense does look like a head-less chicken running around, so maybe there's a correlation there? It's also funny to suggest the Spurs should run more half-court offense, when they don't have the personnel for it in the slightest. Our starting PG cannot run a halfcourt offense, he can barely get the ball to LMA on the post and call it a day. How is slowing things down going to help the team, when the team's strengths lie in pace and athleticism, with multiple young players capable of outrunning the opponent?

I'd certainly love a bit more structure to the offense, but I doubt it's the same you're after. My kind of structure is the vets get no more than X amount of shot a quarter, and have to pass the ball after they've filled up the quota :lol. Seems like that would stop some of the embarrasing chucking going on these games...

The Spurs totally have the personnel to run in the half-court. They just can't do it AND play the way "star" Murray wants to play. He needs to stop being a primary ball-handler and scoring option. He basically has to score at an unsustainable level to justify the touches he takes right now. I don't know how many possessions in the first half turned fell apart as soon as Murray touched the ball and decided to iso or call a PnR. That in particular needs to get out of his game. If he just attacked when he had the advantage, made cuts, shot open threes and got rebounds and put-backs, I think he'd be doing really well. But there's zero-reason for him to be running the show with DeRozan on the court. He's not as good at passing or scoring, so it's basically just the team getting a worse DeMar for those possessions.

I don't know why folks think young guys isoing is somehow better than vets doing it. The vets at least have a history of being good at it to fall back on. I personally don't want to watch Johnson barrel into the paint to get his shot blocked anymore than I want to watch Gay get his post-up blocked.

[PhantomDashCam]

LMA’s effort...smh

[GreekSpursfan]

LA useless on both ends

[PhantomDashCam]

Has Wood ever kicked it out of a deep post catch? Why isn’t there a hard double??

[LeBowen]

2016 David West > 2021 LMA, tbh.

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

Keldon is so damn good at finishing at the rim. That is super impressive for such a young player. Dude just goes 100 MPH all the time which is definitely a damn skill because everyone can’t do that.

[MannyIsGod]

Lamarcus has been atrocious.

[PhantomDashCam]

Keldon is so damn good at finishing at the rim. That is super impressive for such a young player. Dude just goes 100 MPH all the time which is definitely a damn skill because everyone can’t do that.

‘I’ve started to see variation in his finishes today. Euros to floaters, a soft bank shot off a half spin. Exciting to see. Just keeps getting better at it.

[Sugus]

The Spurs totally have the personnel to run in the half-court. They just can't do it AND play the way "star" Murray wants to play. He needs to stop being a primary ball-handler and scoring option. He basically has to score at an unsustainable level to justify the touches he takes right now. I don't know how many possessions in the first half turned fell apart as soon as Murray touched the ball and decided to iso or call a PnR. That in particular needs to get out of his game. If he just attacked when he had the advantage, made cuts, shot open threes and got rebounds and put-backs, I think he'd be doing really well. But there's zero-reason for him to be running the show with DeRozan on the court. He's not as good at passing or scoring, so it's basically just the team getting a worse DeMar for those possessions.

I don't know why folks think young guys isoing is somehow better than vets doing it. The vets at least have a history of being good at it to fall back on. I personally don't want to watch Johnson barrel into the paint to get his shot blocked anymore than I want to watch Gay get his post-up blocked.

So, we don't have the personnel for running a half-court offense :lol. I'm in the same bout as you, re DJ and his role on the team, but it's plenty obvious that he's been anointed as the PG of this team, which effectively means we do. not. have. the personnel to run those complex sets. For now at least, though I doubt he's traded in the near future. I guess if you asked Pop why DJ handles the ball those possessions, he'd tell you it's either for him to gain experience and learn how to do it in the future (which makes some sense, only that I don't think DJ will ever evolve into being at least average at running an offense), or simply that "he's the PG of the team, of course he's running the offense". Either way, the end result is the same - at least with Pop at the helm.

That's the allure of a bubble offense, tbh. It allows the Spurs to play fast, younging-spearheaded, not-vet-centered offense, with our current personnel. On a separate note, I don't think DeRozan is good enough to run a true (aka, offensively efficient) half-court offense. He doesn't go much farther than drive-and-kick, which is easy enough to gameplan against once the D knows what's up. That's why the "hydra style" offense is alluring, but Pop seems hell-bent to put the nail on the coffin of that by actively icing Lonnie and company, in favor of vet ISO shots. I don't really know why... But it's clearly not working.

