Game Grades Nov. 9 Rockets at Spurs-L

[SAGirl]

First of all what a breath of fresh air it was to see Danny!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyways, these are the Spurs after 8 games:

Players	GP	MIN	OffRtg	DefRtg	NetRtg	AST%	AST/TO	AST Ratio	OREB%	DREB%	REB%	TO Ratio	eFG%	TS%	USG%	PACE	PIE
Danny Green	1	26	117.9	91.6	26.3	11.1	2.00	16.7	0.0	12.5	6.8	8.3	44.4	44.4	18.5	96.58	8.6
Patty Mills	8	24.1	118.4	99.2	19.2	24.2	5.17	28.3	2.8	5.3	4.0	5.5	58.7	61.4	17.9	97.47	11.0
Jonathon Simmons	8	23.4	108.4	89.2	19.2	15.3	1.80	19.8	1.7	12.9	7.1	11.0	45.5	49.2	17.2	96.15	8.2
Dewayne Dedmon	8	15.1	108.6	93.3	15.4	1.4	0.33	2.4	13.2	28.3	20.5	7.3	48.4	53.8	14.3	97.81	11.1
Kyle Anderson	8	20.4	108.5	99.2	9.2	6.8	2.00	23.6	2.1	19.7	10.8	11.8	40.5	43.4	7.5	94.73	6.8
David Lee	8	15.6	106.3	97.7	8.6	13.3	2.50	17.1	12.3	22.2	17.1	6.8	57.9	62.8	17.5	98.78	14.7
Kawhi Leonard	8	32.4	112.2	105.0	7.1	19.4	1.79	11.6	4.3	16.4	10.1	6.5	51.7	62.1	34.2	94.41	19.4
Manu Ginobili	7	19.8	111.7	104.9	6.8	17.0	1.33	18.7	1.6	21.9	10.6	14.0	39.4	46.8	21.4	101.84	7.9
LaMarcus Aldridge	7	30.3	108.5	104.7	3.8	6.3	0.78	5.2	8.4	16.6	12.4	6.7	47.1	53.4	28.4	93.94	11.2
Davis Bertans	6	12.5	95.4	92.3	3.0	2.2	0.33	5.0	4.1	10.6	7.2	15.0	43.8	43.8	11.0	97.26	2.2
Pau Gasol	8	21.9	106.6	108.9	-2.3	14.8	1.78	18.1	5.1	32.2	18.0	10.2	50.8	52.8	19.9	95.28	11.9
Nicolas Laprovittola	7	11.7	84.2	90.0	-5.8	30.8	1.50	27.8	1.3	7.2	4.4	18.5	47.6	53.9	17.2	99.31	7.2
Tony Parker	4	26.6	103.3	114.6	-11.3	22.9	2.67	33.2	0.0	9.2	4.3	12.4	37.5	42.0	14.8	91.44	3.2
Bryn Forbes	5	7.1	84.3	104.2	-19.9	5.3	0.00	11.8	0.0	5.7	2.8	0.0	42.9	47.0	9.8	92.71	2.8
Dejounte Murray	4	5.4	65.8	104.2	-38.4	22.2	1.00	14.5	0.0	8.7	4.3	14.5	37.5	41.0	25.5	94.06	0.0

There are good news there in that the Spurs players with the best net rating are young (not TOSB level)... therefore the team has some future apparently. But the bad news is that the young guys outside of Kawhi are not elite players and that knocks the team down from contender status. Kawhi, Patty and Danny are playing well, but after them and Lee, you are depending on developing players for key roles because your veterans are not rising to the occasion. That raises question marks and it does put pressure on those guys to grow up quickly, so we will just have to watch some growing pains in games.

The worst news is that the veteran guys that were paid to carry the team on their back don't look the part... Tony and Pau have been the worst rotation players and LMA hasn't been playing like a star. Anytime you need to bench Pau or LMA because one of them can't defend anybody and the other is fouling 3 pt shooters and getting in foul trouble early and you need to play Davis and Kyle in close games you have to brace yourself. As such, even though these two were underwhelming, I find it tough to on both when they were placed on situations due to the team's stars, veterans HoF players and former All-Stars, crapping all over the court in this game.

