SPURS GAME DAY! GAME 66: SPURS VS. ROCKETS, 12-3-2024, 7:30PM (CT)

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BBIQ is non-existant on this team.

But we are dressed well!!!

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OMFG

That's a Pop rubbing his eyebrows play.

Tre shot clock TO from over dribbling lol

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Sochan terrific drive, using his body protect the ball and layup.

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Wemby block.

Devin 3.

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We have Wemby down low.

Sochan takes a 3 **** hell.

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Wemby 3 oof.

Sochan hustles for O board and putback and earns the foul.

Whatever happens here, we MUST apply more D pressure.

[imagump1313]

I'm sorry.... HOW CAN YOU F-ING FALL DOWN THERE??????? 4 seconds got wasted because you cant walk????

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BBIQ FTL

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4TH Q: SPURS 101 ROCKETS 103

Winning one of four games within our reach but losing three of them through fixable but repeated issues exemplifies our growing pains this season.

Who is our third best player? Not sure, but probably Tre or Keldon? Third most important? Probably the same. Well Tre did his part when our top two players were mostly taken out of the game, and with Keldon out, Sochan stepped up and took it upon himself to stand out. In that assertion comes the praise for the good and the criticism for the bad. His 2-6 from 3 stands out, not in and of itself so much as the other options he had in some instances and turned down.

When Wemby and Devin were doubled or prevented from getting passes it left other Spurs open. Some overdribbled when they could and should have passed, some shot when they could and should have passed, and when we did pass and drive to good effect, we went away from what worked – another tendency that young teams are tempted by and succumb to. Great teams grind opponents down with what works over and over and over again unless or until they are forced out of it. We have to keep reiterating the message that ISO hero ball doesn’t work (too often we have guys going away from our team game when facing defensive pressure in favour of trying to ‘do something’), that we don’t have consistently good ISO scorers outside of our top 3, that fundamentals are sexy, and that adhering to them builds a good team-first foundation.

Guys guilty of not team-first play? Branham with his overdribbling and TOing with Pop befuddled on the sidelines; Sochan as well, game in, game out not making the right quick pass ahead, over-probing (in truth it looks like he likes the feel of the ball in his hand, just not the primary ball handler responsibility and critique), and then barrels through defenders and makes the harder pass, sometimes because he gets corralled.

When Wemby and/or Devin are doubled, we have to keep moving, we have to keep passing, we have to keep looking to set up the best shots, giving up a lesser chance (or one we’re lured into) and prioritizing the better option. It’s a mindset we’ve been cultivating for all our young guys, needing it to become a habit. Some guys take longer to accept it. That doesn’t mean players can’t develop individual skills. We want and need them to, but not at the expense of the system others are plugged into. It creates discord in the cohesion we want to foster.

Wemby (13 on 5-12, 2-7 from 3, 1-1FT) and Devin (6 on 2-6, 1-2 from 3, 1-2FTs) struggled as the main D targets and couldn’t get going through the physical attention thrown at them. In the times Wemby was open he didn’t get the ball like he should, quickly and on target. In the times others had shots, we didn’t make them well enough.

Tre (team high 24 on 9-15, 4-7 from 3, 2-2FTs) and Sochan (21 on 9-14, 2-6 from 3, 1-1FT) stepped up with efficient games but we didn’t get enough of that from enough players. It was a low scoring game with near even efficiency on both sides, but we got ground down by relentless D pressure and waves of drives to put them to the FT line seven more times and 7 more makes.

Tre had a career half, scoring 18 by the midway point on stellar floor-spreading efficiency. Hopefully this is the solidifying of a higher floor form the arc. He contributed in many aspects with 3 boards (1 on O), 5 assists, game high 3 steals. He was focused and relentless. Love this version of Tre.

And I don't even mind that he led us with FGAs given his efficiency, but Sochan was second in attempts despite his inefficiency. It should just about never be the case that he takes more shots than Wemby, that he takes 3s of all shots instead of passing to Wemby, that we should recognize the best play and make the most of the chances, especially in games when we have precious few of them. Whatever the balance of making up for our best scorers not being as available is, we cannot err on the side of going away from them.

Wemby and Devin were the focus of intense D and it seemed to be used as an excuse by some to look off them and make the most of their own self created chances regardless of whether or not these were the right play. Sochan tends to have instances of me-first. Branham does, too.

Wemby had our lone double double with a game high 10 boards (1 on O), tied for team high 6 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks and Devin had 5 boards, 6 assists as well, and 1 steal so they got busy finding other ways to contribute.

Julian chipped in 9 in 3-9, 2-5 from 3, 2-2FTs, with 3 boards, 1 assist, 2 steals in 34 minutes, second only to Devin's 36. With Keldon and Cedi out we needed to squeeze more out of more players. Good all around contribution.

The bench combined for 27 points, again while feeling the absence of good scorers – we missed Keldon’s 16PPG and his bully ball - it was also a chance for others to step up. Collins and Branham were both only 2-7 each, but whereas the former had a balanced 3-4FTs, 2 boards (1 on O), 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks in 16 minutes, the latter had 1 board, 3 assists and game low -15 in bench high 22 minutes. It didn't help that he was 0-4 from 3, so the majority of his shots were from the arc. Suboptimal.

Blake led the bench with 10 on 4-7, 0-1 from 3, 2-2FTs, rounding it out with 3 boards and 3 assists in 16 minutes. Doing more with less - more hustle, more including others, more D intensity in fewer minutes.

Mamu brought the energy and hustle, lots of forward movement, and scoring 3-3 along with bench high 5 boards (game high 4 on O!), and 3 assists in only 11 minutes. Earned more minutes.

Our rebounding was good, winning them 42-36 and 10-8 on O boards and we capitalized 20-8 on second chance points and throttled them 52-34 PITP. And yet we put to them to the FT line for 19-21 to our 12-14FT. Most glaring was TO point output: while we had only 13TOs which is great for us, we gave 19, for -13 in the category.

Good individual games when we lose or when they’re at the expense of right reads and plays are somewhat counter-productive; seems like some guys are gunning for the former regardless or secondarily to the outcome. We will need to grow into knowing who our top three guys are, and into guys accepting roles while still stepping up to be stars in them. Growing their games from that foundation.

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