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(Wow, that was a fast offseason. Is it Spurs season already? Should be fun one. Thank you for being part of the SpursTalk experience. Let's get started on the 2012-13 season...)
Prior to the scrimmage, the Spurs ran through some of their offensive sets and also worked on defensive rotations. I was impressed with the overall fitness level of the group and there was a good amount of energy throughout the proceedings.
Considering this was only their third official practice of training camp, I was expecting a lot of sloppiness. To my surprise, the level of play during the scrimmage was quite high and much more compe ive than I was expecting.
Tim Duncan
It's obvious that Tim Duncan once again put in great work during the summer. He looks to be in fantastic shape. He was moving with a lot of fluidity and was getting up and down the court well. I was especially impressed with the quickness of his feet during the drills -- let's hope he can remain this mobile for the duration of the season. He really doesn't look like a 36-year-old bigman whose tires have made the trip to Springfield a few times over.
Manu Ginobili
Manu Ginobili is ready for the regular season. In recent years, Ginobili hasn't been too impressive in the preseason scrimmage. Tonight was different, as he poured in a game-high 21 points. He moved well, he was explosive in movements to the rim and his outside shooting stroke was smooth. Even the little things -- like his passing, his movements away from the ball, his anticipation on defense, etc. -- look regular season ready. It was definitely exciting to see.
Tony Parker
I know this reads like a broken record but Tony Parker was it very good shape. He's slim and was able to turn on his jets to reach the speed only he can reach. Parker showed some rust basketball-wise ... just as you'd expect in the third practice of training camp. But all in all, I saw nothing to suggest Parker can't have another great season.
Kawhi Leonard
This kid's confidence was the story of the scrimmage in my eyes. Kawhi Leonard played like he wants to be a star. And for any player, that's the first step in actually becoming a star -- so that's great news for the Spurs. In the first half, he was the best player on the court. Offensively, his outside shot looked even better than it did last season; he got it off quicker and with a higher release point. His ballhandling was also much better. Last season he was a capable ballhandler but it looks like he might be able to use it as a weapon this season. He's much faster with the ball and he kept his head up, which made him more of a threat to pass (in the scrimmage, he had a handful of nice passes to go along with his 16 points and seven rebounds). To add to his package, Leonard also illustrated a quick jumper off the bounce. Combine what we saw tonight with his great play in summer league and it's exciting to think about the possibilities of his sop re season.
Danny Green
It'll be interesting to see how Danny Green bounces back from his nightmarish end to last season. Tonight, he looked like solid. He knocked down a few outside shots and he was attentive on defense. Green is another player who appears to be in game shape.
Boris Diaw
I was worried what I'd see when Boris Diaw reported to camp. During the Olympics, he seemingly gained weight each passing day. By the closing ceremonies, he was a boat. I was afraid he'd show up grossly out of shape, especially considering he just inked a new deal. Thankfully, Diaw looks to be in decent shape. He still has some extra weight on him but he looked trimmer than he did during the Olympics. If he keeps working hard, he could get himself in good shape by the start of the regular season. We know he has the talent, we just have to hope he'll show a drive to maximize that talent.
DeJuan Blair
It took DeJuan Blair a few months to work his way into good enough shape to dunk last season. During tonight's scrimmage, Blair was often high above the rim. He looks to be in good shape, he was jumping well and he was able to run the court without tiring. In other words, he's another player who put in work during the offseason. Blair had 19 points, with the most interesting points coming on jumpers. He knocked down a pair of shots from beyond 15 feet ... and the shots actually looked good coming off of his hands. Blair didn't simply launch a no-jump, one-handed missile like we've grown accustomed to seeing. If he legitimately adds a jumper to his arsenal, he'd become a much more valuable player on this team.
Stephen Jackson
After spending most of the summer advancing his musical career, I was curious how Stephen Jackson would look. The answer: Not bad. He's slim and looked relatively toned, however he wasn't moving especially well and his rhythm was lacking. I did like the compe ive spirit he played with and his underrated playmaking ability was on display at times.
