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  1. #1
    5. timvp's Avatar
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    Don't look now but the Spurs have a winning record at 15-14 after a 125-87 demolition of the Clippers on Thursday night. San Antonio has begun their six-game homestand with four straight victories. They're now one game out of the playoffs and, for that matter, four games back of the top seed in the Western Conference.

    A 38-point s acking of a Clippers team that entered the game with a 17-10 record is definitely a step in the right direction. However, it should be noted that Los Angeles had lost three of their previous four games -- all by double-digits -- and were without arguably their best player in Lou Williams. Regardless, the Spurs being able to build upon their momentum in grand style is just what the doctor ordered.

    Tonight, the Spurs started off well and led 38-27 at the end of the first quarter. Their solid play extended into the second quarter until they hit a rough patch near the end of the half. However, following a 12-2 burst at the start of the third quarter that put the Spurs up 78-59, the good guys were able to leisurely cruise to the blowout victory.

    The defense was once again quite promising. This was the third straight game the Spurs held their opponent to under 100 points and second straight under 90. On the season, San Antonio now boasts the NBA's 25th best defense, which doesn't sound like much but they were stuck in the 29th spot for a couple weeks prior to their recent improvements. During their winning streak, the Spurs have allowed 98.7 points per 100 possessions -- the second best mark in the league over that time span.

    The offense, which is where San Antonio's bread will be buttered if they are to be successful this season, is also climbing the charts. They have the seventh best offense in the NBA, scoring 110.8 points per 100 possessions. During their winning streak, the scoring number sits at a sizzling 121.3.

    -Against the Clippers, LaMarcus Aldridge was a monster. He was extremely physical fighting for post position, which resulted in a plethora of easy buckets. After the Clippers got fearful of his strength in block, Aldridge tortured them with his feathery touch from the perimeter -- including his first three-pointer of the season. This, ladies and gentlemen, was Aldridge at his offensive best. I also thought he was a lot better than usual defensively. He moved his feet to help against smaller players and was sturdy beneath the rim. My only critique tonight is that Aldridge was light on the boards. Other than that, though, this was proof that the 33-year-old is fully capable of playing at a superstar level when he's on his game.

    -While we Spurs fans have pointed fingers at many different directions this season to pinpoint the causes of the slow start, many advanced statistics point to Aldridge being the main culprit. Plus-minus stats say Aldridge has hurt the offense and is far and away the worst defensive player on the team. Real plus-minus (basically plus-minus stats adjusted for lineups) grades Aldridge as the worst player on the Spurs and 428th out of 451 players in the NBA. Ugly numbers, to say the least.

    -Watching him, I don't think Aldridge has been as bad as those numbers indicate. That said, it's undeniable that his defensive energy has evaporated this season whenever things haven't gone his way offensively. The shooting woes that haunted him to begin the season seemed to throw his entire game out of whack.

    -The good news is Aldridge's shot has straightened out. After tonight's 12-for-14 shooting bonanza, Aldridge is shooting 47.1 percent for the season and 57.4 percent over his previous 12 games. Let's hope that once he finds his offensive rhythm, he can put more of his mental energy into focusing on being the defensive backbone rather than the major liability he's been so far this season.

    -DeMar DeRozan was only decent tonight. I loved his passing but he was an inefficient scorer and a sloppier ball-handler than usual. His rhythm was knocked off kilter after he had a few whistles go against him. And while I appreciate the compe iveness and fire (they were legitimately terrible calls, by the by), he has to do a better job of either keeping his composure or funneling his frustration in a more productive manner. Getting frazzled only hurts himself and the Spurs.

    -The more I watch DeRozan defensively, the more I'm convinced that the Spurs coaching staff should alter how they use him. For much of the season, they've hid him as much as possible. However, doing so has the unintended consequence of causing DeRozan to fall asleep on the weakside, disengage mentally from his help responsibilities and become even more of a sieve than usual. What actually produces better results is putting DeRozan right in the middle of the action. He's a prideful player and when he's been given challenges, he's elevated his play on defense. The best recent example was how well he defended LeBron James in the fourth quarter of the last Lakers game. But there's been a lot of instances over the course of the season of DeRozan scratching and clawing defensively when switched off onto a bigger player or when he finds himself on the other team's first option.

