Game Thread: Spurs vs Bucks — Oct. 23, 2021 - 7:30pm CT

[RC_Drunkford]

Keldon is an SF WTF are y’all smoking?

[TD 21]

I wish we'd've had the chance to see a White/Vassell/DeRozan starting perimeter. I always thought Derrick and DeMar shared play-making better than they did with DeJounte, and Vassell coming into his own a bit defensively couldn't make that a strong unit on that end. I still worry a lot of about Johnson defensively. I think he's clearly a PF, but he'll always struggle there. I wish one of the young players would've locked themselves in the gym and made the commitment to become a knock-down three-point shooter. They all seem to have new midrange moves, but shooting has basically been outsourced to McDermott. It makes me question pretty strongly what Pop and the staff are telling the young players to do. Not everyone needs to develop a three-level one-on-one game that stars need. It's okay to have some Danny Greens and then get them to do more once they've already gotten an elite skill.

Johnson is a combo forward, but yeah, it's fair to call into question the vaunted player development program and specifically Engelland. It's not that they're deficient per se, but the notion that they're miracle workers needs to end.

Not one of the current crop of youth has become an above average volume 3-point shooter to date. Even the ones projected to be average when drafted have yet to advanced beyond that.

Meanwhile, leaguewide random average and worse shooters are making the leap annually.

[wildbill2u]

This team lacks a closer. They'll be in most games through three quarters and fizzle out in the 4th.

Bingo! Give the man a cigar. You have to have that closer who can handle the ball, either score directly or get FTs, and handle the pressure. Like the Nuggets brought in Jokic the other night. For years, Manu was that guy. Last year we relied on DDR and he sometimes delivered. Now we don't have a go to guy at all.

[HankChinaski]

Out of the starting lineup Keldon has been slowly growing into the go to guy as the closer.

His in-between game and body control with his euro step is something else. His mid range jumper has looked good.

He had several possessions in the closing minute of the 4th where looked unstoppable.

[stephen jackson]

Dj looks to be getting worse I don’t see improvement

[daslicer]

Keldon is an SF WTF are y’all smoking?

Agreed. I don't see how it can work out long run for him at the PF spot. He's too undersized to make it work in the long run. For it to be even feasible the Spurs would have to have an elite rim protector.

[Chinook]

Keldon is an SF WTF are y’all smoking?

No he's not. He's clearly just a short PF. I don't even believe he's a combo-forward in today's game. You definitely want three perimeter players around him. Only McD being a great shooter makes it so Johnson can even be listed ambiguously.

[Chinook]

Dj looks to be getting worse I don’t see improvement

I think a lot of people seem to think Murray should just be over his sister dying, but the reality is that he could be off his game for a long time. I don't know all the cir stances surrounding her death, but I know I'd struggle to perform my best at the highest level if I had just lost one of my siblings. I'm not looking at anything he's doing as a sign of his actual skill right now. That said, Pop could do more to get the offense to run without relying on Murray making the right decisions every time.

[Dejounte]

Keldon is an SF WTF are y’all smoking?

Same energy as saying “Thad is a top 3 player on this team” before the season started. Look where that ridiculous take got him. Same guy who says he doesn’t post as if they were a matter of fact comes out and says like, “No, he’s not. He’s clearly a PF”. Can’t separate HIS truth from reality because his head is so far up his ass.

[Chinook]

Same energy as saying “Thad is a top 3 player on this team” before the season started. Look where that ridiculous take got him. Same guy who says he doesn’t post as if they were a matter of fact comes out and says like, “No, he’s not. He’s clearly a PF”. Can’t separate HIS truth from reality because his head is so far up his ass.

Only head up my ass right now is yours, bro, with the way you keep following me around to complain. And what's your complaint, that I don't say, "This is my opinion" enough for you to not have to do any critical thinking when you read? It's pathetic, dude.

[Dejounte]

Only head up my ass right now is yours, bro, with the way you keep following me around to complain. And what's your complaint, that I don't say, "This is my opinion" enough for you to not have to do any critical thinking when you read? It's pathetic, dude.

