Random Thoughts: Spurs vs. Rockets - Nov. 30, 2018

[JeffDuncan]

Let's see what we've got here.

Patty Mills - not an NBA player.

Marco Belinelli - no longer an NBA-level player.

Davis Bertans - not an NBA player.

Dante Cunningham - no longer an NBA-level player.

Bryn Forbes - not an NBA player.

Quincy Pondexter - no longer an NBA-level player.

Jakob Poeltl - perhaps an NBA player, useful in certain lineups, against certain opponents, if he were well coached. Again, if he were well coached.

Derrick White - an end-of-the-bench NBA player on some teams.

Pau Gasol - in truth, a former NBA player. Unavailable.

Lonnie Walker IV - a raw NBA player with excellent prospects.

Dejounte Murray - an NBA player in development with excellent prospects. Unavailable.

Ben Moore - not established as an NBA player at age 23.

Chimezie Metu - a raw rookie, future unknown.

Drew Eubanks - a raw rookie, future unknown.

DeMar DeRozan - an NBA All-Star being badly misused on a dysfunctional team.

LaMarcus Aldridge - a former All-Star, in decline, being badly misused, and poorly coached, on a dysfunctional team.

Did I miss anything?

Edit - I sure as missed something. Rudy Gay! Definitely an NBA player, but with persistent foot problems.

[Maddog]

These pieces don't fit.
I put a lot of this on LMA. However, this really is a patchwork team. Mid season last year they where probably envisioning an elite defensive team going forward centered around Nephew and DJ.

I was more in favor of rebuilding this summer than re tooling when it became clear that the nephew was out of here. However early in the season, I thought, hey this might work out.
I think it's really time to re think about going full rebuild.

[BackHome]

At this point we have no choice were second to last in the West. Can one of the mods put in 2019 draft in the forums

[Dex]

This season is really starting to remind me of 96-97.

Mostly because we are in 2nd to last in the West...and have the easiest part of our schedule behind us.

[Russ]

Personally, I'm hoping the Spurs can get back on track, make the playoffs and Pop can coach until the day comes he no longer wants to coach.

As a result, the Spurs will have to make do with a version of Aldridge who oftentimes floats on offense and is inconsistent energy-wise on defense.

If Aldridge had a motor (or the seriousness to develop an inside game), he'd be top 50 all time.

[MoSpur02]

If Aldridge had a motor (or the seriousness to develop an inside game), he'd be top 50 all time.

This. He can be dominant when he really wants to, defers too much his jumper and fadeaway shot.

[therealtruth]

The Spurs should have known enough about LMA when Splitter shut him down in '14 playoffs.

[timvp]

Lonnie a "Couple of years away".....man the brainwashing that Pop and the FO have been able to successfully do during this run has been really quite impressive. Even with how raw he is, he'd easily be the 3rd best wing on the team within 10 games of NBA game action....that's how horrible the roster is.

Agree 100% that "years away" mantra is basically an "In Pop we Trust" "Corporate Knowledge" yadda Yada. Cult stuff.

Not that Spurs fns are known to actually watch other teams play basketball but what fantasy world is it that non-lottery picks as green as Walker instantly step into big roles? It rarely happens, regardless of team cir stances. On teams that have hopes of making the playoffs, it's even more rare. The truth is that Pop's history of playing non-lottery rookies on teams with hopes of making the playoffs is as good or better than just about every other comparable coach. I know that doesn't fit with the whining that has gone on over the years but it's the truth if you take a second to look around the league.

[DAF86]

I really hope "random thoughts" don't become the norm, tbh.

[JeffDuncan]

Oh, I wanted to mention a very unusual moment in the game when Pop walked down the bench, sat between LMA and DDR, and talked to them for a while. Anybody heard anything about that, or have thoughts on it?

[phxspurfan]

-After the Rockets romp, I went and watched the debut of Lonnie Walker IV in Austin. I was impressed. The kid is definitely an A+ athlete who plays with a swagger than may transfer to the NBA and allow him to quickly become a contributing member of the team. On paper, it's unlikely that Walker does anything for the big boys this year because he's about as raw as an NBA player can be today: he didn't go to a powerhouse high school, he went to a university not known for basketball and he wasn't even healthy all of last season.

On paper, Walker is a couple years away. But the Spurs could desperately need athleticism, fearlessness and explosiveness. Walker could help in those areas and I think he should be given a chance once he's completely confident on his knee.

The guy refers to himself in the third person. He’s exactly what we need

On paper, Walker is a couple years away. But on paper, the Spurs are more than a couple years away. Find the kid (and some more g league kids) a spot on the team. Stupid mills and Forbes, Cunningham, Bertans etc are killing this team

[DAF86]

Oh, and, like I've been saying all along, our best lineup is White, DeRozan, Gay, Bertans, Aldridge.

Size and passable defense on every position; shooting and shot making on every position too. Yet, I don't think I have ever seen those 5 together on the floor at the same time for even a second this season.

