Grades: Spurs vs. Clippers - Jan. 20, 2019

[Chinook]

We dont HAVE to play gasol...why does he deserve that privelige?

They probably don't and maybe shouldn't. But Pop isn't going to bench Gasol without giving him an opportunity to earn time back. Before he got injured, he was averaging 14/12/7 on great efficiency with the best defensive stats on the team. He was better than Jakob has been, even since he's figured it out. Pau likely should be the third center and not play most nights, but he was a good player for the Spurs, and Pop's gonna want to do right by him.

[duncan2k5]

They probably don't and maybe shouldn't. But Pop isn't going to bench Gasol without giving him an opportunity to earn time back. Before he got injured, he was averaging 14/12/7 on great efficiency with the best defensive stats on the team. He was better than Jakob has been, even since he's figured it out. Pau likely should be the third center and not play most nights, but he was a good player for the Spurs, and Pop's gonna want to do right by him.

He isnt a good player...he was putting up meaningless stats...the best we looked this year was without him...same in 2017

[Chinook]

He isnt a good player...he was putting up meaningless stats...the best we looked this year was without him...same in 2017

Man, dude was injured. I thought you'd have more sympathy for him.

[Mugen]

Man, dude was injured. I thought you'd have more sympathy for him.

[RC_Drunkford]

Ship's starting to sink imo. Team hasn't looked right in the past three weeks. They're around .500 in that stretch but it's clear they aren't playing with the same crispness they had been the month previous. There are a few obvious things to point at in Gasol's return, offense becoming even more LMA-centric as opposed to DeRozan-led, and the hangover from the Nephew game. However, the most alarming to me has been the league seemingly figuring out and exploiting the Spurs' defensive game plan. Didn't think teams would actively notice it until the playoffs or close to them, but here we are.

I really think if Pop is serious about competing for the playoffs and a punchers chance to go far, they have to make a trade. Whether it's just dumping Gasol or getting a defensive difference-maker on the wing something needs to happen. It's all moot if DeRozan is imploding mentally but they have a few more games to figure out what the issue is.

to be fair right now is not the right time to make the offense more DeRozan-led

[Robz4000]

That's way too long of a period to try to use to draw conclusions. Since December 31, they are 7-4, a 52-win pace. They have wins over Toronto, Boston and OKC in that time. In the 12 games before that (going back to the start of their previous turnaround on 12/7), they were 9-3, with quality wins over the Lakers, Sixers and Nuggets. It's better to make the cut-off two weeks, where they are 4-4 and have two disappointing losses to counteract their quality home win and two quality road win.

The reality is that the Spurs going to an Aldridge-led offense has produced a 16-7 stretch, and it wasn't a hampering thing until DeMar fell off following the Raptors game. It's like all of his focus left him once he got that out of the way, or maybe like seeing Toronto without him brought him back to that creepy dark place he was in right after the trade. Normally, I'd want Pop to sit DeRozan, but who knows how that would affect him, and the long game needs him as a player.

I don't think there's reason to worry too much about the team's future outside of DeRozan. Team's haven't "figured the Spurs out". It wasn't schematic hocus pocus that caused the defensive rise in the first place. It was chemistry and effort from the players that did the most work, and that's sort of borked right now with DeRozan spiraling and the team having to figure out how Pau factors into the team going forward. This was the first game in a long time where they had Gasol, Gay and DeRozan all available. , Pau came back at the beginning of this 4-4 stretch, with the team being 2-2 both when Gasol starts and when he comes off the bench. There isn't a real sense of where the team is supposed to go with that either. They need time and practice. They'll get both with only one game between now and Saturday

to be fair right now is not the right time to make the offense more DeRozan-led

To be clear, I support the LMA-centric offense since it keeps him engaged on both ends of the ball. Just pointing out it may be part of the reason DeRozan has mentally checked out.

[vavvi]

To be clear, I support the LMA-centric offense since it keeps him engaged on both ends of the ball. Just pointing out it may be part of the reason DeRozan has mentally checked out.

He had 16 shots while not able to hit and having 4 turnovers. It's not like Pop doesn't let him shoot.

[Kobe'sAchilles]

DeRozan is getting his shots and shooting them like crazy, he just can't throw the ball into the ocean. The troubling thing is that he's getting to the line the least amount of times in like 5 years. He literally got more respect in Toronto than he does here and that's troubling. It's clearly affecting his mentality. Another troubling aspect is the people who are shooting and the people who we actually want to shoot. Forbes and Patty are averaging more shots than White and Bertans and that's not a long term recipe for success. Ideally some of their shots would go to Bertans (Belli's shots too) and Derrick would be more aggressive.