Nah, you and your pompous ass.

[Chinook]

Nah, you and your pompous ass.

You've become so damned sour this year. You'd think with all your cheerleading for the young players, you'd be doing just fine. I know I've been just fine with watching the team, despite my disagreements on some things. Hopefully, this spitefulness is just a bit you're trying out, because it's not healthy. I mean it, man. It's really weird how far off the wagon you've fallen at this point.

[Dejounte]

You've become so damned sour this year. You'd think with all your cheerleading for the young players, you'd be doing just fine. I know I've been just fine with watching the team, despite my disagreements on some things. Hopefully, this spitefulness is just a bit you're trying out, because it's not healthy. I mean it, man. It's really weird how far off the wagon you've fallen at this point.

What’s weird is your insistence on pushing this dumbass narrative like you know me. I have a problem with arrogant people, especially those who use opinion under the guise of facts then pawn it off as if it wasn’t intentional. You’re disingenuous as and I’m going to call your bull out every single time because you’re a pompous brat who needs to get a reality check.

[Chinook]

What’s weird is your insistence on pushing this dumbass narrative like you know me. I have a problem with arrogant people, especially those who use opinion under the guise of facts then pawn it off as if it wasn’t intentional. You’re disingenuous as and I’m going to call your bull out every single time because you’re a pompous brat who needs to get a reality check.

The only narrative that's being pushed is how angry you've become. I don't know you, which is why I find it so weird that you could let the Spurs losing ruin your online experience. It's more sad than anything. I have to hope that you are really buying into what you've said though, and that you think you're being some virtuous person by "calling my bull out", because from my vantage point, it's been pathetic watching you go from a scouting person to a drama poster.

As far as I know, you're referencing your belief that I confused "people" (meaning you) into thinking I was reporting the Spurs were going to trade for Simmons event though in all my years on this forum I've never once claimed to have a source or broke any news. And instead of going like, "Oh, yeah. That's a good point. Maybe I read too much into it," it broke you in some way that makes you think I decided to be TSpence or whatever and then decided to backpedal. It's dumb conspiratorial thinking. Anything else, like who's the best player or whatever, is obviously an assertion that is subjective. Thinking that that's a fact is on you, because that's not a standard that you're holding to anyone else.

Then again, you were complaining about win-shares being based on team record, but you stopped once you had to read the formula and saw, again, that it actually doesn't factor in team wins at all. That should've been a wake-up call to you that you should dial back the vitriol a bit, since you spun off on this psychologist narrative for a few posts before going silent once the evidence was out there. But I see it just motivated you to look for a different nit to pick rather than just enjoying the team.

Also at "calling me out" by making snide remarks about me to other people.

[Dejounte]

Oh lord, another useless wall of text by the resident idiot. Good effort and another wasteful use of your time outside of your dumbass takes full of lies. Congratulations, jackass.

[Chinook]

Oh lord, another useless wall of text by the resident idiot. Good effort and another wasteful use of your time outside of your dumbass takes full of lies. Congratulations, jackass.

Imagine thinking this is "calling someone out".

[In a Batman voice] I fight for justice by complaining a post is too long.

[JeffDuncan]

No he's not. He's clearly just a short PF. I don't even believe he's a combo-forward in today's game. You definitely want three perimeter players around him. Only McD being a great shooter makes it so Johnson can even be listed ambiguously.

What would you say Keldon lacks to be a small forward? Lateral quickness? 3pt shooting? That sort of thing?

[Chinook]

What would you say Keldon lacks to be a small forward? Lateral quickness? 3pt shooting? That sort of thing?