Also, for your last point, I entirely disagree. I'd rather have a Lonnie ISO than a DeMar ISO all day, every day. Will it bring us as many points per try? No. Will it win us as many games? Probably not. But is it better in the long run to have the youngings face these high-stakes situations, make mistakes, and learn from them? Absolutely. A loss (or win) like last game against the Rockettes', where only the vets are closing out the games, is of little use to San Antonio long-term. I already know what DeMar will do in the clutch, and it's not leading us to any titles anytime soon. How about we give the ball to Keldon and see him develop? Not that crazy of an idea, IMO.

[Joseph Kony]

Mills is just going to keep chucking and chucking

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

Patty looking like a damn AK47 out there with his gunning. Fool is cold as shit

[YoungbuckMurray]

Gay and patty have been nothing short of pathetic

[GreekSpursfan]

6th man Patty has regressed to 15th man, some terrible desicions. We can't shoot for shit

[r0drig0lac]

look these refs...ridiculous

[8sy21vd]

Mills running an offense is truly poetry in motion.

[onechance87]

man wtf happend to patty

[Joseph Kony]

this is embarrassing :lol

[ace3g]

Another scoring drought...



4:56
https://a1.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/sa.png&h=100&w=100
Patty Mills makes two point shot
63 - 69




1:04 - 3rd

NBATV
1
2
3
4
T


HOU
30
23
18

71


SA
21
29
19

69

[MannyIsGod]

This is a stupid lineup.

[AusSpur]

This vet lineup Pop has come up with is disgusting ��

[YoungbuckMurray]

The vets are horrible on this team.

[spurspl]

wtf is ddr still doing on the court

[SPURt]

Derozan looks awful, what the hell is this lineup doing?

[timtonymanu]

I hate that Pop ruined Patty Mills for me. Use to be one of my favorite players of all time until Pops love affair with him soured my view.

[ace3g]

End of 3rd

NBATV
1
2
3
4
T


HOU
30
23
19

72


SA
21
29
25

75

[onechance87]

wow we fucking suck....Mutliple of our players are suppose to dominating this game,Yet they look clueless

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

Patty “machine gun” Mills

lmao

[GreekSpursfan]

Every team just attacks the rim against us and we immediately look like a lottery team which we should be tbh

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

Play the young guys!!!

[Sugus]

I hate that Pop ruined Patty Mills for me. Use to be one of my favorite players of all time until Pops love affair with him soured my view.

Lmao, I feel the same fucking way, but it's even worse. My girlfriend occasionally watches Spurs games with me, and for some reason, she's really attached to Chucky Mills, and gets hyped every time he's on the court or makes a shot. It was endearing at first, but I've really grown to resent that man and his negative impact to the team - and of course it's impossible to explain just how detrimental he is, to a casual fan, that just goes "but he's making shots when no one else is, see?". Just infuriating tbh.

[Dejounte]

The Spurs totally have the personnel to run in the half-court. They just can't do it AND play the way "star" Murray wants to play. He needs to stop being a primary ball-handler and scoring option. He basically has to score at an unsustainable level to justify the touches he takes right now. I don't know how many possessions in the first half turned fell apart as soon as Murray touched the ball and decided to iso or call a PnR. That in particular needs to get out of his game. If he just attacked when he had the advantage, made cuts, shot open threes and got rebounds and put-backs, I think he'd be doing really well. But there's zero-reason for him to be running the show with DeRozan on the court. He's not as good at passing or scoring, so it's basically just the team getting a worse DeMar for those possessions.

I don't know why folks think young guys isoing is somehow better than vets doing it. The vets at least have a history of being good at it to fall back on. I personally don't want to watch Johnson barrel into the paint to get his shot blocked anymore than I want to watch Gay get his post-up blocked.

I already busted this myth of yours that DJ is some ballhog yet you still insist on spitting this lie.

[Sugus]

Chucky motherfucking Mills with the pin-point pass :lmao

[PhantomDashCam]

Hey look on the bright side guys. This game last year would’ve seen the Mills, Forbes, Belli lineup

[Uriel]

Rockets look gassed.