So this sets the stage for grades.

Kawhi: B

I didn't like him in this game. He went full Kawhobe at times forcing up way too many bad shots. Some of those empty possessions allowed the Rockets to run right back and score off those misses. The excuse that he doesn't have scorers next to him is banal. Patty and Danny are good shooters, Simmons has been playing well, LMA and Pau are both scorers. The others one can criticize, but at any point Kawhi had teammates he could have gotten involved. At times there were no sets ran or anything called, sometimes not even a single screen. The ball didn't move when Kawhi had it. He won't win a lot of games that way. He will have to learn that he can score 30 points and will still end up losing games by freezing out other guys and reducing the chances that they can help him. I have seen better games from Kawhi and this one wasn't it. He missed the last shot to tie the game, but that doesn't color my grade. It's tough to have something like 34% usage and only end up with one assist bc you didn't pass the ball or even called up plays other than your own number every time you had the ball.

LMA: D

He started with his jumpshot not falling, and he didn't really seem to get going at any point. I only remember one of his 5 baskets as a putback from a KA miss. I don't even remember LMA other baskets, he didn't seem to impact this game offensively. He didn't rebound like he needs to either, but in fairness to him, Pop had him out in the perimeter a whole lot. He fouled two 3 pt shooters at the 3 point line, and missed the putback that would have tied the game at the end. Just an overall bad game from LMA. He did some things on defense with 2 steals and a block, and he did try to get others involved thus his 2 assists (but 3 TO), but overall he didn't play like a star.

Danny: A-

Not giving him a straight up A bc he shot 25% from 3 on 8 shots, but boy was he a breath of fresh air!!!!!! The ball moved with him in the lineup bc guys do look to feed him shots and unlike others guys I like, he doesn't pass up on those. I have missed Danny a lot. He was tremendously impactful on defense. If he had been on with his 3 pt shooting he would have swung this game for the Spurs, but it's his first game back, he's got to catch his own rhythm and other than that, not a single bad thing one can say about Danny.

Patty: A-

Knocked his grade down a bit bc his shooting was off, but it's hard to find anything wrong with Patty this game either. He ended up with 10 assists and moved the ball really well. His presence generates a lot of ball movement bc of his activity off the ball, the guys look for him bc he's such an aggressive shooter, and when he has the ball, he's actively looking for a teammate at all times. He had a highlight pass in transition to Simmons, and a few nice passes to the bigs as well. I am liking Patty's evolution as a player more and more.

Pau: F---------

There was nothing good about Pau in this game. The slow defensive starts are because of him and he doesn't add anything to the SL if you don't give him a lot of touches on offense like the Spurs did in the Heat game, Pau's best game as a Spur. I swear in the first defensive possession a rebound flew right past him as he didn't make any effort to go grab it and he provides almost zilch rim protection. He got a lot of shots at the rim against him, he doesn't deter anybody. There was just nothing about Pau to like in this one.

Manu: C+

Manu competed. He tried on defense. He drew a charge and had 2 steals. His shots were not falling and so he forced the issue at times driving and being successful drawing fouls. One can tell the compe ive fire is there, but he's not the player he once was and he's now looking his real age. He had many passes that went to the wrong places... and then he'd give you a good decision here or there with his passes... He wasn't a straight up dumpster fire in this game despite shooting 1-7. He had his moments and his aggression was needed... but it's alarming if this is the best of Manu the Spurs are getting for the season. The Manu fan needs to enjoy the retirement tour. It is definitely looking like this one is it.

[SAGirl]

Dedmon: Inc.

He only played 4 minutes. The one thing I noticed immediately was that the Spurs struggled to score for those 4 minutes and overall he was a -10. The spacing between him and Lee is problematic. I figure that was the reason for the benching bc the big to come out of the bench was Bertans, and though he didn't take a single shot, they Rockets did guard him at the 3 pt line, thus opening things up for others. It is my opinion that Pop wanted space for Manu and Simmons to run the PnR with Lee. But overall, these are just brief impressions from such as small stretch of play that anyone's guess is good as mine as to why he got benched.

