Game Thoughts: Preseason Game 1 - Heat @ Spurs - 9/30/18

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Murray: Dejounte came out of the gates running and looking to prove that he is ready to lead the Spurs' starting unit. Overall, he had mixed success. He continues to be a lightning bolt on both offense and defense, which sometimes gives him an advantage and other times gets him into trouble. I know preseason is going to be predictably sloppy for a variety of reasons, but he threw a few lame duck passes which led to three turnovers in just 15 minutes. He struggled to finish around the basket at times, but he also wasn't hesitant to show off his new jumpshot which looks much improved. He also had one steal and breakaway dunk which was Kawhi-esque:

DeRozan: Demar's preseason debut was mostly unremarkable. In the first half, it definitely looked like he was still just kind of going with the flow and figuring out where to fit in. He was more aggressive in the second half and ended the game with 7 points and 2 assists. I'm sure it will take some time for Demar to find his place in the Spurs offense, and I expect him to start handling the ball more so that he can explore those opportunities.

Gay: Yes, this guy! Rudy came out sizzling in this game and got the Spurs off to a solid start. He hit his first four shots, three of which came from distance. That's a great sign for a Spurs team that needs all the help it can get from behind the arc. Rudy's first miss came on this vicious breakaway dunk attempt which would have rocked the house. Not only is that a promising sign that Rudy feels healthy and confident, but it came immediately after a play where had he gotten knocked to the ground. I'm liking the fire, and let's hope that Gay can maintain this form through the regular season.

Aldridge: Lamarcus was notably quiet on the game. He didn't shoot much in the first half and only ended with 7 shots for the night. All of his damage came from his usual spots around the post and in the mid-range. Aldridge still figures to be a focal point of the offense and I'm pretty sure the team knows where to get him the ball, so I think Pop was letting the other guys experiment a little.

Gasol: Pau looked decent in his first action of the preseason. He didn't attempt much on offense, but he is still a savvy passer and helped to clog the paint on his way to a pair of blocks. Pau definitely looks lighter and leaner this season, which will hopefully equate to him being a little bit more fleet of foot. I still think he will struggle to keep up with the Golden State's and Houston's of the league, but he is still an asset against more traditional lineups. His playmaking ability out of the post fits well with the starters and he runs the high-low well with Aldridge.

Mills: Patty only played 12 minutes and somehow finished the game with a game-high +15. Surprisingly, he only took three shots, none of which came from beyond the arc. This is probably another case where Pop knows what to expect and where he fits in the lineup, so he opted to look at other guys like Forbes and White.

Belinelli: Marco was part of the 2nd unit wave and he was not bashful in his time on the court. I don't pretend to know what Pop's gameplan is, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't involve Beli taking 9 shots in 13 minutes on off-balance threes and fadeaways. That said, I'm glad to have the Italian Stallion back, and have confidence that his shooting will bail us out of some games this season. Hopefully Marco is just trying to shoot himself into form, because the Spurs are going to need the sniper.

Bertans: Davis played a game-high 20 minutes and was mixed and matched with a lot of different lineups. As we've come to expect, he took all of his shots from three, and finished with 10 points, 5 boards, and 2 assists in 20 minutes. He also had two nice blocks, which is an encouraging sign for a guy who has been known to get bullied in the post. Overall, a solid start for the Latvian.

Cunningham: Dante played all of his 10 minutes with the second unit and, for the most part, did the dirty work that he is expected to do. If he is going to make a place in the rotation, he will need to do it as a glue guy: set screens, hit the boards, dive for loose balls, and stay out of the way on offense. So far, that seems to be his focus.

Poetl: Jakob's first game as a Spur showed flashes of what enticed the Spurs to nab him in the trade that shall not be named. He is a solid and savvy post player, but has the quickness and athleticism to keep up with the smaller guys. He pulled down 10 boards in 19 minutes and got his hands on a ton of other loose balls, showing a solid ability to tip balls out and keep the play alive. He runs the floor well and sets solid screens on offense. I also look forward to seeing a few more of those rim rattling dunks this season. If Poetl keeps playing like this, he is going to quickly find himself a mainstay in the rotation.

Forbes: If Bryn was aiming to prove that he has taken it to the next level, he did a damn shitty job of it. In a move that surprised no one, Pop called Forbes number ahead of White...and it was wholly underwhelming. Forbes struggled to get his shot off most of the time, and when he did, it often clanged off the rim. His lone three-pointer came off a wide-open look which was spoonfed to him by Bertans. His body language on the court also continues to just look like trash. He stills hangs his head after every miss or mistake. Bryn did chip in a couple of assists, but overall, he was a net negative. I don't want to judge the guy on the first preseason game of the season, but so far, he looks like the same player that he was at the end of last year.

D. White: Derrick, on the other hand, got the late nod and started out very sloppy. On two early plays, he simply just lost his dribble and coughed up two ugly turnovers. However, he eventually settled in and started to show the promise that has so many people excited about the young prospect. He was the 2nd-leading scorer and joined Gay as the only players to shoot better than 50% from the field. His scoring came in a variety of ways, from jumpers to floaters to a crazy circus shot was straight out of the Book of Ginobili. He also grabbed four boards, dished a couple of dimes, and added a steal and a block in a solid all-around performance. Most importantly, he just seems to know how to run the offense. He may be the most pure point guard on the roster. Pop praised him after the game, so hopefully he's got the coaching staff's attention enough to leapfrog Forbes in the rotation.

Metu: Chimezie got a surprising nod for some preseason minutes and did pretty well with them. He wasn't really involved with the offense, which isn't totally unsurprising since his game still needs a lot of polish. He was also on the floor a lot while DeRozan, Forbes, and White were all looking for their offense. Still, the 49th draft pick seemed to move well and showed off the athleticism that makes him such an interesting prospect. I'm glad to see Pop giving the youngster a chance as the Spurs are sorely hurting for bigman depth.

