SPURS GAME DAY! I-35 SERIES GAME 67: SPURS VS. NUGGETS, 15-3-2024, 7:30PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

WOW WHAT A CURL DRIVE AND FINISH LEFT SIDE BY DOM!

[G R E Y]

Keldon terrific drive at their big C again and again a pretty finish at the rim.

[imagump1313]

Imagine if Barlow was comfortable and they let him be involved in the offense.........

[G R E Y]

Dom passes while in the air. TO. Bah!

[imagump1313]

As soon as I say that Barlow passes up a wide open shot to turn it over

[G R E Y]

3RD Q: SPURS 79 NUGGETS 86

We won this Q as well 30-28 but gave up an end of Q 3 after blocking the original attempt. Bah!

We'll need to go all cylinders well oiled and running for the finish line.

Make the right first simple pass, rotate, rebound, and get at them physically.

GSG

[G R E Y]

Keldon finishing ability with either hand is impressive now.

[G R E Y]

Aaaaaaand Keldon quick trigger form the arc with nobody else touching the ball for the early clank.

Pop subs him out to get on him about it on the bench. You can see him motioning to move the ball.

B

B

I

Q

[G R E Y]

We overpass to Wemby, can't finish, momentum takes him off the court.

Opponent pushes the other way. They score.......



......



.............


Aaaaaaand there's Julian appearing in the screen, trotting into view.

[G R E Y]

Yeah we're getting circus moves done on us now. Just getting picked apart.

[G R E Y]

ON WHAT PLANET SHOULD SOCHAN BE TAKING MORE SHOTS THAN WEMBY?

NONE. NOT IN THIS GALAXY. NOT IN THIS UNIVERSE.

ONLY WHEN WEMBY IS NOT PLAYING SHOULD THAT HAPPEN.

SOCHAN HAS A GOOD STATISTICAL GAME BUT TERRIBLE DECISIONS WHEN HE HAD WEMBY TO PASS TO. GETTING HIS AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR BEST PLAYER. HAVE TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT. ****.

[G R E Y]

Looks like Nuggets had another can of whoopass in the bag.

[G R E Y]

It was JUST a 4-point deficit.......


It is now 18... eek oof BAH wow...

[G R E Y]

Wemby passes to Sochan who 'dribbles' in the paint and TOs it.

[G R E Y]

Pop has Tre, Devin, Keldon, Sochan, Wemby finishing the game. I like this lineup.

[G R E Y]

TWICE WE HAD WEMBY IN THE PAINT - BOTH SOCHAN AND TRE LOOKED OFF HIM AND PASSED TO SOMEONE ELSE AND OVER HIM TO SOMEONE ELSE. WHY HE BOTHERS TO MOVE IS BEYOND COMPREHENSION. HE SHOULD JUST STAND THERE WITH HIS HAND UP. AS TARGET MISSED. AND THEN HOLD UP AN EXTRA FINGER EACH TIME HE DOES NOT GET A PASS HE SHOULD.

[G R E Y]

BBIQ FTL

[G R E Y]

4TH Q: SPURS 106 NUGGETS 117

If you just saw the box score and didn’t watch the game, it would look like Sochan was trying to make up for Wemby struggling through inefficiency. And it is true that Wemby was inefficient, but in no way was Sochan compensating for Wemby’s struggles.

It is more accurate to say he added to them. It’s hard not to impute motives given the number of times Sochan looked off Wemby in this game (yet another one). And it’s fine when at times Wemby is used as a decoy. It’s also fine that guys spread their wings and show assertiveness to their games. After all, we want to be a multi-threat O; it is more potent that way.

But wherever the balance of that is, Sochan was too often on the wrong side of it. You can tell because commentators, both regular (Sean) and guest (TJ Ford), spontaneously gave insight into what ought to have happened on several plays. As former players playing with generational bigs, they know what they’re talking about.

These were tolerable early in the season when point-Sochan was a fledgling experiment; then slightly less so when he went back to PF; and now all the more so with over 80% of the season done, with Sochan starting his entire second season.

He flat out seeks to make plays while ignoring the first best option, and sometimes we get around to Wemby via a circuitous route. It affects the quality of shots Wemby takes and the places and spaces he takes them. He’s set up for harder shots with less time and at a higher chance of failure in them.

And the shots Wemby should have been getting instead became his watching in frustration as others, like mainly Sochan, but at times also Tre, took chances with wavering results.

And the thing is, this is to the detriment of the team. And the thing is, you can tell which guys want to stand out individually now. And the thing is, guys playing team-first or getting theirs within the team concept rather than against the grain of it will get bigger roles.