    -To make that change, Pop will first have to figure out how to lower DeRozan's minutes; he's currently eighth in the league in minutes per game at 35.2 (that's the most minutes a Spur has averaged in a season since a 27-year-old Tim Duncan averaged 36.6 minutes back in 2003-04). DeRozan's minutes will need to be closer to 32-33 if he's expected to carry the offense on one end and pick up a larger section of the slack defensively.

    -This was the third straight game Rudy Gay has looked healthy. He's moving really well right now and is back to dunking everything he can. You can also tell when he's feeling springy because he's able to make defensive plays out on the perimeter and in passing lanes. After being held scoreless in the 34-point drubbing in Salt Lake City, Gay is averaging 19.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists on 61.3 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent shooting from beyond the three-point line. When he's playing at this level, scoring is easy to come by for the Spurs. In fact, I'd say the Spurs become a top two or three offensive team in the league when Gay is healthily letting it fly.

    -I thought Bryn Forbes played relatively well tonight. I like when he hunts three-pointers and even though he only hit 2-of-7 shots from deep, his aggressive ways helped spread the court and forced the Clippers to keep a man on him. Forbes also had a handful of quality passes and kept miscues to a minimum. Defensively, he was a little bit better than we've come to expect.

    -Even though Davis Bertans was back in action (he missed two games following the birth of his daughter) and Dante Cunningham was technically the better defensive matchup (the Clippers started a big frontline of Marcin Gortat, Danilo Gallinari and Tobias Harris), Pop kept Derrick White in the starting lineup. I'm completely in favor of that decision. As I've stated numerous times previously, White gives the Spurs a strong defensive player in the starting lineup and another capable playmaker to help make the offensive attack even more potent.

    -As for his play tonight, White was underwhelming. His boxscore stats look good but almost all of his production was well after the game was decided. When the game was still up for grabs, White was mostly invisible. He was okay on defense, had a couple good passes down to Aldridge in the paint ... but that was about it. If he wants to retain his spot in the starting lineup long-term, he needs to bring more confidence and forcefulness to the court. Being a ghost who only tries to avoid mistakes won't get it done.

    -Off the bench, Patty Mills was great once again. It would be difficult to overstate how well he has played as of late after his pathetic start to the season. Tonight was yet another example. He went up against Patrick Beverley, one of the better point guard defenders in the league, and thoroughly dominated him. Mills was efficient scoring-wise, passed the ball really well and this was very likely his best defensive game of the season. He was all over the court on that end and didn't give up an inch when met with mismatches.

    -After getting benched in the second half of a recent Lakers game, Marco Belinelli has bounced back with his best stretch of the season. During the winning streak, Belinelli has scored in double figures in all four outings while averaging 11.5 points on 47.4 percent shooting from the floor and 36.8 percent on threes. It's obviously a small sample size but if he can start hitting shots (as crazy as they may be) at a reasonable clip, San Antonio's bench will become that much more explosive.

    -Jakob Poeltl keeps stacking his strong performances. Tonight, he blocked a season-high four shots as he turned in another dominant defensive performance. During the winning streak, opponents are averaging a minuscule 84 points per 100 possessions when Poeltl is on the court. He pulled down six defensive rebounds against the Clippers and that is quietly an area where Poeltl has greatly improved. He was a weak defensive rebounder in Toronto and started off poorly with the Spurs but he's now improved his defensive rebounding rate by more than 20 percent over last season. Poeltl has always been an elite offensive rebounder but his growth on the other end was a missing piece to his puzzle.

    -Getting back to Poeltl's blocks, that looks like it can be a major strength of his going forward. To begin his time with the Spurs, it was obvious that he was paranoid about fouling and his blocked shots numbers suffered as a result. Now, his defense is more instinctual and he is going after a lot more blocks. While most of his game is graceful and calculated, he's actually a better jumper and more explosive jumper than what you'd expect when he goes up to block a shot.

    -Bertans was a tad gun-shy in his first action post-fatherhood but eventually impacted the game. Surprisingly, a lot of his work was done on the defensive end. He was really active on that end, stayed in front of his man well and tied his season-high in blocks with two.

    -Speaking of Bertans' defense, is he massively underrated on that end? Last season, the Spurs gave up only 99.4 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court. Only DeJounte Murray graded out better. This season, the Spurs give up 107.3 points per 100 possessions when Bertans is on the court. Only Poeltl grades out better. I mean, I guess it could be back-to-back flukes but I've argued in his favor and have gone on record as stating Bertans is better defensively than his reputation suggests. Yes, opponents seem to shoot about 99 percent on him when they drive to the rim and he's helplessly putting his arms straight up. But what I think is overlooked is that he actually is able to stay in front of most players, whereas other defenders on this team would get completely blown by and force help defenders to rotate. He's also dogged in the low post when one of the few remaining bigmen in the league try to post him up. Maybe the opinion held by coaches and fans is right and Bertans is a sub par defender ... but I suspect that's not the case. He's not a defensive stopper, obviously, but he's also far from inept.