[Russ]

Oh, I wanted to mention a very unusual moment in the game when Pop walked down the bench, sat between LMA and DDR, and talked to them for a while. Anybody heard anything about that, or have thoughts on it?

My thoughts -- Pop was way too calm in the face of all this.

He should have been panicking and pulling his hair out (he better keep coaching, he'll never make it on a message board).

[DAF86]

Has he even started that lineup or had that lineup yet?

Not that I remember.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Oh, I wanted to mention a very unusual moment in the game when Pop walked down the bench, sat between LMA and DDR, and talked to them for a while. Anybody heard anything about that, or have thoughts on it?

[slick'81]

Oh, I wanted to mention a very unusual moment in the game when Pop walked down the bench, sat between LMA and DDR, and talked to them for a while. Anybody heard anything about that, or have thoughts on it?

Clearly hes letting his best two players know there will be better days

[RC_Drunkford]

Oh, and, like I've been saying all along, our best lineup is White, DeRozan, Gay, Bertans, Aldridge.

Size and passable defense on every position; shooting and shot making on every position too. Yet, I don't think I have ever seen those 5 together on the floor at the same time for even a second this season.

Pop doesn't play line ups without at least 1 midget in it. Sometimes he plays 3 at the same time. When's the last time the Spurs didn't have a midget in the line up?

[objective]

Ugh, still have a better record than every lottery team in the damn East

Wizards might not get better because of all their drama

Nets might not get better due to injury

Knicks, Bulls, Hawks and Cavs are all tanking and have a big head start. Maybe NY and the Bulls get a little better if/when Porzingis and Markannen get back but they are their teams are tank-invested heavily.

MAYBE Miami gets a better record than SA as they get healthier. And they could make some moves to help it along.

But in the West it's easy to picture the Kings and Dallas falling off.

If the Spurs are going to tank, they need an injury to LMA or DeRozan pronto.

[Fusternino]

We could still get Sekou in the 6-12 range.

[Kurgan]

Pop doesn't play line ups without at least 1 midget in it. Sometimes he plays 3 at the same time. When's the last time the Spurs didn't have a midget in the line up?

Forbes has started every game this season. It's unrealistic to expect a starting lineup without him included unfortunately. In Pop's mind, Derozan/LMA/Forbes are locks leaving only two spots for experimentation.

[SAGirl]

Pop's not playing Walker.

First, those pull-up jumpers are a sure way to get benched if he ever does play. One missed pull up off a crossover when guys like DeRozan or Marco or LMA or Forbes or Gay are on the court and he'll get pulled for not being over himself just like White is.

Pop needs to condition Walker first into constantly looking over his shoulder, passively surrendering the ball to Patty Mills, and doubting his own game as worse players get free passes.

But aside from that, there's nowhere for him to get minutes.

Pop will never EVER take Mills down to spot minutes. He can squat on the court and defecate during live play, Pop will just love him more. Such culture.

DeRozan isn't losing minutes. Marco has been even worse than usual but he was the prize of the off-season. They knew he was one of the worst defenders in the league. He has a two year deal. Walker can play after Marco's deal is over. Forbes is now a made man. He's better than Mills, and if Mills won't lose minutes to Walker, neither is Forbes.

Well one has to think all these tank commanders are taking us to a high lotto pick... with Pop favoritism as the linchpin.

[Mugen]

Not that Spurs fns are known to actually watch other teams play basketball but what fantasy world is it that non-lottery picks as green as Walker instantly step into big roles? It rarely happens, regardless of team cir stances. On teams that have hopes of making the playoffs, it's even more rare. The truth is that Pop's history of playing non-lottery rookies on teams with hopes of making the playoffs is as good or better than just about every other comparable coach. I know that doesn't fit with the whining that has gone on over the years but it's the truth if you take a second to look around the league.

So many qualifiers to bail out Pop....

Off the top of my head, Collins, Leaf and OG....this year pretty sure Okogie on Minny is getting steady minutes....

But Lonnie is so raw that there's no way he could possibly be better than the likes of Bryn, Beli, Quincy Pondexter, and other powerhouse wings on the team crofl

Simply put, this is a lottery team and first rounders (no matter if they were lottery or not) should be able to play and get steady minutes on a bottom feeding team

[Mugen]

I bet it was probably Timmy and Manu that went to Pop during Kawhis rookie year and told him to trade RJ

Miss the real leaders on the team tbh...

[Kurgan]

I bet it was probably Timmy and Manu that went to Pop during Kawhis rookie year and told him to trade RJ

Miss the real leaders on the team tbh...

I miss the days when we were ing about players like RJ starting(who was at least an NBA caliber player). Now we're complaining about scrubs like Cunningham who have no business being on an NBA roster. Spurs have truly fallen on hard times.

[timtonymanu]

No sane coach should be playing Cunningham and Pondexter over Lonnie. Regardless of how it was done in the past. Pop and co need to move on from that mentality already.