Eddy Curry
The most intriguing player in the arena was Eddy Curry. How would the talented yet troubled bigman look in his first stint in silver and black? It was a mixed bag. The good: He's skinnier than he's been in a long time. Curry actually gave effort on individual defense and his hands were good. He even made a few thoughtful passes, which is notable for someone regarded as one of the worst passers to ever lace up sneakers. The bad: He had no stamina. A couple times he waved to the bench to be taken out of the game. Due to that lack of stamina, he oftentimes slowly jogged up the court on transition defense. So while he's definitely thinner, it doesn't appear that he's in great shape. Overall, I'm still intrigued. He didn't come close to earning a spot on the team with his play in the scrimmage but he did enough to remain a prospect. If the Spurs think he can get in shape, it's difficult to ignore his imposing size, relatively young age and past exploits.
Gary Neal
Well, the Gary Neal at point guard experiment isn't over. He started at point guard and did about what we've come to expect. Defensively, he was bad. It wasn't even fair when Parker attacked him. Offensively, he's capable. He can score for himself and pass well enough to run the offense. I thought Neal looked like he dropped five or ten pounds compared to last season. Hopefully that translates into quickness -- a trait he desperately needs on the defensive end.
Patrick Mills
There were no surprises out of Patrick Mills. He utilized his speed to score in the open court. He also wasn't afraid to let jumpers fly from any distance. Defensively, he wasn't special but he pressured the ball well. Mills lost weight for the Olympics and he appears to have kept it off. All in all, he didn't steal the show but he also didn't hurt his stock.
Cory Joseph
Following his extremely strong showing in summer league, Cory Joseph is out to prove he can translate that success to the real NBA. So far, so good. He wasn't flashy but I really liked what I saw out of Joseph. He can handle the ball, penetrate into the lane and make good passes. He's not a great athlete but he's big for his position so he can get his shot off most of the time. Defensively, there's not another point guard on the team with his upside. Joseph is a darkhorse to earn a meaningful role this season but if he keeps improving at this rate, it might prove impossible to keep him off the court.
Matt Bonner
The Larry Bird of scrimmage was back at it. When there's no pressure, Matt Bonner is a monster. He didn't hit rim on any of his open looks. Coming into last season, Bonner was out of shape. This year, he looks like he's ready to do what he does.
Nando De Colo
Some question Nando De Colo's athleticism but I just don't see that being a major concern. He's not a great athlete but he's a pretty darn good one. He can move and his arms are long and active. The issues with De Colo are more about his decision-making and aggression level. We saw some of that tonight. He was passive at times and other times he was too reckless. If he can figure out how to toe that line, he has a chance to be an NBA player. After seeing him live for the first time, I'm more confident than ever in saying athleticism (or lack thereof) isn't what's going to hold him back.
Josh Powell
Out of all the training camp invitees, Josh Powell probably helped his chances the most. He was more explosive than I've seen him in the past. His defense was stout and he was hustling all over the court. Add a somewhat reliable midrange jumper and he's a pretty good fit on paper. If you squint, you can almost see a middle class Antonio McDyess -- and that's a good thing.
Tyler Wilkerson
In summer league, Tyler Wilkerson has tantalized with his all-around ability. In this scrimmage, he didn't do much to disappoint. He's a power forward with a healthy amount of perimeter skills. He can shoot, dribble and pass well for a PF. He's also athletic enough to hang in the paint. Wilkerson is short (about 6-foot-8) but he might be able to compensate with his all-around abilities. What I want to see out of him going forward is more fight. If he's going to make this team, he's going to have to play like it's life or death. In the scrimmage, he was floating too often and didn't show the passion you want out of a player trying to scratch and claw his way into the league.
Wesley Witherspoon
He has an NBA body. He has NBA athleticism. Based on his resume, it's highly questionable that Wesley Witherspoon has NBA skill but the 22-year-old is one to keep an eye on. If he can learn to do a few things well, it's not inconceivable but that he'll one day make the NBA.
