Grades: Spurs @ Grizzlies - May 19, 2021

[timvp]

https://www.spurstalk.com/grades-san-antonio-spurs-memphis-grizzlies-play-in-tournament/

Welp, season over. Interesting ride.

Big upcoming summer :hungry:

[Fusternino]

Needed more Dieng. Could be said a lot the past 10-15 games . . .

[gospursgojas]

Great stuff as usual.

Ugh your last paragraph/sentence...so much rides on this off season.

[R. DeMurre]

Thanks for the grades. I can't help but notice that Dieng has been the star pupil of your grades lately, and I'm mystified by Pop's use of him, especially tonight against a team he's familiar with, where his threat as a 3 pt shooter would've pulled Valanciunas away from the paint and his domination on the boards.

Game 69:
Dieng was the player who kept the Spurs afloat after Pop waved the white flag early in the fourth quarter. While San Antonio never got closer than 11 points in the fourth, Dieng’s defense, rebounding, passing and finishing made the Nets sweat a couple extra drops. He’s still making mistakes scheme-wise but he’s obviously a talented basketball player.
Grade: A-

Game 70: DNP

Game 71:
Dieng was easily the best player on the court for the Spurs. He made smart decisions and consistently played with a wherewithal everyone else on the team lacked.
Grade: A-


Game 72:
One thing that has become obvious about Dieng is that he’s a better than advertised passer. When he has the ball on the perimeter, he can effortlessly find open cutters and doesn’t hesitate to go from good to great. He might also be the best three-point shooter on the team, which obviously makes him valuable on this shooting starved squad.
Grade: B+

Play in Game:
Dieng actually played really, really well. Things seemed to flow a lot smoother when he was on the court. The rare times Valanciunas was held off the boards, it was usually Dieng doing the heavy lifting. His rotations and his guarding of the paint were also impressive. Offensively, the spacing he provided was extremely useful and he made smart decisions with the ball. In retrospect, he should have played more.
Grade: A-

[Robz4000]

Great stuff as usual.

Ugh your last paragraph/sentence...so much rides on this off season.

Gonna be a lot of disappointment when they throw the max at DePression and give Mills another $50mil.

[BillMc]

Thanks for the grades and all this year, OP!:bobo

[timvp]

Thanks for the grades and all this year, OP!:bobo

:bobo

[Robz4000]

Thanks for the grades and all this year, OP!:bobo

This. Know it wasn't easy (this has been the most frustrating season in my Spurs fandom at least), but you managed game grades every game this season. Props :bobo

[GreekSpursfan]

Thx OP, since i couldn't watch all the games due to the timezone i always read your grades, i will miss this routine, thx again bro.

[John B]

Thanks for the grades Timvp. Spot on. I like that they never gave up after the horrendous start. I can’t really blame Pop for leaning on Demar and not pulling him out. Demar IS the leader of this team. He had the responsibility to correct his ways and lead the team to win. It didn’t happen, but I think it’s the correct call. You live and die with your franchise player. But throughout the season it’s been clear that Demar’s game is not suited for the team, especially for this 3pt dominated league. But most especially, the iso plays hurt the ball rotation so prevalent during the beautiful game. This team needs shooters, and that includes the starting Center. I really like Dieng for that position, mobile big, who doesn’t backdown and most importantly who can pass and shoot. I feel he likes the team, and hoping he’ll be back. I would really like DJ, Lonnie, Keldon, Luka and Dieng as starters. And White, Vassell as the 1st ones coming off the bench. Looking forward to the off-season moves.

[siraulo23]

Derozan :lol forcing shots vs Brooks, then proceeding to shoot like 0/10 on him or some shit, what an idiot

Lets all pray Spurs have a good offseason and Derozan isnt back with the team

[SAGirl]

Thanks for the grades. I liked how the team battled back at least.

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/tom_orsborn/status/1395232974032023560?s=19

If you're a believer in the young core, this quote is pretty exciting IMO.

I don't remember hearing about a summer where the young guys actually worked together in the summer. Vassell may be the glue to all that.

