Quick Grades: 2018-2019 Complete season Edition

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

Demar Derozan C- Started the season with a bang but struggled midway. He missed a few games due to injury and sadly he wasnt able to regain the same form to start the season. No changes to his game at all though. Didn't shoot threes ( does not want to improve on that end). Surprisingly a much better defensive effort compared to his days in Toronto. Not surprisingly he was bad in the PO

In the playoffs, Derozan led the Spurs in:
- Points
- Steals
- Assists
- Free Throws
- Free Throw %
- Minutes

[Jay.From.NbTx]

I thought DeRozan was solid this year tbh. Offensively he did his thing and his assists were like career best right ?
Defensively he actually wasn’t as bad as many anticipated... but that may be because we have some of the worst defenders in the whole league lol. I personally want DeRozan to stay and we find him and LaMarcus some help.

[apalisoc_9]

Overall pretty good...maybe a little harsh on Patty. Yes, Pop overused him, he sucks on defense, and his shot abandoned him in the playoffs...but overall, the offense usually looked better with him on the floor. As usual, the bench unit saved the Spurs in several games after the starters came out flat, and Patty had a big hand in that.

The real problem is that Bryn and Patty are basically the same player (undersized SGs in a PGs body and only valuable if they are making 3s)...and I'd argue Bryn has surpassed Patty at this point in his career. Would really not mind if that was the last we've seen of Mills in silver & black. Dejounte can't get healthy soon enough.

Also...a C for Cunningham? Dude was an absolute waste of space on the bench. Despite being played for his "3&D", he somehow managed to make both the offense and the defense worse anytime he stepped on the floor. Absolutely atrocious at finishing at the rim. His only bright spot was his 3PT%, but he still only shot 1 a game. The only reason that was so high was because teams were perfectly glad to leave him wide open and he was still scared to shoot.

I mentioned that in the grade. His C is mainly for the very first few games. I did not even expect him to play. The huge buff in grade is largely that.

[apalisoc_9]

In the playoffs, Derozan led the Spurs in:
- Points
- Steals
- Assists
- Free Throws
- Free Throw %
- Minutes

He got C not a C-. I think the layout confused some people.

C imo is fair. Him leading those categories was expected considering how denver played.

[apalisoc_9]

Some guys are crazy with Derozan on this board.... C- ? without him no playoffs for sure. I'm not a fan and i can understand a lot of things about him : decision making, defense, just a mid range game but it seems crazy that a lot think he is that bad.

i saw a thread with a batum trade ? are you crazy ? did someone watch batum this year....

I also think Gay deserves a way better mark, he was solid all season long....

Those ratings where like Playoffs Ratings but not season, like you write it just after the Po with a lot of bad thoughts. I'm not agree with the majority of it.

He got a C. I just realized the layout must have confused a lot of people

[R. DeMurre]

In the playoffs, Derozan led the Spurs in:
- Points
- Steals
- Assists
- Free Throws
- Free Throw %
- Minutes

True, but he was also last on the team in +/- for the series, which is pretty unusual since it went seven games and was close in game 7. His on/off court number is especially bad, meaning the Spurs were generally more effective when he wasn't playing.

https://www.basketball-reference.com.../SAS/2019.html

[duncan2150]

He got a C. I just realized the layout must have confused a lot of people

Imo he could have a b or b-, i understand a lot of fans complaints but he has the best per during postseason, gives the spurs some burst at the beginning of the Season. He is not a leader or a franchise player but he was not bad overall imo.

[Nivek_ogre]

Another ty post

[tbdog]

Game 7 was already over before halftime because of Derozan's terrible 1-10 chucking to start the game. In the closing minutes of the game, he missed a dunk, choked free throws, and got blocked(predictable) on his last drive to the basket. He had the worst On-Off of all Spur players in the post-season. He was awful.

Newsflash. The whole team couldn't put the ball in the basket. Including LMA, who did what in the clutch.

[tholdren]

Just to be fair I told you all about Kawhi, pau, forbes and now here you all are. Better late than never though.