Derrick Brown
There's no doubt that Derrick Brown is a great athlete. Can he do more than run and jump? I'm not sure and tonight didn't give any answers.
Sherron Collins
Considering that the Spurs have about eight players who can play point guard, Sherron Collins isn't going to make the team. It also doesn't help that he's obviously carrying around 20 or 30 extra pounds. That said, if he Toros can get him, the former college standout is probably a worthwhile prospect.
Tiago Splitter
Tiago Splitter sat out the scrimmage with back spasms. The injury is reportedly not serious. Then again, Splitter missed games due to back spasms last season and you never want to hear about a bigman struggling with his back. Get well soon.
Pop
The way the teams were split (I'll assume Pop made the decision) was a little bit surprising. Starting next to Duncan and Parker were Green, Blair and Jackson. I doubt it means anything but you'd think Leonard would have been in that group instead of Jackson. And based on how last season ended, Diaw instead of Blair seemed like the more likely choice. The other surprise was Neal starting at point guard for the other team. At this juncture, Neal is apparently ahead of Mills, Joseph and De Colo on the depth chart at PG. In fact, De Colo played almost exclusively at shooting guard. The Spurs have a deep roster and these decisions in a meaningless scrimmage probably shouldn't be overanalyzed, but they might give us an early clue into what the coaching staff is thinking -- and, besides, if you didn’t want overanalyzation, you wouldn’t have read 2,000 words about a scrimmage.
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I liked how Diaw looked. Didn't look out of shape. Curry looks to be in pretty good shape weight wise. I agree though after a couple of times of running up and down, he looked tired. I was the most impressed with Duncan, Leonard, Manu, and Powell.
I spotted Jerry Sloan sitting with Pop and then Pop went to the bench with a couple of minutes to go and Sloan walked into the tunnel.
That Brainna Walters girl is hot.
Sat next to Blair's family and Blairs girl. She has a huge backyard.
I thought the experience overall could've been better. I got there at 4:45 to try to get a good seat. I was prepared with a chair and my iPad so that my son and nephew wouldn't get bored. I called the AT&T offices twice yesterday to make sure what time the doors would open. Both times they said the doors were opening @6:30. The doors didn't open until 7:05 or so. People in line were very upset. I was one of them because I had a four-year old and an eight year-old waiting in line too. I as an adult understand sometimes things don't go as planned, but these kids don't. I thought that looked pretty bad on the Spurs. Also there wasn't that much player interaction from the Spurs with the fans. Oh well.
Thanks, missed the scrimmage, its great to hear kawhi played well
I cant wait till the season officially starts
Damn, I hate guys play so well in regular season and suck in post season.
So the scrimmage reinforced a lot of things we already know.
Timmy doesn't look 36. Tony and Manu were good. Kawhi doesn't look like he's letting up.
Of course, there were also surprises.
Diaw and Blair were looking good.
As for Neal starting at the 1, I think it's countered by Manu being the real ball-handler.
I'm glad Blair is doing well. He's my only hope to stop Bonner for getting playing time
Nice write up... Not surprising about Curry he hasn't played a ton of basketball in recent years so his stamina being an issue is not surprising. But as you said if the team thinks they can gradually increase it and get his stamina up, it would be hard to deny his size. Grabbing 0 rebounds did not look good for someone his size but he did defend Timmy relatively well and made a couple of nice baseline spin moves.
I think even Bonner rebounds better than him.
Thanks for the writeup. I've missed them.
The usual suspects didn't disappoint.
As for the new guys I was most impressed with Powell. Curry wasn't as bad as I was expecting. There were some nice moments that made me think he could make it. Brown certainly has athleticism but he never put it all together.
I don't envy the Spurs having to pick one.
Thanks for the thoughts. That's a quite impressive work considering you just watched the game 1 time.
