Rank our backcourt rotation compared to the rest of the league.

[SAGirl]

I think we have seen what a below average backcourt will do to a team (Pelicans sans Jrue) or what kind of miracles an upgrade will do for a team (Jazz/Hill).

Good points. Send that tweet and that post to Pop.

I am all of a sudden very pessimistic. The Spurs don't have the guards to win it this season and I have little faith in Pau Gasol all of a sudden playing defense.

Heck, I'd rather the team developed players at this point and looked to upgrade the guard situation somehow and do the minitank if they must. I don't have the answer, but Spurs might have to gamble on some young prospect somewhere...

I am cliff jumping maybe... but the guard situation is going to sink the Spurs...

me jumping off a cliff:




I think Spurs glass needs a refill

[raybies]

There is no argument against Danny as a legit starter on a legit contender. If he was any better (like JJ Red on offense) he would be a top 30 player

He's fine and a great proven piece.

I honestly feel, and it's hard to quantify, that this team has no leader with Tim gone. Obviously that is a huge piece to lose but its shocking how there doesn't seem to be any spirit on this team.

A lot of talent, good guys, play hard, but there is no emotional leader with any gravity. Pop seems too old to be that guy, TP/Manu have diminished too much even if they are respected. Pau is new and never has been that way. LMA has never been that guy. Kawhi is naturally quiet even if he is being slightly more vocal on the floor.

There is no heartbeat player.

this. Still searching for an iden y.

[gambit1990]

parker is a much bigger problem than green.

[raybies]

We are 14-4. It's okay guys.

People just getting grips that we are a fringe contender slash mostly pretender status. Or unless your fine repeating last year, have franchise wins yet flame out in the playoffs. I for one think of Murray as our last hope or proverbial Luke Skywalker. He projects as a player that fits the bill, he's just so so very gum shoed and young. Just glad he's earning pops respect.

[SAGirl]

^ It is true bc 3 different guards took Danny's spot in the rotation at different point this season (KA, and Simmons one game against Utah)... the production from that spot no matter who you place there is not going to be much bc all 3 frontcourt players demand touches and FGA (just stating the obvious and the truth)... then there is Tony, who is an offensive player who needs the ball to create for others or get his own shots... it's also the truth that is his role and if he's not doing that then he doesn't have a spot worth using. The SG in that lineup is best as floor spacer (which both Kyle and Simmons were very poor at... and Danny is excellent at), the SG also gets tough defensive assignments and for Danny that is a strength.

Danny just completely fills the needs for that spot in the current Spurs and he has for several seasons. You don't need a ball dominant SG in that spot, when you already have Kawhi and Tony.

In reality, it is just Tony's decline that is the problem. He can no longer give the consistent production that a starting spot calls for and when he doesn't the team struggles. This already happened last season. It's nothing new. It's also not surprising that when Tony has a good game, the team looks completely different and you can see how it should work in reality all the time.

Let's just say Tony struggled. It's something to watch for the upcoming months and maybe he needs to be rested and others developed. It's a fine balance bc playing rookies is risky, but Pop got 3 rook guards in the team (Murray/Lapro/Forbes) so Pop made his bed and now he has to lie in it.

[TrainOfThought5]

Coming from the guy who said Porker should be our "Turd Option".

CROFLMAO thats a classic.

[SAGirl]

People just getting grips that we are a fringe contender slash mostly pretender status. Or unless your fine repeating last year, have franchise wins yet flame out in the playoffs. I for one think of Murray as our last hope or proverbial Luke Skywalker. He projects as a player that fits the bill, he's just so so very gum shoed and young. Just glad he's earning pops respect.

I think he is, far as I can tell he has surpassed Lapro and is getting playing time early whenever they can spare him. You were right that Lapro was just a motivation for him to compete and execute better.

/sigh
I will be honest. I am probably too pessimistic and bummed out and I will bounce back from this lol , but I would much rather watch rookies and young prospects struggle than old players struggle. Pop has to rest Tony and Manu more. Both played summer ball. Tony got injured to start the season and was playing through a nag which he should not have done. Manu is tough to sit at home bc he might be on the retirement tour factor, ppl pay to see him play...

I have less interest in the Spurs if they are not playing their youth TBH. I am probably unique in that I do care about the RS bc I like to see young players develop.

