Grades: San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers – Game #49
Keita Bates-Diop and the Spurs got crushed by the Clippers (Photo via Twitter)
The San Antonio Spurs finished getting swept by both Los Angeles teams on Thursday night. The Clippers outscored the Spurs 41-25 in the first quarter and waltzed to a 138-100 victory. The Spurs were never able to put up anything resembling a fight.
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George were just too good. Leonard finished with 27 points on 10-for-16 shooting from the field in 31 minutes, while George scored a game-high 35 points on 14-of-19 shooting. Both players finished with seven assists as they toyed with San Antonio’s defense.
Even though the Spurs were playing on the second night of a back-to-back, this was still a really bad effort. The good guys didn’t even look like they belonged in the same league as the Clippers.
Spurs at Clippers – Final Grades
Keldon Johnson
Numbers-wise, it looks like Johnson did fine. He had 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the field and finished with three rebounds, three assists and no turnovers. Despite the pretty numbers, I wasn’t too impressed with Johnson’s intensity. His defense was non-existent and he didn’t supply consistent pressure on offense. Then again, Johnson could have been great and the Spurs would have still been blown out of the water.
Grade: B
Jakob Poeltl
Like Johnson, Poeltl lacked intensity. His defense hasn’t been as good this season as it was in previous seasons and he was a step below that level on Thursday night. His rebounding was also missing in action. Offensively, he was better. He scored 10 points in 22 minutes and also authored a couple good passes. But, again, his intensity wasn’t nearly high enough to help the Spurs compete.
Grade: C+
Tre Jones
Jones is suddenly struggling to score the ball. A couple weeks ago, Jones was consistently putting up around 20 points a game. In his last four games, he has scored in single figures three times. He has also missed his last eight three-point attempts. Jones has lost confidence in his jumper and that’s negatively impacting his entire offensive attack. His assists are also suffering because teams are playing him to pass. Defensively, Jones didn’t do much of anything against the Clippers.
Grade: D+
Malaki Branham
Branham got a start at shooting guard but, sadly, he wasn’t able to take advantage of the opportunity. He had only five points in 26 minutes and was clearly not aggressive enough. The Spurs desperately needed a scoring punch but Branham was mostly hiding in the shadows. Defensively, the Clippers had their way with him.
Grade: C-
Keita Bates-Diop
With Jeremy Sochan out with a quad injury he suffered against the Lakers, Bates-Diop started at power forward. While far from amazing, it’s difficult to criticize Bates-Diop for his play. He had 13 points in 27 minutes and knocked down a pair of three-pointers. He also led the starters in rebounding with six. Bates-Diop struggled defensively … but, then again, so did the rest of his teammates.
Grade: B
Doug McDermott
McDermott did his job, for the most part. He moved well with and without the ball on his way to 11 points in 22 minutes. That’s who he is and that’s what he does. His defense was bad but that too is part of who McDermott is as a basketball player.
Grade: B-
Isaiah Roby
If there was a bright spot for the Spurs, it was the play of Isaiah Roby. He hadn’t scored in double-figures since November but finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes against the Clippers. He shot with more confidence, used his athleticism to his advantage and played with smarts. It’s not too late for Roby to turn around his season and earn a permanent spot in the rotation.
Grade: A-
Blake Wesley
Wesley was inserted into the rotation for Thursday night’s game. The rookie showed glimpses of skill. His burst jumps off the page and he plays with an overflowing amount of confidence. I also think he’s a better passer than advertised. The touch on his jumper is obviously a work in progress and his decision-making isn’t always the smartest.
Grade: B
Zach Collins
Collins produced in his 19 minutes of playing time. He had seven points, ten rebounds and two assists in only 19 minutes. Collins made his share of mistakes but the effort level was acceptable, which can’t be said for many members of the Silver and Black. With his play lately, he’s making a strong case that he deserves more minutes.
Grade: B+
Stanley Johnson
I hate to say it but the Stanley Johnson honeymoon phase may be coming to an end. We’re starting to see the warts in his game that caused him to be out of the NBA to begin the season. Johnson had five turnovers against the Clippers and that only begins to tell the story of his sloppiness. He’s dribbling too much, telegraphing passes and holding the ball too long at times. Johnson’s defense was physical but I wouldn’t say it was effective.
Grade: D
Pop
The Spurs were big underdogs heading into the game but this was still a really poor showing. I didn’t have a problem with Pop’s rotation or play-calling but there’s little evidence that he had his team ready to compete.
Grade: C-