Grades: Spurs vs. Thunder - Jan. 10, 2019

[timvp]

Back to giving higher grades to the rest. White played fearless, taking 3’s when the game was on the line, making the huge block, making plays that I would’ve expected Demar to make. He is growing right before our eyes.

My issue with White was his defense was bad for three and a half quarters. His most important attribute to the team is his defense so they can't have him lay defensive eggs like that and expect to win too often. He gave up easy penetration (even middle penetration, a cardinal sin of SA's defensive philosophy) so often that I was expecting Pop to bench him. Thankfully Pop didn't but I'd say reason number one why the Spurs struggled to even slow OKC was White was playing defense like he was Gary Neal.

Offensively, he was great and he came up with huge defensive plays late but he was far too bad on D for too much of the game to be overly thrilled with his play, IMO.

[Seventyniner]

Pop tried to go to Aldridge but everyone in the building including the Thunder knew that Aldridge was going to be the first option. It's difficult to go to bigs for final shots since they are a lot easier to double-team. If you remember correctly, even Duncan's game-winners in similar situations came off of misdirection plays that prominently featured Ginobili and Parker. Another example would be how Kobe was always the go-to guy late even when he had prime Shaq on his team.

This. Even a 35-40% shot like the one DDR got is a good option because there's very little risk of a turnover. That's a situation where the team misses Number 2. Well, his basketball ability at least.

[cjw]

Also: this game was another proof of how we need a taller SF to compete with the best.

You mean, like, Rudy Gay?

Agree they need depth there given he can’t be counted on for 70 games.

[Spurs da champs]

My issue with White was his defense was bad for three and a half quarters. His most important attribute to the team is his defense so they can't have him lay defensive eggs like that and expect to win too often. He gave up easy penetration (even middle penetration, a cardinal sin of SA's defensive philosophy) so often that I was expecting Pop to bench him. Thankfully Pop didn't but I'd say reason number one why the Spurs struggled to even slow OKC was White was playing defense like he was Gary Neal.

Offensively, he was great and he came up with huge defensive plays late but he was far too bad on D for too much of the game to be overly thrilled with his play, IMO.

It was a good learning experience for White who prior to that game hasn't guarded anybody as explosive as Westbrook. He definitely picked it up at the end.

[BOHOLANO#21]

DDR suck big time. Made costly turnovers, poor shot selection, ball stopper and poor defense. Sad, it’s not even playoffs yet.

[alpha_HaZE]

Derrick White

Derrick White is becoming quite a player right in front of our eyes. He's gone from offensive liability to key offensive cog in record time. Tonight, I have no complaints about what he did offensively. He was as aggressive as we've ever seen him. He didn't hesitate to take and make big shots. White's finishing around the rim was impressive and he kept his head up even through his occasional mistakes. His court vision and passing were on full display. He smartly fed Aldridge all night. In the overtimes, he took on the main perimeter playmaker role that DeRozan usually handles. Defense is where I was a bit disappointed with White. For the first three and a half quarters, he was as ineffective defensively as we've seen. He was unable to disrupt Westbrook much at all; White wasn't cutting off his drives and wasn't denying him open looks or open passing lanes. On top of that, he was closing out too hard on Westbrook's three-pointers. But give White credit, his defense went up a few levels starting midway through the fourth quarter and into both overtimes. He had two huge defensive plays late (a block and a steal) to put a bow on this beauty.
Grade: B+
Summary: White was big time.

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Pau Gasol

Eh, pretty good. Pau Gasol was back in the starting lineup and held serve. His passing was really good and he blended into the offensive attack seamlessly. He was glacially slow in transition defense but his halfcourt defense was fine. He protected the hoop well and was strong on the boards. With Rudy Gay out with his wrist injury, Gasol is probably the safest plug-and-play option for the starting lineup against all but the smallest teams.
Grade: B-
Summary: Gasol started and was okay.

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I always thought you were an idiot, this confirms it! Derrick had a career high on points and was one assist away from matching his career high on assists, yet you essentially give him the same grade with Pau, who was scoreless in the game...

[timvp]

I always thought you were an idiot, this confirms it!

Fair enough, tbh.

[GreekSpursfan]

Derozan F, White A- and the - is for the shot that he bricked and ended the 14-14 3's record at the time, just kidding, White an A for me not + thats for LA.

[T Park]

I always thought you were an idiot, this confirms it! Derrick had a career high on points and was one assist away from matching his career high on assists, yet you essentially give him the same grade with Pau, who was scoreless in the game...

sweet, another guy who doesnt understand the grading system.

