RIP Spurs defense

[DeRozan m8]

Stopped reading at Kyle Anderson tbh

[K...]

Stopped reading at combination of OP and "Kyle".

Stopped reading at Kyle Anderson tbh

So you each read this:. The Spurs lost a lot of disruptiveness at the wing.. ? And have nothing to add but posted for the thrill?

[rjv]

and we've now reached the point where we are delivering eulogies for tier 3 players.

[Dex]

The fact that Kyle was the Spurs' third best defender is just as much of an indictment on our other players last year as it is a praise of Kyle's abilities tbh.

[lmbebo]

We won't be as good defensively, but I think I think we can be a top 15, if not top 10 defensive team. Its as much about effort than anything else most of the time. Was easier when you had great defenders in green and asshole.

[TD 21]

I could see the defense being a lesser version of last season's Raptors: relatively strong overall, but ultimately fools gold. They lacked the versatility to defend the elite teams (lack of wing/forward depth, slow footed bigs, small guards) and were repeatedly shredded by them.

Against most run of the mill teams, the combination of superior rim protection and Murray bookending, overall size of the projected starters and veteran knowhow, should suffice.

We won't be as good defensively, but I think I think we can be a top 15, if not top 10 defensive team.

Its as much about effort than anything else most of the time

. Was easier when you had great defenders in green and asshole.

Not at this level, it isn't. Obviously, it's a factor, but it's much more about physical tools (specifically length) and IQ.

[Coach X]

Losing Leonard, Green, Anderson will have an impact on the defensive end. But don't raise the alarm bells yet.

The offseason has improved the team offensively and you can't forget we have lost Parker, found an alternative to Gasol, incorporated White into the second unit and we still have a potentially elite defender on Murray ( 2nd all-defensive team). And Aldridge, a current excellent defender.

• DeRozan's defense off the ball is not good but is a coachable issue. He has the physical tools to be a good defender. He won't have to spend all his energy in offense carrying the team on his shoulders like he did in Toronto so you can expect from him to put more emphasis on D. He will definitely improve, won't become a stopper but won't be a team weakness.
• Marco is a liability, not bigger than Parker though. Hopefully, Pop can hide him on the opponent's weakest offensive player. Belli's help to team ball movement and shooting allows Pop to consider him playable.
• Poetlmight not play a lot initially but can be the defensive C the team has been missing since Duncan's retirement. His mere presence on the roster could make Pau work on defense in order to earn his playing time. He has played good D in Toronto, he guarantees rim protection without ruining the transition D even when LA is taking a break. That's a real improvement.
• Cunningham is a veteran forward with some size, in good condition yet. He will work hard on his minutes on the court. In a similar situation than Pau-Poetl, Dante should be used to remind Gay not to relax.

• Patty as the only small on court is not that bad. He might play less compared to last year and recover his "pesting" ability.
• Don't expect Gay to play the SF, he can't do it on D, too slow now. But he's kind of a wildcard at PF: can contest power forwards inside, match up well with shooting PFs, rebound, help around the rim, and isn't a bad switch on the picks.
• Bertans is another player with room to improve. He has shown flashes and is tall and fast enough to become a versatile defender. IMHO he can be one of the next season's stand out Spurs players.
• Manu does ok on D. White will do better than ok probably. Gasol can still do it ok in the second unit.
• Forbes will hopefully suffer the consequences of this loss of team defensive power and won't have effective playtime.

Popovich has already checked how super small lineups hurt defense and Gasol and Mills have lost weight on this roster. So, yeah, Spurs defense won't be as good as it has been in past years but still could be fine. On top of that, the team should have a better offense than last season.

Spurs are not supposed to contend for the championship this year, forget about beating the TOP 5 teams of the league. If the team makes the playoffs, improves the young players and gets the best from DeRozan then we can consider the season successful.

[jjktkk]

Fathead couldn't stop OP from stuffing her face with churros, much less an NBA player from scoring.