I don't think he looks comfortable as a wing on either side of the ball. On defense a lot of that is quickness, but I also think he's more comfortable bodying up and contesting shots than he is navigating screens and playing passing lanes. On offense, I think he has the game of a combo-forward from seven or so years ago. He can space the floor (sometimes) and is developing some in-between moves, but he also seems to like fighting in the paint more, and his game tends to rely on overpowering players like you'd think a PF would. It's a quickness thing too, as I don't see him as an off-the-dribble creator that would call for a screen before going to work. He seems way more like the guy you'd want screening. There was definitely a time where SFs played like that, but I think the league has gotten to the point that that amount of perimeter skill is firmly within the PF range. I don't know if Johnson's game is more SF like than, say, Lyles' is.

[TD 21]

Agreed. I don't see how it can work out long run for him at the PF spot. He's too undersized to make it work in the long run. For it to be even feasible the Spurs would have to have an elite rim protector.

They have one . . . guy by the name of Poeltl. He perennially ranks among the top 5 or so in the league in defensive field goal percentage within 3 feet of the rim and block percentage.

Only head up my ass right now is yours, bro, with the way you keep following me around to complain. And what's your complaint, that I don't say, "This is my opinion" enough for you to not have to do any critical thinking when you read? It's pathetic, dude.

You once made the same complaint to me and I responded with essentially the same thing.

Anyway, I'd classify Johnson as a combo forward because unlike Tucker, Crowder, etc., he has a developing off the dribble game and despite his strength, he doesn't have their girth.

[Chinook]

You once made the same complaint to me and I responded with essentially the same thing.

Wait, you think it's funny that I had a similar reply to the same comment? Isn't that normal?

Anyway, I'd classify Johnson as a combo forward because unlike Tucker, Crowder, etc., he has a developing off the dribble game and despite his strength, he doesn't have their girth.

I hope Johnson shows the ability to play the three consistently. Right now, I think Kyle Anderson is more of a wing than Keldon is, and I wouldn't call Kyle even a combo-forward at this stage.

[TD 21]

Wait, you think it's funny that I had a similar reply to the same comment? Isn't that normal?



I hope Johnson shows the ability to play the three consistently. Right now, I think Kyle Anderson is more of a wing than Keldon is, and I wouldn't call Kyle even a combo-forward at this stage.

No, I mean your once made the comment to me that he's now made to you and I essentially gave you the same response you're now giving to him.

Anderson is definitely a combo forward, but more of a four.

[Chinook]

No, I mean your once made the comment to me that he's now made to you and I essentially gave you the same response you're now giving to him.

Just last month you said this:

As usual, I'm being objective.

So when I do talk about you not clarifying things are your opinion, it's due to you saying often that something isn't your opinion. You should be able to click on the quote for context, but it was about you believing that winning more games was objectively bad because of it could lead to worse lottery odds, and my critique was that lottery odds having more value than performance was your opinion rather than a fact.

Anderson is definitely a combo forward, but more of a four.

I think the Spurs should treat Johnson as their PF until he shows he can consistently play the three. Does that make sense?

[Dex]

Jeez, I feel like I'm listening to my crazy ass family bicker and Thanksgiving isn't even until next month.

[TD 21]

Just last month you said this:



So when I do talk about you not clarifying things are your opinion, it's due to you saying often that something isn't your opinion. You should be able to click on the quote for context, but it was about you believing that winning more games was objectively bad because of it could lead to worse lottery odds, and my critique was that lottery odds having more value than performance was your opinion rather than a fact.



I think the Spurs should treat Johnson as their PF until he shows he can consistently play the three. Does that make sense?

Pretty sure you meant it in a general sense, but whatever. The point was/is, even though I haven't agreed with their general direction post S bag, I've often prescribed (to use your word) things I could see happening or could make sense within' their framework. That's why I said as usual, I'm being objective.

But they're not really doing that. He's part of an amorphouse forward duo with McDermott. For example, he'll probably primarily defend James next game and McDermott will probably start on Jordan. It's all matchup dependant.

[Chinook]

Jeez, I feel like I'm listening to my crazy ass family bicker and Thanksgiving isn't even until next month.

Sorry, Uncle Dex. You know how much I hate it when Cousin Teeds talks about politics while we're eating.