[tholdren]

Newsflash. The whole team couldn't put the ball in the basket. Including LMA, who did what in the clutch.

Yep, would rather have him miss layups than airball 3s (marco, gay, patty)

[GreekSpursfan]

Pop gets an A from me and i don't want to elaborate again, no need to repeat myself.

[Rosewood]

DeRozan grade is unfair - he played pretty well this year. A lot better than I was expecting.

[boutons_deux]

what happened to the DDR of Oct-Nov?

[TimmyBuckets]

Don't agree with any of it, but good thread OP. Nice breakdowns.

[ZeusWillJudge]

I give the OP a "C" for "consistent". Pretty much the exact things he said all season. Some of it is pretty much right. Some of it goes too far. But that's exactly who the OP is.

Aldridge is who he is. I go crazy over the fade-aways, but that's how he plays, and he's mostly pretty damned good at it. He's a solid defender, but he doesn't rebound well enough for a guy his size. But he wasn't a season-long B.

DDR is who he is, and it's not a C. , he improved his defense a LOT over the course of the season, which shows he was even committed to it. The Klaw in the OP's avatar picture pretty much says it all.

Mills is overpaid. If the grades are based on value, then he's a D. If he was playing on a 4/$20M contract, he wouldn't be seen as a D. He's a poor defender, and he's not consistent enough on offense to merit his contract. But he's not a D.

Rudy Gay shot .435 from 3P before the AllStar Break, and .333 after. Even his FT shooting went to - he shot .860 from the line pre ASB, and .723 after. I don't know what happened, and I don't know how you give a season grade for a guy who changes that much. I guess you have to weight the late season and playoffs higher, and he was definitely worse then.

I was going to say that Bellineli wasn't really a D, but he was mostly pretty damn bad. And I pretty much agree that Bertans rubs Pop the wrong way... or something. I just about forgot Cunningham was on the team, since we basically quit seeing him.

[sasaint]

Season is over folks. As feared Pop would have a long leash on Mills and Belli that would ultimately cause to end their season Early

Lamarcus Aldridge B Made the All-star team. Solid Defensively the whole year including the playoffs. Didn't really develop a three pointer as we all hoped before the season started and he was pretty much the same guy. Offensively, he was predictable all year. He made some sublte adjustments and shot less fadaways. Disappointing in the playoffs though. And obviously we know what happened in the last 28 seconds of the season...otherwise, decent season.

Demar Derozan C Started the season with a bang but struggled midway. He missed a few games due to injury and sadly he wasnt able to regain the same form to start the season. No changes to his game at all though. Didn't shoot threes ( does not want to improve on that end). Surprisingly a much better defensive effort compared to his days in Toronto. Not surprisingly he was bad in the PO

Derrick White A Bright spot of the season. Continuously improved throughout the season and his defense was a plus the whole year. of course he had his up and downs but as one of the younger guys, and someone we didnt expect much from..He was really a great surprise. Had a 36 point performance in the playoff. Need to work on his outside jumpshot in the offseason

Patty Mills D The nickname wombat was born. Mills was just bad all year tbh. Sure maybe 1 game out of 10 he'd have a good game but his long leash with pop was frustrating. His atrocious game control is one of the WOAT in the league this year. Poor time management and just defensively bad. I can only judge him based on his play on the court. I'm sure those coffee meetups boosted morale but I dont know by how much.

Davis Bertans - C Lost his rotation in the playoffs, but in the regular season he had tons of games that helped the spurs win games. I'm really confused why he had such a short leash compared to say a Bellineli. He was at his best midway through the season. lots of ups and downs but he really helped this team get into the playoffs.

Rudy Gay C+ His performances was like a roller coaster. Sometimes he'd play so well people would say give him the ball over derozan, and sometimes he'd just stink but thats what role players do. Imo, his effort defensively was respectable considering his reputation in the past. I really thought he was one of the very few in the team that was passionate about achieving something. Great playoff run. Hope he resigns to a one year deal.