I bet you like getting stuffed with churros.

[tonight...you]

So you each read this:. The Spurs lost a lot of disruptiveness at the wing.. ? And have nothing to add but posted for the thrill?

And what a thrill it was...

[ElNono]

stopped reading at Kyle Anderson

[TheGreatYacht]

I bet you like getting stuffed with churros.

[TD 21]

Losing Leonard, Green, Anderson will have an impact on the defensive end. But don't raise the alarm bells yet.

The offseason has improved the team offensively and you can't forget we have lost Parker, found an alternative to Gasol, incorporated White into the second unit and we still have a potentially elite defender on Murray ( 2nd all-defensive team). And Aldridge, a current excellent defender.

• DeRozan's defense off the ball is not good but is a coachable issue. He has the physical tools to be a good defender. He won't have to spend all his energy in offense carrying the team on his shoulders like he did in Toronto so you can expect from him to put more emphasis on D. He will definitely improve, won't become a stopper but won't be a team weakness.
• Marco is a liability, not bigger than Parker though. Hopefully, Pop can hide him on the opponent's weakest offensive player. Belli's help to team ball movement and shooting allows Pop to consider him playable.
• Poetlmight not play a lot initially but can be the defensive C the team has been missing since Duncan's retirement. His mere presence on the roster could make Pau work on defense in order to earn his playing time. He has played good D in Toronto, he guarantees rim protection without ruining the transition D even when LA is taking a break. That's a real improvement.
• Cunningham is a veteran forward with some size, in good condition yet. He will work hard on his minutes on the court. In a similar situation than Pau-Poetl, Dante should be used to remind Gay not to relax.

• Patty as the only small on court is not that bad. He might play less compared to last year and recover his "pesting" ability.
• Don't expect Gay to play the SF, he can't do it on D, too slow now. But he's kind of a wildcard at PF: can contest power forwards inside, match up well with shooting PFs, rebound, help around the rim, and isn't a bad switch on the picks.
• Bertans is another player with room to improve. He has shown flashes and is tall and fast enough to become a versatile defender. IMHO he can be one of the next season's stand out Spurs players.
• Manu does ok on D. White will do better than ok probably. Gasol can still do it ok in the second unit.
• Forbes will hopefully suffer the consequences of this loss of team defensive power and won't have effective playtime.

Popovich has already checked how super small lineups hurt defense and Gasol and Mills have lost weight on this roster. So, yeah, Spurs defense won't be as good as it has been in past years but still could be fine. On top of that, the team should have a better offense than last season.

Spurs are not supposed to contend for the championship this year, forget about beating the TOP 5 teams of the league. If the team makes the playoffs, improves the young players and gets the best from DeRozan then we can consider the season successful.

Wrong. Their best lineups were always Lowry + the bench. Their bench has been 2nd best to the Spurs in recent seasons, before overtaking them last season.

If anything, despite playing with another alpha scorer, DeRozan might have to do more heavy lifting on offense, considering the lack of another perimeter player to ease the shot creating/play making burden. Maybe Murray becomes that, but we don't know that yet. White likely won't play a big enough role.

Neither can Parker, yet he'll be doing so for the Bulls because that's where he fits on their roster. Gay is no different on this roster. You can debate the details (starting, backup, SF, PF), but the reality is him and Cunningham will have to defend James, Durant, etc. by default because no one else is even remotely physically capable.

[Stabula]

Kawhi Leonard didn't play last season and Danny Green was trash on both ends, even lost his starting job. Spurs defense won't be worse than last year and their offense will be much improved.

[objective]

One reason for optimism if one wants that is more minutes for Dejounte.

Him being 2nd team all defense while only averaging 21 minutes a game on the season was incredible ... His minutes need to be 50% higher, he has to be at 32 or so.

Even after he became the full time starter, his minutes weren't that high due to Pop having to give career achievement minutes to Parker while at the same time giving 'underserved but he's got a big contract' minutes to Mills.

