Grades: Spurs @ Rockets - Mar. 22, 2019

[timvp]

Hoping to get back on the winning track, the Spurs traveled to Houston to take on the Rockets on Friday night. After a roller coaster of a game, San Antonio fell by a final count of 111-105. Following a streak of nine straight wins, the Spurs have now lost two straight and their 42-31 record has them standing as the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

In the first half, the Spurs didn’t play hard or smart. They fouled too often, their big guns were missing in action and their transition defense was a mess. In fact, San Antonio was lucky to be trailing by only 15 points at intermission.

The Spurs got down by as many as 19 points in the third quarter before they turned it around. They stopped fouling, upped their energy level and simply played a smarter brand of basketball. Entering the fourth quarter, the Spurs and Rockets were tied at 81-81.

The opening minutes of the deciding period were tightly contested. Eventually, the Spurs got some separation and led 100-94 with four and a half minutes remaining. Unfortunately, a bad call that went against DeMar DeRozan totally changed the momentum of the game. DeRozan had a jumper waved off that would have put the Spurs up by eight points when a referee mistakenly called him for an offensive foul for grazing James Harden’s beard with his elbow during a shot attempt.

Instead of the Spurs going up eight points, Harden was able to put an exclamation point on his historic night by hitting three consecutive three-pointers to give the Rockets a three-point lead. All told, Harden scored 13 of the game’s next 15 points to complete Houston’s comeback victory.

Overall, the Spurs played well in the second half and put themselves in a position to win the game. But it didn’t happen … and it wasn’t just because of that one missed call. Their undisciplined defense against Harden sent him to the line 17 times, which allowed him to get in rhythm and pour in a career-high matching 61 points.

If the Spurs are going to make noise down the stretch, they need to get back to playing harder and smarter for longer stretches. In these past two losses, they’ve only put things together for small stretches at a time. That’s not going to get it done.

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LaMarcus Aldridge

Offensively, LaMarcus Aldridge was feckless in the first half – too soft, too timid and too indecisive. He was happy just going through the motions. Thankfully, he took Pop’s stern halftime message to heart and came out totally different in the third quarter. After missing all seven of his field goal attempts in the first half, Aldridge was 5-for-6 in the final two periods and his assertiveness was night and day. Defensively, he protected the rim well all night long but his perimeter defense was lacking and he didn’t offer much support on switches.
Grade: C-
Summary: Aldridge needs to start putting together full games again.

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DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan had another dud of a fourth quarter. In the first three stanzas, he had put together an all-around line of 12 points, eight assists and eight rebounds. But in the final period, he hit just two of his six shots from the field while his playmaking and rebounding dried up. Yes, he had a call go against him on that offensive foul but DeRozan needs to be mentally tough enough to play through such controversy on the road. Instead, he became even more inefficient. Silver lining: DeRozan’s defense continues to look improved. Let’s hope that becomes a permanent feature of his game.
Grade: C-
Summary: DeRozan couldn’t close.

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Derrick White

After a dreadful game against the Heat, Derrick White bounced back with a much improved outing against the Rockets. Defensively, he was okay. Yes, the player he was assigned to had 61 points. However, it was mostly not his fault, as Houston made it a point to set screens on White to force someone else to defend Harden. Then again, White fouled Harden on a three-pointer early that sparked a free throw parade and his D in transition was oftentimes sloppy. Offensively, White helped out by shouldering some of the scoring load. He played confidently and in control – but he still missed some easy shots and he wasn’t making plays as often as we’ve come to expect.
Grade: B-
Summary: White was better but still has room for improvement.

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Rudy Gay

Friday night was a struggle for Rudy Gay. He was saddled with foul trouble for a lot of the evening. He was also not moving well out on the perimeter, which was painfully obvious whenever he attempted to play defense outside of the paint. Gay’s days as a capable perimeter defender appear to be numbered. Offensively, Gay never found a groove and failed to provide much aid. His most useful attribute tonight was his rebounding.
Grade: C-
Summary: Gay rebounded well and … that was about it.

