Preseason Grades: Spurs vs. Thunder - Dec. 12, 2020

[phxspurfan]

I will give Luka another year as he was a project pick and bigs usually take longer to figure things out in the NBA but I still want to see some improvement or just plain hustle

He's so damn slow. I don't have a problem with slow if the player can be smart like Bobo and be in the right places/make plays, like a Jokic style player. But dude seems like he's lost out there. Not reading whats going on at all, much less making things happen. Just spectating. ty since there are only 5 players, everyone needs to contribute with their floor time. I mean, Bonner was slow and played no D, but at least he spaced the floor and was a weapon at 3.

skip to 7:56 and watch for about a minute. Dude literally gets used over and over again. By G leaguers playing street ball.

[spurs10]

Yes, so what's the root of that issue?

>>>> Lack of ball movement because the "head of the snake" Mills won't run plays

It wouldn't be so hard to score if our players got open looks.

Yes I agree that having 0 assists is not going to cut it. Mills is a shooter and not a playmaker. I'm hoping Jones can start playing some minutes with the bench.

[spurs10]

Fair points. I didn't pay attention to his shot as much as I paid attention to his movement on the court.

Honestly, if his shot doesn't improve and if the improved quickness is for real, he could pursue to be a Giannis type role player - pushing the ball in transition (like he found Patty in that one fast break last night) should be his focus. Aside from outstanding D, that's all Giannis really is.

Other than that, his other hope is to be a 3 and D but like you said, his shot stinks.

To be a natural PG who has vision and can reliably shoot the 3? That's out of the question for him.

Do you see Pop starting White at the 1?

[Dejounte]

Yes I agree that having 0 assists is not going to cut it. Mills is a shooter and not a playmaker. I'm hoping Jones can start playing some minutes with the bench.

Yeah. He doesn't even need to garner the assist stat. Just move the ball around. Run a play. He does neither. The assist stat is more tailored towards point guards who have special vision anyway. A guard could have three assists and still have decent vision. But that same guard who has three assists, moves the ball around? That's a great role player. White is an example of that.

[Dejounte]

Do you see Pop starting White at the 1?

I don't, unfortunately. But he doesn't need to start in my eyes, for us to be a decent team. Our offense is a hybrid attack from having multiple primary/ secondary ball handlers on the floor at the same time. DJ could be the starter but it's not like he's having PG duties for all of 48 minutes in a game. AT LEAST three players share those PG duties on the Spurs. On other teams, it is three players at most who handle PG duties.

[Dejounte]

, even Vassell was bringing the ball up a couple times last night. Our system isn't designed to rely on a single primary ballhandling point guard to run its offense.

[Mr. Body]

White should start and shiould be the primary ball-handler, or share duties with DDR if he's playing. Anything else is lunatic.

[SAGirl]

Here's food for thought:

Would Giannis be as effective if he played with DeMar and LMA?

The ball would stop so much (if we're thinking pre-bubble, and assuming it doesn't continue this season)

So... I don't think he would be as effective.

This is how I view DJ. Just a bad fit for him to be effective at all.

I'm not saying DJ is NOT a scrub. He very well could be. But I think his potential would be unlocked with a different type team. And maybe that's why he complains so much about LMA being on the team.

it doesn’t work that you are comparing Dejounte with Giannis. Just not a useful comparison.

[Rummpd]

Lineup should be

LMA
Gay
Vassell
DeRozan
Jones (while White is out)

tbh


with Mills/Purrtl as a good bench PnR duo, and Walker/Lyles and whoever. I guess Murray. But Murray sucks ass. His decision making is poor, his defensive effort seems poor (1st preseason game I know). He hit a 3 which is good, but other than that bright spot I don't see the same impact on the game he had when he was year 1/2.

prediction for this year, the vets will hurt the youth's development. Needing to find minutes for guys like Gay, Mills, even LMA and DeRozan, is making guys like Walker, Murray, and later, Keldon, White and Vassell struggle to get meaningful PT. And useless players like Lyles don't help either. Team really needs to commit to developing their youth. They're not making the playoffs, and they shouldn't, because making 7 or 8 seed and getting blown out by a contender in the first round isn't worth wasting another year of the team's young players.

Good post - major trades that should have happened already needs to occur during year but so far FO has been a farce and a HOF coach is now stubborn.

[SAGirl]

sad to have to get Spurs bball from YT highlights, but Vassell looks good

Thanks for sharing. I liked what I saw. I’d just forget about the Gleague and gave him in the team this season.

[Dejounte]

it doesn’t work that you are comparing Dejounte with Giannis. Just not a useful comparison.

Giannis was used because he is big and long for his position - as is Dejounte.

Giannis was not a natural point - as is Dejounte.

Giannis uses length to harass defenders - as does Dejounte.

Giannis is not a natural shooter - as is Dejounte.

Sure, the talent difference probably makes it a bad comparison, but I thought saying a role player version of him would make sense.

Maybe someone like Emmanuel Mudiay is more apt. Or Ricky Rubio with way less vision.

[Dejounte]

White should start and shiould be the primary ball-handler, or share duties with DDR if he's playing. Anything else is lunatic.