The last 20 games of the season in March and April saw Murray still only averaging about 26.5 minutes a game.

His defense at the point of attack with another year of added strength and experience could at least help minimize the damage.

If White gets real playing time that will help also, he's much more capable than Forbes or Mills or Marco. Whether Pop gives him a chance though is another story.

We'll see how much Pop still gives his bull contract minutes to Mills.

[tonight...you]

One reason for optimism if one wants that is more minutes for Dejounte.

Him being 2nd team all defense while only averaging 21 minutes a game on the season was incredible ... His minutes need to be 50% higher, he has to be at 32 or so.

Even after he became the full time starter, his minutes weren't that high due to Pop having to give career achievement minutes to Parker while at the same time giving 'underserved but he's got a big contract' minutes to Mills.

The last 20 games of the season in March and April saw Murray still only averaging about 26.5 minutes a game.

His defense at the point of attack with another year of added strength and experience could at least help minimize the damage.

If White gets real playing time that will help also, he's much more capable than Forbes or Mills or Marco. Whether Pop gives him a chance though is another story.

We'll see how much Pop still gives his bull contract minutes to Mills.

For DJ, he'll get more burn when he can hit shots on a more consistent level.
Or become a better playmaker.

One of the two. Doesn't need to be both.

[cutewizard]

Most of the current fan base has never experienced a rebuild of the team. You will have to take your enjoyment where and when you get it. Think of the fun or anticipation of the developing potential of the newbies and don't get down on them if they don't meet your expectations. +We've enjoyed the absolute record of excellence for 20 years. Nobody will ever approach our string of 50+I wins.

So we are about to experience what the rest of the league has had to endure on a regular basis.

[cutewizard]

Losing Leonard, Green, Anderson will have an impact on the defensive end. But don't raise the alarm bells yet.

The offseason has improved the team offensively and you can't forget we have lost Parker, found an alternative to Gasol, incorporated White into the second unit and we still have a potentially elite defender on Murray ( 2nd all-defensive team). And Aldridge, a current excellent defender.

• DeRozan's defense off the ball is not good but is a coachable issue. He has the physical tools to be a good defender. He won't have to spend all his energy in offense carrying the team on his shoulders like he did in Toronto so you can expect from him to put more emphasis on D. He will definitely improve, won't become a stopper but won't be a team weakness.
• Marco is a liability, not bigger than Parker though. Hopefully, Pop can hide him on the opponent's weakest offensive player. Belli's help to team ball movement and shooting allows Pop to consider him playable.
• Poetlmight not play a lot initially but can be the defensive C the team has been missing since Duncan's retirement. His mere presence on the roster could make Pau work on defense in order to earn his playing time. He has played good D in Toronto, he guarantees rim protection without ruining the transition D even when LA is taking a break. That's a real improvement.
• Cunningham is a veteran forward with some size, in good condition yet. He will work hard on his minutes on the court. In a similar situation than Pau-Poetl, Dante should be used to remind Gay not to relax.

• Patty as the only small on court is not that bad. He might play less compared to last year and recover his "pesting" ability.
• Don't expect Gay to play the SF, he can't do it on D, too slow now. But he's kind of a wildcard at PF: can contest power forwards inside, match up well with shooting PFs, rebound, help around the rim, and isn't a bad switch on the picks.
• Bertans is another player with room to improve. He has shown flashes and is tall and fast enough to become a versatile defender. IMHO he can be one of the next season's stand out Spurs players.
• Manu does ok on D. White will do better than ok probably. Gasol can still do it ok in the second unit.
• Forbes will hopefully suffer the consequences of this loss of team defensive power and won't have effective playtime.

Popovich has already checked how super small lineups hurt defense and Gasol and Mills have lost weight on this roster. So, yeah, Spurs defense won't be as good as it has been in past years but still could be fine. On top of that, the team should have a better offense than last season.

