How many wins are we leaving on the table with POP?

[K...]

Assume by magic, pop decides to do the smart thing and bench your least favorite players and promote your favorites.

Make any fair and cap appropriate trade that's been mostly deemed plausible. How many wins does this unlock?

Be specific and answer whether it solves the spacing issues. For the most part, any scenario that trades both LMA and derozan is too radical for this, so let's stipulate that that's the great unknown.

The spurs are on the bubble for the playoffs, my take is that even with the growth in Murray, white, and lonnie, we are still behind where we were last year. Thus, even with a weak and open playoff picture the spurs are clearly behind on talent regardless of talent scenarios.

From here on out all edgelords will be numbered by their guesses, for example a 10 win edgelord thinks there are 10 wins left on the table playing marco over lonnie. Have at it.

[RC_Drunkford]

about 20 wins. Spurs should end up with a 32-50 record if Pop coaches this way for the whole season. Play the right rotation from the start of the season on and make a minor trade and this teams record would be something between 50-32 and 45-37.

Start Walker instead of Forbes and play Carroll instead of Belinelli.


Murray/Walker/DeRozan/Lyles/Aldridge

White/Mills/Carroll/Gay/Poeltl


Improves the defense and the offense. Doesn't hurt the spacing one bit.


Trade for a starting PF like Gallinari or Marvin Williams. Package Mills with Belinelli, Lyles or Carroll. Let Forbes fill in for Patty's role off the bench.


Murray/Walker/DeRozan/Gallinari/Aldridge
White/Forbes/Carroll/Gay/Poeltl


and you make the playoffs without a problem. Gallo being a sniper also improves the spacing since he's a better scorer and shooter than Lyles.

[itzsoweezee]

It doesn't matter at this point. The Spurs had an extremely easy schedule to start the season. Pop's extremely ty coaching has already eliminated any shot at the playoffs or any worthwhile minutes for the young guys.

The season is already ed because pop is now a ty coach.

By the way, all you trust in pop dildos, it's long past time for you to admit that your preseason prognostications turned out to be completely wrong and those of us who were saying this roster and off-season moves were dumb were completely right. Go on

[Arcadian]

interesting concept, but you also have to factor in the "opportunity cost" of all the bad decisions Pop made prior to this season. Based on rotations/minutes alone, I'm in the 5-10 category.

[Kobe'sAchilles]

Hmm hard to put a number on it but starting DJ over White was puzzling. Benching Rudy Gay seemed like a mistake but turns out the dude was done. I honestly don't think Pop wanted to start Lyles but his 4 rotation sucked donkey balls (assuming LMA was the 5) and he went with the lesser of 3 evils? Maybe. Idk. I think he knew we were paper thin there and that's why he was so publicly pissed off at Morris.

I think if he started White, Mills, Rudy, Demar, and LMA we would've fared better. Bench unit of Murray, Forbes, Walker, Lyles, and Poetl. Honestly I can't really blame the line ups on Pop too much bc politics really play a factor in the line ups. Both Murray and Demar probably scoffed and whined at the prospect of coming off the bench. White was probably more agreeable and willing. We needed some shooting so Forbes does make sense, but he should've started 50 Mills instead. Mills is the better player.

What I really blame Pop for is caging Bertans. I knw we lost him for Morris, but looking at what Davis is now and the shot selections he's letting Forbes and Marco shoot, it's puzzling why he muzzled Bertans. I wish he had that same mindset for not giving a about their defensive woes for the 6'10 guy instead of the 6'2 guy

[John B]

Coming off the pre-season, Forbes was shooting hot. I understand starting him for spacing. But Forbes has not been shooting well and worse cannot defend. Pop could’ve subs uted Lonnie especially after the win over Rockets. Maybe Spurs could’ve picked up 1-2 more wins, idk. Starting Murray was resting White after the Summer FIBA. As much as I like Murray now, sidelining White could’ve jolted White’s confidence. I don’t understand benching Carroll. I think playing Caroll over Belineli, along with playing Lonnie more, could’ve energized Spurs defense and rally the team. I think Spurs could’ve been 3-4 more wins if Pop plays our best defensive line-up. I still think the Spurs have the personnel to be 3rd or 4th seed, seriously. Because Spurs took Nuggets to 7th game and Spurs should be better this year, and I’m not so impressed with the other 3-8 teams, with the clear exception of Clippers and Fakers.

[JeffDuncan]

Something for stat nerds, on this general subject. Most around here will know of PER = Player Efficiency Rating. It's a stat calculation done in a way so the average NBA player is a 15. Higher is better.

Some PERs so far this season:

Patty Mills = 15.1
By the PER, Wombat has been worth the average player, plus a tick.

Forbes = 10.9
Worth 73% of the average player.

Belinelli = 8.1
54% of the average player.

FWIW.

[RC_Drunkford]

about 20 wins. Spurs should end up with a 32-50 record if Pop coaches this way for the whole season. Play the right rotation from the start of the season on and make a minor trade and this teams record would be something between 50-32 and 45-37.

Start Walker instead of Forbes and play Carroll instead of Belinelli.


Murray/Walker/DeRozan/Lyles/Aldridge

White/Mills/Carroll/Gay/Poeltl


Improves the defense and the offense. Doesn't hurt the spacing one bit.