[8sy21vd]

hilarious sequence by gay and mills there lol

[onechance87]

murray is bad as patty wtf

[Robz4000]

Rockets look gassed.

Spurs are due to run out of gas themselves.

[YoungbuckMurray]

Please get Rudy gay off the court

[szkorhetz]

Where is Becky?

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

Hey look on the bright side guys. This game last year would’ve seen the Mills, Forbes, Belli lineup


good point!!!

thanks for putting things into perspective

[Dejounte]

Mason Jones was the guy I wanted with our second round. Sigh

[Dejounte]

good point!!!

thanks for putting things into perspective

Here's another perspective:

The Nets, who have 2 superstars, only have a 2 pt lead over the Magic.

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

Vassell having another solid game and showing he can do more on offense than shoot open three pointers

[8sy21vd]

Ready for a LMA-Gay-Demar-Patty closing lineup

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

Here's another perspective:

The Nets, who have 2 superstars, only have a 2 pt lead over the Magic.

its half time with that game and the teams 1st game together. Lol.

your boy Mason Jones looks good but it is against our defense so take his performance with a grain of salt. Lol

[NASpurs]

Here's another perspective:

The Nets, who have 2 superstars, only have a 2 pt lead over the Magic.

Are the Magic also missing like 6 players and only have 8 players suited up? I haven't been keeping up.

[Dejounte]

KJ learning the turnaround J from DeMar? Needs more polish... Basically choreographed his spin move lmao

[Dejounte]

Are the Magic also missing like 6 players and only have 8 players suited up? I haven't been keeping up.

Well, no Fultz, no Fournier. I honestly have no idea

[SPURSCHAMP]

demar just missing gimmes rn, jesus

[duncan2k5]

I already busted this myth of yours that DJ is some ballhog yet you still insist on spitting this lie.

Seriously...DJ has been one of our best and most consistent players, but some ppl wanna keep up old narratives

[SPURt]

Why is KJ not helping in the lane on D, he’s not cutting off the drive

[AusSpur]

Keep those vets off the court please

[duncan2k5]

Murray!

[Barfunk]

We're much better when we move the ball. Shocking.

[spurs10]

Let's close this mofo out!

[8sy21vd]

Murray looks so much better as a spot up shooter and slasher than a ballhander.

[Sugus]

Why is KJ not helping in the lane on D, he’s not cutting off the drive

I've found this season, through watching him closely, that KJ's help defense particularly isn't very good. Of course, he's still very young and a great on-ball defender, so there's a lot of room for growth, but he makes a lot of mistakes off-ball on D.

[spurs10]

Murray!!

[Sugus]

DJ dunking all over my guy Chino :lol

[PhantomDashCam]

You put DJ’s 4th quarter today with first 3 quarters of the previous game...Hell of a 48 mins :lol

[spurraider21]

might be missing something, but can somebody explain to me why in the last few years, seemingly every lazy/soft screen thats set even like 10 feet above the arc always seems to force a switch?

[Thomas82]

Looks like the Rockets ran out of gas.

[ace3g]

Better end game with more than 102 points...

2:25 - 4th

NBATV
1
2
3
4
T


HOU
30
23
19
15
87


SA
21
29
25
25
100

[SPURt]

I've found this season, through watching him closely, that KJ's help defense particularly isn't very good. Of course, he's still very young and a great on-ball defender, so there's a lot of room for growth, but he makes a lot of mistakes off-ball on D.
Around the 6 min mark in the 4th there are two or three defensive possessions in a row where he does exactly what you’re describing

[Sugus]

Who would've thought that playing the youngings to close out the game and compliment the vets would make for winning basketball? :downspin:

[Uriel]

Lol Rockets, playing only 8 players, are completely exhausted.

[Dejounte]

Seriously...DJ has been one of our best and most consistent players, but some ppl wanna keep up old narratives

Funny how we agree on only this one thing

DJ is third (almost fourth) in USG%

Facts don't care about your feelings, Chinook

[timtonymanu]

Lmao, I feel the same fucking way, but it's even worse. My girlfriend occasionally watches Spurs games with me, and for some reason, she's really attached to Chucky Mills, and gets hyped every time he's on the court or makes a shot. It was endearing at first, but I've really grown to resent that man and his negative impact to the team - and of course it's impossible to explain just how detrimental he is, to a casual fan, that just goes "but he's making shots when no one else is, see?". Just infuriating tbh.

