Game Grades: Spurs Versus Pelicans (1 of 4) 3-0

[Chinook]

I’m tired as balls, so I’m going to try to get this out early. I don’t think this will have the level of depth and insight that tbdog and Apa had in their threads, but bear with me.

General Observations:

-The biggest thing that jumped out at me was the double-teaming both teams did to try to slow down the opposing bigs. I think NO’s doubles were significantly better. They were able to fluster LMA and force Pau into a turnover. It’s possible that Davis is just better at handling doubles than Aldridge is, since he was great at getting out of them. But I also think that Anderson in particular and the rest of the team in general were bad at committing to helping their guys, especially considering that the Pelicans may as well changed their name to the Ostriches given how useless their wings are.

-Obviously, though, Davis was held in check, doubles or no. So something was working. One of those things is that the help in the paint was great at times, with guards digging and bigs stepping in with their hands up. Taking away Davis’ drive is definitely the way to even the playing field, even though he has an awesome jumper. So could definitely be a reason for the doubling being ineffective.

-I don’t think anyone can take too much from this game. Only Davis was a challenge, and he was clearly fatigued. Moore scored well, but for the most part the team just chugged right along.

Grades:

Front court:

Pau Gasol – B-Plus: Definitely his best game so far. He handled the double-teams really well outside of the turnover. His IQ was on full display. He did his part in containing Davis, but he didn’t exactly have to worry about Asik beating him. I hope that his becomes a C game for him. But if he’s going to be like he was the first two matches, this is could well be “Good” Pau. Pau also deserves a ton of credit for working to get Kawhi good shots. That type of move deserves a bump.

LaMarcus Aldridge – C-plus: I really want to give this a C, but he didn’t play enough minutes to get into a rhythm, and his defense on Davis was more than adequate considering the tear Brow was coming in on. Not exactly a star outing, but it didn’t take one to win anyway.

Kawhi Leonard – B-plus: If Simmons or Anderson had his stat line, they’d be A-plus easily. But for Kawhi, it was a tale of two halves. His first half was really disappointing compared to the heightened expectations from the first two games. But he flashed every bit of that in the third quarter. He probably had another 30-pointer if that had been required.

Dewayne Dedmon – B: It was just solid. If that mid-range shot is really a part of his game, it almost take the lid off his ceiling. There are a lot of ways to get him the ball if he doesn’t even have to roll every time. However, he can’t catch like a guard can. That should be expected of a project-esque big. He was strong defensively and on the boards when it was required. I think he started to get frustrated that no one was giving him the alley-oop on the break.

David Lee – B: He’s more Splitter than Dedmon when it comes to finishing, though that might sell him a big short. His headiness on O was a big plus in getting guys like Patty and Laprovitolla both good looks and good assist opportunities. This wasn’t his game to take over. Still, he was an asset.

Davis Bertans – C-Plus: That corner three he made in the fourth quarter was truly awesome. But his night on offense was defined by the threes he didn’t take. Dude just can’t do that. He’s not going to be a full rotation player this year most likely, so he just needs to fill it up every chance he gets. On defense, I think he did a good job at helping. Those two blocks were great, as was his contest on Davis in the second. He’s definitely going to be a four, and he might even be able to survive there on defense.

Back court:

Patty Mills – A-Minus: I’m hoping like everyone else that this is just going to be Patty from now on. I’ll be there with everyone else arguing for him starting if it is. But I’m curving this as if this is going to be one of the top 20 or so games from him this season. One reason to temper expectations is how bad NO is being hit with injuries to their guards. Mills help Frazier in check the whole game. And after Curry didn’t do that, it’s not nothing. Let’s hope it keeps going.

Kyle Anderson – C-Plus: He has been rebounding really well lately, and that has helped the Spurs be a force on that end. He doesn’t hang his teammates out to dry by getting beat on the perimeter. He funneled to Gasol very well. In the first half, I think he did what he needed to as a role-player. He made smart passes, got a steal and a block and even shot his corner-threes. Second half wasn’t as good. His foul at the beginning of the third highlighted how bad his doubling was all night. Definitely a work in progress.

Jonathon Simmons – B-Minus: First-half Simmons wasn’t great, so I gave him a bump for being able to turn it on in the second half. It takes for ude to get out of a dry spell. I liked his energy all game, even though his defense was not very good for the most part. He had a bad moment where he missed a wide-open Lapravitolla in the corner, and that got him benched. But his ability to drive and finish was helpful on a night where Tony and Manu were both out.