It sounds good in theory that starting Bertans would fix things, but would he really be getting any shots if he played next to Gay, LMA, and DDR? Also how long can his body hold out in the NBA regular season? The dude has had two major knee injuries and we don't know the max his body can handle at this stage. For all we know maybe Bertans can only handle 25 minutes a game without feeling any soreness. Plus him being paired with Jakob off the bench really has it's good perks. I think we are just going to have to suck up Forbes for this year and just be grateful for Murray when we get him back next year.

[Keepin' it real]

There was a game yesterday? Lol it was the greatest NFL conference championship Sunday of all time. Spurs game should have been postponed.

[Robz4000]

There was a game yesterday? Lol it was the greatest NFL conference championship Sunday of all time. Spurs game should have been postponed.

2009 was better imo.

[GAustex]

DDR is playing like he is really stoned

[SpurPadre]

Forbes is clearly the weakest link amongst the starters but he gets a pass because "he's cheap" and "he tries" and "but...but, he wasn't supposed to be a starter, cut him some slack!" . A scrub is a ing scrub.

[duncan2k5]

Forbes is clearly the weakest link amongst the starters but he gets a pass because "he's cheap" and "he tries" and "but...but, he wasn't supposed to be a starter, cut him some slack!" . A scrub is a ing scrub.

Agrred

[tmtcsc]

Someone may have already mentioned this but Derozan might be effected by the fact he wont make the All-Star team. Just tired and possibly bummed out. Who knows? I believe it will be his first time staying home from All-Star game in years.

[NameLess Scrub]

There was a game yesterday? Lol it was the greatest NFL conference championship Sunday of all time. Spurs game should have been postponed.

It was pretty great, horrible call and OT rule aside.

Someone may have already mentioned this but Derozan might be effected by the fact he wont make the All-Star team. Just tired and possibly bummed out. Who knows? I believe it will be his first time staying home from All-Star game in years.

Again, hope he gets over all of that because he's really talented and still young.

DeRozan is getting his shots and shooting them like crazy, he just can't throw the ball into the ocean. The troubling thing is that he's getting to the line the least amount of times in like 5 years. He literally got more respect in Toronto than he does here and that's troubling. It's clearly affecting his mentality. Another troubling aspect is the people who are shooting and the people who we actually want to shoot. Forbes and Patty are averaging more shots than White and Bertans and that's not a long term recipe for success. Ideally some of their shots would go to Bertans (Belli's shots too) and Derrick would be more aggressive.

It sounds good in theory that starting Bertans would fix things, but would he really be getting any shots if he played next to Gay, LMA, and DDR? Also how long can his body hold out in the NBA regular season? The dude has had two major knee injuries and we don't know the max his body can handle at this stage. For all we know maybe Bertans can only handle 25 minutes a game without feeling any soreness. Plus him being paired with Jakob off the bench really has it's good perks. I think we are just going to have to suck up Forbes for this year and just be grateful for Murray when we get him back next year.

Is that why Bertans moves like and old man? Knee surgeries?

[Kobe'sAchilles]

Is that why Bertans moves like and old man? Knee surgeries?

he tore his ACL twice in Europe. It's something I'm sure Pop is always monitoring

[KDKSpurs24]

Someone may have already mentioned this but Derozan might be effected by the fact he wont make the All-Star team. Just tired and possibly bummed out. Who knows? I believe it will be his first time staying home from All-Star game in years.

This is not the reason. Because if he actually played well in these past 10 games that he’s been bad in, then he’d still be in the running to make the all star team. So it’s not that.

[NameLess Scrub]

he tore his ACL twice in Europe. It's something I'm sure Pop is always monitoring

Well makes sense now.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

This is not the reason. Because if he actually played well in these past 10 games that he’s been bad in, then he’d still be in the running to make the all star team. So it’s not that.

True. Up until 10 games ago he would have likely been the choice over LMA if someone was going to get in from the Spurs.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

What a horrible game this was. Complete and total letdown.

Why this team just doesn't show up for some games is just really odd. Aside from the three 30 point losses, the losses to the Suns, Bulls, Memphis twice, and now this game at home against a Clips team that is sucking azz is just pitiful. Put those five losses back in the win column and the Spurs are at the top of the West. They're not good enough to give games away, and so far I'm counting 5 coulda-woulda-shoulda losses.