I remember reading on the Spurs subreddit that people were defending his 50 million contract cause he bought coffee for the players that one time. Just wtf shit all around haha

[EasyMoney]

No patty, lamarcus, or rudy and they're actually closing out with the Yong guys.

[timtonymanu]

Yak’s best game of the season so far and Murray bounced back after that bad start.

[Sugus]

Sigh... DeMar that last possession is exactly why I think he cannot run a half-court offense. He started off getting a pick from Lonnie, who rolled out to the 3pt line whilst DeMar drew a double team as he dribbled to the corner - yet instead of making the obvious pass to an open Lonnie for the easy 3, he flings it half-court to a contested DJ 3, which irrelevantly didn't go in. He's too set in his ISO and ball-hoggling ways to truly seek the good, efficient passes; he spends most of the possession looking only for his own shot. Disgusting

[MannyIsGod]

Benching LMA won the game.

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

Levert is out indefinitely due to a small mass being found in his kidney. Hopefully it isn’t anything too crazy or cancerous

[MoSpur02]

Feel sort of bad for Aldridge, but the guy hasn’t shown much effort or enthusiasm. He’s got to go!

[duncan2k5]

Sigh... DeMar that last possession is exactly why I think he cannot run a half-court offense. He started off getting a pick from Lonnie, who rolled out to the 3pt line whilst DeMar drew a double team as he dribbled to the corner - yet instead of making the obvious pass to an open Lonnie for the easy 3, he flings it half-court to a contested DJ 3, which irrelevantly didn't go in. He's too set in his ISO and ball-hoggling ways to truly seek the good, efficient passes; he spends most of the possession looking only for his own shot. Disgusting

Accurate

[Degoat]

All work is easy work!! GSG

[ace3g]

Better end game with more than 102 points...

2:25 - 4th

NBATV
1
2
3
4
T


HOU
30
23
19
15
87


SA
21
29
25
25
100




Just barely ...

Final

NBATV
1
2
3
4
T


HOU
30
23
19
19
91


SA
21
29
25
28
103

[mo7888]

Feel sort of bad for Aldridge, but the guy hasn’t shown much effort or enthusiasm. He’s got to go!

Agreed but where? To move him and get value we'll need to take back a bad contract I'd think.

[MoSpur02]

Wish the energy that Keldon, Dejounte, Lonnie, & Vassell had would rub off on the vets. It was like that in the bubble, but haven’t seen it lately.

[Dejounte]

Benching LMA won the game.

Chinook tonight on Aldridge and whenever he plays horribly on defense:

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XuTQI-8Rm2M/TGzYJvUOGyI/AAAAAAAAEMs/xRF9SIHFDJc/s1600/Monkey+See+Monkey+Do.jpg

[MoSpur02]

Agreed but where? To move him and get value we'll need to take back a bad contract I'd think.

I don’t mind taking on a big contract as long as it’s a solid player who can improve/help the team.

[BillMc]

Victory!

[8sy21vd]

Team definitely needs to move on from Aldridge and Gay now. They are net negatives except when there on fire every 5th game or so. Can they just be released at this point?

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/PaulGarciaNBA/status/1350600629576720385?s=19

[Degoat]

Jakob played better but I still hate him lol plays so GD soft on offense

[mo7888]

I don’t mind taking on a big contract as long as it’s a solid player who can improve/help the team.

I'm with you on that... there aren't too many contracts like that around the league though... maybe Tobias Harris (depending on how Morey values space next season) and Harrison Barnes with Sacramento... maybe Miami would bite if we took iggy? Idk...

[tonight...you]

Chinook tonight on Aldridge and whenever he plays horribly on defense:

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XuTQI-8Rm2M/TGzYJvUOGyI/AAAAAAAAEMs/xRF9SIHFDJc/s1600/Monkey+See+Monkey+Do.jpg
Lol... Chinook really bothers you, doesn't he?
You call him out constantly.

[NASpurs]

Didn't watch the game after the 1st quarter because the game sickened me but Pop actually benched Aldridge? Wow lol

[Dejounte]

Lol... Chinook really bothers you, doesn't he?
You call him out constantly.