Nicolas Lapravitolla – B: This is definitely a curved grade. He didn’t have a good game from three, and he’ll need to be great there to make it. He’s savvy enough and can pass well enough to be an NBA player. But he needs a niche skill, and shooting should be it. Like Bertans, he needs to learn that he’s out there to make an impact, and passing up open shots won’t get him there. But he also had that great finish and that pass to Lee, so it was still a solid outing.

Bryn Forbes – C: Forbes took a Vinny to get his only points. It wasn’t all his fault that he didn’t do more. He needed to be put in better position to score. But he’s not really going to give you anything else, so points are essential. He didn’t defend well, though it seems at least like he knows HOW to defend well. His problem is that he defends with his abdomen and not his chest on the block. That makes him lose his legs and get too close to his man. So when his man jumps, Forbes slides under him and picks up the foul. Still have to love the effort in general and pride for that time he knocked the ball away after the Pelicans tried to post him up yet again.

DeJounte Murray – INC: It’s for the best that we just pretend this didn’t happen. Dude was just a trainwreck out there. For a guy like Dedmon, it’s obvious that he put in work over the summer. For Murray, it’s not. Dude should already be in Austin, even though their draft hasn’t happened yet. He has a lot to work on.
Pop – A: This is on a curve, too. I think he hit all of his objectives. He slowed down Davis, got Pau and Patty going, and managed to not overplay anyone. They should be rested enough for Miami tomorrow evening. I gave him the bump for still caring enough to pull Anderson and Simmons for teaching moments. Certain folks can afford to be complacent on a night like tonight, but those guys haven’t earned that right.

[apalisoc_9]

[GSH]

Grades:

Front court:

Pau Gasol – B-Plus: Definitely his best game so far. He handled the double-teams really well outside of the turnover. His IQ was on full display. He did his part in containing Davis, but he didn’t exactly have to worry about Asik beating him. I hope that his becomes a C game for him. But if he’s going to be like he was the first two matches, this is could well be “Good” Pau. Pau also deserves a ton of credit for working to get Kawhi good shots. That type of move deserves a bump.

LaMarcus Aldridge – C-plus: I really want to give this a C, but he didn’t play enough minutes to get into a rhythm, and his defense on Davis was more than adequate considering the tear Brow was coming in on. Not exactly a star outing, but it didn’t take one to win anyway.

Kawhi Leonard – B-plus: If Simmons or Anderson had his stat line, they’d be A-plus easily. But for Kawhi, it was a tale of two halves. His first half was really disappointing compared to the heightened expectations from the first two games. But he flashed every bit of that in the third quarter. He probably had another 30-pointer if that had been required.

Dewayne Dedmon – B: It was just solid. If that mid-range shot is really a part of his game, it almost take the lid off his ceiling. There are a lot of ways to get him the ball if he doesn’t even have to roll every time. However, he can’t catch like a guard can. That should be expected of a project-esque big. He was strong defensively and on the boards when it was required. I think he started to get frustrated that no one was giving him the alley-oop on the break.

David Lee – B: He’s more Splitter than Dedmon when it comes to finishing, though that might sell him a big short. His headiness on O was a big plus in getting guys like Patty and Laprovitolla both good looks and good assist opportunities. This wasn’t his game to take over. Still, he was an asset.

Davis Bertans – C-Plus: That corner three he made in the fourth quarter was truly awesome. But his night on offense was defined by the threes he didn’t take. Dude just can’t do that. He’s not going to be a full rotation player this year most likely, so he just needs to fill it up every chance he gets. On defense, I think he did a good job at helping. Those two blocks were great, as was his contest on Davis in the second. He’s definitely going to be a four, and he might even be able to survive there on defense.

Back court:

Patty Mills – A-Minus: I’m hoping like everyone else that this is just going to be Patty from now on. I’ll be there with everyone else arguing for him starting if it is. But I’m curving this as if this is going to be one of the top 20 or so games from him this season. One reason to temper expectations is how bad NO is being hit with injuries to their guards. Mills help Frazier in check the whole game. And after Curry didn’t do that, it’s not nothing. Let’s hope it keeps going.

Kyle Anderson – C-Plus: He has been rebounding really well lately, and that has helped the Spurs be a force on that end. He doesn’t hang his teammates out to dry by getting beat on the perimeter. He funneled to Gasol very well. In the first half, I think he did what he needed to as a role-player. He made smart passes, got a steal and a block and even shot his corner-threes. Second half wasn’t as good. His foul at the beginning of the third highlighted how bad his doubling was all night. Definitely a work in progress.

