SPURS GAME DAY! GAME 26: SPURS AT BUCKS, 19-12-2023, 7PM (CT)

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FINALLY someone gets a redass!!!!

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Ref: "SO-SHAN" lol

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That breakdown on O was on Sochan's woeful handles. Can't use them to get by his defender so gets into a post up position, gets doubled, no space, weak late pass or bad shot, and then does not position himself for an O board, with his back/side to the basket. Just gauging guys who do enough right things to justify minutes/starting.

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We're in **** transition and Sochan dribbles INTO CONTESTED SPACE, PASSING TO NO ONE, POSTS UP, HOLDS ONTO THE BALL TOO LONG. DAMN IT. **** damn it.

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Zach gets elbowed by Portis. No call. Zaach elbows Portis back, he falls like he's been shot. Foul.

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Keldon nice drive.

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Branham **** brain dead TO.

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Zach top of arc 3 falling is great to see.

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Nice physical drive once again by Keldon. Finally earns a foul.

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Misses to points or TOs to points is a patterns we must curb.

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Ok Devin thought he was fouled. What does that have to do with us giving up an open J?

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Sochan AGAIN goes up against their C down low and once again gets blocked.

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We now have Tre, Devin, Keldon, Sochan, Dom in with just over 3 minutes left.

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Keldon GREAT effort on the O board putback.

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Tre, Keldon, Julian, Dom, Mamu in for the final 2 minutes.

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Oh Branham is now in, hits a 3 (he may have been in before and I hadn't noticed).

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LMAO Sean!

"Lopez looks like he just came from sleeping in a tent in he street!"

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4TH Q: SPURS 119 BUCKS 132

But for that shells-shocked start, our compete level was decent.

Bluntly: Sochan is an energy deflating presence with the ball in his hands on O. And we need our slightly older players to step up with the energy leadership to start games, to get in guys' faces, to lead by example. Looking at you, Devin (1-5 in the 1ST, only one drive) and Keldon (0-1 in the 1ST).

We were missing a whole lot of everything but started outside-in, not even bothering to try to get at their bigs. Yes it's a formidable front court, but pace puts any defender on their heels. There just wasn't enough effort to try different things and energy to drive or run back on D.

We're at a point now that, if guys don't want to put in the effort because they think their starting spots are safe, then this should be tested out. Or their minutes should be cut. Whatever gets the message across. Misses will happen. Allowing open corner 3s from lack of hustle to haul ass back cannot. Neither can half assed contesting (looking at you, Doug).

Kudos to Keldon, then, for driving his heart out the rest of the game on team high 35 minutes. He put us on his shoulders with energy and physicality and example, scoring a team high 28 on a crisp 9-13, only 1-3 from 3, game high 10-12FTs. But for that 3 attempt, all of his shots were on drives and drives and O board putbacks and drives. He got hacked and hammered and kept on driving. I hope his wrist will be ok after that one particularly nasty spill. He stayed in the game, so hopefully yes. We need him. He also led us with team high 12 boards (2 on O), and chipped in 1 assist. 5TOs, but he also got a lot of attention and was active. I'd rather errors from activity than a clean sheet from not enough of it and work with that.

We need more from Devin. Just more leadership in communication and setting an example of how WE play, as a team and individually within the team concept. Hold guys accountable after you hold yourself accountable. I have no doubt that he does the latter, and he may talk to guys in more quiet moments we don't see, but it's not always translating, both for himself and the team. He attempted a team high 17FGAs but he wasn't really as noticeable out there, making 7 shots, 2-5 from 3, only 1-1FT, with 3 boards, 2 assists, 2TOs. He drove to better effect in the middle two Qs, more shots in the paint at the rim, but finished as he started, a poor 0-4 in the 4TH two right elbow area attempts, two 3s attempts. It's just the not a lot of impact and energy and making his presence felt issue. Not enough defensive impact either. He's a bit heavy on his feet. Maybe it's a confidence thing, but he plays lighter and moves them faster when he's *on*.

Branham once again stood out by playing within himself, using his most compact movements and twitchy speed to drive and get to his spots, use screens, get open, take three-level shots. He missed the two non-paint Js, hit 3-5 in the paint, 2-4 form 3 for 12 points, 2 boards, 3 assists, to 1TO. Terrific slasher and scorer. Has been much better in not chucking unnecessary (too early in the clock, not running a play through to intention) or selfish shots.

