Thoughts so Far on Preseason

[Cloud786]

Enrique Porker

That mid-range jump shot is just not falling for him anymore. He still seems to be bit trigger happy after the screen, pulling up even when a defender is in the vicinity, and isolating early in the shot clock with low pass possessions. However, I’m hopeful that once his shot starts going, he’ll regain his confidence and once again be the head of the snake threat he was in 2013. Too many times defenders are going under the pick, and while the correct basketball play is to shoot in that situation, I’d prefer he move the rock around and try to get a better shot (more catch and shoot as opposed to off the dribble). Should only go full Westbrook when he’s in rhythm, and passing lanes should open when teams start going over the screen. Not worried about his speed or defense (still fast and will have lots of energy this year).

LDaNny Green

Just like with Parker, his shot isn’t falling, but he’s still a key component of our individual and team defense. He just never seems to get blown by, and while he doesn’t garner Kawhi’s stats, my eye test tells me that I want him closing out games for us and to be assigned to the other team’s fastest perimeter threat. I’m sure if this was a serious game, he would definitely have given Teague fits. Yes, he still makes boneheaded plays on offense and should never dribble, but he masks our point guards’ defensive deficiencies too well, and if Pop puts him in the early doghouse like he did last season, then expect another rendition of the 2015 Spurs. He could literally brick all of his shots, and I’d still give him 30+ minutes a game for his floor spacing and defense alone. Don’t treat the guy like a certain redheaded scrub who won’t GTFO.

Klawhi Leonard

Love his aggressiveness, and won’t question his shot selection until March and April when we kick it into high gear. He’s still developing, and learning how to be efficient while taking tough shots. He’s going to have his Kobe-esque days of low percentage shooting, but it’ll all be worth it when he figures it all out. I prefer this year that they feed it to him in the post (taking into account his new bulk and sweet turn around fade), but surprisingly, I’m seeing him in some PnR situations as the ball handler. While he makes nice simple passes, doesn’t turn it over much, and waits for the play to develop, I still see no reason why he should be running it unless he consistently gets switches. I’m saying that because running the high PnR you can’t just stare down the big man, you have to see the second and third progressions (something Pop thinks Simmons naturally has), and for me, Parker and Manu should be the only guys doing this. Until Kawhi develops a better handle and some crossover moves at least.

LaMarsha Aldridge


Still grasping the “give up a good shot for a great shot” philosophy, but once he finds the middle man between over and underpassing, I think our offense is going to be virtually unstoppable. Throughout this preseason, on four down plays, he’s mixed it up with some power post moves and finesse fades. While I agree with the majority here that we should avoid four down, I’ve seen plenty of possessions where he doesn’t even touch the ball or isn’t involved in the play. If we want him to be satisfied, we have to adjust and feed it to him every now and then, especially when the offense is cold. On non-isolation plays, I’m waiting to see how he moves without the ball, how he and Duncan engage in the high-low, and his screen setting. Satisfied with it so far, and I think he’s just mildly scared of getting chewed out by Pop if he shoots too much. In any case, I’m also satisfied with his defense, and can’t wait to see a fully integrated LMAlpha.

Tim DNP-OLDuncan

I have this theory that Duncan voyaged with Ponce De Leon and they found what he was looking for. I’m serious. Or he gathered the dragon balls and wished for immortality. Or he’s from Mars.

Patty Stacks Thrills Mills

You only understand the value of something when you lose it, and that quote could not be more applicable to the first half of last season. Our bench is so radically energized when he plays, and his motor is contagious. Still a pretty atrocious defender, but judging from Pop’s half-serious rotations this preseason, he isn’t going full hockey subs on us. He’ll keep one of WingStop with Mills and Manu to make sure we don’t get out-athleted like we did against Miami’s bench. His shots are all falling, three and elbow. When he plays, we run at a much quicker pace and we should outscore other teams’ benches on a regular basis like we did in 2014 and GSW did in 2015. As long as they rack up assists, they’ll be effective. Like HH/MH said, no team has lost a championship because of bench defense, and Mills has value guarding shooters (in the 2014 Finals he did a of a job chasing around Ray Allen). We have a GSWish dynamic where Barbosa (Mills) is the backup “point”, but it’s actually Livingston (Manu). So although Mills is not a true playmaker, he is a game changer.

Manu Obi Wan Ginosbleed

Up there with Aaron Rodgers as one of the greatest passers I’ve ever witnessed. If he makes his threes and keeps turnovers at a minimum, we should all join Mr. Barkley and scream with pride.

