Vassell the bench guy?

[kxs783kms]

I know they're hiding it behind his injury and saying he's on a minutes restriction but is Vassell the guy who needed to be put out of the starting 5? While we were all thinking that either Keldon or Sochan needed to go to the bench to let Tre start, I wonder if they saw that it's our most prolific and pure scorer who needed to go to the bench. I mean it makes sense when you think about it because he's the only one who can really get points off of the bench consistently, similar to a Manu. Wemby can get more opportunities with the starting unit but the only problem is that the other guys aren't great 3 point shooters, so it leaves him no space to work, so teams double him and let the others take their shots. Makes me wonder if they're going to go the entire season doing this if any trades aren't made. But at the end of the day, is it the right move?

[Pauleta14]

It makes sens imo as long as Pop keep taking Wemby out early in the 1st

[Russo21]

Punish Vassell to a bench role because they insist on starting Sochan 4pts 2reb 3ast 33% shooting tonight. No. Starting together Jones and Sochan would easily be the worst shooting and scoring starting guard combo in the league by a mile. Vassell a young player on the teams most expensive contract deserves and needs a starting spot to learn and grow with Wemby together.

I do see where you're coming from though. This season is a crapshoot anyway.

[spursparker9]

Should we still believe Sochan is a PG? :lol

[z0sa]

Vassell should start. And funny how he’s on a minute restriction but played more than Wemby..

[kxs783kms]

Punish Vassell to a bench role because they insist on starting Sochan 4pts 2reb 3ast 33% shooting tonight. No. Starting together Jones and Sochan would easily be the worst shooting and scoring starting guard combo in the league by a mile. Vassell a young player on the teams most expensive contract deserves and needs a starting spot to learn and grow with Wemby together.

I do see where you're coming from though. This season is a crapshoot anyway.

I definitely think he should be starting. I'm just looking at the fact that he doesn't look injured and is playing a lot of minutes since his return, which makes me feel like they're experimenting with bringing him off the bench.

[tbdog]

Chinook. I summons your response.

[kxs783kms]

Vassell should start. And funny how he’s on a minute restriction but played more than Wemby..

Exactly. Which makes me think they're bringing him off the bench for firepower and not his injury.

[The Truth #6]

To a lesser degree, I wonder if they're trying to see if Branham has any motivation or desire to do anything with the starting role, but that kind of doesn't make sense either.

[freetiago]

Just bad coaching tbh. If you want one of Victor or Vassel on the floor then just play them more. Should be 38 mins tbh. Nelson could also play more with the bench and would make more sense leading a second unit

[sfernald]

It’s just part of the tank. Don’t expect the rotations to make much sense unless you see the motivation is to lose as many games as possible. Then it clicks.

[Fireball]

Putting our best player on the bench regularly? great idea

[exstatic]

To a lesser degree, I wonder if they're trying to see if Branham has any motivation or desire to do anything with the starting role, but that kind of doesn't make sense either.

Branham lays better in the SL than he does off the bench, and it isn’t even close.

[CGD]

To a lesser degree, I wonder if they're trying to see if Branham has any motivation or desire to do anything with the starting role, but that kind of doesn't make sense either.

There may something to this. They may also want to get a better look a Champaigne, who I believe started the second half.

And related it makes Keldon the clear #2 option, which they may also want to scope.

[The Truth #6]

Branham lays better in the SL than he does off the bench, and it isn’t even close.

Then yikes, because I thought he was non-existent last night in the starting lineup.

[JeffDuncan]

It’s just Coach Pretty-In-Pink puttering in the petunia patch. He’s “doing something.”

[offset formation]

To a lesser degree, I wonder if they're trying to see if Branham has any motivation or desire to do anything with the starting role, but that kind of doesn't make sense either.

Branham has piss poor defense. He's no upgrade

[offset formation]

Putting our best player on the bench regularly? great idea

He's been a walking DNP since we drafted him. Hard to put a guy like that, even if he is your best scorer, into the starting lineup.