He doesn't bother me. He actually provides REALLY insightful posts unlike most posters here. He doesn't take my shit personal either because he knows I'm just poking fun.

[SpurPadre]

I've seen some of you claim this is a mentally tougher team but I don't see it. They're just as much a trainwreck to watch down the stretch of games as they've ever been. They just got away with it today.

[tonight...you]

He doesn't bother me. He actually provides REALLY insightful posts unlike most posters here. He doesn't take my shit personal either because he knows I'm just poking fun.
I'm sure that's it.

[Bynumite]

Imagine bragging about beating an 8 men rotation of D league players :lmao

[Floyd Pacquiao]

We’re all pretty shocked that pop played Lonnie down the stretch and didn’t force Mills per par

[Degoat]

Imagine bragging about beating an 8 men rotation of D league players :lmao

imagine the lakers losing to the spurs LMFAO!

[Dejounte]

I'm sure that's it.

I mean, if he's taking it personal then I'll stop... I really respect the guy.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Imagine bragging about beating an 8 men rotation of D league players :lmao
Stop it nobody’s bragging we’re all embarrassed

[NASpurs]

We’re all pretty shocked that pop played Lonnie down the stretch and didn’t force Mills per par

You think he learns from this shit and then we feel like Pop is turning a corner but the old fart always reverts back.

[Robz4000]

Didn't watch the game after the 1st quarter because the game sickened me but Pop actually benched Aldridge? Wow lol

That and not forcing Mills into the action late in the fourth. Spurs were actually able to lock in on defense.

[tonight...you]

I mean, if he's taking it personal then I'll stop... I really respect the guy.
I doubt he does. Known him for a long time. He's good people.

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/JeffGSpursZone/status/1350601082968428545?s=19

[NASpurs]

That and not forcing Mills into the action late in the fourth. Spurs were actually able to lock in on defense.

Amazing, Pop fought every natural instinct to not play those two and his desire to not fuck things up actually won them the game. A+

[timtonymanu]

Stop it nobody’s bragging we’re all embarrassed

Dude needs to get laid, tbh

[Floyd Pacquiao]

You think he learns from this shit and then we feel like Pop is turning a corner but the old fart always reverts back.
Get ready against Portland; 4 minutes left tie game Mills subs walker to check Lillard

[timtonymanu]

You think he learns from this shit and then we feel like Pop is turning a corner but the old fart always reverts back.

Guarantee he goes back to the dog shit vets next game. He always fucking does this lol

[NASpurs]

Get ready against Portland; 4 minutes left tie game Mills subs walker to check Lillard

:lol so fucking true

[Sugus]

I remember reading on the Spurs subreddit that people were defending his 50 million contract cause he bought coffee for the players that one time. Just wtf shit all around haha

:lmao that's a good one, Reddit takes are the softest and clueless shit most times. I'll say, though, that I'm not on the camp that hates Mills' contract overly - I don't think at all that it was a driving force in Nephew wanting out of SA (I've seen this argument thrown around here way too much, also linked to Pau's contract, just straight BS), and to Patty's credit, he's finally playing up to his contract, except for these last few games. At the worst, if he can net us a 1st at the deadline, I'll consider it an "even deal" and thank him for the memories.

Still doesn't make it feel better when my GF gets hyped up on a Patty long 2 or 3 while I'm thinking about him spending the entire possession dribbling around and ignoring the rest of the players on the court :lol

[Dejounte]

Kudos to the Rockets for finding another young talent: Tate. Dude is pretty good. Another example that your small forward being short doesn't matter-- you just need to be strong.

[Dejounte]

:lmao that's a good one, Reddit takes are the softest and clueless shit most times. I'll say, though, that I'm not on the camp that hates Mills' contract overly - I don't think at all that it was a driving force in Nephew wanting out of SA (I've seen this argument thrown around here way too much, also linked to Pau's contract, just straight BS), and to Patty's credit, he's finally playing up to his contract, except for these last few games. At the worst, if he can net us a 1st at the deadline, I'll consider it an "even deal" and thank him for the memories.

