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I knew staying up this late was worth it. Thanks once again for all the hard work timvp!!!
For the first time since June, the Spurs played against another NBA team. In a much less stressful environment, San Antonio defeated the Atlanta Hawks in preseason action by a final score of 101-99 thanks to a Nando De Colo game-winning jumper with less than a second remaining. With the Big 4 sitting out (Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Matt Bonner), the Spurs got enough from the role players to get the W in front of their home fans.
Kawhi Leonard
Preseason hasn’t been kind to Kawhi Leonard so far. He was mediocre in the first outing and was straight up bad tonight. It seems like he’s trying to do too much. While he’s a good ballhandler for a small forward, he got in trouble trying to take it one-on-five. Leonard also stagnated the offense at times by holding the ball and forced a few shots. He was best when penetrating and quickly passing to the open teammate when the defense collapsed on him. Defensively, Leonard didn’t make a noticeable impact. Overall, I’m not too worried yet. Going from a role player to more than that is difficult in the NBA and Leonard is experiencing those growing pains. Plus, he didn’t look good last year in preseason either; he's someone whose game is better suited for the structure of real NBA compe ion.
Danny Green
Danny Green had a few highlights (namely a block in transition in addition to FINALLY hitting a three-pointer) but I’m still waiting for that spark. He was best last season when he brought infectious energy to the table and was in perpetual motion. In the first two preseason games (and in the scrimmage), Green is doing a lot of standing around and watching. He’s not talented enough to turn into a spot-up three-point shooter who also plays satisfactory defense. It’s obviously still early but I’m anxiously awaiting the return of that fire.
Cory Joseph
I’ve been high on Cory Joseph all summer and he got a great opportunity tonight when he was placed in the starting lineup. Unfortunately, the results were underwhelming. To begin the game, Joseph looked exactly like he looked last season: timid, unsure and too frightened to impose his will. The Spurs fell into a hole early mostly because Joseph was doing a poor job of initiating the offense. He wasn’t penetrating or creating -- just haphazardly running the motion sets late in the clock. Eventually he snapped out of it and got back to the attacking style that has caused the massive improvement in his game. When Joseph got going, he illustrated a strong pick-and-roll game -- both in terms of slashing to the hoop and finding the open man -- and very good defensive skills (he’s particularly adept at drawing offensive fouls against bigmen setting screens). All in all, it was probably a step back. Joseph really could have taken a huge leap forward tonight but he showed that those rookie warts haven’t totally vanished yet.
Eddy Curry
The enigma that is Eddy Curry remains tantalizing. In the first half, he looked dominant at times. He was running the court extremely well, rebounding with enthusiasm and staying mentally engaged at both ends. Perhaps the most tantalizing moment of them all was when he beat Al Horford off the dribble on his way to a score. Curry hasn’t done something like that in an NBA game in a long, long time. In the second half, I wasn’t nearly as impressed. His transition defense was horrid, he missed a few rebounds that bounced right to him and he turned into a black hole on offense. Curry had a few positive moments in the final two quarters but they were sporadic. Add both halves together and the picture remains murky. What do you do with him if you’re the Spurs front office? Sometimes he absolutely looks like an NBA level player. Other times he looks like too much of a raw specimen to ever truly help a championship-aspiring team. Right now, it’d be difficult to let him go but it’d also be difficult to figure out a scenario in which he’ll help the team on a consistent basis.
Derrick Brown
Derrick Brown’s statistics look encouraging but I continue to not like what I see from him. Defensive is the most glaring disappointment. Although he’s very long for a combo forward, his length is negated out on the perimeter because he’s not quick or light on his toes. When playing on the interior, he doesn’t have the strength to hold his position. On offense, he likes to catch the ball outside of the paint and face up. The problem is he has no ball skills and no jumper. Maybe he’ll prove me wrong in the upcoming games but nothing about Brown really stands out as a major strength. Add in the fact that he doesn’t look as athletic as he was last season and it’s safe to say I’m not a fan right now.
Nando De Colo
After playing shooting guard in both the scrimmage and the first preseason game, the coaching staff changed things up and let De Colo play point guard against the Hawks. By the end of the game, I was convinced that point guard is his truest position in the NBA. The vision and timing De Colo demonstrated in the open court and in pick-and-roll sets were extraordinary. When you boil it down, he simply looks like a player who should have the ball in his hands. His nine assists begin to tell the story of just what kind of passer this guy can be down the line. While his ballhandling isn’t great for a point guard, he’s a long 6-foot-5 so he’s able to use his body to shield the ball. Early on, defense was an issue (especially against Jeff Teague) mostly due to being too jumpy and reacting to every juke. Eventually, De Colo settled down and actually came up with a handful of strong defensive plays in the second half. Oddly enough, even though he hit the game-winning jumper, his jumper is the aspect I liked the least. When he shoots it off the dribble, he fades backwards and gets very little arc on the ball. He also doesn’t have a high release so it’s easy for a defender to bother him. De Colo’s standstill jumper uses too much elbow and it’s a slow release. Working with Chip Engelland should do him a world of good.