Lee: A-

He had a TO from trying to push the ball off a rebound with his own dribble and trying a bounce pass to Kawhi. I thought that was him getting cute with it, and was not a good idea. Other than that, he was solid. He scored 10 points in 16 minutes and that was needed and will probably continue to be needed from him in the bench. I liked him in this game a lot.

Simmons: A

I thought he had a tremendous game. He picked his spots right, he pushed the ball in transition, the bread and butter of his game. He places a lot of pressure on the defense with his aggression trying to score. He didn't force bad passes to ppl who were covered, he had a nice pass to Lee, and he was very solid on defense. He has definitely improved a lot. His spin move from Danny's pass was gorgeous. He is the kind of guy who has always had highlight plays but I never warmed up to him bc the rest of his game was so lacking, but he is now starting to figure things out and fill out the rest of his game with solid play and I have warmed up to him. I'd like to see more of him when Manu is struggling. He's earned it. Spurs need this dude to continue to progress.

Anderson: C-

I have grown concerned for him bc it's evident to me he needs to be a more willing 3 pt shooter. He's worked on his shot and can shoot, but he needs a bit of the shooter's mentality. He's going to have to become more aggressive with that shot. If he needs dleague for that, I'd send him for a game or two to run PnP with Dijon all game to Austin... but I can't see that happening bc they can't spare him when the Spurs are so thin in their frontcourt... so he's going to have to develop in games and I suspect his growing pains will continue to exasperate many, so whatevaaaa.

The reason I give him a C-, is that despite all of that, he can still help you, which is why I still hope he puts some kind of offensive game together. Despite him not playing well on offense, I cannot in good conscience give him a D or F, when there were worst bigs on the floor in this game. In his few minutes, he grabbed boards, generated a steal + boxed out guys to allow his teammates to rebound. But to get above a C- level, he's going to have to bring something offensively, and he didn't here.

Bertans: D-

He had a bad line: 0 on everything but 1 rebound and 1 foul in 10 minutes. He didn't get shots, but at least the Rockets respected him as a shooter and they guarded him. He provided space for teammates to slash immediately. I thought he had a couple of nice defensive possessions, he's not easy to blow by if his feet positioning is good and he defended in the perimeter quite well. I gave him a D bc I saw some things that he can build upon, even though he scratched nada in this game.

Laprovittola: C+

I like Lapro a lot personally. I know there are doubts out there with him, but he's a rook. I liked his aggressiveness and he's a creative passer. I think with sufficient playing time he will improve just by having more chemistry with teammates and confidence. His drives to the rim and baskets were crafty and unexpected. I can't give him anything above a C bc Ennis went right at him for example and his defense is not where it needs to be. But he does compete and has the fire to show up for games. I thought he competed hard in this one.

Pop: B

I didn't get the sense Pop was punting this game. He was trying to win this game, thus the benching of Pau, throwing Bertans out there to see if he could get some 3 pt shots rolling, subbing him for Kyle when he wasn't shooting but not adding anything on defense. I think Pop tried, but he's getting to the point he's limited by the personnel he has and their respective flaws and limitations.

[dabom]

Anyone getting a better grade than Kawhi.

[GSH]

Pretty good set of grades overall.

Regardless of what the fanboys say, that wasn't an MVP-caliber performance by Kawhi. And I think you have to adjust the grade at least a little for a guy who is expected to be one of the best players in the league. Just like Simmons, who is expected to be a scrub, should probably get some consideration that he isn't going to have a 30-10 game. I think that was probably a B performance for Kawhi last night. If he had an A performance, the Spurs would have won.

I'm starting to feel about Manu the same way I did about Tim last season. I keep thinking he has another gear, and that he will kick it in and we'll see the player we used to see. It's starting to sink in that this may be as good as it gets. He can't get the corner on his own any more, and he can't weave through traffic in the paint like he used to. He tried to throw a wrap-around pass to LMA last night, near the end of the half, and it missed LMA completely and sailed out the end line. It looked to me like he just wasn't fast/athletic enough to get enough clearance around the defender to get that pass around him.