Walker IV: Lonnie was the only Spur who didn't log a single minute. He is supposedly still nursing a groin injury, so hopefully that is only the reason for the DNP. I really look forward to seeing what Walker can do, but I highly suspect that he will be doing it in a Austin Spurs jersey, especially if he can't log any preseason minutes.

Blossomgame: Jaron got a handful of minutes to close the game and was solid, if not unspectacular. He hit his two shots and was one of the few guys who looked like he belonged on the floor when the Spurs were trying to hold off the Heat and secure a preseason win. However, his game still seems to be suited for the GLeague. Despite the Spurs' hole at small forward, I still don't expect Blossomgame to get many minutes, but the Spurs may continue to give him a look considering his history with the squad.

Pondexter: Quincy is another garbage-pail guy and is fighting for that 15th and final spot on the roster. He's scrappy but doesn't really move the needle in either direction. He spent 5 minutes on the floor while the Spurs were pulling away early in the 4th quarter, but only chipped in a free-throw and a rebound.

O.White: Also fighting for the final roster spot is Okaro White, an intriguing prospect who spent some time with Miami the past couple seasons. The 6'8 power forward seems to have the body of a basketball player, but with career averages of 3 points and 2 boards in 13+ MPG, he obviously has a ways to go to find his opportunity. He was part of the bench mob that got beat up by the Heat's bench mob and was -11 in his 9 minutes.

Eubanks: More like Ew-banks. The two-way contract player was part of the squad that gave up the lead late in the game, and looked pretty poor doing it. He missed all of his shots and generally just got pushed around in the post. He may be able to make a name for himself in Austin, but he looks like he has a ways to go before he belongs on an NBA roster.

Johnson: I didn't even realize this guy was on the roster. There is probably a reason for that. Spurs already have a logjam at shooting guard, so Johnson is simply auditioning for minutes elsewhere at this point.

Pop: Overall, I was happy with how Pop handled the first preseason game. The starting 5 of Murray, DeRozan, Gay, Aldridge, Pau seemed effective and it is entirely possible that is who we will see to start the season. Six minutes in, he left DeRozan in and let him run with Mills, Beli, Bertans, and Poetl, and he kind of mixed and matched from there. He let the rotation guys play more than usual for the first preseason outing of the year. Whether he was trying to get the guys more minutes together in a shortened preseason schedule, or just wanting to win the first home game after a jarring offseason, it made for a fun game to watch and the team had a solid 10-15 point lead before he called off the dogs. My only real gripe was putting in Forbes before White, and it will be interesting to see if their dichotomous play will lead to an adjustment in the next game.

Thank you! Good read, even having seen the game myself.

great game thoughts!

Thanks Dex, nice write-up. I'll be interested to see if Pop changes his starting rotation this preseason, with Gasol switching out with Poeltl or Bertans (LMA moving to Center). Hopefully White gets the first nod off the bench before Forbes. But again it is the first preseason game, so we shall see. :toast

Lonnie is gonna flip on us if Pop gives him the vintage rookie treatment. Gotta feed these young guys early lol.

Well done, Dex. Thanks for the detailed write-up. :bobo

Thank you Dex!

Another year. Another player unworthy of the minutes he recieves. Fuck Charity Case Bryn.

nice read.

Thanks for the review. I have commented on the game thread on everyone else, and agreed with some opinions in that thread that were on point, so I am kinda ready to move on to the next game... but I wanted to thank you for the review and agree with you on Marco, who nobody talked too much about.

He's a vet and a known quantity and there's nothing much to say since he's the same guy he has always been. But I am glad Pop is not starting him. He's as poor defensively as he's ever been and not getting any younger, and he tends to go too chuckaholic.

Also.. I suppose this is as good a thread as any to mention the training camp invitees. Pondexter no longer looks like an NBA player and perhaps Blossomgame has a chance to take his spot as the 15th guy in the rotation. We saw very little of both but Blossom looked better, Pondexter even looked like a big with how heavy he looked.

And, Huestis was completely missing from this roster and no word was said about him so, I assume he was stealthily cut.

pondexter looked like he was playing in the above 50 group at a rec league.

Thanks for the Review Dex! Enjoyed the read.

Nice. Agree on all counts, esp observations on Rudy, Davis, Forbes. Hope JBloss leapfrogs Pondexter and sticks.

Thanks. We’re so spoiled :baby

Derrick's the next coming of Manu, book it. With a little Steph Curry sprinkled in. Dude is cold blooded. It's funny he starts off at 25 years old.

"If Bryn was aiming to prove that he has taken it to the next level, he did a damn shitty job of it." lmao

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Originally Posted by r0drig0lac

"If Bryn was aiming to prove that he has taken it to the next level, he did a damn shitty job of it." lmao

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ohhhh that was a gold nugget of humor.

didn't know Dex had that in him. :)

Good ish, Dex. I guess I should have checked the forum before writing, tbh. Looks like we drew similar conclusions :tu

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Originally Posted by TimDunkem

Another year. Another player unworthy of the minutes he recieves. Fuck Charity Case Bryn.

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Nice write-up!

Thanks for the great write-up! We saw the same game! :bobo

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Originally Posted by timvp

Good ish, Dex. I guess I should have checked the forum before writing, tbh. Looks like we drew similar conclusions :tu

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I think all of us have made a similar analysis. Which make your posts look as a narration of the facts, rather than a subjective opinion.

Thank you both for your work. SpursTalk looking refreshed and re-energized for this 18/19 season. More quality posts instead of single line post trolling. Good stuff ;)

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:bobo

Good read! I love the return of "Game Thoughts" threads/Game Grade threads! THANKS!