Kyle Anderdaughter

Well, we all saw in the summer league how effective he and Simmons can be with the ball in their hands, but in the bigger stage, they’ve taken the inevitable backseat. While most of us expect him to take over Belinelli’s minutes (NOT role), I’m still not a fan of him on this loaded team. However, when Manu sits, that’s when I want to see what he’s truly made of. Not a dribble drive threat out of the PnR, I still love how he finds a way to get his shot off and makes the right pass. I have a feeling he and West/Boris will gain a lot of chemistry this year, and hopefully that translates to whoever the next bench big is when Duncan retires. He only really has two moves in his arsenal, the tear drop and step back J, but like the Parker and Dirk thread has revealed, if a player perfects their go-to moves in this league to a point where they can consistently score, then I’m ready for 2016-2017 Slomo.

Boris Diaz

GWS Bobo and come back with your operating system updated to 2.0.

David East

Plenty of people here are disappointed so far with his performance, but he, like Aldridge, will eventually be integrated and find his niche. I can’t believe some of you want a nutjob like Larry Sanders. The main component of rim protection is not results, but consistency. Peeling off of your man and getting in front of the penetrator in time to increase the difficulty of his attempt. West is a wily veteran, and the process of teaching him our funneling and wall concepts will come quickly to him. He holds his ground well, and as long as he doesn’t foul, I don’t care how many paint points the other team has, as long as they have to work for it. On offense, his shot will eventually fall, and he should feast on other bench bigs. There was a play in this Atlanta game where he was on the right block being double teamed, and threw a blind pass to the left corner pocket. This displays that he already trusts the system and his teammates to be where they need to be, and it’s going to be another exciting season with a revamped Foreign Legion.

CJ McCallum

Getting blocked by the GOLDEN GOD on a dunk attempt? Who are you, Dwyane Wade? On TV, he still looks and plays like a Sacramento King. His offense worries me, because I’m not seeing the same Ray that was a solid role player towards the end of last season. Like someone said, if it took Cory forever to learn (El Nono calls it “picking your spots” – knowing when to shoot, pass, back out and run the pick and roll, etc.), who knows how long it’ll take Ray. But in the end, that is what he is, a project. His contribution, though, doesn’t worry me. In the games where he starts for Parker, as long as he can continue to make his threes, not get in the way, be where he needs to be, and hustles hard on defense, we can’t complain about someone who has second round value.

Jonathan Simpsons

Cold garbage, not hot garbage. Dumpster water can’t seem to adjust to NBA defenses or just is too timid to burst out of the PnR. Has had some sloppy turnovers, but with the money we gave him, I think he stays. Needs to work on how to drive with a defender on his hip, because it looked like in Summer League after he got a screen it was a sweet pass or sweet finish with no hindrances. Once he learns how to do that, he can involve the mid-range stop and pop in his game, and should over time become an Evan Turner lite redux.

Head of the Demon Ra’s Al Ghul Butler

While not as effective using the Lazarus Pit as Duncan, he’s still got a lot left in the tank. At first, seeing that he was 6’7” and being utilized as a power forward, I was hesitant on supporting that move. But watching the Atlanta game, one can argue that it looks like he’s more comfortable and that it may be his natural position. Can rebound and defend well enough, and we all know what he can do from beyond the arc, so hopefully he takes over Bonner’s role as the fifth big and flourishes. Not sure if we’ll ever get that ideal backup small forward to Kawhi though, so far he doesn’t seem like the answer.

Matt Boner

I'll let SpurPadre take this one. If someone could, photoshop a brick in his hand. Could help speed along the renovation of the stadium.

Jeff Marjanovic

Found a way to make me miss Ayres. Now that’s pretty damn impressive (sorry Jeebus). At least Ayres bricked his dunks. This guy doesn't even gather. Can’t catch, finish, or rebound, but like I said with West, if he can disengage and get to the restricted area in time to just stand there with his hands up, I’m ok with him getting playing time. Should mostly play in blowouts. Don’t think he’ll starting when Duncan is out, like Ray for Parker, it’ll most likely be Boris since he has experience starting. Still very raw to the NBA game, and I think he signed a 2-year deal, so not really worried about this season. Maybe he’ll be the bench big that Slomo ingratiates himself with in the future.

Jimmer Daye

Once R.C. finds his missing scissors, we’ll be fine. I mean ffs, this guy can’t guard me and I don’t even play basketball. Had an 80-page pipe dream that we would shift Manu to SF and run him at shooting guard with Mills, West, and Boris, but now that’s more like a pipe in my butthole dream, cause that’s how I would feel if we trotted out this abomination. He makes Belinelli look like Darelle Revis. I can’t even imagine what the team’s plus/minus would be. Make haste RC. Make haste.

