GT: Lakers @ Spurs; Saturday 8:00 pm CST, 3/3/18

[SAGirl]

I didn't watch at all but I'm assuming Mills had another horrible game and cost us in the 4th....

Lonzo put Pau and Paddy in a PnR and the Lakers killed them. He also killed Tony in the same way who also had a bad game.

[sasaint]

I think so.
I also agree with the poster above that said the only reason for Kawhi to come back at this point is to play some games to show the FO that he can manage his injury so he can get his supermax.

Really? I don't think it is in Pop's DNA to tank.

Maybe Kawhi has that incentive to show something. If Pop isn't tanking, seems like we should see Kawhi this season. If we are, indeed, tanking, Kawhi's remaining out would be good evidence of that.

[UZER]

I think so.
I also agree with the poster above that said the only reason for Kawhi to come back at this point is to play some games to show the FO that he can manage his injury so he can get his supermax.

Pop has been playing the same lineups all year. Now he's gonna get credit for tanking?

[SAGirl]

Really? I don't think it is in Pop's DNA to tank.

Maybe Kawhi has that incentive to show something. If Pop isn't tanking, seems like we should see Kawhi this season. If we are, indeed, tanking, Kawhi's remaining out would be good evidence of that.

Getting ejected from games when the team is ahead... etc. Sitting Lamarcus for a treatment that they could have chosen when to have it deliberately prior to the ASG, not picking up an additional big. Joff is scoring more efficiently than he was b4 but he’s not good.

I am probably being reactionary though, you have a point calling me out on it.

No the truth is likely more pathetic. He put his trust in the veterans to get him home and they are bad. Which what are you doing? At least develop young players for next season if you are going to be losing. What is the goal for next year at this point?

[sasaint]

Getting ejected from games when the team is ahead... etc. Sitting Lamarcus for a treatment that they could have chosen when to have it deliberately prior to the ASG, not picking up an additional big. Joff is scoring more efficiently than he was b4 but he’s not good.

I am probably being reactionary though, you have a point calling me out on it.

No the truth is likely more pathetic. He put his trust in the veterans to get him home and they are bad. Which what are you doing? At least develop young players for next season if you are going to be losing. What is the goal for next year at this point?

That's the rub with your argument: which young players will be here next season? We are going to lose most of them because of the reckless splurge last offseason.

[SAGirl]

Even if Kiwhi will be back this season, its becoming obvious that it won't be for playing in play offs but just for re-stablishing his health in playing games...in a way that will lead thid summer to :a) re-sign him at a max or however good contract with spurs for five more years and be part of next season squad or, in case its true the relathionship with the team is broken
b) sell him after he signed that contract at the best price possible, probably including some draft pick.
what i'm saying is that, at this point, after all these problems, if he cames back, his injury management will be continued also during at least his first four or five games he plays, and that, if it will be not necessarly bad for the team in the sense of winning games, will also not be good either...'cause the priority will not be winning games but put him back in shape in the sense of proving and showing to everybody, F.O. included, that the injury has been handled correctly and that the old Kiwhi isn gonna be back the same of last seasons...

Agree.

[SAGirl]

That's the rub with your argument: which young players will be here next season? We are going to lose most of them because of the reckless splurge last offseason.

It's puzzling. Dejounte and White for sure. At least play them more.

[rudwick]

Really? I don't think it is in Pop's DNA to tank.

Maybe Kawhi has that incentive to show something. If Pop isn't tanking, seems like we should see Kawhi this season. If we are, indeed, tanking, Kawhi's remaining out would be good evidence of that.

I think you are saying Pop would not lose to further the long term goals of the team. Think about his resting of players.
I said before the season started it looked like we were tanking based on the signings.
He has rehabbed the Lamarcus situation, so this offseason may be the time to trade Lamarcus for a younger player.

[sasaint]

I think you are saying Pop would not lose to further the long term goals of the team. Think about his resting of players.
I said before the season started it looked like we were tanking based on the signings.
He has rehabbed the Lamarcus situation, so this offseason may be the time to trade Lamarcus for a younger player.

Resting of players doesn't seem quite the same to me, although I would have to think harder about the difference than I want to at the moment. Maybe you are right.

As for LMA, I'd be the happiest guy on ST if he could fetch us a good return this offseason. But I am not sure that sounds like PATFO's M-O either.

[sasaint]

It's puzzling. Dejounte and White for sure. At least play them more.