[DPG21920]

People just getting grips that we are a fringe contender slash mostly pretender status. Or unless your fine repeating last year, have franchise wins yet flame out in the playoffs. I for one think of Murray as our last hope or proverbial Luke Skywalker. He projects as a player that fits the bill, he's just so so very gum shoed and young. Just glad he's earning pops respect.

Yup. I cautioned this all pre-season. Things will take time and there is going to be a big adjustment. Not just in the level of success we are used to (Wins and Losses - Spurs still doing well there) but this isn't going to be a team that just blows everyone out all the time while managing minutes.

Too many new pieces, too much of a lack of iden y and too big of a loss in Tim.

[kaji157]

I think he is, far as I can tell he has surpassed Lapro and is getting playing time early whenever they can spare him. You were right that Lapro was just a motivation for him to compete and execute better.

/sigh
I will be honest. I am probably too pessimistic and bummed out and I will bounce back from this lol , but I would much rather watch rookies and young prospects struggle than old players struggle. Pop has to rest Tony and Manu more. Both played summer ball. Tony got injured to start the season and was playing through a nag which he should not have done. Manu is tough to sit at home bc he might be on the retirement tour factor, ppl pay to see him play...

I have less interest in the Spurs if they are not playing their youth TBH. I am probably unique in that I do care about the RS bc I like to see young players develop.

Not sure about the Murray and Lapro quote.
I see it differently. I think the next time Tony rests, one of the 3rd stringers will get the starting spot, and i am pretty sure it will be Lapro.
Those two just needed some time to learn the sets, which the second unit doesn´t really have that much, the second unit still plays what Manu wants most of the time.
I really seemes that this last games where we´ve seen nothing from Lapro and very little from Murray, was to prevent these two for playing without having a real notion on which and how to run some plays. This would change in the future.
I still believe both can be NBA players, Lappro as a subs ute (evendoe i don´t like him, i said it here many times) and Murray has a chance to develop into a starter maybe.

[SAGirl]

Not sure about the Murray and Lapro quote.
I see it differently. I think the next time Tony rests, one of the 3rd stringers will get the starting spot, and i am pretty sure it will be Lapro.
Those two just needed some time to learn the sets, which the second unit doesn´t really have that much, the second unit still plays what Manu wants most of the time.
I really seemes that this last games where we´ve seen nothing from Lapro and very little from Murray, was to prevent these two for playing without having a real notion on which and how to run some plays. This would change in the future.
I still believe both can be NBA players, Lappro as a subs ute (evendoe i don´t like him, i said it here many times) and Murray has a chance to develop into a starter maybe.

I have liked Lapro actually. His court vision and passing I thought were special. I think he's at this point a smarter player and probably steadier than Murray who is so raw, but Murray has so much raw talent that Pop had to see him in action. Murray is here long term... Lapro is likely gone after this season. He's got a one year rental... but I think Pop eventually will play everybody. I would much rather the team focused on Murray. He's definitely the future.

[SAGirl]

Yup. I cautioned this all pre-season. Things will take time and there is going to be a big adjustment. Not just in the level of success we are used to (Wins and Losses - Spurs still doing well there) but this isn't going to be a team that just blows everyone out all the time while managing minutes.

Too many new pieces, too much of a lack of iden y and too big of a loss in Tim.

... you did say that and you were right.

[TD 21]

The back court rotation isn't bad individually, the problem is the same one it's been for 2+ seasons: the lack of a lead guard period, never mine one for a team with serious championship aspirations.

Suffice it to say, the latter are few and far between, they couldn't have rectified it and it's easy when you have no personal connection to them to say, "get rid of Parker and Ginobili", but far more difficult for those who do. Also consider that the best, somewhat realistic options were Conley, Teague and Hill and they weren't winning a championship with any of them either.

Beyond that, instead of being trend setters, they're now antiquated, for the most part and their two best players aren't leaders or play makers, which has clearly hurt the chemistry (an especially important ingredient considering the inferior star power to the other three elites). Aldridge, Gasol, Parker and Ginobili, have made comments that lead me to believe they're not exactly thrilled watching the Leonard show.

This team has also been generally unlikable, too, since adding Aldridge..he's a career loser with a cancerous style of play.. It was exacerbated this off-season by adding a known diva and pussy like Pau, sadly..very unlikable team, which is sad, considering how much fun the Spurs were in 2012-2014..

Except it started the season before Aldridge was signed (which you acknowledged by saying '12-'14) and coincided with the offense becoming Leonard oriented.