Sochan had a near triple double with 9 (4-11, 0-2 from 3, 1-2FTs), 11 rebounds (3 on O), and team high 8 assists (good!) but there's also a reason he was team low -13. It's stunning how he bogs the O down STILL despite no longer having PG duties. He dribbles for too long allowing open team mates to get covered by defenders and so missing crucial chances to push the ball ahead and take advantage of not yet set D (something he did better at the beginning of the season, go figure), holds onto the ball for too long and because he can't beat his man off the dribble, he posts up, taking up MORE clock before taking a congested attempt versus yet another bigger C (with predictable results of getting blocked) or making worse passes than those pretty looks of last season. It's mystifying. But for the muck up with Portis, I didn't like his rather seemingly laissez-faire energy and effort, not hustling back HARD on D leaving our guards to guard driving bigs, looking for his own even when others are more open. Just something is off and without imputing motives, I've seen enough that I don't like it. It's like the wrong side of asserting himself considering his skill set and doubling down on wrong things, veering into him getting his to reward himself for some D. Boxing out has to get better, too. I'm piling on right after the game, I concede, but it's not just one game. It's because it's an accumulation of similar plays that the rest of the team has to put up with and it's deflating. The saving grace here is that he got a near triple double on, for the most part, terrible O awareness and choices and execution. He **** up too many basic reads and set plays on O. It's frustrating and draining. Bottom line, he isn't striking me as team first right now. Maybe that's not exactly the right way to put it, but something is more off this season and it stands out.

Wouldn't surprise me if Dom, at some point, outhustles and outplays him overall, and pushes him for minutes. It would be good for Sochan to get some competition pressure. He shouldn't be regressing in effort and court vision, which also seems to be a factor of who is on the court with him. The passes he misses to Wemby he once again made to Zach inside. Go figure. There's just something *there* there. Will write about it elsewhere.

Zach came through with a fine performance, scoring 22 on 9-16, team high 4-7 from 3, 8 boards (2 on O), 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks to 4TOs. Terrific effort, sticking with it throughout the game, contributing all over the place on both ends. He's playing smaller than last season, but is also doing a better job staying in games, not being a foul trouble liability. It's important for us that he can step up and start and do well while also it not being a problem that he comes off the bench. Credit to him for the physicality, for the fine finishes through them at the rim, for taking the open 3s (top of the arc looks to be his spot).

Dom came in and hustled his heart out right away, fighting for a rebound trying to wrestle the 50/50 ball away. He didn't score but looked more coordinated on O. He's been putting together great two-way games in Austin. It has to translate at the next level for him. Pop rubbing his forehead early in the game at some Sochan decisions is paving the way for a look elsewhere. Dom has a much more polished and broad O package already. He has to get mentally locked in to bring it at the next level.

Mamu has been taking good advantage of more minutes opening up. He always brings hard physical play and great energy. Assertive, smart in making quick passes ahead in transition, keeping defenders out of position. He's taking more 3s now, too, which is good. Not an efficient night from him (1-5, 1-4 from 3) but bench high 8 boards (1 on O), bench high 3 assists(!), 1 steal, and 2 blocks to 2TOs. All in only 15 minutes. Nice.

Tre, Cedi, and Mamu were the energy shift trio when Pop put the subs in to take the zombie starters out early. Cedi has been impressive with his consistent drives, off ball movement, passing, high IQ plays throughout the year. He and Tre have been our most reliable players in that regard. Cedi was a solid 3-6, 0-2 from 3, bench high 4-4FTs, 2 boards, 1 assist. Big, mobile, uses them well, and has a no excuses mentality.

(Doug is slowly disappearing with Cedi's emergence. Very poor D and inexcusable effort there to boot and without an efficient O output he's a liability).

Tre brought out the finishing at the rim toolkit, slithering through tight lanes, changing speeds to get by defenders, using floaters, using the glass angles well, using high arching shots over outstretched hands. Fought hard over screens, read the misdirections to stay with ball handlers on drives, just a terrific overall two-way effort. We can't do anything about his height. But he can do something about his woeful 3s efficiency. We NEED him to improve there.

We won two Qs, lost two Qs by more. So some signs of better play for longer stretches, even if the opponent's level waned after a big lead. But that's their problem. Ours was finding ways to chip away and we brought the deficit back down to single digits. These count for us in terms of grinding our way through together.

We're not controlling what is in our control. Assertive starts. Not settling for outside shots (this is also a function of Sochan in particular not doing right things with the ball too often which leads to spirit-leaking breakdowns). Boxing out needs to be better. So does passing ahead sooner in transition. Running back in transition. Covering the shortest 3s attempts in the corner. Hands up in contesting. Shadowing the best shooter and/or primary ball handler to prevent to easy passes back and not allow opponents to reset. More physicality. And if anyone doesn't do basic effort-related things, I hope Pop sits him. We're at a point now where we have to make the point with more emphasis, and take on the personal responsibility to show leadership and by example, to a man, put the team first.

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