This team is just so poorly constructed that I don't see them ever being a perennial playoff contender. Lots and lots of turnover is needed.

The only players at this point I'd keep are Wemby, Cedi, Cissoko, Bassey, and maybe Sochan.

Why? Aside from Tre Jones who's just too small, they're the only ones that even attempt to play defense. And if anyone is paying attention, our defense is largely what costs us games as we head towards yet another historical defensive effort. 132 last night. Those used to be ABA scores. Not damn near an average night on a Pop-coached team. 50 points higher than his best defenses.

Pathetic drafting and development.

[poopbox]

Dumb move but Pop is an imbecile so nothing he does or doesn't do surprises me.

[The Truth #6]

Branham has piss poor defense. He's no upgrade

I agree but that's not my point exactly. Pop may just be using this as an opportunity to evaluate other players, for whatever reason.

[spurraider21]

Branham lays better in the SL than he does off the bench, and it isn’t even close.
:lol considering he’s not a starting caliber player that makes for a bleak outlook if true

[Chinook]

Walker looks much better in terms of his floor game.

This is the issue with drafting a bunch of 19-year-olds. It takes some players years of development in order to become positive contributors. That might be because their bodies have to mature, because their minds have to catch up to the game, or even that they just have to grow up personally. When you draft a bunch of guys who need those years of investment, you end up not being able to wait on them. Like, maybe Pop ruined Lonnie. He certainly didn't help him in a lot of ways. But it's also possible that he'd be improved as a Spur by this time. But selecting Branham and Wesley put the nail in Walker's Spurs coffin. So now 25-year-old Lonnie looks much more like the kind of guard the Spurs need to make a Sochan-at-PG experiment work, Branham looks bad most of the time, and Wesley doesn't seem to be earning a spot on the roster. If those two don't improve, they could be pushed off the team in a year or two. And here's the thing: 25-year-old Malaki and 25-year-old Blake might well be very good players too. But that would probably be on another team.

It's important to have a multi-generational roster regardless of what stage a team is in. The Spurs are running a real risk of drowning in young talent -- in a bad way. I still stand by the idea that most really good players will show that early. I also think Walker has to continue to improve and show more consistency before the Spurs should actually regret letting him go. But I don't know if they're even appropriately evaluating and developing guys on their roster or if they're just passing time with them. They're caught between needing to be mercilessly move on from guys like Keldon in hopes of bringing in some players with championship potential and not being able to develop much because there's very little long-term structure on the roster right now.

[RC_Drunkford]

:pop: „We are starting Jeremy at PG so we can start our 5 best players, but Devin has to come off the bench“

[Mugen]

Branham lays better in the SL than he does off the bench, and it isn’t even close.

:lol Who fucking cares where Branham plays better? He sucks either way.

[Mugen]

It makes sens imo as long as Pop keep taking Wemby out early in the 1st

Nothing makes sense when you're doing the same thing during a 12 game losing streak tbh :lol

[Tyronn Lue]

I know they're hiding it behind his injury and saying he's on a minutes restriction but is Vassell the guy who needed to be put out of the starting 5? While we were all thinking that either Keldon or Sochan needed to go to the bench to let Tre start, I wonder if they saw that it's our most prolific and pure scorer who needed to go to the bench. I mean it makes sense when you think about it because he's the only one who can really get points off of the bench consistently, similar to a Manu. Wemby can get more opportunities with the starting unit but the only problem is that the other guys aren't great 3 point shooters, so it leaves him no space to work, so teams double him and let the others take their shots. Makes me wonder if they're going to go the entire season doing this if any trades aren't made. But at the end of the day, is it the right move?
Manu didn't go to the bench with 4 scrubs and a rookie Tim Duncan starting.

[ducks]

Just bad coaching tbh. If you want one of Victor or Vassel on the floor then just play them more. Should be 38 mins tbh. Nelson could also play more with the bench and would make more sense leading a second unit