I thought Kyle was a lock a month or so ago - as you may recall. Now? Not so much. Even DJ and DWhite...? DJ is realistically another year away - maybe next season, but... So, if Kawhi has any input, what're his thoughts on signing a new contract (for whatever money) and waiting for Pau and Patty (and Tony?) to ride off into the sunset and also DJ to fill his sneakers? Meanwhile, the rest of the team is replaced by minimum contract guys (except Rudy). So, could DJ and/or White be trade sweeteners to induce some team to swallow Pau or Patty? How likely is Pop to do that to "his" guys and go for a serious re-tool? Too many factors for me to come up with any hypothesis. The team just seems like it is between a rock and a hard spot to me. A regime other than PATFO would probably be willing to make some moves that PATFO wouldn't even consider.

[SAGirl]

I thought Kyle was a lock a month or so ago - as you may recall. Now? Not so much. Even DJ and DWhite...? DJ is realistically another year away - maybe next season, but... So, if Kawhi has any input, what're his thoughts on signing a new contract (for whatever money) and waiting for Pau and Patty (and Tony?) to ride off into the sunset and also DJ to fill his sneakers? Meanwhile, the rest of the team is replaced by minimum contract guys (except Rudy). So, could DJ and/or White be trade sweeteners to induce some team to swallow Pau or Patty? How likely is Pop to do that to "his" guys and go for a serious re-tool? Too many factors for me to come up with any hypothesis. The team just seems like it is between a rock and a hard spot to me. A regime other than PATFO would probably be willing to make some moves that PATFO wouldn't even consider.

I think Kiwi only cares about himself and getting paid. I don't think he cares as much about roster construction as it's made out to be. He's not a recruiter so what does he want? He just goes out, plays, wants to be great and goes home to his family. He's not GM lebron, he's not Raymond calling players to recruit them, he's not even Tony giving Pop feedback on players the FO is considering.

But, I see your point. If they want to reshape the roster even the youngsters still under contract over the summer aren't secure.

I don't know what to tell you except that perhaps you will be disappointed when they won't change as much as you think they will. I am very pessimistic when it comes to Spurs refreshing their personnel, except that perhaps some guys will not be back bc they are going to get paid elsewhere and the Spurs replacing those guys with inferior projects. In that case a lottery pick will help give some upside, but the younger you go, those guys need years to be a positive contributor unless they are a special talent. Maybe they can find a gem in the late lottery. Perhaps that's why they are playing Paddy this much, and benching Kyle in the entire 4th Q.

[sasaint]

I think Kiwi only cares about himself and getting paid. I don't think he cares as much about roster construction as it's made out to be. He's not a recruiter so what does he want? He just goes out, plays, wants to be great and goes home to his family. He's not GM lebron, he's not Raymond calling players to recruit them, he's not even Tony giving Pop feedback on players the FO is considering.

But, I see your point. If they want to reshape the roster even the youngsters still under contract over the summer aren't secure.

I don't know what to tell you except that perhaps you will be disappointed when they won't change as much as you think they will. I am very pessimistic when it comes to Spurs refreshing their personnel, except that perhaps some guys will not be back bc they are going to get paid elsewhere and the Spurs replacing those guys with inferior projects. In that case a lottery pick will help give some upside, but the younger you go, those guys need years to be a positive contributor unless they are a special talent. Maybe they can find a gem in the late lottery. Perhaps that's why they are playing Paddy this much, and benching Kyle in the entire 4th Q.

Odd that you mention recruiting. What if it turned out that he didn't go on recruiting visits with Pop et al because he wasn't invited? Haha.

Yeah, we know he doesn't recruit. But that is different than having an opinion about who his teammates are. In addition to what you pointed out about him, I also think he wants to win - especially after having won the championship and many accolades as a young player.

I won't be disappointed, because I have pretty low expectations at this point about PATFO's re-tooling the roster.

[DPG21920]

Getting ejected from games when the team is ahead... etc. Sitting Lamarcus for a treatment that they could have chosen when to have it deliberately prior to the ASG, not picking up an additional big. Joff is scoring more efficiently than he was b4 but he’s not good.

I am probably being reactionary though, you have a point calling me out on it.

No the truth is likely more pathetic. He put his trust in the veterans to get him home and they are bad. Which what are you doing? At least develop young players for next season if you are going to be losing. What is the goal for next year at this point?

Seriously think about what you are saying. You know how hard it is to tank in the context of what we are seeing from SA? These are vets that don’t try and lose and SA is having double digit leads for the majority of the game(s) just to have mini-meltdowns.

They aren’t tanking.

[SAGirl]

Seriously think about what you are saying. You know how hard it is to tank in the context of what we are seeing from SA? These are vets that don’t try and lose and SA is having double digit leads for the majority of the game(s) just to have mini-meltdowns.

They aren’t tanking.