[KingKev]

https://twitter.com/tom_orsborn/status/1395232974032023560?s=19

If you're a believer in the young core, this quote is pretty exciting IMO.

I don't remember hearing about a summer where the young guys actually worked together in the summer. Vassell may be the glue to all that.

Saying all the right things, let’s hope they follow through. Our young core has the ability to be a sound supporting cast.

[dbestpro]

You are not going to win many games with Gay playing hero ball going 8 for 21. The only reason his grade is so high is because everyone else is so bad. This team badly needs to move on from Gay, Mills, DDR and Pop. The youngsters need to be held accountable particularly for their shooting or lack thereof.

[tbdog]

You are not going to win many games with Gay playing hero ball going 8 for 21. The only reason his grade is so high is because everyone else is so bad. This team badly needs to move on from Gay, Mills, DDR and Pop. The youngsters need to be held accountable particularly for their shooting or lack thereof.

Gay and Mills are like our best shooters. This is like one of the youngest spurs teams Pop has ever coached. Who are we replacing Mills and Gay with, let alone DDR?

[Blackhaus]

Gay and Mills are like our best shooters. This is like one of the youngest spurs teams Pop has ever coached. Who are we replacing Mills and Gay with, let alone DDR?

Bigger roles for KJ, Vassell, LUKA and hopefully twinkle toes White can stay on the court can eat those minutes and then sign and draft shooters. I’d actually be ok having Gay and Mills for cheap vets back if Pop understood that they are not 20+ min a game players, but having them on the team just puts blinders on the old man. Derozan is good but he has no place with this team, appreciate what he’s done while he was here.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

It was clear Dieng was the right move to counter V. We also all knew simulator crew would take him out and trot Poetl back out to get destroyed.

So sad and predictable.

Dieng's a great get and should be a priority to resign this summer.

[Dex]

Thanks for the grades all season, timvp. Your analysis is always fun to read and it's always amusing to see people get all fussy about the grades you give certain people.

I know that you put in a lot of time (usually in the wee hours) for these even though this wasn't really a season to write home about (pun intended). Your hard work is much appreciated! :tu

[Blackhaus]

You are not going to win many games with Gay playing hero ball going 8 for 21. The only reason his grade is so high is because everyone else is so bad. This team badly needs to move on from Gay, Mills, DDR and Pop. The youngsters need to be held accountable particularly for their shooting or lack thereof.

completely agree, hand over the reigns to Becky or something. Watching Pop blow up on a young player for making a basketball mistake and pulling them makes me not want to watch. If he held the vets to the same standard they’d never see the court. He’s neutered our youth. I mean look at a player like Brooks on Memphis, he’d be out of the league if the Spurs coaching started his career but instead he’s been able to play and make mistakes and plays with more confidence than any of the Spurs youth. Sad

[KobesAchilles]

Your fandom is amazing Timvp. I haven’t been able to keep up with this team as I usually do since my schedule is so busy now but you were able to take up the slack and give insight all year long.

That being said, I hope this Poeltl starting experience is over. I hope NYK offers Demar 30 million a year. I hope Derrick White stays healthy and Dejounte both learns how to post and shoot a 3.

And shout out to my boy Patty. What a ride it’s been! And thank you Rudy Gay for proving me correct that we shoulda got rid of your ass after the Denver series. And Pop, you can do whatever the fuck you want. Ride or die homie and it’s die time right now :lol

[MultiTroll]

completely agree, hand over the reigns to Becky or something. Watching Pop blow up on a young player for making a basketball mistake and pulling them makes me not want to watch. If he held the vets to the same standard they’d never see the court. He’s neutered our youth. I mean look at a player like Brooks on Memphis, he’d be out of the league if the Spurs coaching started his career but instead he’s been able to play and make mistakes and plays with more confidence than any of the Spurs youth. Sad
What did Eubanks do (or not do) that had Lord Poppycock limit him to 3 minutes?

BTW the 17-0 run featured 1 (one) basket by Derozan. The 2nd run featured Deng.