[Canyonero]

My eyes

[jeebus]

Jeff Marjanovic

Found a way to make me miss Ayres. Now that’s pretty damn impressive (sorry Jeebus). Can’t catch, finish, or rebound, but like I said with West, if he can disengage and get to the restricted area in time to just stand there with his hands up, I’m ok with him getting playing time. Should mostly play in blowouts. Don’t think he’ll starting when Duncan is out, like Ray for Parker, it’ll most likely be Boris since he has experience starting. Still very raw to the NBA game, and I think he signed a 2-year deal, so not really worried about this season. Maybe he’ll be the bench big that Slomo ingratiates himself with in the future.

tbh Pender had one redeeming quality last season...that he was so ing awful he only got blowout minutes, and that was only a maybe. also, when he cried on the court was a huge laugh factor bonus. Right now, Senile has Bobayres up on the same pedestal as Errors was a couple seasons ago where he was getting regular minutes and sucking in all of them. Fans might be stuck with him all year since Senile takes a while to figure out which of his players are cancer.

[ChumpDumper]

That was a lot of work for a bad post.

[Boomersgold]

[RD2191]

Thanks for your thoughts OP.

[SAGirl]

Found it funny and well written!!

[NASpurs]

I lol'd, good .

[Proxy]

haha, great review. thanks

[wildcardX]

It was entertaining, thanks for posting.

[Mikeanaro]

Solid post.

[spurraider21]

not bad

[spursgu]

[Hoops Czar]

Jonathan Simpsons

Cold garbage, not hot garbage. Can’t seem to adjust to NBA defenses or just is too timid to burst out of the PnR. Has had some sloppy turnovers, but with the money we gave him, I think he stays. Needs to work on how to drive with a defender on his hip, because it looked like in Summer League after he got a screen it was a sweet pass or sweet finish with no hindrances. Once he learns how to do that, he can involve the mid-range stop and pop in his game, and should over time become an Evan Turner lite redux.



Jeff Marjanovic

Found a way to make me miss Ayres. Now that’s pretty damn impressive (sorry Jeebus). Can’t catch, finish, or rebound, but like I said with West, if he can disengage and get to the restricted area in time to just stand there with his hands up, I’m ok with him getting playing time. Should mostly play in blowouts. Don’t think he’ll starting when Duncan is out, like Ray for Parker, it’ll most likely be Boris since he has experience starting. Still very raw to the NBA game, and I think he signed a 2-year deal, so not really worried about this season. Maybe he’ll be the bench big that Slomo ingratiates himself with in the future.

Jimmer Daye

Once R.C. finds his missing scissors, we’ll be fine. I mean ffs, this guy can’t guard me and I don’t even play basketball. Had an 80-page pipe dream that we would shift Manu to SF and run him at shooting guard with Mills, West, and Boris, but now that’s more like a pipe in my butthole dream, cause that’s how I would feel if we trotted out this atrocity. I can’t even imagine what the team’s plus/minus would be. Make haste RC. Make haste.

Get rid of one Jeff Ayres and sign three more. That's not even including Matt Bonner. Frustrating as to know the Spurs are locked into these players for the remainder of the season in what could be Duncan's last. Don't look for any midseason reinforcements. Trades are out of the question because the Spurs don't have any tradeable assets and they can't claim players off waivers because they're over the salary cap. Spurs gonna sink or swim with this roster leaving its fanbase hoping and praying the coaching staff can turn water into wine with one of these underperforming prospects/Eroleaguers/D-league scrubs etc.

[ceperez]

Quality post!

[random21]

Great analysis throughout the first 3 games....Thanks!

[daledondale]

It was entertaining, thanks for posting.

[spurraider21]

Lol hipster chump

[Roger Freemason Jr.]

Thing about Parker's jump shot is, it needs to fall to keep defenses honest. The "system" is much less of a threat when all teams have to focus on are passing lanes and close outs.

[DarrinS]

Damn, chump hates everything.

I'm guessing after seeing the first nickname, the OP became instant tl;dr

[Cloud786]

Thing about Parker's jump shot is, it needs to fall to keep defenses honest. The "system" is much less of a threat when all teams have to focus on are passing lanes and close outs.

I have no problem with Parker shooting as much as he wants when he's with a unit not including LMA or Kawhi, but if he has starters alongside him, he should pump the brakes as much as possible. Hopefully we see him more with the bench unit and "3 shooters and a big" units to try to get him jump-started.

[tholdren]

Everyone new save for Lma has not impressed. Tim, patty,kl, manu look solid. Parker looks better than expected. Green has shown why he took less money, as has west.


Anderson still looks meh. And McCallum can't pass.

So far the team looks less than desirable considering the hype with the signings.

[dabom]

People still want porker jumpshots? Lol

[spursistan]

Big lesson; yet again: Summer League is even more worthless benchmark than pre-season BB..

[tholdren]

[QUOTE=dabom;8222170]People still want porker jumpshots? Lol[/QUOTE

30 tony jumpers than any minutes from McCallum