Gary Neal
Free to play his natural shooting guard position, Gary Neal was quite impressive. Offensively, he relentlessly looked to generate points. While his “looking” usually resulted in him taking the shot himself, he also authored a number of surprisingly good passes. It seems that the time he has spent at point guard has made him a more well-rounded player -- even when he’s back at shooting guard. Defensively, Neal was good. It’s amazing what happens when he’s able to play his natural position -- he goes from a horrible defender at point guard to adequate at shooting guard. Regrettably for him, it’s doubtful that Neal will see much time at shooting guard this season unless there’s an injury or an unforeseen slump.
Josh Powell
Out of all the training camp invitees, Josh Powell has easily been the best player. Although it’s likely that he’s playing well over his head (he’s just not as good as he has looked so far in silver in black), give him credit for peaking at an opportune time. On the low block, Powell is pulling off Olajuwon-ish moves. When he’s not scoring, he’s finding teammates with perfect passes. On defense, he’s strong on the post and is using his athleticism to alter shots. If an outsider witnessed just the first two preseason games and the scrimmage, they’d assume Powell is far and away the best bigman on the team. That’s how well he has been playing. It’s not going to last but I can’t fathom how the Spurs can let him go as long as he keeps playing this well.
Stephen Jackson
There’s not much to report in regards to Stephen Jackson. His outside stroke looks silky smooth. He’s still getting touches in the low block. His defense is a work in progress as he gets back into basketball shape. I guess the most significant Jackson-related development is the fact that he’s playing like a total team player. That self-absorbed, high usage gunner who played in those colorful uniforms between 2004 and 2011 appears to be dead and buried.
Boris Diaw
Was it my imagination or did Boris Diaw get even skinnier from the first preseason game? He’s almost legitimately in good shape right now. As a result, he’s much quicker to the basketball and is more agile on the perimeter. He wasn’t too involved on either end tonight but his passing was splendid, per usual, and he wasn’t afraid to mix it up in the paint -- even though he has less padding to throw around.
Tiago Splitter
Tiago Splitter didn’t play in the first half but logged 13 minutes in the third and fourth periods. (Body-wise, he looked different. I couldn’t pinpoint the difference right away but I think he’s skinnier and less muscular up top compared to last season.) Splitter’s first outing of preseason was a mixed bag. He moved rather well, especially defensively, and had no problems running the court. Splitter’s passing was also a positive. The rest of his offensive game, though, wasn’t pretty. His post-up moves were weak and his picks weren’t creating any space -- mostly due to poor timing between him and the ballhandler.
Wesley Witherspoon
I continue to like Wesley Witherspoon as a D-League prospect. He looks the part of an NBA swingman and he has a feathery touch from the outside with a high release point. Add in really good athleticism and it’s a package that will hopefully land in Austin.
DeJuan Blair
DeJuan Blair only played nine minutes but he made the most of it. On defense, he’s much more involved. Since he’s so much lighter than previous years, he’s able to defend pick-and-rolls better and step out on the perimeter and challenge jump-shooters. I even saw him grab a couple contested defensive rebounds -- and that’s something that’s been missing since his rookie season. Offensively, the story was the 20-foot jumper than he buried. Yes, DeJuan Blair took and swished a 20-footer. I watched him in warmups and he was draining shot after shot from beyond 18 feet. If Blair legitimately adds a jumper to his arsenal, that changes everything. Let’s hope that he continues to take and make that shot.
Tyler Wilkerson
The one invitee who didn’t get a legit look tonight was Tyler Wilkerson. I’m still hoping the Spurs give him at least one long look before deciding to waive him.
Pop
-Obviously, the decision to give De Colo a look at point guard was the story of the game coaching-wise. With four other legit point guard options on the roster (five if you count Ginobili), testing out De Colo seemed like overkill -- but it turned out to be the right call. However, now the decision on who to go with just got a lot more difficult for Pop.
-Is Splitter feeling some sort of backlash? Pop recently talked about being disappointed that Splitter missed the beginning of camp once again. In the first game he’s active, Splitter doesn’t play in the first half. Was that a coincidence or a subtle message? Probably the former but there may be more to it.
-I liked that Pop pulled the plug early on Leonard. It just wasn’t working. On the other hand, I’d like to see Green be given a chance to rediscover his groove. This zombie version isn’t going to be useful as is.
-Holding out the Big 4 was totally acceptable. However, it’ll be interesting to see how Pop uses the rest of the preseason. Duncan, Ginobili and Parker all appear to be in very good shape so they don’t need too much more game action. The more pressing issues are to select a backup point guard and to figure out who is going to make the cut. If I had to guess, we’ll see the whole team once or twice more in the rest of preseason but otherwise Pop will use the games to figure out these other issues.
I knew staying up this late was worth it. Thanks once again for all the hard work timvp!!!
Very nice write up. I didn't get to watch the game, but which 5 would you say made for the best combination(excluding Wilkerson of course)?