Bryn Forbes B Another bright spot of the season. The biggest imprvoment he made this year was with decision making and it really helped him offensively. Previously, it was very difficult to watch him when defenses manage to close out but Bryn was able to develop quick counters to that despite his limited movesets and his height. Defensively, many hated him but most times it was really just his limitations physically. I salute him for working on his game.

Marco Bellineli D He'd have 1 good game out of maybe 20. otherwise, we're always going to wonder why a guy who cant defend, do any sort of playmaking and play that many minutes. He shot under 38% too from the three point line. Way too inconsistent the whole year.

Jakob Poeltel B Impressive season. All year he showed that he's a big guy that we can rely on to guard wings and guards in switches. We havent even seen how much he can really contribute in one season since Pop struggled to play him minutes early on. But eventually he's proven to be valuable. Smart passer, good PnR player offensively. Should play more minutes if possible.

Dante Cunningham C Had some crazy games early on. Remember the Pelicans game? We thought we had a 3&D in our hands ..As the season progressed and teams woke up from their long off-season his lack of basketball skills showed but his contribution early on should be given tons of consideration.

Loonie Walker INC Wasnt able to watch him that much this year.

Pop C Another playoff appearance. Well done in allowing White to improve as a player. Understood how Jakob plays and derozan transitioned pretty well imo. His weakness this year is the same as always though. Playing midgets too much and some poor playcalls, otherwise it was a decent season considering he's probably sick and tired of coaching.

RF Buford D Not judging him with the toronto trade. We dont know what offers were made, but he failed to address the big issues in the wings. I would have given him an F if not for getting rid of Pau.

I might quibble over a + or a - but overall, spot on.

[Spurtacular]

RF Buford D Not judging him with the toronto trade. We dont know what offers were made, but he failed to address the big issues in the wings. I would have given him an F if not for getting rid of Pau.

Pau might've made the difference against the Nuggets. He spreads the floor better. He might've had some old-dog insticts to better defend the pick n' roll that was tearing the Spurs anus open all series.

[Stabula]

If we could find or develop a clutch go-to player to fill the void Leonard left behind (LMA obviously can't do it on his own) DDR would actually be an elite 6th man. I think 6th man is the perfect role for his style of play but unless one of the young guys like Murray turns into a stud over the summer we're forced to start him.

[Kurgan]

If we could find or develop a clutch go-to player to fill the void Leonard left behind (LMA obviously can't do it on his own) DDR would actually be an elite 6th man. I think 6th man is the perfect role for his style of play but unless one of the young guys like Murray turns into a stud over the summer we're forced to start him.

Who ever heard of a sixth man that gets paid $27 million? He's not good enough to be a 1st or 2nd option but he's paid like one.

[Kurgan]

Newsflash. The whole team couldn't put the ball in the basket. Including LMA, who did what in the clutch.

Demar played heroball in that first quarter. I never liked Aldridge's overall game but at least he was playing defense. Demar is a one way player that can't even dominate the one facet of the game he's supposed to be good at(offense).

Yep, would rather have him miss layups than airball 3s (marco, gay, patty)

He wasn't missing layups though. He was taking stupid fadeaways and mid-range shots. His shot selection was Kobe-level re ed in the first half of game 7.

[JeffDuncan]

...

Lamarcus Aldridge B

Looks right, overall, for the season.

Demar Derozan C

Fair enough.

Derrick White A

Too high. He wasn't consistent enough to get an A. Worth a B tho.

Patty Mills D

Should be F. In addition to the list of problems you mention, he was a constant headache for our defense because he was always a focus for the other team's attack. Wombat's only real role in the NBA is "towel waver."

Davis Bertans - C

Fair enough. If it were broken down he'd have to be given an F for defense, tho. His physique prevents him from being an NBA defender.

Rudy Gay C+

I'd grade him a bit higher. B, overall, for the entire season.

Bryn Forbes B
Another bright spot of the season. The biggest imprvoment he made this year was with decision making and it really helped him offensively. Previously, it was very difficult to watch him when defenses manage to close out but Bryn was able to develop quick counters to that despite his limited movesets and his height. Defensively, many hated him but most times it was really just his limitations physically.

