Grades: Spurs vs. Thunder - Jan. 24, 2024

[timvp]

https://www.spurstalk.com/2024-spurs-thunder-grades-44/

[HankChinaski]

Wemby and Devin came to play. Sochan struggled with his shot but wasn't an entire net negative. Blake held up well enough, but the rest of the team was just bad. Once Wemby, Devin, Sochan went to the bench for rest for the first time, the game was over. They were missing Tre out there.

Defense just apart once the bench hit the floor.

Not having a reliable small forward and outside shooting is the biggest issue.

Thankfully Wemby lives up to the hype and you can really see how to build around him alongside with Devin and sochan

[Atl Spur]

Devin’s got to display more fight than what I’m seeing! Wemby is such a competitor.

[RC_Drunkford]

genius strategy by Pop to play zone defense against one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the league. Zach Collins was the best player for OKC last night.

[Dejounte]

Wemby Didn’t Let The Ball Move Too Much On Offense, And Maybe That Comes With Time With Teammates Earning His Trust More.

[spursparker9]

Wemby is real Alpha.

Lol to date, I think I never saw Wemby shakes any opposing players hand after game end. Except those he had connections with like Gobert, The Wizards' rookie, Batum etc.

[r0drig0lac]

PATFO doesn't deserve this kid, that's for sure.

[jeebus]

Spurs got their work cut out for them before next season. A good starting PG either through draft or the offseason, a 2nd option after Wemby, and a complete overhaul of the asstastic bench.

[HankChinaski]

Well to be fair as much smoke screen summer league provided it was wishful thinking the bench would perform better. But this was always a figure out what we have with Wemby and what will work around him.

I don't believe anyone thought he would be making this much of an impact in his first year. The plan wasn't to be signing and trading for veteran playoff players year 2 for a long run into the post season with his sophomore year in the league.

Roster is going / needs to see significant shakeup in the off-season.

I like Keldon and I get frustrated watching Keldon but this current iteration of the Spurs isn't suited for him. He needs more outside threats and defenders to cover up his flaws. I think you try to sell on him high to a team that could use his high energy

Other than that see what comes from the draft and what moves other front offices are wanting or looking to make a splash with.

Just don't be a front office that just makes moves to win big now.

[jjspur]

The spurs really really need to work on their 3 point defense. Don't give them a clear view of the basket. At least put your arms up. Let them score an easy basket. Ole .At least that's only worth two points.
Better yet, play dome damned defense.

[TimmehC]

Keldon and Zach were walking disasters. The team really needs to get another lead guard in the off-season to ideally start over Tre(unless Wesley suddenly makes a playmaking leap). Anyway when you lose all expectations of the team playing competitively, it was a lot of fun to watch Vic go so hard at Chet.

[RC_Drunkford]

People here are talking about a roster overhaul in the offseason, but the free agency class is terrible. There are maybe 3 players I'd want. They better off starting to make roster moves right now before the deadline.

[dbestpro]

Pop is a confused old man and is no more than a spectator that reflects on the good old days. The defense is bad because of bad coaching. He needs to move on for the good of the franchise.

[Dex]

Wemby won the Rookie Battle in this one, and that's all I really care about. Sure, it would have been nice if the game was more competitive but an L is an L at the end of the day, and the Spurs don't have a guy like SGA who is playing at an MVP level.

Wemby also missed a few bunnies that he usually makes...he could have easily gone for 30+ if his shot was a little sharper.

[SouthernFryd]

How anyone wants to keep Sochan is beyond me. The guy has the lowest BBIQ I've ever seen.

[Sugus]

Wemby and Devin came to play. Sochan struggled with his shot but wasn't an entire net negative. Blake held up well enough, but the rest of the team was just bad. Once Wemby, Devin, Sochan went to the bench for rest for the first time, the game was over. They were missing Tre out there.

Defense just apart once the bench hit the floor.

Not having a reliable small forward and outside shooting is the biggest issue.

Thankfully Wemby lives up to the hype and you can really see how to build around him alongside with Devin and sochan

Thanks for the breakdown! I'm glad to see Vassel with 7AST tonight as well. Next year with a true PG, his development in distribution can be put to much better use as a secondary facilitator. If he improves his contact drawing and FTA rate, he can be a special running mate for Wemby.

[FkLA]

Wemby is real Alpha.

Lol to date, I think I never saw Wemby shakes any opposing players hand after game end. Except those he had connections with like Gobert, The Wizards' rookie, Batum etc.

Meanwhile Pop is over here playing grab ass with every opposing coach and star player. Even after getting beat down by 30.

[Sugus]

People here are talking about a roster overhaul in the offseason, but the free agency class is terrible. There are maybe 3 players I'd want. They better off starting to make roster moves right now before the deadline.

