Game Thread: Spurs at Pistons January 1, 2022 | 6:00 PM CT

[offset formation]

I hate watching Bryn Forbes play basketball so much.

I can't even enjoy anything else happening on the court because it's hard to ignore how useless this dude is.

Poeltl is illating though, amiright?

[KobesAchilles]

Jak's free throw shooting is also a disgrace. Let's be honest.

The guy is extremely skilled. The fact that you can’t see that shows your bias. When you have all the skills that Jak does you don’t need to be able to shoot the ball. He already does so much for the team, from fantastic perimeter defense to best offensive rebound rate in the league to probably setting the best screens I’ve ever seen in my whole life. He is a winner. Period. Who cares that he shoots free throws at a rate of 20%. He’s far from being a problem and without him we are a lottery team. Dude could be a starter on the league leading Warriors and make them even better. Who else on our team could do that?

[DMC]

They are no better than their record - DMC

[daslicer]

The guy is extremely skilled. The fact that you can’t see that shows your bias. When you have all the skills that Jak does you don’t need to be able to shoot the ball. He already does so much for the team, from fantastic perimeter defense to best offensive rebound rate in the league to probably setting the best screens I’ve ever seen in my whole life. He is a winner. Period. Who cares that he shoots free throws at a rate of 20%. He’s far from being a problem and without him we are a lottery team. Dude could be a starter on the league leading Warriors and make them even better. Who else on our team could do that?

Spurs are already a lottery team with him.

[KobesAchilles]

Spurs are already a lottery team with him.

It was my best DAF86 impression. Word for word these are all things he has said.

[daslicer]

It was my best DAF86 impression. Word for word these are all things he has said.

that's too funny he actually said it word for word.

[offset formation]

It was my best DAF86 impression. Word for word these are all things he has said.

Top 5 center as I recall.

[offset formation]

This might be the worst loss in the Spurs history. the 5-28 Pistons are missing 13 players!!!

Read this about 2 hours ago and have been thinking over my time as a Spurs fan and I think you're absolutely right. Not the most devastating loss by any means, but it is, I think, absolutely the worst loss in Spurs history when you think of the supposed talent discrepancy and how many roster players that Detroit had out tonight. 11 vs our 3 or 4.

A week ago we almost beat them by 40. This is absolutely a franchise worst and may be sufficient to have a fire sale of White and KJ and Poeltl. If those guys can't lead a victory over a historically depleted Detroit team, then they aren't starters.

[KobesAchilles]

Top 5 center as I recall.

Yeah it was trip arguing with him. At some point you just have to respect the fandom. I thought I was literally arguing with Jak for a good amount of time the way he defended him

[Ice009]

the play in I want a top 5 pick - We dearly need talent and someone who will put butts in seats in the stadium

I am starting to think that this way of rebuilding sucks. I think I would rather finish near the bottom and get someone that has more talent, and like you said, can put butts in seats, also, someone worth watching that has more potential to reach (you could get lucky and get a Kawhi or Giannis, but mid-first rounders don't normally have that high of a ceiling). It's the only way I know how, so I haven't seen it done another way, as the only Basketball team I ever followed as a kid until now is the Spurs, and that is how they got both D-Rob and TD by finishing towards the bottom of the standings (I know these players aren't available every year, and even though I was a kid, I knew how big it was to get TD and appreciated it just as much then as I do now). Being a middle team with middle talent really does suck. I'd rather win big or fail. I don't think I like average/mediocrity.

I will also add that I agree with the poster that said this might be our worst loss in 20 years. If you try your hardest and still lose, I can live with that, but I don't think this team did that today. When I was following the '96-'97 Spurs season as a kid (might not be remembering that whole season correctly), I thought those guys played hard almost every single game despite them having a ton of injuries to main players such as D-Rob and Sean Elliott. The guys that did play, they put forth the effort (I remember Greg Anderson holding Shaq and Hakeem to low scoring totals in one game each when they were dominating everyone that season. They just didn't have the talent but the effort was there. I felt bad that Dominique had to try and carry the load when he was supposed to be the 3rd or 4th option before the season started). I can't say that about this year's team, especially in this game against a severely depleted Pistons team. The will to compete and try to win just isn't there for some of the players on the team. Contrast White and Dejounte. Dejounte competes even when he plays bad, White just doesn't do the same IMO. I'm ready to move on from White. If the Spurs want a higher pick, they should sit Dejounte out, as he is the only player IMO on the team that competes every game.

[siraulo23]

lmao what a game

just when you think the Spurs have turned the corner, they pull this, i know its a second night of a back to back and they missing dejounte and lonnie but come on they playing the pistons missing 13 players ffs

clutch shot tho by Saddiq

[BatManu20]

this team won't win a single game on this road trip. Tank should be rolling here soon.

Let’s hope so. Been saying it all season — this team desperately needs a top-3 pick. The only way this franchise is going to get a franchise guy is through the draft. Spurs need to fire up that tank ASAP tbh.