Jonathon Simmons – B-Minus: First-half Simmons wasn’t great, so I gave him a bump for being able to turn it on in the second half. It takes for ude to get out of a dry spell. I liked his energy all game, even though his defense was not very good for the most part. He had a bad moment where he missed a wide-open Lapravitolla in the corner, and that got him benched. But his ability to drive and finish was helpful on a night where Tony and Manu were both out.

Nicolas Lapravitolla – B: This is definitely a curved grade. He didn’t have a good game from three, and he’ll need to be great there to make it. He’s savvy enough and can pass well enough to be an NBA player. But he needs a niche skill, and shooting should be it. Like Bertans, he needs to learn that he’s out there to make an impact, and passing up open shots won’t get him there. But he also had that great finish and that pass to Lee, so it was still a solid outing.

Bryn Forbes – C: Forbes took a Vinny to get his only points. It wasn’t all his fault that he didn’t do more. He needed to be put in better position to score. But he’s not really going to give you anything else, so points are essential. He didn’t defend well, though it seems at least like he knows HOW to defend well. His problem is that he defends with his abdomen and not his chest on the block. That makes him lose his legs and get too close to his man. So when his man jumps, Forbes slides under him and picks up the foul. Still have to love the effort in general and pride for that time he knocked the ball away after the Pelicans tried to post him up yet again.

I mentioned it in the game thread, but I'm getting a little tired of watching Pau concede rebounds that don't come right to him. Rebounds and 50-50 balls decide a lot of games against good teams. It's a bad habit he's getting into, even allowing for the fact that these first games have been fairly easy W's.

I struggle with game grades a lot - whether they should be adjusted for expectations. You gave Simmons a B-, and that's pretty fair I think. But Simmons is a B- player, so for him he had a pretty respectable outing. You ran into the same thing with Kawhi, in the other direction. If another player had Kawhi's numbers, it would have been an A+. But for Kawhi, it was almost a letdown. But he had one of those Duncan-esque nights where it doesn't seem like he's had a good game, but the stat sheet says different. I'd like to see him keep getting at least 8 FTA's per game (tonight he had 6), but there were a couple of pretty obvious whistles that the zebras just refused to blow.

When Forbes first came into the game, Simmons tried to hit him with a pass for what would have been a wide-open 3. But LMA intercepted the pass, and deprive him of an opportunity to show us that smooth stroke. The next time up the floor, he got his chance and, yeah, that stroke looked like what I remembered from preseason.

Twice they fed the ball to Bertans with less than 2 seconds left. He had to take two circus shots. One went in, and the other looked as good as a miss can look. He needs some court time, but his 3P shooting is no fluke. I like the fact that he's looking better on defense than we might have expected, and he keeps showing that he can defend the rim.

The Pelicans were missing a couple of guys, but in 3 games, the Spurs are giving up an average of 91 points. You have to give the team defense an A for the night. People will argue that maybe their defense hasn't been tested, but we've seen a lot of Spurs teams get complacent and give up a lot of unnecessary points to bad teams. So far, at least, this bunch has continued to push on the defensive end. And, of course, Kawhi is leading that defensive effort.

[toki9]

Forbes took a Vinny to get his only points.

Your write up should get an A just for this sentence alone.

[raybies]

thanks chinook. good stuff.

[99 Problems]

Thanks Nook. Good read as I've only seen highlights.

[SAGirl]

What GSH is saying about expectations is a good point to evaluate guys within the role they were playing.

I think it was a point of emphasis to get Kyle going. Like him or no, he plays a role. They wanted him to hit the 3, in fact he was passed to very often to start, even when he was not open. He made one of two of those he took, he just needs to hit that shot and do the blue collar stuff he's been doing and that's I think all Pop wants with the SL.

Patty was also using the opportunity to train his PG skills as a playmaker. He was great all around.

Simmons got a chance to carry the torch with the bench and I think he did well. I absolutely loved Nico. Dedmon keeps surprising. His jumpshots were a delight. Lee keeps making energy plays and playing well. I have warmed up to them.

Pau to me is the worst defensive player in the SL. Sometimes he looks like he's not trying. He doesn't even move. Inconsistent is what can be said. I agree with GSH evaluation if Pau.