[MultiTroll]

You are not going to win many games with Gay playing hero ball going 8 for 21. The only reason his grade is so high is because everyone else is so bad. This team badly needs to move on from Gay, Mills, DDR and Pop. The youngsters need to be held accountable particularly for their shooting or lack thereof.
1st half he sucked. But the stretch run Gay was super clutch.

But yes, the overall shooting selection and strategy of Lord Poppycock was pathetic. Per the 2014- usual.


DeMar DeRozan in his first postseason game every year:


2014: 13 points, 3-13
2015: 15 points, 6-20
2016: 14 points, 5-19
2017: 27 points, 7-21
2018: 17 points, 6-17
2019: 18 points, 6-17
2021: 20 points, 5-21


...29.7% from the field...


It’s absolutely uncanny in the worst way.
GOAT coach and Yes Men assistants took note of this pregame. :rolleyes
:downspin::downspin::downspin::drunk:drunk

[Leetonidas]

DeRozan should be a humongous F. He is 100% the reason the Spurs lost this game. Agree with the grades overall though. Like I said in the GT, Spurs should have closed with Dieng and Poeltl on the court as Memphis doesnt have the shooters to take advantage and Jak could have stayed with JJJ since all he did was stand on the perimeter. Coach has no imagination and no balls anymore. Spurs were rolling until he pulled Dieng out. It's infuriating how Pop never seems to understand how to ride the right guys and always pulls them out when he shouldnt

[rjv]

i'm not going to fault murray too much because he really performed so well on one end and his offense is still a work in progress. but demar convinced me that he is what his reputation is, a solid regular season guy who has a history of underperforming in the playoffs.

[quentin_compson]

I didn't expect much so I'm not too upset about the Spurs losing. But boy, this was one of the worst basketball games I have seen in a while. Between the two teams, I thought that only two players overall played well - unfortunately for the Spurs, both Brooks and Valanciunas are wearing the wrong uniforms.
As for the Spurs, Keldon was fine, and Rudy Gay was okayish (he still shot 8-21, though). Murray was pretty terrible (as was his counterpart on the Grizzlies, Ja Morant), and DeRozan was delivering one of his vintage playoff performances - meaning he was absolutely atrocious. MOst of the other guys were more or less anonymous.

I also think that Pop deserves at least some blame for his guys coming out of the gates looking absolutely clueless and timid. Props for the Spurs for making it a game, I guess, but again, this was just pretty terrible basketball all around. I don't see how Memphis will stand any chance against GS playing like this.

Somewhat ironic that for once, it wasn't lack of 3-point shooting that doomed the Spurs in this game - they shot over 36% and made one more three than Memphis. Instead, it was misfiring on way too many of the midrange shots they are usually so good at making. Memphis missed 11 freebies and took seven less shots overall but still ended up winning this shitfest.

[Chomag]

Dieng should have been put back into the game. He looked the most comfortable out there and he was making all the right plays.Now could that have created a win ? I don't know but it was looking like he was going to be the xfactor player that increases that chance, but of course Pop is gonna Pop.

[spurraider21]

expectations for Vassell need to be a lot higher than not embarrassing himself. invisibility is not a passing grade for a lottery pick.

[poopbox]

Poeltl is turning into another player with very misleading stats because while they would show you he is a great defender any big that gets physical with him dominates him, and once the playoffs starts he not going to be playing no trash ass soft bigs who aren't going to get physical with him, so all his metrics will go out the window once the playoffs start.

[rjv]

Dieng should have been put back into the game. He looked the most comfortable out there and he was making all the right plays.Now could that have created a win ? I don't know but it was looking like he was going to be the xfactor player that increases that chance, but of course Pop is gonna Pop.

yeah, i cringed when i saw poeltl coming back in at the 4:30 minute mark. pop should have kept dieng in. jakob then went on to commit an offensive foul and get beat on the other end.

[SPURt]

Thanks for the grades all year timvp! It was a tough season to watch sometimes, but your grades and analysis were a bastion of sanity. I’m looking forward to your offseason articles!