DJ starting with White worked. It worked because the ball movement was ramped up and didn't rely on DJ to create something.

[The Truth #6]

I said it then, people read way too much into the "bubble". They were never going to go into the season starting DeRozan at the four. I wouldn't read too much into the 90s starting lineups either, as we've seen this in the past for the first preseason game.

- DeRozan, Murray and Poeltl, should never play together.

- Haven't given up, but Walker has the whiff of a one dimensional, empty calories type and seems headed for whipping boy/fringe rotation status.

- At least it'll be easy to relegate him to that, unlike Murray, who they foolishly prematurely anointed and sunk starting money into.

- Suspected it and it's already clear Vassell should start on the wing opposite DeRozan. Put Gay at the four, then have a combination of Lyles/DeRozan/Johnson eat the backup minutes.

- Poeltl, White, Johnson, Vassell, appear to be the keepers among the youth.

I agree with this.

[SAGirl]

Giannis was used because he is big and long for his position - as is Dejounte.

Giannis was not a natural point - as is Dejounte.

Giannis uses length to harass defenders - as does Dejounte.

Giannis is not a natural shooter - as is Dejounte.

Sure, the talent difference probably makes it a bad comparison, but I thought saying a role player version of him would make sense.

Maybe someone like Emmanuel Mudiay is more apt. Or Ricky Rubio with way less vision.

A good comparison is Mudiay yeah. It’s not very useful to compare role players with all stars bc it would be like saying if Walker could play like Lebron for example. I suppose there’s some useful points there but one is so much better at what they are than the other that it doesn’t help me understand the point. Really discouraged about Murray frankly. But I am excited about Vassell and seeing Keldon and White back.

I think it only worries me that pop might not play his best guys bc they haven’t earned their chance or “gotten over themselves.” I hope to be wrong in that.

[Dejounte]

A good comparison is Mudiay yeah. It’s not very useful to compare role players with all stars bc it would be like saying if Walker could play like Lebron for example. I suppose there’s some useful points there but one is so much better at what they are than the other that it doesn’t help me understand the point. Really discouraged about Murray frankly. But I am excited about Vassell and seeing Keldon and White back.

O think it only worries me that pop might not play his best guys bc they haven’t earned their chance or “gotten over themselves.” I hope to be wrong in that.

I think Pop will continue to play Vassell. I understand the cynicism when it comes to Pop not playing the best players because of past trauma, but I believe last night's outing was no accident. Pop sees something in practice in Vassell that he did not see in Luka or even Keldon starting off. Maybe it even serves a lesson to Luka to get his together and for him to understand he's not playing because he has a lot of work to do.

[EasyMoney]

White
Murray
Vassell
Derozan
Aldridge

They need to embrace the small ball and if they need to go big they got lyles and poeltl

[The Truth #6]

I think Pop will continue to play Vassell. I understand the cynicism when it comes to Pop not playing the best players because of past trauma, but I believe last night's outing was no accident. Pop sees something in practice in Vassell that he did not see in Luka or even Keldon starting off. Maybe it even serves a lesson to Luka to get his together and for him to understand he's not playing because he has a lot of work to do.

I wonder if Luka actually likes playing basketball. A lot of tall people get sort of get pushed into it, you know, because they’re tall.

As for Pop and young players, he has something that he looks for in their demeanor, at least I think. With DJ there was a play early on in his career where he waved Pop off so he himself could talk a frustrated player down. It seems like he loved him after that and continues to double down each year. I’m being a little sarcastic. But not completely.

https://airalamo.com/2019/11/18/dejo...antonio-spurs/

[Dejounte]

I wonder if Luka actually likes playing basketball. A lot of tall people get sort of get pushed into it, you know, because they’re tall.

As for Pop and young players, he has something that he looks for in their demeanor, at least I think. With DJ there was a play early on in his career where he waved Pop off so he himself could talk a frustrated player down. It seems like he loved him after that and continues to double down each year. I’m being a little sarcastic. But not completely.

The ROI for players who overcome their confidence issues turn out to be great though. See: Derrick White

[Prime BEEF]

Tre Jones and Derrick White are the only two natural point guards on the roster.

Agreed

[The Truth #6]

Agreed

Yet they are 2nd and 3rd team. At least I hope not.

[spurs10]

I don't, unfortunately. But he doesn't need to start in my eyes, for us to be a decent team. Our offense is a hybrid attack from having multiple primary/ secondary ball handlers on the floor at the same time. DJ could be the starter but it's not like he's having PG duties for all of 48 minutes in a game. AT LEAST three players share those PG duties on the Spurs. On other teams, it is three players at most who handle PG duties.

Well like you say if DM and White play together it's going to help keep the ball moving. Keldon and Vassell should both look good out there with them...and DDR and LMA ain't going anywhere.

[Dejounte]

The #leader has spoken.

[Sugus]

The #leader has spoken.

[Dejounte]

https://news4sanantonio.com/sports/w...istry-and-more

Much praise from DeMar for Devin

Devin + Keldon ... Kinda rhymes

They're the next Jordan + Pippen

Book it!

[Ocotillo]

The #leader has spoken.

Drozz covering himself in a contract year. Murray makes him look better in comparison.