Game Grades: Spurs at Nets (2 of 2) 2-0, 35-9, WS 4

[playbonner15]

What's the story with Dedmon's mom costing him millions?

i believe his mom discouraged him from playing basketball when he was young so he can focus in church. He only started playing when he was 18

[Chinook]

What's the story with Dedmon's mom costing him millions?

i believe his mom discouraged him from playing basketball when he was young so he can focus in church. He only started playing when he was 18

She didn't just discourage him. She patently refused to let him play. He only started once he was 18 and could legally overrule her. Imagine if he weren't old for his grade: He would probably have not gotten to play at all. Just horrible for folks to stand in the way of what their kids want to do like that.

[K...]

What's the story with Dedmon's mom costing him millions?

Kept him away from basketball until after high school I think... Religious stuff I think

[$pursDynasty]

good work Chin, the game grades is my favorite part of the site and you did an admiral job. It was a meh game but one of the best nights (standings wise) in quite some time for the Spurs.

[Chinook]

Many thanks for the write-up. I appreciate your dedication to the forum.

I find it difficult, however, to reconcile your two characterizations of Simmons' play. In your introduction you characterized his play as "below average." Yet you gave him a grade of "B." I would have characterized his play as "solid," which I would call "above average" for a player I consider to be improving but erratic. I really don't disagree with the game grade, though. Semantics...

I think when look at who was out, Simmons should have been better. But he wasn't inefficient or anything like that. Playing so few minutes is just mind-boggling, even with Kyle getting so much burn.

[8FOR!3]

Kyle would be more fitted to play on a team like the Nets where he can get consistent playtime as the 6th man off the bench and be as aggressive as he'd like.

[lefty]

Much better write up than timvp's tbh

[lefty]

i believe his mom discouraged him from playing basketball when he was young so he can focus in church. He only started playing when he was 18

Robinson and AJ would have loved playing with him

[spurs10]

Thanks for the grades! Solid take and good writing!
You've got to hand it to Kyle with those steals!

[TD 21]

At the notion of Anthony being a "strong rebounder". He's a competent offensive one, but he's one of the worst defensive rebounding centers in the modern era, corralling a paltry 12.9. He's fine while Gasol is out, but between his age, lack of size for a center and limitations, I'd rather they ultimately take a flier on a younger big for the remainder of the season, that they can work with through the summer.

Agreed, that Pop was seemingly intentionally looking to make it a game by doing all kinds of nonsensical things. He starts Dedmon, only to have Aldridge defend Lopez, which defeats the purpose of starting Dedmon, since the ideal big pairs with Gasol out, are clearly Aldridge-Lee and Dedmon-Bertans. He also briefly went with perimeter lineups featuring no plus shooters and no point guard, was again seemingly trying to limit Bertans' minutes (though foul trouble played a part) and he inexplicably played Green and to a lesser extent Aldridge, with the result decided.

[Drom John]

I didn't see the game, only followed the play by play.

When you say Anderson should have gotten more rebounds, was that a stat count issue or were Nets getting rebounds that Anderson should have gotten instead? Did Anderson block out well?
50 team rebounds! I don't care who gets them. I do not want any Spur Westbrooking boards away from other Spurs.

To me it was intuitive that Lee started against Thompson and that Dedmon started against Lopez. I noticed that Lee got some time against Lopez in the 2nd half. How did Lee look then?

[Splits]

At the notion of Anthony being a "strong rebounder". He's a competent offensive one, but he's one of the worst defensive rebounding centers in the modern era, corralling a paltry 12.9. He's fine while Gasol is out, but between his age, lack of size for a center and limitations, I'd rather they ultimately take a flier on a younger big for the remainder of the season, that they can work with through the summer.

Agreed, that Pop was seemingly intentionally looking to make it a game by doing all kinds of nonsensical things. He starts Dedmon, only to have Aldridge defend Lopez, which defeats the purpose of starting Dedmon, since the ideal big pairs with Gasol out, are clearly Aldridge-Lee and Dedmon-Bertans. He also briefly went with perimeter lineups featuring no plus shooters and no point guard, was again seemingly trying to limit Bertans' minutes (though foul trouble played a part) and he inexplicably played Green and to a lesser extent Aldridge, with the result decided.

Also too, Porker is fat

[Kawhitstorm]

At the notion of Anthony being a "strong rebounder". He's a competent offensive one, but he's one of the worst defensive rebounding centers in the modern era, corralling a paltry 12.9. He's fine while Gasol is out, but between his age, lack of size for a center and limitations, I'd rather they ultimately take a flier on a younger big for the remainder of the season, that they can work with through the summer.

Agreed, that Pop was seemingly intentionally looking to make it a game by doing all kinds of nonsensical things. He starts Dedmon, only to have Aldridge defend Lopez, which defeats the purpose of starting Dedmon, since the ideal big pairs with Gasol out, are clearly Aldridge-Lee and Dedmon-Bertans. He also briefly went with perimeter lineups featuring no plus shooters and no point guard, was again seemingly trying to limit Bertans' minutes (though foul trouble played a part) and he inexplicably played Green and to a lesser extent Aldridge, with the result decided.

Joel's calling card was his defense & rim protection not rebounding. He's somewhat like a smaller but more athletic version of Rasho.

[Slippy]

[[LaMarcus Aldridge – B: LMA the defensive anchor is a thing. Well, perhaps this wasn’t the game to show it. He is getting his hands on a lot of balls nowadays (seven blocks in the last four games), and he’s doing so without fouling too much. While the Spurs are going to need his offense against the best teams, they will need his defense even more. He wasn’t efficient scoring, but he made the right passes when he was pressured, and that’s something he’ll probably have to do in the playoffs as well.

.

aside from a few defensive lapses of concentration or motivation. It is happening.

[SAGirl]

I didn't see the game, only followed the play by play.

When you say Anderson should have gotten more rebounds, was that a stat count issue or were Nets getting rebounds that Anderson should have gotten instead? Did Anderson block out well?
50 team rebounds! I don't care who gets them. I do not want any Spur Westbrooking boards away from other Spurs.

To me it was intuitive that Lee started against Thompson and that Dedmon started against Lopez. I noticed that Lee got some time against Lopez in the 2nd half. How did Lee look then?

They didn't have trouble rebounding with him there. He was in the perimeter a lot and wasn't super aggressive going for boards not in his vicinity. When he was close to the basket, he blocked out... I can't speak for Chinook, but it's probably a statistical thing.

[TD 21]

Joel's calling card was his defense & rim protection not rebounding. He's somewhat like a smaller but more athletic version of Rasho.

I know. Anthony is nothing like Nesterovic though, he's more like a terrible rebounding version of (Ben) Wallace and Biyombo.

You lose . . . again.

[Kawhitstorm]

I know. Anthony is nothing like Nesterovic though, he's more like a terrible rebounding version of (Ben) Wallace and Biyombo.

You lose . . . again.

Ben Wallace/Biyombo are ELITE rebounders.