I'm back to hoping for 50 games.

[RD2191]

Thanks for the grades.

[apalisoc_9]

Awful grades.

[TheDoctor]

Thanks for the grades SAG

[Chinook]

This obviously took a lot of effort, SAG, and thanks for putting it in.

I don't disagree with the grades. This game was certainly a learning experience. The Spurs need to diversify their offense. Even if you want Kawhi to use up like 30-plus possessions, they don't have to be isos. Run him off screens. Have him roll. Do something that actually puts pressure on five guys as opposed to one or two.

Simmons was great because he was doing exactly what the team needed which was to pick his spots and to be aggressive in those spots. Bertans becoming passive concerns me. There is something Pop isn't doing right. Dude was fearless in Europe. Patty and Lee is a good combo, so if he goes back to the bench there's hope there.

[RD2191]

I'll be happy if Kawhi can get us to the 2nd round with our current roster. I know some idiots here want to compare him to Lebron but let's remember LeBron has played most of his career in a very weak Eastern Conference. Spurs might be the 4th or 5th best team out West if we're being completely honest with ourselves. We might be able to pull of a run to the WCF but I just don't see it happening with Pau and LMA. It's early though and Pau has stated that he's still learning how to play within the system so I guess we'll see how it goes.

[Fireball]

The ball is not moving. Kawhi is efficient, but the problem with this whole offense is that it is not putting the other team's players on their heels.
When the Spurs played beautiful basketball the opposing players just were too exhausted of chasing after the ball and therefore could not run it down our throats.

[spursistan]

Appreciated the effort you put there SAG ..

[RD2191]

The ball is not moving. Kawhi is efficient, but the problem with this whole offense is that it is not putting the other team's players on their heels.
When the Spurs played beautiful basketball the opposing players just were too exhausted of chasing after the ball and therefore could not run it down our throats.

Spurs are too old and slow now to run the beautiful game. I understand some people might be frustrated with Kawhis play but I'm sure he has the green light to do whatever he wants out there. Maybe Pop sees something that we don't. I'm pretty sure if Pop thought the beautiful game could still work he would have implemented it already. Those days might be long gone.

[SAGirl]

Pretty good set of grades overall.

Regardless of what the fanboys say, that wasn't an MVP-caliber performance by Kawhi. And I think you have to adjust the grade at least a little for a guy who is expected to be one of the best players in the league. Just like Simmons, who is expected to be a scrub, should probably get some consideration that he isn't going to have a 30-10 game. I think that was probably a B performance for Kawhi last night. If he had an A performance, the Spurs would have won.

Absolutely!
The grades are conmensurate with what one expects from the player. For example, I expect Danny to be the best version of himself, Kawhi and LMA to be their best version etc. I compare them to themselves not in respect to each other. Ultimately one wants the players as a fan to be the best player they can be. That wasn't Kawhi's best game, and it was far from the best game for many others...

Thanks for clearing the air on that GSH. I graded Simmons in comparison to his previous games. The GSW was his absolute game, but since then, he had been unable to put together a game he was positively impactful on both ends, making good decisions. I thought he did a good job in this one... in comparison to himself.

[bklynspursfan]

This obviously took a lot of effort, SAG, and thanks for putting it in.

I don't disagree with the grades. This game was certainly a learning experience. The Spurs need to diversify their offense. Even if you want Kawhi to use up like 30-plus possessions, they don't have to be isos. Run him off screens. Have him roll. Do something that actually puts pressure on five guys as opposed to one or two.

Simmons was great because he was doing exactly what the team needed which was to pick his spots and to be aggressive in those spots. Bertans becoming passive concerns me. There is something Pop isn't doing right. Dude was fearless in Europe. Patty and Lee is a good combo, so if he goes back to the bench there's hope there.