Roster overhaul isn't limited to FA signings though, there's also trades and drafting to be made. But I agree with the overarching point, Spurs should take every chance to be aggressive in improving the team.

I just hope to God they don't fall for a big "win-now" signing. I'm perfectly content with smaller, improving moves, in order to get more organic growth for the youngest team in the league, rather than moving multiple picks for any triple-A player. Spurs only need to not suck as bad next season, no need to jump the gun and be stuck in Mavs territory.

[Spurs Homer]

Pop has to go. Pop has to go. Pop has to fucking go.

Wemby does not appear to like Chet...

I would keep wemby and throw away everyone else in the garbage along with pop and brian wright.

[The Truth #6]

Pop has to go. Pop has to go. Pop has to fucking go.

Wemby does not appear to like Chet...

I would keep wemby and throw away everyone else in the garbage along with pop and brian wright.

Sounds like an even slower rebuild by starting completely over.

[kace]

Wemby is real Alpha.

Lol to date, I think I never saw Wemby shakes any opposing players hand after game end. Except those he had connections with like Gobert, The Wizards' rookie, Batum etc.

reminds me a little bit of Manu.

I never saw Manu being disrespectful or bragging or behaving like an asshole.....

But he never was in the "we're all family in the NBA" business either. He said once "'i'm not in the NBA to make friends".

Really rare to see someone so competitive almost obsessive about the game being so humble, classy as Manu was. And so liked by his teamates.
He had the fire of Kobe with the behaviour of Tim in a certain way.

I hope Wemby is in the same mold, but till now, he seems to be.

[ginobilized]

OKC has rebuilt very well. We need to follow that model.

Wings galore with SGA and Chet. Better athletes and basketball players. Their team is well-balanced and cohesive.

If they get a solid bruiser back up center, they will be very difficult to beat if they are healthy in the playoffs.

Spurs are just such a piecemeal squad. Being a white guy, I feel like I can say this. The Spurs have too many white guys.

Not sure how everyone missed on Jalen Williams, but, he is so much better than Sochan. Not sure if he would've developed at all in SA.

It is bordering on embarrassing to watch players unable to dribble, execute plays, box out, read the defense, switch. So many Spurs slow down around half court when bringing the ball up and turn their back to the defender and their own teammates. This just stalls the timing of the offense and looks like jr. high basketball. Tre and Wemby are the only 2 who can get the ball up the court in a timely manner and maintain vision of their team.

There must be something about the system and schemes that the Spurs are running that is difficult to learn/ineffective on the court. I see a lack of buy in/confusion and Pop is putting these guys in positions to fail which is mortal coaching sin number 1.

Anywho, the Spurs cannot afford to waste another draft.

[Mugen]

Free Dom tbh

[The Truth #6]

Free Dom tbh

Team definitely looked better when Zach and McBuckets were injured. Defense was way better.

[widowmaker]

Why does the defense suck so much? Is it that they double team the guy with the ball every time?

[rjv]

good call on when the game slipped away-collins and keldon played a large part in that fiasco. why the hell was collins forcing it? and he kept calling for the ball at that. i was watching keldon's body language on the bench and it was awful. it looked like had given up by the 3rd quarter and was sulking. i was very impressed with blake's effort on defense. i have no problem with him taking over branham's minutes. it's just too bad bassey isn't around to take over some of zach's minutes.

[NASpurs]

I can't use this same excuse on Collins because he just sucks but hopefully Keldon played like shit because he heard his ass was going to get traded.

[baseline bum]

I can't use this same excuse on Collins because he just sucks but hopefully Keldon played like shit because he heard his ass was going to get traded.

Hopefully he heard right tbh

[spurraider21]

im not sure sochan ever hits the rim. its either a swish or off the backboard/airball

[jeebus]

Why does the defense suck so much? Is it that they double team the guy with the ball every time?

They get caught watching, they overhelp too much, they have a curiously powerful strain of AIDS inhibiting them, and they continuously fall for every pump fake.

[baseline bum]

Why does the defense suck so much? Is it that they double team the guy with the ball every time?

Branham and Champagnie have no motor whatsoever on the defensive end. I can't explain Collins, he looks like he's at least trying out there. Keldon's just taking the 2k create a player and dropping defensive (and offensive) awareness down to 50. Passable for the bench but if the Spurs can get Dejounte for him and say the Chicago pick I'd be happy as hell.

[poopbox]

We're in like year 5 of Pop not knowing how to defend 3's no matter who the players are.

[mudd]

Sengun a spur... should have been, never going to live that down, who is running this show?