[GreekSpursfan]

Happy New Year my fellow Spurs fans, i wish you the best for you and your families and above all a healthy new year. Not need getting worked up about these games.

[Dex]

The guy is extremely skilled. The fact that you can’t see that shows your bias. When you have all the skills that Jak does you don’t need to be able to shoot the ball. He already does so much for the team, from fantastic perimeter defense to best offensive rebound rate in the league to probably setting the best screens I’ve ever seen in my whole life. He is a winner. Period. Who cares that he shoots free throws at a rate of 20%. He’s far from being a problem and without him we are a lottery team. Dude could be a starter on the league leading Warriors and make them even better. Who else on our team could do that?

Hard disagree. There is no excuse for anybody who calls themselves a professional basketball player and spent their life playing the game to not be able to perform its one most basic task at a reasonable level.

I'm not asking for him to shoot 80% from the free throw line or anything, but 36% is just dreadful, no matter how you wanna shape it. We are talking like historically bad.

I agree that he does a lot of other things exceptionally well and is possibly the most underrated player on the team, but all of those skills can't be utilized if he is stuck on the bench because teams can just foul him and basically get free possessions.

If you can't trust him to close games without giving up points at the line, that is a problem.

[MultiTroll]

I can't say that about this year's team, especially in this game against a severely depleted Pistons team. The will to compete and try to win just isn't there for some of the players on the team. Contrast White and Dejounte. Dejounte competes even when he plays bad, White just doesn't do the same IMO. I'm ready to move on from White. If the Spurs want a higher pick, they should sit Dejounte out, as he is the only player IMO on the team that competes every game.

112-111 Spurs with :58 to go and the ball in OT....

Turnover by White was slacker. I know his foot is jacked up and maybe that took some mental energy away but FFS as the highest paid Spur and ball handler you can't have a Slacker Turn at that point.

[emanueldavidginobili]

Love KJs heart and hustle but the kid just lacks basketball instincts. Imo, almost every play he does on the court offensively seems premeditated instead of reacting to what is actually happening on the court.

Derricks 14 assist are nice and all but to be the the so called best player on the court against a bunch of scrubs you need to make more than 5 ing baskets in 42 minutes of play.

[Sugus]

Jeez, I miss two games in a row once again and ST's back into suicide watch (once again). That bad, huh?

I'd say I'll replay the games later and see what happened but... Forbes highest scorer on the team... I can already get a good picture

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

Call me reactionary, but I was OK with winning for a couple of games there and now, after tonight, I'm back on Team Tank.
Sorry for wavering on my convictions for a bit.

The wins are fool's gold. This team needs talent.

Welcome Aboard The L Train!

[Dejounte]

Tre-Forbes-Primo-Vassell-Landale line-up

Tre-White-Primo-Keldon-Poeltl line-up

Tre-White-Primo-Vassell-Eubanks line-up

These are all the line-ups when Primo was in it. Looks like Pop insists on him playing the 3 so far.

He brought up the ball from full court 2-3 times.

Great vision as a passer in a half court setting when he has the ball in an ISO.

[KingKev]

These are all the line-ups when Primo was in it. Looks like Pop insists on him playing the 3 so far.

He brought up the ball from full court 2-3 times.

Great vision as a passer in a half court setting when he has the ball in an ISO.

I’d rather see him see most of his minutes at the 2 once we have proper roster construct.

[heyheymymy]

Primo "authored" some decent passes and at one point found a wide open teammate on the 3pt line but they clanged it out. Looks bad on Primo's end in the box score but he did everything right there and was let down by a teammate that couldn't convert on Primo's AST

Primo also had some pretty noob moments too, just a ton of potential that is still very raw. Had a few nice looks from 3 that just wouldn't fall for him. Some avoidable TOs and looking out of place in general at times. This depth depletion is going to be a blessing in disguise next year in terms of development.

Sucks to lose a close one but remember, that was the best possible outcome and this season is weird like that. Guys get a nice test run on late game crucial moments but pick up the L towards a nicer pick. We are spurs fans so it's probably hardest for us to remember but right now Ls = Ws. It's all gravy right now, win less and get a nicer pick win more and get exp, pop's record, and maybe a little playoff exp.

I believe PATFO can still strike relative gold in the 10-12 range so I'm not hyper focused on a top 5 pick or whatever though the higher the pick obviously the more easily PATFO can pick the highest possible talent or at least have the flexibility to take who they want if they select high enough or even possibly trade down to who they really want with an asset thrown in for the upgraded pick.

[talkspurs]

In spurs defense Detroit just beat Milwaukee tonight.

[offset formation]

In spurs defense Detroit just beat Milwaukee tonight.

So did we. The Bucks aren't really a good team despite their 3rd place standing -- not sure if they're just in a post championship funk or what but they're not playing remotely similarto how they did last year, often dominating their opponentsearly and often. Milwaukee had ZERO business losing to them. They only rely on their superior talent and barely squeak out victories on many nights.

[Fireball]

just remembered i wanted to put something down here: i hate that Garcia guy ... what an ugly continously complaing er