    -While I'm not the biggest Cunningham fan in the world, I should clarify my critiques. (And I won't even mention that the Clippers game was only in doubt when Cunningham entered the game in the second quarter and disrupted San Antonio's offensive rhythm.) While I don't think Cunningham should start or even play more than about ten minutes per game, I've been impressed by him. Offensively, he's shooting 51 percent on three-pointers for the season. Defensively, he always brings energy and toughness to the court. As a 10th or 11th man, he's good to have around as a hard worker who buys into the team concept and doesn't need any time to warm up. My problem with Cunningham is strictly his fit into this specific team. In today's NBA, being a halfway accurate bulk three-point shooter is more valuable than being a dead-eye three-point shooter. In today's NBA, being a quick, switchable defender is more important than being an energetic, physical defender. Unfortunately for Cunningham, he's on the wrong side of the preferences on both ends of the court and that makes him nonviable in terms of being a relied upon part of the rotation. He's a fine spot player but this team isn't going anywhere until Pop detoxes completely from his overreliance of Cunningham.

  2. #2
    Veteran r0drig0lac's Avatar
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    - the confidence of Bertans and Forbes is remarkable
    - White's focus on staying ahead of his opponent is impressive, great defensive work
    - Gay playing like a ing all star out there
    - Pop used a hybrid zone at times, and Bertans was the guy who most benefited (in the eye test), he seemed the most active guy in this type of defense

  3. #3
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    Bertrans is an okay defender but an unlucky one. It seems often (not in this game though) he gives a good contest but the ball luckily goes in with some crazy bounces, or he’s called for non-existent foul more often than others. Overall he’s often engaged on that end and gives quality help defense

  4. #4
    Machacarredes Chinook's Avatar
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    This was an extremely dense post (imagining you had to edit things out to get under the word/character limit), but there are a lot of good things packed in.

    I do think the Spurs are going to be either an Aldridge team or a DeRozan team. They can get a 15-18 ppg LMA with a couple of 20-plus games scattered about by letting DeMar run the show. But the two don't naturally work well together. Aldridge should be near the basket at all times. He's just a center now, and not a great rolling one at that. There's some potential for the PnP to work between them, but for too much of the season, Aldridge had no range, and even now he should score inside as much as possible only use long-twos as change-ups. I'm not sure LMA can repeat his performance from last year, especially defensively. He's older now and doesn't have as much help. While I do think your point about motivation has merit, I also think his energy level is in flux now, and the good offensive games track with defensive performance because those are the games where he feels good, so to speak.

    The team is still adjusting to Gasol's injury, though they are mostly recovered. Beli more than any other player was hurt by the lack of elite passing in the second unit. Aldridge has also dealt with a lack of big-to-big passes, and between Pau's injury and LMA's lack of range beyond 20 feet, the team hasn't had the stretch-five they've needed to really open up their offense. I don't envy the choice Pop's going to have to make when Pau comes back, because dude was killing it prior to getting hurt. He may also sulk if he's taken out of the rotation. By and large, I don't think big-ball will work. Even if LMA/Poeltl isn't that much worse mobility-wise than Cun/LMA, the complete lack of spacing isn't tenable. Gasol may fix the spacing issue and indeed may help connect DeRozan and Aldridge better offensively, that D would be terrible, especially with Rudy having to defend wings.

    DeRozan seems to be tailing off a bit, and that may have to do with how many minutes he's playing. Patty is playing well enough to where the bench has some sort of play-making, but it would help if White could both get more playing time without DeRozan and be consistent enough to be worthy of that playing time. Pop keeps considering using White as the main guy on the second unit but backing off really quickly to bring back Gay. Should be room for both, but with Gay entrenched as a starer just as much as White, it makes for an awkward rotation. The idea of running DeRozan as some sort of defensive ace is just crazy enough to work. May as well go whole-hog on it and start Beli or Bertans as well.

