Nice read. Sounds like no rotation player out of this group for this year.
Simmons and Anderson will both be on the big roster and will both get a chance at a smallish spot in the rotation. However, they probably get some veteran compe ion also before it's all said and done. Still, one of those 3 probably plays regular minutes.
Great analysis.
You may have articulated what I've only been feeling about Kyle Anderson -- his slowness isn't such a problem on defense as everyone assumes. It's only on offense that it drives you crazy.
I agree that the bloom is coming off the rose with Dairis Bertans. It's hard to say because he plays so damn hard every minute. I don't see the physical problems that you point out as being his undoing. For me, it's simply that he just isn't hitting those outside jumpers anymore. He still looks good shooting them, but they aren't going in. If he can't hit those shots, there's really no other reason to keep him around. But I cling to the hope that it may just be a slump and he may still turn it around. I keep thinking he'll hit it when it matters.
Thank you for your insight.
Rasual Butler and Tayshaun Prince are the two names I've heard the most. Anyone else you can think of? Dorrell Wright maybe?
Anderson fouls almost every time he drives. I'll be curious to see how much that gets called for it during the regular season. He has an impressive ability to make contested midrange jumpers, which is nice, because he probably won't do well going all the way to the basket. But he has to get his spot-up shooting to be more effective to make a difference getting big minutes.
Simmons reminds me a lot of Green from his earliest Spurs days -- the days that people seem to blank out where he was a jack of all trades and showed a lot more complete of a game than he has now. I honestly don't see why the Spurs need another rotation wing at this point. Neither he nor Anderson is proven, but they do enough to fill what's really a small role until/unless a strong vet wing is available to fill the spot. I do think that like Green, if Simmons sticks with the Spurs, he'll eventually become differentiated, but right now, I like him being a ball of energy trying to make things happen. Seems like a perfect fit with the bench. Would have liked to see him take those open threes he had today, though, especially considering that he's a good shooter.
LJC should really have come over to play in the d-league for a couple years. I really don't see how he's going to get the burn he needs to get some game going on ASVEL. It's just going to be another wasted year for him. His defensive IQ seems to have dipped since the second Utah game. His mobility is still top-notch, but he could use some solid instruction on how to use his tools to reach his potential on that end.
Cady just needs to play more basketball. I'd rather him do that on another team's dime, but he's worth stashing in Austin over losing his rights. He just has so much he needs to work on, and I think he still needs to mature, and the Spurs really don't have the time this season to deal with that, especially considering that LaLanne doesn't really have that good of upside.
Bertans still seems like a smart player, but he's just been done since he took that blow to the head against the Jazz. I actually think he is in Neal's class, if he's closer to his performance in the first game. But the Spurs are just much better than they were when a guy like Neal could make the rotation.
Eddie has stone hands, which is a death knell for a wing. I actually like Graham, and I could see him getting a camp invite to send to Austin. A couple of Utah guys I could see in camp are Ware and Roscoe Smith. The Spurs will need bodies, and honestly I think those guys have been way better than their counterparts. Blackshear would be nice as well. I'm really disappointed that the Spurs couldn't have found one competent center for the roster. Ndoye looks like he might have to settle for the d-league (as in not even Europe).
Still, a lot left to see. I'd like to see Simmons in the starting lineup next game. He and Anderson should work well together. They just need to scrounge up a competent lead guard. Wolters getting hurt is such a bummer.
Agree.
Anderson needs to go on the Beno taco diet and gain 65 pounds of solid Mexican food weight
Again, I feel like the Diaw comparisons are a bit lazy. Boris was a guard who was better suited to being a big due to his size. While he may not have had the agility to be a PG in the NBA, he was a great all-around athlete. I know that you might say, "Well nothing's perfect, but he can try to be a less-athletic Diaw". But that's missing the point. Diaw is Diaw BECAUSE he's still athletic. He can drive and kick like a guard because he can penetrate like one. Anderson can barely do that without the extra bulk on him. He'll also have to gain a ton of weight to be a great post player, seeing has he's at a leverage disadvantage against almost everybody. That lack of leverage will also hurt him when he has to rebound versus bigger players.
Anderson is not going to be Diaw. He needs to stay where he at least has a size advantage over other players. Instead of moving down, he needs to become more physical, kind of like Pierce or old Jack. Him having such a high release and being able to shoot well even when contested means he can get into the body of his defenders and shoot over them then they get off balance. On defense, he needs to be physical and use his length to smother his man. He'll never be great, but he can be frustrating with his wingspan and IQ. He just needs to have a ton of junk in his game, as he simply doesn't have the athleticism to be a smooth finesse player at the highest level.
Good point, Anderson should stop be a finesse player and just work on a more physical game. That and a 3 point shot.
Wright might be the best option. There is also Jason Richardson and Delfino if he has recover from his injury.
Correct and I said this originally when the er was drafted. HIM!
Great takes Timvp
You don't think the Spurs would just not offer a contract if he doesn't show much improvement this year?
Kyle Anderson is a complementary player. We all knew that. Whether he sticks, I. The Sours or anywhere, will be determined by whether he can stick his jumpers. Right now it's a total adventure. I think he's fixing his shot. But if he never gets it right, he's gone. I've always thought of him vis-vis Jared Dudley. Different players in some ways, but both very slow. Dudley has bounced a bit, but still can have value depending on how much he makes his spot attempts.
Thank you for the write-up, Timvp. We have missed your insights and observations.
Vet wings haven't fit in well with the Spurs of late. Maybe because of MG and TP's games are too well versed. RM3, RJ both sucked with Spurs. MB, questionable. Young wings DG, KL and lightly used PM have it. Even GH, GN and CoJo were amiable. Simmons sounds serviceable, roll with it! But if Manu or Tony go down injured mid season, see what's out there.
Last edited by Strategic; 07-12-2015 at 12:02 PM.
Everyone pretty much nailed their takes, nice reads. Here's mine.
Kyle Anderson
He has been hit or miss so far, and I would like to see him have more continuity with his performances. I wonder if this performance was more because of potential or if it was a breakout game due to having better players surrounding him. If it's the ladder that's great news because he'll have much more help on the Big squad. As for potential, as much as we tend to react to Kyle's play, he has had two nice games out of four.The Summer League is better compe ion than the D-League. Not many players can have those games, so give him that much credit. I guess we expect so much more from this guy cause either he was a ''name" in college or because of the Spurs success in the draft.
One thought I had was what if having Jonathon on the team helps to push Kyle further into being a better player. He seemed to feed off Jon's energy as did most the team. I also noticed Kyle played with more urgency tonight, not as laid back which is a positive sign. His defense has gotten better. He's not as bad a defender as we previously thought, so he's developing well in that aspect.
Jonathon Simmons
His play was shocking at first and it weathered down near the end. But my only question on this guy that I would like response is, how high is his ceiling?(Thread worthy? Maybe after more games) Wasn't Manu 25 when he came to the Spurs? Don't remember. But I wonder if they see this guy as a change of pace sub or someone who plays spot minutes to bring the noise, or that guy that can dunk over Ibaka to change the destiny of a series. Could this guy be a 6th man ala Jamal Crawford or J.R. Smith? So much intrigue, I can't wait to see how this all unfolds. I mean, he can do a lot of things on the court. The only weaknesses I see are his shaky handling and experience. I'm glad we locked him up for two years, just in case he does breakout. It was cool to see in crunch time he got touches as if it was like the rest of team knew he was an alpha. He didn't produce but still.
I'm not gonna beat a dead horse about the rest of the guys, so yeah, Jonathon and Kyle were all that really stuck out today.
Given his skill set and limitations the best way for him to find a role in SA is to pattern his game after Diaw. That is obviously not saying that they are the exact same type of player, but there are definite similarities. Diaw is athletic, but not as he once was. Anderson is not going to be a conventional quick forward.
Didn't Anderson feast in the D-League last year? I am puzzled to why he isn't drastically improving given a year of NBA level training/coaching/experience behind him.
The majority of the d league are not NBA talent.
Is not d league better then summer league
Maybe because these summer games are a mess strategy-wise, he´s playing with unfamiliar guys so there is no rhythm, also I assume he is losing a lot in the assists department because the other team mates were bricking really hard.
Players having 10 Personal Fouls means there is no punishment for sucking.
I agree and would extend that characterization to the Summer League as well (other than the top few draft picks). Someone in another thread said he looked, "Uninterested" and if that observation is accurate it worries me that he may think that he is too good for this and does not have to try hard or resents the situation.
When I saw Kyle a year ago, I thought he needed to transform into a different player if he wanted to make it into the NBA. Less ball dominant, lower-closer dribble, faster release, less of a gambler and more of a defender, bulk up a bit, etc. He'll never develop speed, but some of those things would help him become more versatile, and with a bit of craftiness, he could find his niche. I figured since he was going to the Toros, that's exactly what was going to happen. So it was disappointing to just see the same Kyle Anderson this time around.
Reading some of the comments here, maybe he can't be changed, he is who he is. And unfortunately, as it is, it's like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. I still don't see the niche that would allow him to stick in the league.
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