[TD 21]

They weren't winning either way, but not closing with Dieng and sitting Mills for a spell mid 4th robbed them of their best chance. Sure, a 13-14 minute and 18-19 minute stint for both would have inevitably left them out of gas for the finish, but they desperately needed all the shooting they could muster, plus Dieng at least provided some resistance for Valanciunas on the glass.

Poeltl's offensive limitations combined with his inability to adequately defend overpowering post up behemoths, makes re-signing Dieng a necessity.

[Spursfanfromafar]

Thanks for the grades, timvp, mate. Made following the Spurs on league pass worth even more this season. Here's hoping that the offseason is a good one and the young core improves further going forward. The future is certainly brighter than the present for the Spurs.

[CGD]

Will you be doing season grades? Would be curious to see where folks landed just based on the averages over all games.

Feels like a lot of C+/B-

[ragas]

They weren't winning either way, but not closing with Dieng and sitting Mills for a spell mid 4th robbed them of their best chance. Sure, a 13-14 minute and 18-19 minute stint for both would have inevitably left them out of gas for the finish, but they desperately needed all the shooting they could muster, plus Dieng at least provided some resistance for Valanciunas on the glass.

Poeltl's offensive limitations combined with his inability to adequately defend overpowering post up behemoths, makes re-signing Dieng a necessity.

Valanciunas against Poeltl 5/9 for (11 points with ft)
Valanciunas against the rest 5/7 (12 pts with ft) - 6 points against Dieng

It would have been worse without Poeltl. Playing both could have helped to have someone for rebounding when Poeltl wasn‘t on Val.

Let‘s not forget that Dieng had also 4 fouls in 12 minutes playing time.

[TD 21]

Valanciunas against Poeltl 5/9 for (11 points with ft)
Valanciunas against the rest 5/7 (12 pts with ft) - 6 points against Dieng

It would have been worse without Poeltl. Playing both could have helped to have someone for rebounding when Poeltl wasn‘t on Val.

Let‘s not forget that Dieng had also 4 fouls in 12 minutes playing time.

Fair enough, but it felt like it predictably came too easy against Poeltl.

Fouls are irrelevant at that point.

[rjv]

this year's body of work is a large enough sample size to affirm that poeltl cannot handle the bigger or more skilled centers. to be fair, poeltl is a good rim protector and works hard but he's in over his head as a starting center.

[K...]

I'm reminding everyone of what i think timvp said: don't over invest in the center position. Have we lost since games due to pussy poertle? Is it easier to find that perfect shooting center when so much of the team also sucks?

[Dejounte]

I'm reminding everyone of what i think timvp said: don't over invest in the center position. Have we lost since games due to pussy poertle? Is it easier to find that perfect shooting center when so much of the team also sucks?

Agreed. Perimeter defense and shooting were bigger holes for the team. There were fewer games that we lost due to Poeltl than due to the fact our guys wouldn't rotate quick enough thus getting killed by 3s. Also, people said Poeltl would never improve his free throws and he did. It's also his first year as a starter. There's room to improve.

[rjv]

I'm reminding everyone of what i think timvp said: don't over invest in the center position. Have we lost since games due to pussy poertle? Is it easier to find that perfect shooting center when so much of the team also sucks?

i agree that the spurs FO shouldn't overinvest in a center when that's not the most important position in the NBA anymore. but if you look at some of the best teams in the league, a good amount of them have either a pretty good center or a solid big man. there's a reason the nets were looking for big men at the trade deadline. but that doesn't mean that the spurs should open up the bank for a FA big.

[wildbill2u]

Memphis defensive strategy had a lot to do with the horrendous shooting. They wanted to take DDR out of the game and largely did this by trapping him outside and swarming him on drives to the paint. DDR didn't seem to understand the strategy employed against him and he clearly didn't have the energy or character to react well. I wouldn't be against letting him go this summer, even if he was the leader of the team in points for the year. He played well at times without the three point shooting by teammates to space the floor to help him.