Still doesn't make it feel better when my GF gets hyped up on a Patty long 2 or 3 while I'm thinking about him spending the entire possession dribbling around and ignoring the rest of the players on the court :lol

A 1st for Patty would be a dream. Imagine getting another stud with a late 1st because the Spurs are so good at drafting and developing.

[Sugus]

Jakob played better but I still hate him lol plays so GD soft on offense

He's clearly just a low ceiling player at this point, tbh. I can perfectly live with his play if he plays like this every night - and I'm positive his scoring will increase once White is back to feed him (what?!? You're saying the statistically most efficient PnR handler in the league will get our exclusively rolling big better looks at the rim???? yes, yes I am).

The Spurs simply need a starting caliber PF and C. Jakob is absolutely dandy as an off-the-bench big, and will be wrecking bench defenses for years to come, hopefully. He's just not starting material, and he's being unfairly exposed as such because LMA at this point of his career also isn't starting material, so Pop has to play hot potato between inadequate options. Reminds me of Forbes' situation last season, except Forbes' fake hustle and punchable face made him all the worse, tbh :lol

[PhantomDashCam]

My Observations:

-https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/75849268.jpg

The Vets Defense.

If it’s not Patty getting beaten back door, it’s LMA giving half hearted effort or DeMar double handedly smashing the ball on the ground after giving up another layup... Really tough to watch when you’re offence is anaemic.
The script flipped though in the 4th though when the Spurs youth, led by Jakob’s best game of the season; continually hounded shooters, made multiple efforts/rotations to key the win. Houston was undoubtedly tired, but exciting to see.

- Jakob’s play and activity. Encouraging. Will get a ton of opps. against the next couple of opponents who are heavily tilted towards perimeter oriented play.

- Houston’s gritty play across these 2 games. Reminded me of the Spurs when they would rest the big 3 and play teams tough for 48 mins. The Harden trade will be the thing that happens to that team for their long term future. Wood is already getting AD levels of respect from the refs.

[Sugus]

A 1st for Patty would be a dream. Imagine getting another stud with a late 1st because the Spurs are so good at drafting and developing.

I'm fairly certain the biggest thing holding us from getting a 1st for Patty is not his market value, but the Spurs' hesitance to trade away their own players, especially those that they deem as "locker room guys". I am absolutely positive that Pop can throw Morey a call and get a 1st for Patty, there's no way that he's not tempted by Mills' style of play and chucky style. Other FOs would follow suit similarly. But I'm skeptical now that we'll do any trades at all, since the team isn't visibly crumbling down at this point. We might just "roll with what we have" 'till the off-season, tbh.

[Dejounte]

I think my heckling on Jakob's social media worked.

[Dejounte]

I'm fairly certain the biggest thing holding us from getting a 1st for Patty is not his market value, but the Spurs' hesitance to trade away their own players, especially those that they deem as "locker room guys". I am absolutely positive that Pop can throw Morey a call and get a 1st for Patty, there's no way that he's not tempted by Mills' style of play and chucky style. Other FOs would follow suit similarly. But I'm skeptical now that we'll do any trades at all, since the team isn't visibly crumbling down at this point. We might just "roll with what we have" 'till the off-season, tbh.

Understand the skepticism but I'm pulling for a Bryn Forbes outcome with Mills. I have a good feeling about him being gone by this offseason at the latest. Contending teams would for sure find him invaluable. If the Nets still had their pick, I truly believe they would've traded it for Mills. Anyone in win-now mode should trade for Mills. Do the Lakers still have their pick?

Winning teams don't have the patience to wait for young guys to develop.

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

My Observations:

-https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/75849268.jpg

The Vets Defense.

If it’s not Patty getting beaten back door, it’s LMA giving half hearted effort or DeMar double handedly smashing the ball on the ground after giving up another layup... Really tough to watch when you’re offence is anaemic.
The script flipped though in the 4th though when the Spurs youth, led by Jakob’s best game of the season; continually hounded shooters, made multiple efforts/rotations to key the win. Houston was undoubtedly tired, but exciting to see.

- Jakob’s play and activity. Encouraging. Will get a ton of opps. against the next couple of opponents who are heavily tilted towards perimeter oriented play.

- Houston’s gritty play across these 2 games. Reminded me of the Spurs when they would test the big 3 and play teams tough for 48 mins. The Harden trade will be the thing that happens to that team for their long term future. Wood is already getting AD levels of respect from the refs.