[JeffDuncan]

Why does the defense suck so much? Is it that they double team the guy with the ball every time?


It’s primarily a severe lack of fundamentals, which is a coaching failure. Ironic, for a franchise whose most famous player was called The Big Fundamental.

There’s a talent shortage, so even with good coaching the defense would be poor, but for it to be so outright awful, that’s on the coaching.

What fundamentals? Starting off in the right location for half-court defense. Communication in transition. Hustling back in transition. Making correct rotations. Switching/hedging on screens. And, well, you name it. The team is weak, or just plain bad, at too many of the things a defense needs to do.

Youth, and low talent, are no reason for all of their basics to be so bad. Heck, even a chicken can be trained to stand in a certain location, if the trainer knows what he’s doing.

Do the Spurs coaches know what they’re doing? The results say “no.”

[itzsoweezee]

This bench is so much worse with Collins instead of Barlow. What the hell is going on here? It should be plainly obvious that Zack Collins should not be playing

[widowmaker]

They get caught watching, they overhelp too much, they have a curiously powerful strain of AIDS inhibiting them, and they continuously fall for every pump fake.


Yeah they help way too much. They should just man up one on one if they get beat so be it Im sure Wembanyama will be there to get a shot to clean that up at the rim.

[widowmaker]

Branham and Champagnie have no motor whatsoever on the defensive end. I can't explain Collins, he looks like he's at least trying out there. Keldon's just taking the 2k create a player and dropping defensive (and offensive) awareness down to 50. Passable for the bench but if the Spurs can get Dejounte for him and say the Chicago pick I'd be happy as hell.


I don’t know about dejounte they are asking too much for him. I say they man up and play one on one, this off season they need to make some major defensive changes.

[Mugen]

PATFO said they wanted to know what they had this season. They should have a pretty good idea now tbh :lol

[tmtcsc]

The Spurs' horrible defense is on par with what I'm used to seeing at AAU tournaments. Ive been through some tough franchise stretches before but this one might be the worst. Not only are the players showing a lack of Basketball IQ, too many of them are mailing in their efforts. I'm all for ANYONE not named Wemby to be cut or traded. Whatever Greg is teaching them, isn't sinking in. We have way too many young projects on this squad and I don't want to see them grow together. Some of the most productive are the most selfish. Spurs need to build around Wemby. Find out whose on board and move the rest.

[baseline bum]

I don’t know about dejounte they are asking too much for him. I say they man up and play one on one, this off season they need to make some major defensive changes.

Sounds like they'd have already traded him to the Lakers for their 2029 first if they could have found a third team willing to take DeAngelo Russell.

[HankChinaski]

People here are talking about a roster overhaul in the offseason, but the free agency class is terrible. There are maybe 3 players I'd want. They better off starting to make roster moves right now before the deadline.

I spoke out that it is needing to be a focus and that the majority of the bench should go into exit interviews at the end of the season with expectations they might not be in silver and black in 24/25. I agree with the free agency class, but there is still ways for the spurs to improve with trades in the offseason and a bit with the draft. Not enough to be a huge shift but resolve some of the primary issues plagueing this team.

[Atl Spur]

Presti had 3 count them 3 future hofs on one roster and won 0 chips but but but he’s smarter/better at team building/fostering championship results! Get the fuck out of here…. I’ll ride with 5 chips and counting! When we have the horses we WILL win book it!

[NASpurs]

Presti had 3 count them 3 future hofs on one roster and won 0 chips but but but he’s smarter/better at team building/fostering championship results! Get the fuck out of here…. I’ll ride with 5 chips and counting! When we have the horses we WILL win book it!

Sure thing Miss Cleo.

[RC_Drunkford]

the primary issue that this team has is the head coach who's out of tune. That's the first change that needs to happen

[The Truth #6]

the primary issue that this team has is the head coach who's out of tune. That's the first change that needs to happen

And/or he's tanking. But I think he's convinced himself to not be too hard on the guys for some reason, even if they are tanking. So while I think we need to get high draft picks, and might as well tank, we need more leadership from the bench.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I wonder if a coach who actually cared about his job security would get his guys a little more fired up to play.

[spurs10]

Thanks for the grades. KJ and Zach were so bad I stopped watching at some point. Need to get some players that compete on this team.

[The Truth #6]

Zach needs a reduced role for awhile until he plays better. Unfortunately, due to contracts and optics, even on a historically bad team, Zollins will continue to get the backup minutes. I'd rather see what Barlow can do as he has shown good progress this year. He's still raw, but seems to already play better defense, and occasionally will throw out a surprising new move or wrinkle.

[slick'81]

I wonder if a coach who actually cared about his job security would get his guys a little more fired up to play.


dudes lost his fire