They should play their youngsters more if they were truly tanking. The FO just overpaid for some guys who are not that good then and now they feel like they have to play them till the bitter end.

[TD 21]

Seriously think about what you are saying. You know how hard it is to tank in the context of what we are seeing from SA? These are vets that don’t try and lose and SA is having double digit leads for the majority of the game(s) just to have mini-meltdowns.

They aren’t tanking.

Tanking might be the most overused word in the NBA. People cavalierly throw the word around without understanding what it entails. Players never tank and given where this organization is at, they obviously aren't either.

They're just out talented most games and their archaic style compounds matters because there's little variance and virtually no margin for error. Wearing Spurs jerseys and being coached by the genius doesn't make up for the reality that the majority of this team is either too old or too young and either way not good enough to fill the roles they have them in. They rode the wave of a rejuvenated Aldridge, weak early schedule and the notion of the cavalry being on the way, before reality set in and their spirit was broken.

[DPG21920]

They should play their youngsters more if they were truly tanking. The FO just overpaid for some guys who are not that good then and now they feel like they have to play them till the bitter end.

That’s a fine opinion but that would not be tanking.

[sasaint]

Tanking might be the most overused word in the NBA. People cavalierly throw the word around without understanding what it entails. Players never tank and given where this organization is at, they obviously aren't either.

They're just out talented most games and their archaic style compounds matters because there's little variance and virtually no margin for error. Wearing Spurs jerseys and being coached by the genius doesn't make up for the reality that the majority of this team is either too old or too young and either way not good enough to fill the roles they have them in. They rode the wave of a rejuvenated Aldridge, weak early schedule and the notion of the cavalry being on the way, before reality set in and their spirit was broken.

Good perspective. I think I would emphasize that they are not good enough to fill the roles they have them in. I am not sure I have ever seen players tank. I have seen them loaf and/or under-perform in many different cir stances. But I doubt that I have witnessed them doing so for the purpose of having a bad record. That would be point-shaving, and there have been a couple of big scandals about that. With Silver suggesting that legal betting is coming soon, you can bet that the league will crack down on any cir stance that suggests point-shaving.

[YGWHI]

He just goes out, plays, wants to be great and goes home to his family.

You make it sounds like a bad thing when all coaches and gms in the league pray to have a franchise player that let them to do their job without pressure.

Not playing GM role, in fact increases Kawhi value. I have no doubt the rest of coaches and FO's would love to work without interferences from their superstar.

[SAGirl]

You make it sounds like a bad thing when all coaches and gms in the league pray to have a franchise player that let them to do their job without pressure.

Not playing GM role, in fact increases Kawhi value. I have no doubt the rest of coaches and FO's would love to work without interferences from their superstar.

I don’t make it sound like anything.
I was pretty plain. I think him complaining about the roster is very unseemly to me.
However everyone is free to think what they want so long as the man doesn’t speak for himself.

[tholdren]

I don’t make it sound like anything.
I was pretty plain. I think him complaining about the roster is very unseemly to me.
However everyone is free to think what they want so long as the man doesn’t speak for himself.

Durbeta 2.0

[YGWHI]

I don’t make it sound like anything.
I was pretty plain. I think him complaining about the roster is very unseemly to me.
However everyone is free to think what they want so long as the man doesn’t speak for himself.

I wonder when he was complaining about the roster.

Not talking to the media isn't a valid excuse to put words in his mouth that he never said.

[SAGirl]

I wonder when he was complaining about the roster.

Not talking to the media isn't a valid excuse to put words in his mouth that he never said.

Maybe you want to reply to sasaint, who thinks he's disgusted with the roster and voicing his opinion.

[sasaint]

Maybe you want to reply to sasaint, who thinks he's disgusted with the roster and voicing his opinion.

Huh? Please refresh my memory. I have posed the question, but I don't recall making a statement. But, perhaps in the heat of the moment...

[SAGirl]

Huh? Please refresh my memory. I have posed the question, but I don't recall making a statement. But, perhaps in the heat of the moment...

I know Ygwhi will champion on Kiwi's behalf for any perceived slight but I don't even understand what the perceived slight is. I think he's more countering your arguments that Kawhi is complaining about his teammates, but honestly... at this point I don't know what he's talking about.

[YGWHI]

I know Ygwhi will champion on Kiwi's behalf for any perceived slight

So proud I'll champion on something this year...

I think he's more countering your arguments that Kawhi is complaining about his teammates, but honestly... at this point I don't know what he's talking about.

It wasn't exactly on you. It was about the guys using it as an excuse. I read a few of them but I can't remember who were because I'm so bad for nicknames. Sorry.