[ElNono]

Good writeup, OP. Lapro also had a great assist to an open Anderson in the corner in the 1st half (and I think Kyle nailed the 3). That play for some reason stood out to me, probably a court vision thing.

[Keepin' it real]

I mentioned it in the game thread, but I'm getting a little tired of watching Pau concede rebounds that don't come right to him.

Get used to it. A vet like Pau ain't chasing out-of-reach rebounds and 50-50 balls, probably on Pop's orders.

[spurs10]

Thanks for the grades! Not so pretty in the end with the rookies, but everybody sans Murray had their moments!

[wildcardX]

[SAGirl]

Good writeup, OP. Lapro also had a great assist to an open Anderson in the corner in the 1st half (and I think Kyle nailed the 3). That play for some reason stood out to me, probably a court vision thing.

I have really, really liked Nico personally. Though lately I am pacing my takes bc they have all backfired lol.

I am almost afraid to endear myself to Nico and then him bombing lol.

More seriously though he's a gifted passer, he was looking for teammates often. Like GSH said, he understands angles to pass: they were accurate too.

[spurraider21]

the Pelicans may as well changed their name to the Ostriches given how useless their wings are.

[spurs10]

I have really, really liked Nico personally. Though lately I am pacing my takes bc they have all backfired lol.

I am almost afraid to endear myself to Nico and then him bombing lol.

More seriously though he's a gifted passer, he was looking for teammates often. Like GSH said, he understands angles to pass: they were accurate too.

Pop sang his praises tonight. So....why pace yourself?

[SAGirl]

Pop sang his praises tonight. So....why pace yourself?

Thanks Inside joke over my previous overreaction to some guys poor preseason play. But I think when it comes to heaping praise on guys there's probably not enough around fir what is a fan forum.

[BillMc]

Thanks for the grades OP

[TrainOfThought5]

What GSH is saying about expectations is a good point to evaluate guys within the role they were playing.

I think it was a point of emphasis to get Kyle going. Like him or no, he plays a role. They wanted him to hit the 3, in fact he was passed to very often to start, even when he was not open. He made one of two of those he took, he just needs to hit that shot and do the blue collar stuff he's been doing and that's I think all Pop wants with the SL.

Patty was also using the opportunity to train his PG skills as a playmaker. He was great all around.

Simmons got a chance to carry the torch with the bench and I think he did well. I absolutely loved Nico. Dedmon keeps surprising. His jumpshots were a delight. Lee keeps making energy plays and playing well. I have warmed up to them.

Pau to me is the worst defensive player in the SL. Sometimes he looks like he's not trying. He doesn't even move. Inconsistent is what can be said. I agree with GSH evaluation if Pau.

Put your chips on the table SAGirl, are you starting the "Bench Pau/Start Dedmon" bandwagon???

[From Downtown]

I couldn't watch the game so thanks for the grades

[ceperez]

Good writeup, OP. Lapro also had a great assist to an open Anderson in the corner in the 1st half (and I think Kyle nailed the 3). That play for some reason stood out to me, probably a court vision thing.

Court vision is one thing that Lapro is really good at. I saw that in the scrimmage and was convinced that he had to make the team.

[Spursfanfromafar]

Laprovittola is Manu-lite. What a great find by the RCB and his team. The kid can be a great backup for Parker this year. Dude plays with a lot of flair and is a joy to watch.

[picnroll]

Good write up. Thanks.
I think LA created some of his own problems in the double teams forcing it when he had open three point shooters he wouldn't get the ball to. A bit frustrating, un-Tim like.

[GSH]

Get used to it. A vet like Pau ain't chasing out-of-reach rebounds and 50-50 balls, probably on Pop's orders.

Timmy did. But I'm not talking out-of-reach balls. When you don't even move, a lot of balls are out-of-reach that shouldn't be.

Is Pop responsible? I'm not in the locker room, but I sure as hope not.

[tholdren]

Pau Gasol, Im afraid, put out what will be a typical best showing. Spurs still need a mean player.

Murray - LOL. Its like a cross between Crawford and Jr Smith. Hilarious how that got NBA looks or the two aforementioned were/are in the NBA. Sad

[Yuixafun]

I stopped watching the game after Murray started playing. I knew he would be bad... but man it was like watching vomit. Just ugly

[toki9]

I stopped watching the game after Murray started playing. I knew he would be bad... but man it was like watching vomit. Just ugly

"Deer in headlights" came to mind.