I'm intrigued to see Sloan being still around. At this stage, it's more than just a courtesy visiting to Pop and Layden. Sloan is likely doing some consulting/advising work for Spurs staff. He might be even paid to do so. my guess is that it has to do with Spurs defense. Pop and Sloan don't really have the same philosophy on that end of the court with Pop putting more emphasis on playing smart defense without fouling and Sloan wanting his team to play hard and not letting opponents having easy baskets. Pop might want to have a team more aggressive on the defensive end and is taking advice from Sloan about that.
This scrimmage also confirmed that this deep is damn deep. I wish good luck to Pop with managing all these players. I fear that at the end this depth turn as a drawback: some players won't get happy with their playing time and some young players won't get enough minutes to proper develop well. If Spurs want to do a trade to clear some logjams, they will get nothing good in returns because players will have a low trade value after having not played enough with Spurs.
Regarding specific players, I'm really curious to see how well Curry will be in a couple of weeks. I've been impressed by him considering that he has barely played these past 4 years. It's also stunning how much better Joseph looks compared to last year.
I didn't get a chance to catch the scrimmage, but this decision doesn't necessarily surprise me. Just like in summer league, Pop probably wanted to see what Leonard could do to carry a team and be a main cog instead of just a gear. It's easier to do that when you are competing against Duncan and Parker, instead of behind them.
Pop just wants more nasty!
I really want to know what Sloan was doing there.
The only other thing that comes to mind for me is the fact that the Spurs have become such a predominant pick and roll team in initiating offense. Few coaches have ever been as reliant on pick and roll offense as Sloan was with Stockton and Malone (and later with Williams and Boozer). If anyone knows how to improve a pick and roll offense, Sloan would seem a likely candidate to be that guy.
I also think that Pop has a longstanding affection for Sloan and has shown a willingness through the years to go beyond the organization to pick the minds of other coaches who seem to have particular knowledge of particular things -- several years ago, for example, Jim Boeheim spent part of camp with the Spurs, likely to share his zone defense philosophies.
Besides, Sloan has played the Spurs about a million times and likely can offer some solid insight about the sorts of things that opposing coaches see as weaknesses in this team and might have some new ideas about how to solve those problems.
This strikes me as a really positive note at the start of camp.
Curry played nearly 22 minutes without a single rebound?
The shooting percentages are either very encouraging or highly discouraging -- not sure which.
Manu 21 pts in 19 minutes. Not too bad for an old man getting the stiffness out of his joints.
He might've had one....maybe; they didn't keep the best stats during the game.
I forgot Udoka was on the team as an assistant of some type. I was looking out for his girl Nia Long. No luck though.
It's something very important to do for Spurs because they have basically the same coaching staff for years. The few assistant coaches added lately (Vaughn and Udoka) aren't the kind who can come and bring a new view because they were rookie coaches. Being curious and open minded are great qualities for a coach and Pop surely has them.
Regarding the defense, I find it interesting to look at the Celtics. Main reason given for Spurs defensive decline is that aging of some players (Bruce then Duncan) and the rotation having some bad defenders like Blair and Bonner. Celtics have the same issues with and aging core and a rotation featuring bad defenders like Davis/Bass. However, Celtics defense remains one of the best in the league Spurs defense is constanly declining. An explanation of that could be that Celtics aggressive defense is more robust than Spurs smart defense to aging and having defensive liabilities.
That and Rondo being one of the better defensive pests in the league at the PG position...
A good point but it's worth noting the Celtics became a defensive monster again last season with Avery Bradly on the floor. Rondo and Bradley became a defensive terror of a backcourt. Yes, Boston still had an older big three but I would argue the defensive renaissance was due to their younger players.
Nice write up. What you said about Kawhi was right on point!! That confidence he displayed with the ball stood out to me like crazy. Im exciteddd about this kid I swear he has "it". Let's see what happens though. Oh and it was cool to see Pop and Jerry Sloan in the stands observing it all too.
Boston was too an elite defensive team in 10-11 when Bradley was at the end of the bench.
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