[wildbill2u]

Great game. Watching Derrick White mature as a important two way player on the fly in games is amazing. Not only improving offensively but taking on the best perimeter player for the other team is something that few can do. And he's playing with the aplomb of a veteran, knocking down shots and FTs to close out the game when he's not making blocks and steals in crunch time.

[MoSpur02]

His funk started the game before the Toronto game. The seven games before that, he had shot 52% from the floor on top of averaging around seven rebounds and seven assists.

I think the most likely reason for DeRozan's slump is emotional fatigue from the Raptors game. He didn't admit it at the time but that game was a huge deal to him. Since that game, he has looked tired, slow and not as sharp. (It probably doesn't help that he's still averaging north of 35 minutes per game, the most by a Spur in 15 years, and that he's expending more energy than ever on defense.)

The Spurs don't get any extra rest until a stretch starting Jan. 21 that has the Spurs playing once in five days. I expect DeRozan to play at a lower level than usual until then.

I really hope it's fatigue. His shot just looks off and not having his legs makes sense for a lot of the shots he's missing. The Spurs really need to acquire a SF or start to give Walker serious burn.

[RodNIc91]

Thanks for the grades, Timvp! Spurstalk wasn’t the same without your game grades and game insight.

It was a fun game that San Antonio should’ve won in regulation. I think it went that far because of several factors: the Spurs ran out of gas, the Thunder fought back harder without Adams, and also because from about the 8 minute mark the Spurs couldn’t defend to save their lifes. Thankfully, LMA was able to reach from within and provided a performance for the ages.

[KimmyGib]

That was an incredible game, and great win for the good guys. Exciting from Start to finish. That said, the Thunder repeatedly destroyed our defense and it took career nights from LMA and White, and historical 3-point efficiency from our bench to barely eek out the win. Thunder are a scary team, tbh.

[SpursDynasty85]

That was an incredible game, and great win for the good guys. Exciting from Start to finish. That said, the Thunder repeatedly destroyed our defense and it took career nights from LMA and White, and historical 3-point efficiency from our bench to barely eek out the win. Thunder are a scary team, tbh.

Well. The Thunder with an actually smart and unselfish Westbrook is a scary team; however, last night's win should've been easier if:

1) Derozan stopped getting in the way
2) Pop played Bertans more

I do not know why Pop was playing such small ball late in the game. Bertans was killing it out there and a lot better length and rebounding than Derozan at friggin PF with Mills and Forbes out there.. That had to be the smallest 1-4 lineup played this season. Spurs were also on a b2b (Derozan did play some heavy minutes before the close of the Memphis game and he needs to adjust more off the ball now that White is coming into his own.

[Fusternino]

Well. The Thunder with an actually smart and unselfish Westbrook is a scary team; however, last night's win should've been easier if:

1) Derozan stopped getting in the way
2) Pop played Bertans more

I do not know why Pop was playing such small ball late in the game. Bertans was killing it out there and a lot better length and rebounding than Derozan at friggin PF with Mills and Forbes out there.. That had to be the smallest 1-4 lineup played this season. Spurs were also on a b2b (Derozan did play some heavy minutes before the close of the Memphis game and he needs to adjust more off the ball now that White is coming into his own.

Agreed that the 4 guard line-ups were brutal. Also, the shooters needed to keep bombing away.

[cutewizard]

Spurs will win the

[alpha_HaZE]

sweet, another guy who doesnt understand the grading system.

Everyone with 50K+ posts, is pretty much one.

Regarding the grade; it was a B because

Defense is where I was a bit disappointed with White

Well, even though he didn't play much due to foul trouble yesterday, he was on a second game of a back to back. And, Russ was on fire oh and he is an MVP player. So, there isn't much White or anyone can do. And, White being a essentially a rookie does not get the calls from the refs just yet. So yes his defence will be a bit iffy, just as it will be for ANYONE at his spot. BUT, despite all that, he had some MONSTER defensive plays down the stretch! That was a big win for us and other than LA he was our Most Valuable Player.

But give White credit, his defense went up a few levels starting midway through the fourth quarter and into both overtimes.

[ceperez]

My issue with White was his defense was bad for three and a half quarters. His most important attribute to the team is his defense so they can't have him lay defensive eggs like that and expect to win too often. He gave up easy penetration (even middle penetration, a cardinal sin of SA's defensive philosophy) so often that I was expecting Pop to bench him. Thankfully Pop didn't but I'd say reason number one why the Spurs struggled to even slow OKC was White was playing defense like he was Gary Neal.

Offensively, he was great and he came up with huge defensive plays late but he was far too bad on D for too much of the game to be overly thrilled with his play, IMO.

Important to call out that the Spurs defense was pathetic. But, we got to remember also that this was a back-to-back game.