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The only real reason (I can think of) of keeping Nando is to trade him later on... Other than that I don't know what the Spurs could possibly do with him.
-I'm still impressed with Tim Duncan. I don't see much of a drop off from last season. If he can have another vintage year, that alone would make these Spurs championship contenders.
-I'm also very happy with Manu Ginobili. He looks like he's sharp and in good shape. His intensity is already off the charts. Oh, and his defense has been surprisingly really good in preseason.
-Tony Parker looks fine. He's not pushing it much past first gear -- but he doesn't need to at this point.
-The little we saw of Splitter was more of the same. Strong D, good movement on O, play hard, etc.
-Danny Green passed the ball well and was attentive defensively. His off the dribble game doesn't seem like it has improved, though. But, really, expecting it to at this point of his career would probably be foolish.
-Corey Maggette has made a career out of getting to the free throw line. He did that again today. However, I wasn't too impressed with what I saw. He's a player who relies on his athleticism to be effective ... and the soon to be 34-year-old didn't display any of the explosiveness of yesteryear. Take away his ability to physically dominate and you have a subpar defender who is an iffy outside shooter, an average rebounder, below average basketball IQ-wise, and a limited passer and playmaker. Hopefully he shows more athletic ability as preseason progresses but as of right now, it's just not there.
-Marco Belinelli continues to show he has a lot to learn. His defense needs to be about two or three notches more intense. Floating on that end of the court won't win him any minutes. Offensively, he illustrated some ability in the pick-and-roll but also made a few ill-advised passes. Shooting-wise, he needs to learn that in San Antonio, shooters have the space to get stationary, get set and fire. He was constantly shooting from an off-balanced stance, which hurt his accuracy. While shooting off-balance was necessary for a lot of his previous career due to not playing in offenses that created open shots, that's no longer the case. Get set, Marco. No longer must you lean and otherwise cavort in order to find open space. Thanks in advance.
-I thought Jeff Ayres played pretty damn well and looks to be a really good fit. He runs the court hard, which works well in this system. He is comfortable from the high post and looks to be able to shoot well and pass well from that area of the court -- which again fits well in this system. Ayres plays hard, plays physically, sets strong screens and seems to have an above average basketball IQ for a bigman. I like what I've seen and he's making a good case for himself for a possible spot in the rotation.
-Aaron Baynes played decently well. I'm still a bit disappointed by his lack of physicality. He's a big, strong dude who can jump -- he has to use that to his advantage. There were again multiple points in this game where he didn't take advantage and instead tried to get by with finesse. That ain't gonna cut it.
-Matt Bonner did Matt Bonner things.
-Cory Joseph again was underwhelming. He was the first PG off the bench but looked uncomfortable. His D was nothing special and his O was much too herky-jerky. Let's hope he gets extended minutes in one of these upcoming games and builds upon the promise he exhibited last season.
-Patty Mills looked pretty good again. Sure, he's not a point guard but he can shoot and his slimmed down physique allows him to be a better defender. With Joseph yet to take the backup reins and the possibility that the Spurs could use more shooting off the bench due to the loss of Gary Neal, Mills has a legitimate chance to crack the rotation if things break his way and he keeps playing well.
-Drama! Nando De Colo started the second half. But Pop yanked him in less the two minutes and gave him a serious tongue lashing. De Colo responded by pouting and sitting on the baseline a good five to seven feet away from the nearest Spurs player. Pop reinserted him in the fourth quarter and even allowed him to play point guard -- but there wasn't much positive to report. It looks like De Colo is unhappy. Does he want the Spurs to release him so he can retreat back to Europe? That's the body language he's displaying right now.
-I like the defense Courtney Fells played. He pressured the ball well and was able to move his feet against smaller players. He was also very active on the boards. He didn't appear to be too skillful on the offensive end but his overall tenacity did him well this afternoon.
-Marcus Cousin plays like DeMarcus Cousins but with less of an emphasis on D. Marcus Cousin looks a he's gained quite a bit of weight since the last time he was in training camp. It's changed him as a player but it hasn't gotten him any closer to making the NBA.