Spurs are not supposed to contend for the championship this year, forget about beating the TOP 5 teams of the league. If the team makes the playoffs, improves the young players and gets the best from DeRozan then we can consider the season successful.

[Fusternino]

Wrong. Their best lineups were always Lowry + the bench. Their bench has been 2nd best to the Spurs in recent seasons, before overtaking them last season.

If anything, despite playing with another alpha scorer, DeRozan might have to do more heavy lifting on offense, considering the lack of another perimeter player to ease the shot creating/play making burden. Maybe Murray becomes that, but we don't know that yet. White likely won't play a big enough role.

Neither can Parker, yet he'll be doing so for the Bulls because that's where he fits on their roster. Gay is no different on this roster. You can debate the details (starting, backup, SF, PF), but the reality is him and Cunningham will have to defend James, Durant, etc. by default because no one else is even remotely physically capable.

Team needs to get Quincy Acy now to be another defensive minded 3/4 who can shoot the 3.

[DeRozan m8]

So you each read this:. The Spurs lost a lot of disruptiveness at the wing.. ? And have nothing to add but posted for the thrill?

Yes

[TimDunkem]

Why can't SAGirl manage more than 10 words without dropping Fathead's name?

[Kawhitstorm]

Antonio Suckers

[cutewizard]

Lets win the trophy!

[Coach X]

Wrong. Their best lineups were always Lowry + the bench. Their bench has been 2nd best to the Spurs in recent seasons, before overtaking them last season.

If anything, despite playing with another alpha scorer, DeRozan might have to do more heavy lifting on offense, considering the lack of another perimeter player to ease the shot creating/play making burden. Maybe Murray becomes that, but we don't know that yet. White likely won't play a big enough role.

I don't have the stats, but based on the games I've been watching, I'd say DeRozan used to play against starters while Lowry+bench played against second units. East Conference second units. Maybe that explains the numbers. Watching games you can see DDR taking the load on offense and relaxing on defense. Being the Spurs a much more collective basketball team in both ends of the court, and playing next to Aldridge, I believe DeRozan's focus will balance better. He's been kicked from home after his best offensive season, traded for defensive players. That should mean something for him too I guess. Moreover, most of the players arriving in San Antonio improve defensively.

Neither can Parker, yet he'll be doing so for the Bulls because that's where he fits on their roster. Gay is no different on this roster. You can debate the details (starting, backup, SF, PF), but the reality is him and Cunningham will have to defend James, Durant, etc. by default because no one else is even remotely physically capable.

I want to think Bertans can play the SF and progress defensively. However, is true that the team doesn't have a player that can match with that kind of players, I highlighted that in the "SF" post, here. I'm sure PATFO is conscious of this weakness and could try something around February.

Anyway, up here in my optimistic post, I'm also admitting we can't compete against the better teams of the league and that's one of the reasons. Unfortunately, we are some more upgrades away from real contention so I won't say fixing one specific detail here or there would make our team fight for the Championship. Under my point of view, this is a transitional season for the team to find a new type of play, new players to adapt and youngsters to progress. Those are the tasks for the team and I'd say the franchise will be ok with that as long as they win around 45-50 and make the playoffs. The team is still good enough and capable of hitting the targets. Leonard's drama finally finished, I'm really excited about the 2018/19 season.

[offset formation]

Antonio Suckers

Joke's on you moron. Too bad you can't change your favorite team under your avi to that, amirite?

What a pathetic existence to waste time on an internet messageboard trying to savage the team you're supposedly a fan of, and do it 16,424 times. You are going to ring at Most Pathetic one day though...keep trying.

[Drom John]

I am hoping that DeRozan becomes like Finley as a Spur and is pressured to be in the right place (not miss assignments) on defense; not good defensively but improving to tolerable.
Poetl > Lauvergne
White > Parker
Murray, more minutes.
Good coaching.

The Spurs will be a very good defensive team, which is a downgrade.