You also claim the talent in the league is better than it's ever been (which I agree with), but somehow almost every player is overrated, soft, a choker, a loser or some combination thereof, so which is it?

[coachmac87]

The back court rotation isn't bad individually, the problem is the same one it's been for 2+ seasons: the lack of a lead guard period, never mine one for a team with serious championship aspirations.

Suffice it to say, the latter are few and far between, they couldn't have rectified it and it's easy when you have no personal connection to them to say, "get rid of Parker and Ginobili", but far more difficult for those who do. Also consider that the best, somewhat realistic options were Conley, Teague and Hill and they weren't winning a championship with any of them either.

Beyond that, instead of being trend setters, they're now antiquated, for the most part and their two best players aren't leaders or play makers, which has clearly hurt the chemistry (an especially important ingredient considering the inferior star power to the other three elites). Aldridge, Gasol, Parker and Ginobili, have made comments that lead me to believe they're not exactly thrilled watching the Leonard show.




Except it started the season before Aldridge was signed (which you acknowledged by saying '12-'14) and coincided with the offense becoming Leonard oriented.

You also claim the talent in the league is better than it's ever been (which I agree with), but somehow almost every player is overrated, soft, a choker, a loser or some combination thereof, so which is it?

What comments are you referring to regarding the rest of the team watching the Leonard show?

[tonight...you]

While TP is up and down and he's shown much more than Manu and that's with Manu barley playing and getting rest days. Manu has fallen off the cliff to start the year.

Manu's just out there having fun now.
He's said it himself. The focus, the desire to not eff up... it's not there. Argie's just wanna have fu-unnnn, oh Manu's just wanna have fu-un.

[kaji157]

I have liked Lapro actually. His court vision and passing I thought were special. I think he's at this point a smarter player and probably steadier than Murray who is so raw, but Murray has so much raw talent that Pop had to see him in action. Murray is here long term... Lapro is likely gone after this season. He's got a one year rental... but I think Pop eventually will play everybody. I would much rather the team focused on Murray. He's definitely the future.

Told you!

[SAGirl]

Told you!

Yup unsurprising... hope he plays well... these guys have no chemistry and it shows.

[kaji157]

Yup unsurprising... hope he plays well... these guys have no chemistry and it shows.

Yep, Kawhi´s tunnerl vision clearly is not the best for a team full of shooters. As that last play showed, 3 open shooters for 3 and he took the contested 2...

[Perry Mason]

What's missing here is that a playmaking 3 a la Lebron can make up for some mediocre guard play. Kawhi is paid to do it...but after some early P&R success in our first few games, I never see him run the P&R anymore.

And it's funny to see tonight that Danny has tried 2 pull-up midrange J's after being run off the line, and he bricked both. Guess Mid is right...

I also think LMA is capable of so much more. The guy is huge. And he can use footwork to back guys down. He just gets tired or doesn't like contact or something. It's annoying.

[gambit1990]

He's real good at draining 3s in garbage time, though.

how did patty do in garbage time tonight?

[midnightpulp]

how did patty do in garbage time tonight?

I already said he's playing well and is a great weapon off the bench this year. Only player keeping the guard rotation from being the worst in the league.

Still not a starter, though. But he's awesome in the microwave Lou Williams/Eddie House role. All contenders have a guy like that. I just hope he doesn't fall off in the playoffs, like he did against OKC last season when he averaged 4 points on .250 shooting. We need him to go above and beyond this year.

[ElNono]

We should have one of these for games on the road vs games at home...

[pgardn]

We are attempting to use Simmons as a backcourt player and letting him handle more. So far horribly mixed results. So we pray.

[dabom]

I already said he's playing well and is a great weapon off the bench this year. Only player keeping the guard rotation from being the worst in the league.

Still not a starter, though. But he's awesome in the microwave Lou Williams/Eddie House role. All contenders have a guy like that. I just hope he doesn't fall off in the playoffs, like he did against OKC last season when he averaged 4 points on .250 shooting. We need him to go above and beyond this year.

Sucks when turd option loses us a series huh?

[midnightpulp]

We should have one of these for games on the road vs. games at home...

Even with Patty House playing a perfect game, our backcourt still got outscored

This game should only be more cause for concern, not less. I mean, down 13 to the worst team in the West and needed one of Patty's best career games to win it.

Not looking good...at all.

[dabom]

Spurs perfect on the road. We a bad team.