Why is it on Pop though? Why can't it be maybe the guy isn't ready for the moment of playing in the NBA, which does happen. I highly doubt Pop is out there telling him to be passive or to not be aggressive. And considering the lineups he was out there with, him being aggressive surely would've been welcomed by Pop. He's gotta be confident in himself first and foremost, not only in garbage time, but in time that counts too

[Chinook]

Why is it on Pop though? Why can't it be maybe the guy isn't ready for the moment of playing in the NBA, which does happen. I highly doubt Pop is out there telling him to be passive or to not be aggressive. And considering the lineups he was out there with, him being aggressive surely would've been welcomed by Pop. He's gotta be confident in himself first and foremost, not only in garbage time, but in time that counts too

I say that because Bertans didn't lack for confidence previously. But it can also be his fault. But too many players this year are struggling with confidence. And that's a usual thing for the Spurs newbies. Pop can't afford it this year.

[Prose]

#27 laprovita is decent but at times with him man pau out there its omg what do you expect if other teams run them off court with speed and athleticism....i don't see why murry wouldn't get a change to bring some youth and all the good things that brings to the line up

[sasaint]

Pretty good set of grades overall.

Regardless of what the fanboys say, that wasn't an MVP-caliber performance by Kawhi. And I think you have to adjust the grade at least a little for a guy who is expected to be one of the best players in the league. Just like Simmons, who is expected to be a scrub, should probably get some consideration that he isn't going to have a 30-10 game. I think that was probably a B performance for Kawhi last night. If he had an A performance, the Spurs would have won.

I'm starting to feel about Manu the same way I did about Tim last season. I keep thinking he has another gear, and that he will kick it in and we'll see the player we used to see. It's starting to sink in that this may be as good as it gets. He can't get the corner on his own any more, and he can't weave through traffic in the paint like he used to. He tried to throw a wrap-around pass to LMA last night, near the end of the half, and it missed LMA completely and sailed out the end line. It looked to me like he just wasn't fast/athletic enough to get enough clearance around the defender to get that pass around him.

I'm back to hoping for 50 games.

Endorse.

[Chinook]

Absolutely!
The grades are conmensurate with what one expects from the player. For example, I expect Danny to be the best version of himself, Kawhi and LMA to be their best version etc. I compare them to themselves not in respect to each other. Ultimately one wants the players as a fan to be the best player they can be. That wasn't Kawhi's best game, and it was far from the best game for many others...

Thanks for clearing the air on that GSH. I graded Simmons in comparison to his previous games. The GSW was his absolute game, but since then, he had been unable to put together a game he was positively impactful on both ends, making good decisions. I thought he did a good job in this one... in comparison to himself.

Anyone who's not trying to troll knows grades are being curved. We have all done it since at least Apa's post. Even so, Kawhi deserved to be dinged for grinding the offense to a halt when he was in. As I said in another thread, the Spurs had no problem scoring when he was on the bench

[dabom]

Man Chinook is a ing re . One of the biggest uneducated posters on this site. The he says goes on for days.

[bklynspursfan]

I say that because Bertans didn't lack for confidence previously. But it can also be his fault. But too many players this year are struggling with confidence. And that's a usual thing for the Spurs newbies. Pop can't afford it this year.

I don't think it's a Pop thing though, cause we saw him play with confidence in other games when the games were pretty much sealed. Confidence has to come from within. Pop is showing confidence by playing him when he did, I think he brought him in fairly early last night.

[apalisoc_9]

Man Chinook is a ing re . One of the biggest uneducated posters on this site. The he says goes on for days.

But the spurs would be better with Kawhi shooting less : cry...

Pnly way the spurs winning last night id
s if kawhi took 50 shots tbh.

[Chinook]

I don't think it's a Pop thing though, cause we saw him play with confidence in other games when the games were pretty much sealed. Confidence has to come from within. Pop is showing confidence by playing him when he did, I think he brought him in fairly early last night.

He did.

[dabom]

But the spurs would be better with Kawhi shooting less : cry...

Pnly way the spurs winning last night id
s if kawhi took 50 shots tbh.

He'd rather lose by 20.

[Thunder1]

Thanx for the grades..

[$pursDynasty]

Enjoyed the grades