    Bertans had good analytics last year, so the idea that he can help defensively isn't a complete surprise. The eye-test suggests that he's a competent shot-blocker who went through a long stretch of not holding up to contact. He was much less inclined to let Montrezl Harrell bully him in this game, and he needs to keep that level of toughness going forward. I think he got too into the idea of drawing charges. With his rep as a weak, unathletic (white) player. he's going to be attacked way more than a lot of other players with his skills would. His biggest real problem is that he's not a good rebounder at all. He's a skinny dude with a high center of gravity, but he can box out and track balls better than he has done.

    Cun's effort is commendable, but his talent is blech. Guys need to try harder more frequently. If they all had his heart, Dante wouldn't be in the rotation. So long as the Spurs can't get a better player to do DC's job, dude will keep getting minutes. His shooting is a nice bonus, though. There are matchups where he can help defensively. When you add a legit threat on the other end, it makes him much more viable. He's gotta up that attempt rate, though.

  5. #5
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    DeRozan playing too many minutes issue is interesting because of the combination of 2 things:
    1. It’s so unlike Pop in general to have his player almost lead the league in minutes
    2. Pop keeps playing DeRozan too much even when it’s not needed: when DeMar’s not having a good game; or when we are having a comfortable lead, and the bench is killing it. It’s almost like there’s an agreement with DeMar that he needs to play heavy minutes. Or rather some psychological trick from Pop to DeMar who was notable benched for Q4s in Toronto: like, look, we count on you even if you’re struggling a bit. Pop can take LA out of the game but not DeMar...

  6. #6
    tv screen baseline bum sananspursfan21's Avatar
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    Interesting about Bertans defense. He doesn’t get beat off the dribble often and if you can stay in front, you’ve always got a good chance of your guy missing. Even if you do the Matt Bonner high school kid ‘reach for the sky’ bit

  7. #7
    Believe.
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    If Pop is going to use White in the SL that he has rolled with the last 2 games, I don't see him putting up that good of numbers statistics wise... He is the 5th scoring option and is playing with 3 ball dominant guys. In that lineup his impact will be on defense and court vision. Not sure how good White is but he clearly is our best perimeter defender ans sees the court better than any other guard. I would like to see Pop stagger the rotation a bit to where White could handle ball more with 2nd unit further reducing DDR minutes. I think a White/Poertl pick n roll could be pretty effective

  8. #8
    Veteran hater's Avatar
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    So white doesnt get an A+????

    Color me shocked

  9. #9
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    Gracias TJ.

    I was super impressed with Poeltl's defense more so than his offense. Speaking of he was very good offensively. I didn't know he had them kind of moves. I'm just concerned Pop will limit him once Gasol is healthy. Hope that's not the case.

    Props to Cunningham for being a good teammate. I'm sure he's noticed his minutes have vanished as of late, but is still putting in the work. Glad his 3 point shot is falling. I'm more impressed with his rebounding. Especially on the offensive side b

  10. #10
    Believe.
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    Great Work, tmvp!!!!! Thanks!!

  11. #11
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    If Pop is going to use White in the SL that he has rolled with the last 2 games, I don't see him putting up that good of numbers statistics wise... He is the 5th scoring option and is playing with 3 ball dominant guys. In that lineup his impact will be on defense and court vision. Not sure how good White is but he clearly is our best perimeter defender ans sees the court better than any other guard. I would like to see Pop stagger the rotation a bit to where White could handle ball more with 2nd unit further reducing DDR minutes. I think a White/Poertl pick n roll could be pretty effective
    I strongly agreed that part of White's stats got to do with him playing with 3 iso players and a chucker who are all in front of him in terms of offense pecking order. If the Spurs has a competent 3 and D wing, I still see White as the playmaker of the 2nd team.

  12. #12
    Veteran tbdog's Avatar
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    It will be interesting what Spurs will do with White next season. Is he Murray's backup or starting teammate? That backcourt will be great defensively.

  13. #13
    Veteran John B's Avatar
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    Thanks Timvp. A great win, albeit against a beat-up Clippers. But I saw a lot of good things, particularly that sequence when all players touched the ball and finally Demar penetrating and passing to an open 3. For a minute I thought it was the big 3 with Splitter and Diaw on the court. I loved it. The closeouts, contending every shots, hassles, helpout D, this team is starting to play Spurs basketball. I hope last night’s win propel them to continue. Gay is playing a Superstar out there and could be a candidate for most improved player if healthy. He is unstoppable when he decides to score. I like that Pops is letting him play a point forward and allow to take over the game. He is a beast. I like Poeltl’s energy a lot. He brings so much toughness and it’s contagious, likewise White. I really feel this club has made that turn and has started to trust each other as a team. I really feel they are a much better team than what their record suggest. I’m really happy as a long-time fun. GSG!

