Game Grades (11/4): Spurs@Jazz

[sasaint]

Patty: A-
-His jumper was on tonight & looked like in 2014 Finals form. Much better fit w/ point-forward Kawhi that Porker since he can space the floor & create driving lanes for Kawhi. He got abused on switches but that's to be expected.

Pau: B
-Actually put effort on the defensive end & funneled G.Hill toward the help when he got caught on switches. Mixed his offense w/ post-ups & jumpers. Didn't commit a single foul & kept Gobert off the offensive glass.

Aldridge: B-
-Had butter-fingers tonight & didn't really do much in the 1st half especially in the 2nd quarter when had to go to the bench after picking up 3 fouls. Made his shots in 2nd half, especially in the 4th quarter to keep the Jazz at bay which allowed Kawhi/Pau to rest. Defensively, he ran the shooters off the 3 point line which wasn't the case during the first matchup.

Kawhi: A
-Usual MVP performance we have come to expect, got to handle the ball a lot more than usual w/ Porker being out. Struggled w/ his shot in the first half but got to the line then in the second half made Kirby type shots to put the Jazz away. Defensively, it was a below average outing by his standards but had nice momentum shifting block on Hill when the Jazz was trying to get back into the game.

Dedmon: A
-Not sure why he didn't play in the first half but he looked like Alonzo Mourning on defense challenging all-comers at the rim & destroying Favors. Converted two lob passes from Lee/Murray so he might have a potential to be a PnR guy. He also had his usual Shaqtin' moment when he got blocked by the rim.

Manu: B
-Finally got out of his slump & hit some shots when the bench was struggling.

Kyle: F
-I missed most of the first quarter but dude was supposedly a disaster.

Simmons: C+
-Didn't try to do to much on offense & played w/ energy on defense. Still has moments where he overthink instead of reacting which had Pop pulling out his hair.

Lee: C
-Struggles against stretch 4s b/c he doesn't like to venture to the 3 point line but rather layoff shooters & play them for drives which isn't a good idea. Offensively, he set solid screen, scored when he had the opportunity & made the right pass.

Bertans: B
-Couldn't buy a shot as all of them rimed out but played solid defense including running Ingles off the 3 point line.

Lapro: F
-Probably the worst player on the floor. Couldn't hit a shot, turned the ball over & couldn't guard anyone.

Murray: C
-Scored the first two points of his career. Didn't look lost unlike his debut against the Pelicans. Missed a layup but his speed & quickness was on display.

Pop: A+
-Made all the right adjustment after last game & called appropriate timeouts to chew out a couple of players. Seemed like he put the loss to good use by drilling the team on defensive rotations. Managed the minutes as much as possible so everyone can play against the Cripples tomorrow.

Thanks for your thoughts and the effort to share them. I might quibble with a + or a - here or there, but the only significant change I would make is with Deadman. Jamming dunks into the rim does not earn an overall A. But his overall play offers great promise. I hope he continues to show this kind of improvement under the Spurs' staff. It would be great if he could become a long-term rotation player (even, starter?) for the Spurs. That's my X-factor - go get 'em, Deadman!

[kaji157]

Dedmon is looking like a steal; hope we can retain him after he opts out this year.

Solid outing by Bertans even though he didnt score; Liking what im seeing from him on defense surprisingly.

Nico was short on his shot all night, but i thought he made the heady plays running the offense and played solid defense.

The enigma that is Kyle continues. He was very effective disrupting the passing lanes tonight, but still a clunky fit on offense. I hope most of that is Danny being out.

If Murray can put it together he's going to be very good. Needs to bulk up to be able to absorb the contact at the rim.

Leonard is just a joy to watch. Incredibly, he's taken his game to another level this season. Crisper handle and an even more sophisticated midrange game.

Pau and LMA were solid, but I still have doubts about them on he floor together. That both are able and encouraged to shoot the 3 could help in the long run.

I love Tony, but it's getting harder to figure out his role with the starting unit now that the shift is being made to run everything through Leonard. Patty and Danny's shooting make more sense with that first group. Would Tony be willing to come off the bench to help round out that group?

The question with Sims remains consistency.

You that group if you do that, first because you remove Patty who fits great, second because Tony doesn´t fit at all.

[Canyonero]

Why the is Parker on the roster? I haven't seen him have a good game yet

tbh

[TheGreatYacht]

Why the is Lapro on the roster? I haven't seen him have a good game yet

[TheDoctor]

Lapro played solid defense, as did Bertans. Shots didn't go down for the two, but I thought they played solid basketball the whole time they were in the game.

I agree. They were very active on D and as I said in the Game Thread, loved the way Nico fought through screens after screens.

[Clipper Nation]

Why the is Lapro on the roster? I haven't seen him have a good game yet

Porker has been trash for 15 years and he's still starting. Being any good doesn't seem to be the criteria that Pop judges point guards by.

[TheDoctor]

If Murray can put it together he's going to be very good. Needs to bulk up to be able to absorb the contact at the rim.

I don't get why PATFO hasn't spoken to Tony about temporarily adopting Murray. If they really want him to gain weight and bulk up, there is no better resource out there.

[ElNono]

thanks for the grades...

[Kawhitstorm]

Lapro played solid defense, as did Bertans. Shots didn't go down for the two, but I thought they played solid basketball the whole time they were in the game.

Lapro was terrible, it seemed like every other pass he made was a turnover & he was either fouling or getting blown by on defense.

[Spurtacular]

Kawhi: A
-Usual MVP performance we have come to expect, got to handle the ball a lot more than usual w/ Porker being out. Struggled w/ his shot in the first half but got to the line then in the second half made Kirby type shots to put the Jazz away. Defensively, it was a below average outing by his standards but had nice momentum shifting block on Hill when the Jazz was trying to get back into the game.

A masterful showing, tbh.

[Spurtacular]

Porker has been trash for 15 years and he's still starting. Being any good doesn't seem to be the criteria that Pop judges point guards by.

Give it a rest, dude.