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Bryn Forbes

Bryn Forbes had been struggling lately but he delivered one of his most impressive offensive showings of the season. He was supremely self-assured from the opening tip. While going 3-for-3 from three-point range was helpful, it was Forbes’ driving and finishing in the lane that was most notable. He looked legitimately powerful and graceful going to the rim, which isn’t usually the case. Forbes was mostly okay-ish on defense but he mixed in a couple boneheaded mistakes, especially in transition and scramble situations.
Grade: A-
Summary: Forbes scoring 20 points on ten shots helped give the Spurs a chance.

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Davis Bertans

Well, at least he didn’t stop shooting. Davis Bertans finished 1-for-10 from the field, all of which were from three-point land. I liked the shots; they just didn’t drop. Bertans’ burgeoning off-the-dribble moves were better than usual tonight – and that led directly to him leading the bench with four assists. Defensively, he was solid. He stayed in front of dribblers and threw his body around.
Grade: C
Summary: Bertans shot enough but didn’t make enough.

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Marco Belinelli

It was a second straight solid performance from Marco Belinelli in a losing effort. His energy level was really, really good and he once again provided the squad with a boost. Belinelli’s movement was creating space for himself and others, while his running of the court was as hard as we’ve witnessed all season. Defensively, he was far from good but, again, he competed enough to mostly mask his deficiencies.
Grade: A-
Summary: Belinelli was ready for game day.

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Patty Mills

Patty Mills was a liability on defense but it wasn’t for a lack of effort. The Rockets were getting switches and they were smart enough to pick on Mills. Offensively, the Australian was mostly good. He probed, he pushed the tempo, he shot straight, he passed well and he kept his miscues to a minimum.
Grade: B
Summary: Mills chipped in what he could.

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Jakob Poeltl

Coming off the bench for the first time since Pau Gasol left for Milwaukee, Jakob Poeltl didn’t disappoint. Minute for minute, I’m not sure what more he could have done. He was very good on the glass on both ends of the court. When a loose carom was up for grabs, he inhaled it. He was sturdy in the paint defensively and active outside of the paint. On offense, he exhibited good awareness and took advantage of his opportunities.
Grade: A-
Summary:Poeltl did his job.

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Lonnie Walker IV

With the Spurs sleepwalking, Lonnie Walker IV got some first half action. He didn’t embarrass himself. On defense, he was active, attentive and wasn’t afraid to mix it up. He made mistakes but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Offensively, he ran the court well, wasn’t bashful when given a driving lane and once again flashed NBA level athleticism. Walker didn’t win a spot in the rotation or anything like that but it was a good showing. It’s obvious that he’s successfully refining his game in the G-League.
Grade: B
Summary: Walker gave the Spurs some life in the first half.

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Pop

The Spurs responded well in the second half to Pop’s halftime speech. Playing Walker turned out to be a good move. On the other hand, the buttons Pop pushed down the stretch didn’t work. Not starting Poeltl is questionable in hindsight. Going with Bertans for extended minutes also ended up not paying off.
Grade: B-
Summary: Pop didn’t find the winning combination.

Looking ahead: While there were some good stretches, this was a disappointing loss. It certainly wasn’t a moral victory, as it’s the point of the season where only wins and losses matter.

Next up, the Spurs travel to Boston for the second game of this three-game road trip. While it’s not quite a must-win game, a victory would be huge. Otherwise, the Spurs could struggle to climb back out of the eighth seed.

[vavvi]

The loss was expected so no surprises here.
The first half was abysmal. It was like our guys thought double-teaming is illegal or something. Bud kudos to Pop for half-time adjustments.

This loss is solely on our starts: LA and DeMar both underperformed. I thought our role players were decent and Pop gave enough support.
White, Forbes, Belli, Mills were good and delivered exactly what is expected from them in a game like that. Bertans was also solid I thought despite his shots not falling.

In the playoffs I would take Houston over GS any day of the week.

[quentin_compson]

That offensive foul call against DeRozan really was a bad break for the Spurs and resulted in an immediate five point swing in favor of the Rockets. That being said, DeRozan was simply abysmal down the stretch, making bad decision after bad decision offensively and also killing any rhythm and flow the Spurs had going prior to him re-entering the game. He just seems to fold too easily on a mental level when things are not going his way.
But yeah, overall, this was just not good enough in terms of focus and playing smart from our guys. How often did they foul Harden on three pointers in the first half alone? Three times? Four times?

[wildbill2u]

Good analysis. I keep wondering why the team never hits Bertans with a pass when he rolls to the basket. He is open more often than not, especially if they would feed him high passes. I also wonder if DDr problem in the late stages might be stamina. He just doesn't seem able to move and elevate late in the game, although he keeps taking over the ball.

[Slippy]

Demars at ude in the 4th needs to be how do i not fuk it up for the team. Ya you got a bad call, now move on. show some faith in your system and teammates. This ain't the Toronto raptors where they love you more than the team.

[dbestpro]

The loss to Miami still hurts. The team just does not have the will or the desire to play great basketball night in and night out. The only way they win is to play focused defense. Playing defense like that is hard work. The team is missing that one player that energizes the rest to play defense on every possession. I can't help but think of how Manu positively affected other players with his style of play and how even now he could make a difference. His intangibles were off the charts. Bowen was another player who made every minute count. You really don't appreciate them as much until such hard working players are no where to be found.

[r0drig0lac]

- Walker should have played every minute of Mills.

- Forbes is a dwarf who should not be on the court for a compe ive team, but today he made a good game.

- 1-9 Bertans? really? no excuse to shoot so badly.

- Gay attempted play bully-ball as Harden but was stopped by refs.

- Aldridge played one of the most pathetic games in relation to effort I saw this season, the difference between him and Jakob was stark.

[Mugen]

Tomorrow's double digit L @ Boston should lock them into the 8th seed, their only hope (at 1 playoff victory) would be to pray to go that Denver overtakes GSW for the 1 seed. Even if the 7th seed came down to winning @ home against the Mavs, this team would 100% it up....

Now I wouldn't be surprised if a Pop coached team wasn't smart enough to understand the importance of seeding in the playoffs. But even I don't think that this idiot squad(besides some re fans) is stupid enough to think they have a shot at getting a game off Golden State when the games actually matter...

Hope the suckers enjoyed the fluke streak

[Mugen]

To think, all they would have had to do to avoid the 8th seed/Warriors was to win a home game against a fringe East playoff team....

Not quite as stupid as Pop playing Manu in a meaningless game against the Suns in 2011 so he breaks his arm...but pretty hilarious nonetheless....

[weeks]

i don't care what forbes does from this point forward, i will never forgive his ass for backing away from harden down the stretch
that was disgusting

[UZER]

Derozan gets blinders on late in the game trying to play hero ball, but he sucks at it. The worst part is, he’s too dumb to even realize it.

If you need one shot on a last possession, and he’s been rolling all game, sure I can see getting him the ball. But in close back and forth games, especially in the playoffs, the ball needs to be in Whites hands every single time. His IQ in on another level compared to Derozan.

[TDomination]

I don't know what everyone thinks but I think we need to start Poeltl regardless of matchups. He's been playing well, the team has been playing well and a lot of it has to do with him.

[TDomination]

Derozan gets blinders on late in the game trying to play hero ball, but he sucks at it. The worst part is, he’s too dumb to even realize it.

If you need one shot on a last possession, and he’s been rolling all game, sure I can see getting him the ball. But in close back and forth games, especially in the playoffs, the ball needs to be in Whites hands every single time. His IQ in on another level compared to Derozan.

This cannot be stated enough. It has happened WAY too many times already now.

The few times White has been able to have the ball at the end of games, most of the plays have resulted in a positive result. Or at the very least, a very good shot that just doesn't go in. That we can live with. We just can't live with TO after TO after TO in crucial time. Ugh.

[jjktkk]

Tomorrow's double digit L @ Boston should lock them into the 8th seed, their only hope (at 1 playoff victory) would be to pray to go that Denver overtakes GSW for the 1 seed. Even if the 7th seed came down to winning @ home against the Mavs, this team would 100% it up....

Now I wouldn't be surprised if a Pop coached team wasn't smart enough to understand the importance of seeding in the playoffs. But even I don't think that this idiot squad(besides some re fans) is stupid enough to think they have a shot at getting a game off Golden State when the games actually matter...

Hope the suckers enjoyed the fluke streak

Do you come up with these takes just on ST? You realize if you spewed this at a sports bar how many people would laugh at you?

[TheGreatYacht]

Do you come up with these takes just on ST? You realize if you spewed this at a sports bar how many people would laugh at you?

Someone woke up defensive. Did your linebacker wife make you sleep on the couch last night?

[TheGreatYacht]

Awfully kind grade for Pop. He didn't coach a B- at all.

Imagine benching Poeltl after the stretch he had in the 3rd and 4th quarters. Inexcusable. He also failed to double Harden until it was too late despite seeing throughout the game that it worked that 3 times he did it. Was embarrassing to watch White/Forbes guard him 1 on 1 in the first and last quarters. You'd think that Italian tool he has next to him would've grown the testicles to maybe suggest to him that our midgets couldn't contain him.. Let's not even talk about that late game execution that he came up with. DeIso is so tiring to watch, game by game, you always know what Pop has planned for late game.

[monty4329]

i don't care what forbes does from this point forward, i will never forgive his ass for backing away from harden down the stretch
that was disgusting

WTF you talking about? He was the best Spur with Beli. The game was gifted to Houston by DDR.

[TDomination]

WTF you talking about? He was the best Spur with Beli. The game was gifted to Houston by DDR.

Why does DDR want to lose so much? If he wanted to win, he would just tell White to handle the ball in crunch time. And if DDR is feeling good about a matchup, for White to create for him or get him the ball. But it should always start in Whites hands and let him initiate the offense and see what matchup is best to exploit.

[sasaint]

Why does DDR want to lose so much? If he wanted to win, he would just tell White to handle the ball in crunch time. And if DDR is feeling good about a matchup, for White to create for him or get him the ball. But it should always start in Whites hands and let him initiate the offense and see what matchup is best to exploit.

That's as much on Pop as it is DumbMar. Pop should be yelling for him to give the ball to White like he once yelled at Tony to give the ball to Number 2.

Reading the grade/comments for Pop, I thought I would give him a C- for not pushing buttons rather than not pushing the right buttons. He absolutely must rein in DumbMar in the 4th quarters of games or this is what the Spurs will be for the remainder of Pop/DumbMar's tenure with the Spurs.

[John B]

Thanks Timvp. I didn’t get to watch the game. But 17 to 32 FT’s? Harden’s FT matches the whole of San Antonio? And this is the team who lead the league with the least foul made. NBA is sucking big time on Harden is what I take from this game.

[GusT15]

Awfully kind grade for Pop. He didn't coach a B- at all.

Imagine benching Poeltl after the stretch he had in the 3rd and 4th quarters. Inexcusable. He also failed to double Harden until it was too late despite seeing throughout the game that it worked that 3 times he did it. Was embarrassing to watch White/Forbes guard him 1 on 1 in the first and last quarters. You'd think that Italian tool he has next to him would've grown the testicles to maybe suggest to him that our midgets couldn't contain him.. Let's not even talk about that late game execution that he came up with. DeIso is so tiring to watch, game by game, you always know what Pop has planned for late game.

If you are expecting Messina to have the testicular for ude or basketball knowledge to do what Budenholzer was doing you obviously don't know him at all.

He's not some wizard of European Bball like Obradovic,he's been outcoached in Euroleague more times than he won.I have no idea why the Spurs brought him over (well i know,Manu,but still he's not what he was advertised to be)

[jjktkk]

Someone woke up defensive. Did your linebacker wife make you sleep on the couch last night?

No, I'm still pissed off that you got my Subway order wrong again. How in the did you make asst. manager?

[John B]

This will be a possible playoff matchup for Spurs. Imo Pop wanted to see matchups, mixing with Lonnie in the lineup for defense even. Making home court is no longer a goal. Winning/losing last night wasn’t the goal I don’t think. Pop is scouting. I wouldn’t read too much on it. The next 9 games, he’ll get them healthy, playing better, if lucky we get Denver. I think.

[spursistan]

This loss was expected yet they still puked all over themselves when they got an opportunity to bring it home.

The reality is the Heat game is all what you should know about this team and its maddening lack of urgency..Their strategic goal was to avoid the Warriors at all costs..Yet these lazy ass losers proceeded to lay an egg in a very winnable game just when everybody warned them against it..

Bet on a Derozan/Aldridge-led team at your own cost..

[Play Boban]

Poop didn’t start Poeltl and the Spurs lose. It’s not rocket science! Poop the moron!!!