Physical limitations can't simply be waved aside. They count. It's the reason your grandmother doesn't play in the NBA.

But no, his defensive problems weren't just physical. For example, there was a regular season game where he got called for a foul, for the way he fought to go over the top of a screen. The thing is, it was out at the AT&T logo. Forbes was fighting like mad to go over a screen set all the way out there. That's mental.

Forbes should get no more than a C, overall, for the entire season.

Marco Bellineli D

Agreed. He rarely played at an "average" level.

Jakob Poeltel B

Agreed.

Dante Cunningham C

In terms of what the Spurs needed he'd have to be given an F. He failed to be "it."

Pop C

Pop's hard to grade, because he bears so much responsibility for the roster. It's hard to distinguish the one from the other.

But you're including Buford, so ok, on coaching alone, Pop should get a B, for taking that crazy-quilt roster into the playoffs, and extending the series to 7 games. Had he gotten them to the 2nd round or higher he'd deserve an A+ for sure.

Pop has his glaring faults, but I don't think there's another coach who could have taken that group as far as they went, especially after the way the season started. Not that I'm excited he'll continue, since I'm afraid it'll only mean more of the same, a mediocre team that isn't much fun to watch.

RF Buford D

What does the "F" stand for? Must be a freudian slip, for the grade you wanted to give him.

His C stands for Canterbury, btw.

If we're putting all the credit, or blame, for the roster on RC, his grade has to be an F, by Spurs' standards, because of so many players being poor on defense. Also, having four 3pt shooting specialists - Beli, Bertans, Forbes, and Mills - on a team that doesn't shoot many 3s is nuts. Then there's the chronic lack of an SF. Etc.

[tholdren]

Who ever heard of a sixth man that gets paid $27 million? He's not good enough to be a 1st or 2nd option but he's paid like one.

Who cares?

[tholdren]

Looks right, overall, for the season.



Fair enough.



Too high. He wasn't consistent enough to get an A. Worth a B tho.



Should be F. In addition to the list of problems you mention, he was a constant headache for our defense because he was always a focus for the other team's attack. Wombat's only real role in the NBA is "towel waver."



Fair enough. If it were broken down he'd have to be given an F for defense, tho. His physique prevents him from being an NBA defender.



I'd grade him a bit higher. B, overall, for the entire season.



Physical limitations can't simply be waved aside. They count. It's the reason your grandmother doesn't play in the NBA.

But no, his defensive problems weren't just physical. For example, there was a regular season game where he got called for a foul, for the way he fought to go over the top of a screen. The thing is, it was out at the AT&T logo. Forbes was fighting like mad to go over a screen set all the way out there. That's mental.

Forbes should get no more than a C, overall, for the entire season.



Agreed. He rarely played at an "average" level.



Agreed.



In terms of what the Spurs needed he'd have to be given an F. He failed to be "it."



Pop's hard to grade, because he bears so much responsibility for the roster. It's hard to distinguish the one from the other.

But you're including Buford, so ok, on coaching alone, Pop should get a B, for taking that crazy-quilt roster into the playoffs, and extending the series to 7 games. Had he gotten them to the 2nd round or higher he'd deserve an A+ for sure.

Pop has his glaring faults, but I don't think there's another coach who could have taken that group as far as they went, especially after the way the season started. Not that I'm excited he'll continue, since I'm afraid it'll only mean more of the same, a mediocre team that isn't much fun to watch.



What does the "F" stand for? Must be a freudian slip, for the grade you wanted to give him.

His C stands for Canterbury, btw.

If we're putting all the credit, or blame, for the roster on RC, his grade has to be an F, by Spurs' standards, because of so many players being poor on defense. Also, having four 3pt shooting specialists - Beli, Bertans, Forbes, and Mills - on a team that doesn't shoot many 3s is nuts. Then there's the chronic lack of an SF. Etc.

Stupid tbh

[JeffDuncan]

Stupid tbh

I noticed you are.