4TH Q: SPURS 129 KINGS 131
Yeah this one hurts. To make so many great plays and come back from down 20 to up 8 to keep ahead of a strong team and then make mistake after mistake, fittingly the last one on a TO for a basket against, is a hard pill to swallow. The TO came from a weak, unconfident Branham pass, sort of to get rid of the ball and the pressure he had and there goes the game.
We did have a good shot to win it by Devin, can’t ask for much better, and it was by the right guy given the game he had, though I’m not sure he’s good in clutch situations overall.
Once the sting subsides, there’s a lot to be proud of this game. Devin, Collins, Keldon, Blake, and Branham had great games.
We did so many things right: won three Qs, made six more 3s for +18, made 21-21FTs for +4, terrific both for efficiency and the effort to get to the FT line. There were frankly some brutal non calls under their rim but it is what it is. Pop was working the refs hard all night; it seemed as if they were pulling their whistles. The kindest thing you can say is refs were letting the game be physical.
We made 51.1% of our FGs and had 39 assists. We had only 12TOs and actually won the points off TOs category +11. But of course timing is crucial.
We lost PITP badly 76-52 and lost the rebounding battle 46-36 and 14-8 on O boards. These were costly as we gave up 16-6 against in second chance points. Crucial possessions, all adding up. We once again ended up with far fewer FGAs as a result, this time 12 extra chances against.
Being down 20 to being up 8 is a huge positive, and staying ahead until the bloody last minute is as well. When they made a quick 5 points to tie there’s always those who want a timeout but frankly out inbounding under pressure has been abysmal. I don’t trust it. We were felled by a series of small, fundamentals-lacking plays and some myopic decisions. In the every play counts category, some were glaringly crucial and costly.
Obviously Branham would love that wonky pass back. Obviously Devin would love that last shot back. We wouldn’t have gotten the lead back without both.
Devin led us with 30 on terrific 11-18, 4-7 from 3, 4-4FTs, 5 boards, 9 assists, 2 steals, 1 block. He made good decisions with the ball, made tough shots, found team mates well, and was tough defensively staying with his man, protecting the rim, switching well, contesting well. The Kings commentators praised him repeatedly for his growing game. He stood out well and was impressive in increasingly higher tests throughout the season.
Zach started for Wemby and was on the whole terrific. He stepped up with 22 on 8-16, 2-3 from 3, 4-4FTs, with 6 boards (3 on O). He was much more engaged mentally and the physicality followed. His footwork and balance in post moves were terrific, and when he was in more forward motion getting to the rim he was more successful than when he went vertical. His shot was reliable, including, crucially, the 3. Solid banging for rebounds, good screens, and passing. He’s a more traditional floor stretching C and we were able to comfortably slip right into running good sets with him, far more P&Rs, and some good back door and paint cuts as well.
The last play, though, was all kinds of hot mess. For all the good we did this game, there was a fundamentals deficiency and BBIQ decision making that exposes guys leaning on their habits, whatever they may be, under pressure.
Ive read three slightly different versions of that play: Here was Branham’s view of the game altering turnover:
“We were running a play for Dev. Zach came up,” Branham said “I thought he held (Sabonis) off. Next thing you know Sabonis reached in and stole it. That’s a hard one to actually read. I should have waited a second or two, instead of turning the ball over.”
Here was Collins’ view:
“I’m supposed to set a screen, and (Branham) is supposed to come off and throw me the ball,” Collins said “He waived off the screen. I was like, ‘Cool.’ Sabonis did a good job. I didn’t feel him behind me. I thought he was far behind. I went soft for the ball. That’s what happens when you do that, they steal it.”
https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/3-takeaways-san-antonio-spurs-let-kings-steal-win-18708431.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral
Meanwhile there was Pop gesturing wildly on the sideline for Zach to run up and set it. Too late. By this point the D was better set up for it. Branham had called off screens throughout the game, directing the timing of them. Well if we were to run a play for Devin from the screen, why did Branham call it off? Just run the **** play! But he improvised and there it is.
Jones, the Spurs’ starting point guard, was watching from the bench at the time. His view provides a compelling argument for using the team’s final timeout:
“We didn’t necessarily know the plays we were running,” Jones said. “I don’t think we were on the same page there.”
https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/3-takeaways-san-antonio-spurs-let-kings-steal-win-18708431.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral
A couple of things here – Tre was honest about it, perhaps hinting at the inexperience and decision making abilities on the court, and Tre was not on the court to finish the game. On IG he wrote, To The High even when I feel low.” Tre was just 1-1 in 24 minutes. We really need him to step up and do more of what he has improved on O. The last three games Tre has combined for 8 points on 3-10, 0-3 from 3, 2-2FTs. So in three games he’s shot it 30%FG, 0% from 3, and managed only one trip to the FT line. Was the IG quote about the trial of his game or of getting subbed out late in the game, his usual role? He did get 5 boards and a team-high 12 assists, and he is a steadier ball handler now and better than Branham at it. But he got subbed out for Branham who was having a great game, and was given the chance to finish it.
Branham was our second leading scorer with 23 on 6-11, career-high 5-5 from 3 (double check the career high), team-high 6-6FTs, 1 board, 4 assists, 2 steals, and team-high 3TOs. He was also team worst -16. This is always a messy stat, but it does speak to positive two-way, team-first, fundamentals-based impact. Still, he’s been coming along with respect to growing his game within the team concept and credit to him for stepping up to next man up stepping up and showing out with his strengths. But fundamentals have to be the foundation. Ball protection, running plays as designed, not taking any plays off on D. Every play counts. We saw in this game just how much.
Keldon was right with him with 22 on 9-16, 4-11 from 3, 3 boards (1 on O), 4 assists (tied for bench high with Branham), and 1 steal but also -14 in bench high 28 minutes. For a punishing paint bruiser, the nearly 70% of shot attempts from the arc is not the optimal use of strengths. I do appreciate the better finding of teammates and the clean 0TOs sheet.
Blake bounced back with 11 on terrific 5-6, 1-1 from 3, 1 board, 3 assists, 1 steal 1 block for the kind of two-way impact he’s growing into providing.
These were good counters to Julian’s 0-5, 0-2 from 3, 4-4FTs with 1 O board and 1 assist in 17 minutes. Thanks, man. And frankly it was also a counter to Sochan’s 9 points on 3-10, 0-3 from 3, 3-3FTs. While Sochan grabbed 8 boards (2 on O), 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks. This quid pro quo aspect to his game where he didn’t get a pass he thought he should have from Collins so he didn’t make one later to him is troubling. And maybe he was right. Maybe Collins should have passed it to him. But that does not mean Sochan should have reciprocated. And perhaps I’m attributing motives. But we go by what we see. And Sochan’s frustrations when he does not get the ball yield predictable results.
Sochan wanted part of the O action when others had the hot hand, when he didn’t. These are the moments to recognize where he can best help, and that includes not **** chucking away when his shot is not falling. He keeps trying to be a clutch shooter regardless of whether his shot’s falling and that’s just not him. It may be one day, but with poor handles and unreliable shooting, it is not yet now. But he does defend, distribute, cut, and hustle well. Focusing on what’s working in a given game while always giving physical, smart, team-first effort is the best way he can flourish.
God bless the patience it takes to get guys through the development process. We’re going to need to see some better ego-in-check, team-first play choices that become habits or there’s going to be changes that include those who don’t. Fundamentals. Focus. Two-way. Team-first. Effort. Execution. Repeat. Or reap the consequences. Let’s put this one behind us and do what we know to do better.