I said the same thing in this thread that all the rotation veteran players defense is really bad.

not too mention overall it seems like the players barely talk or just have a lot of misunderstandings because folks get confused on pick switches constantly. The pick switching issue is the problem for the young guys but they always give maximum effort unlike some of the vet players.

sometimes the young guys are too aggressive like Dejounte on ball and Keldon when helping off ball. As maddening as that is I can appreciate being too aggressive over always not knowing where to go or not hustling like our vets do a lot of times. SMH.

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/RealTomPetrini/status/1350608343384137734?s=19

#LEADER

[Mr. Body]

I'm fairly certain the biggest thing holding us from getting a 1st for Patty is not his market value, but the Spurs' hesitance to trade away their own players, especially those that they deem as "locker room guys". I am absolutely positive that Pop can throw Morey a call and get a 1st for Patty, there's no way that he's not tempted by Mills' style of play and chucky style. Other FOs would follow suit similarly. But I'm skeptical now that we'll do any trades at all, since the team isn't visibly crumbling down at this point. We might just "roll with what we have" 'till the off-season, tbh.

You're undervaluing how the Spurs regard team culture. At least you understand the concept, a far cry from most on this board, but to the organization what Mills brings is incalculable.

[MoSpur02]

It’s sad to see that the Spurs play better most of the time when Aldridge is on the bench. Hopefully it’s just a slump, but the body language says different in my opinion.

[Sugus]

Understand the skepticism but I'm pulling for a Bryn Forbes outcome with Mills. I have a good feeling about him being gone by this offseason at the latest. Contending teams would for sure find him invaluable. If the Nets still had their pick, I truly believe they would've traded it for Mills. Anyone in win-now mode should trade for Mills. Do the Lakers still have their pick?

Winning teams don't have the patience to wait for young guys to develop.

Uhh... The "Bryn Forbes outcome" was literally just him walking away from the team into a better deal/offer, right? I mean, yeah, I'm glad that he's off the team - but I'd hope the Spurs could get an asset, any asset, out of Mills, who's inarguably a better player than Forbes in every facet of the game. Overall though, I agree, Mills' days with the team are probably counted, especially with Vassell looking like he's not even going to need Austin playing time to blossom as a player. The SG spot is definitely the most loaded position on our current team, so I also don't see Mills staying long term. Just hope we can get anything out of him, since I personally see him as the vet who holds the most positive value on our team ATM.

[Sugus]

You're undervaluing how the Spurs regard team culture. At least you understand the concept, a far cry from most on this board, but to the organization what Mills brings is incalculable.

Agreed, and I'm fine with disagreeing in my perception of the value that Mills brings to the team. To me, the culture value he brings (positive) is offset by the negative value he puts out on the court most times that he plays, but I acknowledge that the FO doesn't look at it in the same regard, and I've been bracing for the Spurs to not trade him for a while now. In my eyes, he's the most tradeable of the 4 vets in terms of raw value to other teams - but also the one the Spurs FO hold dearest to their heart and their view of team culture, due to the '14 championship experience, leadership, and attitude.

If I had to take a bet, I'd bet on the Spurs to keep him and then let him walk for a last big contract from a contender this offseason. I truly hope I'm wrong, though, since the Spurs can't really afford to lose any more players without getting something out of them, and at this point it's not looking likely that we'll get anything at all for LMA nor Gay.

[John B]

Get ready against Portland; 4 minutes left tie game Mills subs walker to check Lillard
They’re almost the same height. Pop might be tempted

[John B]

Get ready against Portland; 4 minutes left tie game Mills subs walker to check Lillard
They’re almost the same height. Pop might be tempted

[spurs1990]

Ended up turning this game off at halftime.

Just saw DeRozan shot 9-25. Was is it every bit as unwatchable, the DeRozan Show, as that boxscore indicates?

[John B]

This was an ugly game. The silver lining is Poeltl starting to wake up. I hope he continues.

[Robz4000]

Ended up turning this game off at halftime.

Just saw DeRozan shot 9-25. Was is it every bit as unwatchable, the DeRozan Show, as that boxscore indicates?

It sucked until like halfway through the fourth when Pop got out of his own way and benched LMA/Mills.