  14. #14
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    Thanks for the grades!!!

  15. #15
    Believe. MultiTroll's Avatar
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    Real talk.
    When Rudy Gay was / is healthy in his career, he is All Star for sure.

    I say yes.

  16. #16
    Veteran superbigtime's Avatar
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    Fun read, looks like a lot of work and research and expertly written. Thanks!

    Rudy is a killer. I love him!

  17. #17
    Veteran sasaint's Avatar
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    Regarding Poodle, the big thing is: during this stretch of very good performances the refs have allowed him to play; he hasn't gotten into foul trouble.

  18. #18
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    -Off the bench, Patty Mills was great once again. It would be difficult to overstate how well he has played as of late after his pathetic start to the season. Tonight was yet another example. He went up against Patrick Beverley, one of the better point guard defenders in the league, and thoroughly dominated him. Mills was efficient scoring-wise, passed the ball really well and this was very likely his best defensive game of the season. He was all over the court on that end and didn't give up an inch when met with mismatches.
    To be a bit of a downer on this, P Bev had a major knee injury (& season ending surgery) last year, and hasn't looked the same since... I suspect it will take at least 1/2 this season for him to get back to playing well, maybe the whole season. For Spurs fans, this shows the kind of thing we can expect to happen with Murray. I suspect that next season is going to be rough for him; I urge you all to be patient. The silver lining is that may make res-signing him cheap.

  19. #19
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    It will be interesting what Spurs will do with White next season. Is he Murray's backup or starting teammate? That backcourt will be great defensively.
    Assuming White’s shot is falling, I think you can start them together. If not, it’ll create huge spacing issues. Gay would be only three point shooter in the starting 5 (though I could be okay with Bertans starting and Gay being sixth man). But for all we know, Murray could be focusing on working his shot during rehab.

    You want them out there together against first units to provide stellar D, but will also need to stagger minutes when opponents have a decent bench scorer


    To be a bit of a downer on this, P Bev had a major knee injury (& season ending surgery) last year, and hasn't looked the same since... I suspect it will take at least 1/2 this season for him to get back to playing well, maybe the whole season. For Spurs fans, this shows the kind of thing we can expect to happen with Murray. I suspect that next season is going to be rough for him; I urge you all to be patient. The silver lining is that may make res-signing him cheap.
    Murray’s injury happened 1.5 months earlier in the calendar than Bev’s surgery. I do agree that he could get off to a rougher start than anticipated, but I expect him to be around for training camp and for Pop to bring him along at the right pace.

    ACLs are different than microfracture + meniscus.

  20. #20
    ಥ﹏ಥ DAF86's Avatar
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    -Speaking of Bertans' defense, is he massively underrated on that end?
    Yes, I've been saying it all along, tbh. He's a much better perimeter defender than guys like Forbes and Belinelli, yet Pop doesn't seem to see him as an option at anything but PF.

  21. #21
    Veteran K...'s Avatar
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    Where's my O town grade at?

  22. #22
    Veteran bklynspursfan's Avatar
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  23. #23
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    ]Murray’s injury happened 1.5 months earlier in the calendar than Bev’s surgery. I do agree that he could get off to a rougher start than anticipated, but I expect him to be around for training camp and for Pop to bring him along at the right pace.

    ACLs are different than microfracture + meniscus.
    Oh, he'll be around for training camp, but it may take him 2 years to get his burst back. Look at Derrick Rose...

  24. #24
    Savvy Veteran spurraider21's Avatar
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    thanks for the goods timvp

    good to have you back on a regular basis

  25. #25
    The OL' Perfessor wildbill2u's Avatar
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    - the confidence of Bertans and Forbes is remarkable
    - White's focus on staying ahead of his opponent is impressive, great defensive work
    - Gay playing like a ing all star out there
    - Pop used a hybrid zone at times, and Bertans was the guy who most benefited (in the eye test), he seemed the most active guy in this type of defense
    I think you saw what I saw on the defense, especially when White was in. It very much looked like a hybrid zone because White was able to sag off his man and this deterred many passes or drives into the lane. This is one of those things that doesn't get into the stats, but a lot of those long defensive stands, forcing the opponent out of their game seemed to me to revolve around that hybrid zone.

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