Wemby passed to Sochan with more quality and willingness. He showed by example the type of play and synergy he wants. This was not reciprocated. The least Sochan could do was finish better.

Supporting Wemby rather than trying to win by shutting him out or putting him in his rookie/you have had enough games as #1 option place is not the way. We go as he does. We have not won much, but only one of our 14 wins is without Wemby.

Someone on the GB brought up a good point that since the rebuild year starting last season, guys were likely told to expect bigger roles in this context. Now suddenly they have to defer to the new guy. Well there does seem to be the new guys syndrome of Wemby having to earn his stripes, including being the first option as a rookie but the second or third one when more experienced players decide it. I wonder if they think there’s some sort of hierarchy. It’s why Dom, for example, barely gets touches.

Pop called out Keldon and Branham for their selfish shot taking early in the clock with nobody else touching the ball. Can’t wait for Sochan to get his taste of that from Pop, too.

For the second game in a row Sochan has taken more FGAs than Wemby. No faulting his efficiency as Sochan led us with 19 on 8-16, 1-3 from 3, 2-3FTs, 6 boards (4 on O), 4 assists, 1 steal. By half, Wemby and Devin each had 7FGs, making 2 and 3 respectively. So in the second half, Sochan had 11FGAs to Wemby’s 5 and Devin’s 6. Even with Wemby’s eventual foul trouble (though he only had two at the half), he played 33 minutes, and Devin, 38, to Sochan’s 28; so way more shots in fewer minutes from the latter. The increasingly open commentary was about best first chances for others missed in favour of the ones Sochan made. Made shots in and of themselves are not solely indicators of good games but in broader contexts of best, first, fast. So sometimes made shots indicate missing any or all three hidden in the efficiency.

We actually won the second half 59-57 after getting spanked in the first 58-49. Even though we won the second Q by 10, it was the crucial 1ST Q deficit of 37-18 that allowed the reigning champs to play at a steady pace the rest of the way after the huge initial push.

That we stayed competitive is a credit to us. I do like the response in the 2ND Q and second half. We didn’t lie down and kept trying to figure out ways to compete. But both the 16TOs and that they were on 13 steals against shows our response to pressure and how good teams apply it. And these 16TOs cost us a whopping 27 points. The offshoot was 8 fewer FGAs for us. Lesson, once again: pressure D results in better O flow. Our opponent didn’t need many 3s (we made one more) and as many FTs (we were +12 doing a good job getting to the line for 21-27 – just need better efficiency). Wemby led us with 8-9FTs. He also led us with 9 boards (tied for team high 4 on O). And led us with 2 steals. And led us with 3 blocks. In fairness he also had 4TOs, but then his MVP-calibre counterpart had 3. We also got clobbered 64-44 PITP and cleanly at that given the FTs disparity.

We welcomed Keldon back but he was still slowed by whatever ailment kept him out last game, finishing with 9 on 4-7, 1-4 from 3, bench high 7 boards (1 on O), and 2 assists in bench high 26 minutes. Then bench scored 35 points led by Zach’s 13 on 5-8, 1-1 from 3, 2-2FTs, and 6 boards in 15 minutes. Dom was a very solid 3-3, 6 boards (2 on O), 1 assist in only 13 minutes. In addition to his fundamentally sound D and all out hustle, he has improved his balance, shooting form, touch, patience, and confidence and has shown he deserves to be included more on O. Branham (1-5, 0-2 from 3) and Blake (1-4, 3-4FTs) combined for 7 points. That’s rough especially given that we need scoring from a guy who’s main calling card is that. Bad shooting games happen, and when they do, we also need more from Malaki than bagels all across the board in any other stat.

Their starting counterparts, Tre (2-6, 1-2 from 3, 3-4FTs) an Devin (6-13, 3-6 from 32-3FTs) combined for 25 points. Tre led us with 9 assists with 6 boards, 2 steals, and 3TOs while Devin had 2 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block. Julian chipped in with 3-7, all 3s, and 1-2FTs with 1 board, and 1 assist.

We needed more from our bench, and we needed to make sure that we’re not too egalitarian. We scored 101 and 106 points these last two games, well below our 112.3PPG. We must ensure that our top scorers get the ball in the best spots, starting with our best player as our primary option. I have to remember how young Sochan and Branham are. And some players have to remember that there’s a shift in our team growth. It’s not at their expense, our success is with everyone being on board.

[G R E Y]

NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENTS

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[G R E Y]

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube