Pivotal First Preseason Game Thread - Spurs @ Kings - Oct 8, 2015 9 PM CST

[Kawhitstorm]

he has coached a a couple or 3 games, but i haven't seen anything influenced by him thus far in his Spurs tenure and neither his on court presence suggests that on the surface.. ..

He's the Porker of the coaching staff. En led b/c of his superstar status in Europe.

[BillMc]

Patty and Kawhi looked ready to go.

Anderson has come a long way and is a pleasant development. He already seems one of the sharpest guys on the court and he's beginning to use his size well.

West had his moments, nothing staggering.

LMA looked lost and tentative. -21 tonight, the offense stalled around him.

Simmons didn't really look like an NBA player to me. Ray M looked like an NBA player, but a bad one. Boban looked deep benchish (which is what he is, nothing more). All were disappointments to me.

Jimmer looked bad, too slow on his release. Can't see much to get excited about him.

Butler looked good.

[HarlemHeat37]

Ya, I don't see how anybody can judge Simmons from anything we saw tonight, he didn't really get a chance to stand out, and to be fair, he didn't really make any noticeable mistakes, either..pretty neutral performance..

It's easier to judge a player like Fredette since we've already seen him in the NBA and we all know his flaws at the NBA level..still, though, everybody deserves more than 1 game, of course..

Generally speaking, though, most of the experienced players you see in these preseason games have low ceilings and won't really improve much from what you've already seen from them at the NBA level(McCallum, Jimmer, etc)..

[TheDoctor]

Never forget.

[Nathan89]

LMA been chilling with his family all damn summer.

[SAGirl]

I liked Simmons in general... didn't stand out like in SL, but I thought he made generally good decisions... he wasn't better than KA tonight, but I didn't he stunk up the joint (ie: like Jimmer)

On that you are right. I still like what I see from him, but his ballhandling is an issue though and he didn't change my mind on that tonight. Hopefully he improves. I really like him with Kyle. The lineup with him, Kyle and Butler was the best, but Jonathon is likely to have that ball stolen in traffic a lot.

[Kawhitstorm]

Generally speaking, though, most of the experienced players you see in these preseason games have low ceilings and won't really improve much from what you've already seen from them at the NBA level(McCallum, Jimmer, etc)..

For the low ceiling players, it's more about finding a niche & a system that will cater to them. Jimmer has bounced around & hasn't found a marketable niche, Ray on the other hand can be a Patty type player in the Spurs system if he improves his outside shot (he converted both of his 3 point attempts tonight).

[Chinook]

On that you are right. I still like what I see from him, but his ballhandling is an issue though and he didn't change my mind on that tonight. Hopefully he improves. I really like him with Kyle. The lineup with him, Kyle and Butler was the best, but Jonathon is likely to have that ball stolen in traffic a lot.

Yeah. Having Mills in there with him helped. McCallum's shooting would be such a boon if it holds up. But I really liked that second quarter lineup. Ndoye moves hos feet really well, and if he can learn to finish off the PnR in Austin this season, he can be somewhere between Splitter and Baynes. I actually didn't like Boban much in this game. Would be interesting to see who would make the team of no one's salary were guaranteed.

[Kawhitstorm]

Hopefully LA loses a few more pounds by the end of the month, tbh..

Looks like he was enjoying his summer a bit too much ala Diaw/Blair. He should abstain from what-a-burger & Tex-Mex until the conclusion of the season.

[SpurPadre]

Ettore is ing awful. Chicago took the wrong coach srs

You only feel that way because Boylen still doesn't know who the Kawhi is.

[SAGirl]

Patty and Kawhi looked ready to go.

Anderson has come a long way and is a pleasant development. He already seems one of the sharpest guys on the court and he's beginning to use his size well.

West had his moments, nothing staggering.

LMA looked lost and tentative. -21 tonight, the offense stalled around him.

Simmons didn't really look like an NBA player to me. Ray M looked like an NBA player, but a bad one. Boban looked deep benchish (which is what he is, nothing more). All were disappointments to me.

Jimmer looked bad, too slow on his release. Can't see much to get excited about him.

Butler looked good.

Agree with you!!!

[TheGreatYacht]

You only feel that way because Boylen still doesn't know who the Kawhi is.

[Kawhitstorm]

You only feel that way because Boylen still doesn't know who the Kawhi is.

Boylen is a decent offensive mind meanwhile Ettore claims to be an offensive genius & call awful sets.

[ace3g]

[HarlemHeat37]

For the low ceiling players, it's more about finding a niche & a system that will cater to them. Jimmer has bounced around & hasn't found a marketable niche, Ray on the other hand can be a Patty type player in the Spurs system if he improves his outside shot (he converted both of his 3 point attempts tonight).

I agree to an extent..improving ball-handling is extremely difficult in your 20s, can't teach height, can't teach coordination/balance very well, etc, but shooting is something you can improve later in life with the correct coaching/situation(assuming you have decent height and release speed), so if McCallum can make 3s at a higher level than his 30% from last year, he could become a backup level PG on a good team..

[SpurPadre]

Boylen is a decent offensive mind meanwhile Ettore claims to be an offensive genius & call awful sets.

Well, If I'm Hoiberg, I make damn sure Boylen recites to him the whole roster each and every day. Nevertheless, I'm not sold on Ettore, either. Too bad we can't bring back PJ, tbh.

[ducks]

Lma needs tp to set him up

[Spurtacular]

Butler is getting a roster spot. Jimmer has to play well to force the team to part ways with Bonner.

Doubt it. Spurs ain't taking a cap hit on Jimmer for an old player who ain't gonna crack the rotation anyhow.

[Spurtacular]

Why would Butler not get a roster spot?

See one post above.

[NASpurs]

Some quotes:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...but/73638170/?

LaMarcus Aldridge seeking balance between aggressive and selfless with Spurs

SACRAMENTO — There is, it turns out, a place that exists between uncomfortable and comfortable that is not the former but also not the latter.
LaMarcus Aldridge is there right now, somewhere on that path from Point A to Point B and -bent on getting there in this new life as a member of the storied San Antonio Spurs. And Thursday night at Sleep Train Arena, you see, was but a baby step.

After working his way through the weirdness of it all — wearing an NBA jersey other than Portland’s for the first time since he entered the league in 2006 and having all that history come rushing back when he saw a recent Blazers-Kings game on the Spurs’ locker room television before the game — the Spurs’ latest project went back to work on this tricky task.

It wasn’t about the numbers in San Antonio’s preseason-opening loss to the Kings, though for the sake of record-keeping he finished with eight points on 3-of-10 shooting with three rebounds in 23 minutes. On this night and the many more that are to come, this was about Aldridge learning to be his aggressive, ball-dominant self within the context of a system that has so long been known for its balance and selflessness.

For all of Aldridge’s accomplishments, this blending of styles has been a mental game of sorts for the four-time All-Star. It was one thing when coach Gregg Popovich and his crew told him during the free agency process in July that they didn’t want him to change, but it’s yet another still to put that plan into action. Truth be told, it will likely never be easier than it was in his opener because of who didn’t take part: No Popovich, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili or Boris Diaw, meaning Aldridge could conceivably have his run of the place.

"They’ve been trying to get me to (be aggressive), and now I’m just getting back to it because I didn’t want to come in being aggressive and then be too aggressive," Aldridge told USA TODAY. "I think it’s better to be passive (at the beginning), and then kind of get into it more, so they’ve got me back to (thinking), 'You’ve got to still be yourself, but take the good pass and make the great pass,' and that’s what I’ve been doing.

"I think tonight showed that. They gave me the ball on the block a pretty good amount of times. I got pick-and-pops. I wasn’t making my shot tonight, or I probably would have got it more, but I don’t think I was overlooked tonight. I thought I got good shots all night."

Rest assured, there are some Spurs fans back in San Antonio who will remain skeptical of this marriage until the wins start piling up.

While the Aldridge addition (along with David West and the re-signing of Danny Green) made the Spurs the offseason champions, the question of fit and whether he might be frustrated by the Spurs’ way was front and center during all that late-summer downtime when such answers are unattainable.

Specifically, Aldridge’s honesty during an interview with USA TODAY Sports in July led to hours of scrutiny on a San Antonio sports talk radio show that includes former Spurs guard Antonio Daniels.

The center of the debate, it seemed, was this comment: "So I was like, 'Maybe I’m not a Spur, because I’ve been averaging 23 (points per game) for the last three to four years, and maybe I don’t fit into y’all’s system of let’s all average 17 (points per game)," Aldridge had admitted saying to the Spurs during the recruitment process.

Yet as his longtime friend and Spurs assistant coach Ime Udoka told him at the time, things have changed in San Antonio. The old heads like Duncan, Parker and Ginobili need help of his kind more than ever before, and he now finds himself leading the way alongside 24-year-old small forward Kawhi Leonard. That new dynamic, as they see it, has led to an opportunity that’s tailor-made for Aldridge.

"People told me that I’m not going to fit in because I’m ball-dominant, I’m a ball-stopper, so I’m not worried about that," Aldridge told USA TODAY Sports. "I feel like if the Spurs didn’t feel like I fit in, then they wouldn’t have gotten me. I think the things that they wanted was someone who could play in pick-and-roll. I do that. Someone who could score on the block. I do that.

"I can make the extra pass, which I’ve done. I think every guy on the team would say that I’ve made the extra pass more than I have probably in my career. In my last practice, Pop told me to shoot it, because I wasn’t looking to shoot because I’m trying not to be that guy, so I made the extra pass."
If anything, Green said, Aldridge may need to work on being more selfish.

"Be aggressive, especially for LaMarcus," said Green, who has been with the Spurs since 2010 and signed a three-year, $12 million deal to return. "He’s used to making his moves. He knows where guys are when he was in Portland, and now he’s still getting used to where the double-team is coming from and where guys are going to be at for his outlets. He’s not used to that yet.

"(Aldridge and West) are trying to adjust, but they’re adjusting very unselfishly. From my perspective, I think they should be more aggressive, and make us adjust around them. I tell them, 'Be aggressive, go make your move, and we’ll adjust to you guys’ games.' But that’s just them."

By comparison, West’s challenge should be a breeze. At 35 years old, having left $11 million behind in Indiana to sign a veteran’s minimum deal in San Antonio, he’s fully prepared to play whatever role they so desire. But Aldridge is still 30, with many years still ahead and no plans to lose his status as one of the game’s best. But the comfort, they’re convinced, will come.

"So far, I think he’s blending right in," Green said. "Same high character, high quality guy, similar personality to a lot of guys here. Very laid back, very easygoing. Everybody here gets along, and I think that chemistry will continue to build and get better just like it was in the past. I don’t see any personalities here that will clash, so I think we’ll be good."

Follow Sam Amick on Twitter @sam_amick.

[ceperez]

I liked Simmons in general... didn't stand out like in SL, but I thought he made generally good decisions... he wasn't better than KA tonight, but I didn't he stunk up the joint (ie: like Jimmer)

Simmons on offense was finding a lot of folks open. He found Jimmer open twice, only to have Jimmer miss shots.

In offense he just needs experience getting a feel of the much quicker and bigger NBA players.

He didn't force any shots and apparently he was bring the ball up the court. He was able to finish in contact though.

McCallum problem begins when he starts dribbling the ball. He can't figure out how to get separation and it just slows down the offense. He did very well when he was shooting. You can see that he's a much better offensive talent that CoJo could ever be.

[From Downtown]

As I said yesterday I couldn't watch the game,from your comments I get that:

- West and LMA didn't play well and still lack chemistry with their teammates (but I wouldn't worry about that too much,it was their first game in a Spurs uniform after all)
- KA is constantly improving and seems ready to play solid minutes with the bench unit
- McCallum is worse than CoJo on defense,but better than him on offense,still needs to learn how to run a team (but RC cited his ability to do it as the reason why they considered him an improvement over Joseph,so I believe he'll get there edventually),anyway he's really good as a 3rd string PG
- Simmons didn't have a monster game and basically confirmed what we already know about him (really good passer,can make it to the basket,but bad handles and he needs to get better on defense,even if he's already pretty active in his own end)
- Boban,as seen on videos of him in Europe,moves pretty fast for a guy of his size and loos like a serviceable bench guy
- Jimmer was awful
- Butler was solid and has a chance of getting a roster spot over Fredette

Is that right?

[BillMc]

As I said yesterday I couldn't watch the game,from your comments I get that:

- West and LMA didn't play well and still lack chemistry with their teammates (but I wouldn't worry about that too much,it was their first game in a Spurs uniform after all)
- KA is constantly improving and seems ready to play solid minutes with the bench unit
- McCallum is worse than CoJo on defense,but better than him on offense,still needs to learn how to run a team (but RC cited his ability to do it as the reason why they considered him an improvement over Joseph,so I believe he'll get there edventually),anyway he's really good as a 3rd string PG
- Simmons didn't have a monster game and basically confirmed what we already know about him (really good passer,can make it to the basket,but bad handles and he needs to get better on defense,even if he's already pretty active in his own end)
- Boban,as seen on videos of him in Europe,moves pretty fast for a guy of his size and loos like a serviceable bench guy
- Jimmer was awful
- Butler was solid and has a chance of getting a roster spot over Fredette

Is that right?

I'd say West did a little better than that, and Simmons and Boban were worse than you mentioned, but otherwise spot on.

[TheGreatYacht]

As I said yesterday I couldn't watch the game,from your comments I get that:

- West and LMA didn't play well and still lack chemistry with their teammates (but I wouldn't worry about that too much,it was their first game in a Spurs uniform after all)
- KA is constantly improving and seems ready to play solid minutes with the bench unit
- McCallum is worse than CoJo on defense,but better than him on offense,still needs to learn how to run a team (but RC cited his ability to do it as the reason why they considered him an improvement over Joseph,so I believe he'll get there edventually),anyway he's really good as a 3rd string PG
- Simmons didn't have a monster game and basically confirmed what we already know about him (really good passer,can make it to the basket,but bad handles and he needs to get better on defense,even if he's already pretty active in his own end)
- Boban,as seen on videos of him in Europe,moves pretty fast for a guy of his size and loos like a serviceable bench guy
- Jimmer was awful
- Butler was solid and has a chance of getting a roster spot over Fredette

Is that right?

Yup pretty much it. West looked better than LMAlpha though. Simmons looked timid, differing to Ray Mills and Jimmer, like he didn't want to disrupt the flow (not even close to how aggressive he was in SL) I still think he'll be really good