Also, I think Kawhi may be trying to do too much. He himself said that he would continue to try to show that he could do more than what was demonstrated last year(which we all know). So I think he may be trying to force himself to create plays, maybe he is just testing this out for the pre-season.
I find it interesting that Bonner was grouped with the Big 3 on the bench for this game, but it really makes a lot of sense when you think about it.
-Benching Bonner frees up minutes for the 3 main camp invites (Curry, Brown, and Powell), allowing them to get extended looks. Plus, it also gives more minutes to Blair, Splitter, and (to a lesser extent) Diaw, all of whom need more reps.
-Other than the Big 3, Bonner is pretty much the most known quan y on this team. For better or worse, you basically know what he's going to bring to the table. Everyone else on the roster is either relatively new to the team, or has some upside that could improve their game in some significant fashion. At this point in his career, Bonner is basically what he's going to be.
the emergence of de colo.....jumping the gun to resign mills up a roster spot was fail....
Excellent write-up as usual! Thanks timvp!
Thanks TIMVP ...
Hey, nobody knew he was gonna be this good... plus his jumper's wonkier. I like the idea of having a small gunner/combo guard alongside De Colo like what the Mavs did with Kidd/Terry.
But what are the Spurs going to do with so many guards - TP, Manu, Green, Neal, De Colo, Mills. Unless Manu gets injured again, there aren't enough minutes to go around.
Thanks for the recap. I'm out of town so I didn't get to see the game.
Thanks for the write-up, LJ.
Let's hope Grizzly's jumper and defensive intensity is for real.
did anyone enjoy watchin curry this game...lmao the hawks player who was gettin manhandled by him, which i thought a fight nearly break out cause he was being whipped around the floor by curry
He's a bit of a poison.. I can't think of a player that makes you stand up from your chair more than him (ok, Blake Griffin), but that kinda makes it hard to keep him out of the game when he has his days off., and when he does, he can make you lose the game by himself.. He's the epitome of a hit or miss player, perhaps pops can make his jumper more reliable, that would be huge...
Thanks for the observations. Sounds like the logjam at the guard position just increased with Nando's play. If he remains in a funk, sounds like Danny may be the guy who stands to suffer the most. If his offense isnt clicking, he should recommit himself to defense, which is where he can offer something none of the other guards can right now.
Sound like the 15th slot is Curry's to lose. Not sure what to make of your Josh Powell take, but it sounds like you expect the other shoe to drop soon. And with Brown, nothing other than the fact that he is 6'8" and long has stood out is what I'm reading.
You could say we're rebuilding while we're still winning.. Boston is tryin to do the same, taking a lot of promising players that in no way help you win right now, but could be good when the veterans retire... I mean, take manu, tim, jacks and bonner out, and we have tony/mills/joseph green/neal/decolo kawhi diaw splitter... that's a reasonable rotation that helps the team resign players for cheap since they do not get enough playing time to really explode.. Basically sign a big man and a scrub pf and we're set for a decent few years of playoff despite not having a single lottery season .
imho if brown doesn't at least show the potential to defend at the next level, we should kick his ass out right now...
Am I the only one who want Neal with SG playing time of Danny Green.
Green is too steaky and is worthless even on D when he is is not hitting the 3s.
Neal is the only player with Manu and S Jackson hitting the 3s when the pressure is there
Couldn't agree more...
Please never refer to Bonner as part of the Big 4 ever, ever again. kthxbaibai
Spurs fans are complaing about Pop and his losing of defensive mindset. Giving Neal more playing time instead of Green (who is streaky, I agree) will not help to improve defensively. Green seemed to be our best perimeter defender last season. If the Spurs need a clutch three at the end of a game, just take a timeout and insert Neal ... he is cold blooded enough to hit it without having played 20+ minutes before.
Neal on the starting is risky on the defensive end but I would like him as the backup SG where he is matched with average scorer
Starting lineup :
Parker
Ginobili
Leonard
Diaw
Duncan
Bench :
De Colo
Neal
Jackson
Bonner or Blair
Splitter
The starting lineup is good defensively and this bench has passing, shooting and is not that bad defensively with Jackson and Splitter.
Also, the bench would not be too much over sized at the guard position with the 6'5 De Colo
And anyway, 10 minutes of Neal at PG is a lot worse for the defense that 20 minutes of Neal at SG IMO
I agree that Neal has to play SG, but skipping Danny Green completely seems wrong to me. His first two preseason games were bad, but I think he is just a fierce compe or as is Kawhi Leonard (who had two bad games as well). He will increase intensity in the regular season and the shot making will follow. We really have to many guards who deserve minutes, although De Colo has yet to show consistency ...
Thanks for the summary, can't wait for the first televised game.
Great stuff, as always.
Season is getting primed and the Spurs Fans are hungry!
our backcourt is way to stacked and its costing us depth in the frontcourt. we have 6 guards, and kawhi and jax will have a monopoly at the 3. bonner also eats a spot.
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