The only real reason (I can think of) of keeping Nando is to trade him later on... Other than that I don't know what the Spurs could possibly do with him.
yep ayres is gonna make the team, you could see he's a good fit the first time he stepped on the court as a spur
- i agree maggette was pretty bad i didnt think he played with much intensity at all and not having the ability to consistently shoot the outside shot is gonna be tough for him to play, with that said i think bruno mentioned this was his first game in 10 months, hopefully he gets into game shape soon
It would be damn understandable if Nando wants to get the out of Spurs. They are clearly showing him they don't count on him and their behavior with him has been questionable these last months.
well maybe if he didn't suck in every aspect of the game he would get some playing time
This scrub was getting on by camp players in preseason, what a joke.
They don't count on him because he's been awful. What behavior from the spurs organization would you call "questionable?"
And I'm actually genuinely curious - I've been away from spurs basketball pretty much all summer so I haven't been keeping up with anything. I didn't even know that we had signed Corey Maggette until today
He is being treated the same way as Chucky Brown and Beno Udrih. He strikes me as the type that thinks he is a of a lot better than he actually is and doesn't feel the need to prove himself.
All of the bad stereotypes they pile on millennials here in the states he exhibits.
De Colo is out of his depth in the NBA. Anybody who thought he had game because of a couple of fluke performances against Miami and Chicago was only kidding themselves.
As for CoJo, maybe he's still stuck in 1st gear, but one assist in 19 minutes of action is pretty damning. And to think, Mo Williams was available and on the market. RC had a pretty disastrous off season.
lol disastrous
From the start, I dunno but I see Ayres as PF (Tyson) Chandler. A great team player.
It doesn't matter why they don't count on him.
It's questionable to put a player from the backup PG spot to the inactive list without explaining him why.
It's questionable to ask a player to play summer league while it's the only time of the year he can spend a couple of weeks with his family and while he has a lot of experience.
It's questionable to yank after a player that is in the doghouse.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying "Poor Nando, Pop is so unfair with him." It's just that he is in a tough situation and I would understand him wanting to get out of it.
I see Ayres more like a post injury Antonio McDyess.
IMO, all those things sound to me like they're trying to "humble" him. Pop is a guy that will put players through unpleasant stuff to see if you have what it takes. Tony would know a thing or two about that.
I don't know if it's fair or not, but this isn't new and I think the Spurs take that as a part of character building.
Nando needs to do only one thing to show that he can stay with the team... shoot the ball when he is open.
So far, he has not shown this at all!
Not during the playoffs.
Not during summer league.
Not during the pre-season.
Now he wants to show his displeasure by sulking on the bench??
The Spurs already passed on free agency by keeping him on the books. Should the Spurs pass on some more players?
"Get over yourself" is only second to "pounding the rock" as a team motto.
Bruno, didn't Nando make a choice not to spend some time with his family in the weeks prior to summer league ball? Then when the Spurs needed to use summer league to shore up the back up point guard position you suggest that he deserved a free pass? Why don't we take up a collection plate and fly the poor man's family to the states for a couple weeks visit?
Well, I'm skeptical on how you need to humble or build the character of a 26 years old player that is starting his 8th professional year. It might be true for a 19 years old Parker or a college player but not for a seasoned vet.
No, he didn't.
De Colo, played SG in summer league. I really failed to see the interest while he has played hundreds of highest level games at SG in his career, while he was going to play the next 2 months SG with the French National Team and while Spurs still had three high level SG with Green, Ginobili and Belinelli.
Basketball wise, it was so pointless to have De Colo playing SL.
Bonner was 26 when he joined the Spurs and had the same treatment. Oberto after he won an olympic gold medal and had a long career in Europe. Same with Splitter.
Pop's act doesn't discriminate, tbh... if he thinks a player needs it, he goes with it.
It appears that Nando is having a hard time fitting in with the Spurs. I like to see the club give these guys every opportunity possible. I hope it works out for him. As for lacking quality family time, these guys have all of my sympathies.
Yeah, sure... Pop humbled and build Oberto's character.
Bruno, I respect you, but that's a really silly comment. Young players don't have a monopoly on this stuff. Players come into the league with all different kings of maturity, and they move through their careers with the same variety. You can't tell me that Kobe, a serious veteran, would ever be able to "get over himself" even if he tried 100 years. It's pretty clear that Nando feels that he's better than he is, or at the very least deserves a different role. It's also obvious to everyone watching that he's just not that good. At the end of the day he's a professional athlete that makes insane money - and he wants to pout...again? Sounds like an immature baby to me.
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