SPURS GAME DAY! I-35 SERIES GAME 68: SPURS VS. NETS, 17-3-2024, 6PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

We have Tre Devin Keldon Sochan Wemby

Pop calling the play

Devin to Keldon right side 3 for the lead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[G R E Y]

Keldon D board. Good.

Tre to Devin and he bizarrely takes a 3 miss. WHY?

WHY??????????

WHY??????????????????????????????????????????????????

He tried a hero ball shot FFS BAD DECISION

Then we give up a 3.

Pop timeout.

[G R E Y]

Terrible end of Q execution. At least we didn't TO it.

And now to OT...

[G R E Y]

4TH Q: SPURS 110 NETS 110

If we could JUST get guys to run the clock and set up and take smarter shots.

Why did Devin settle for a 3? WHY?

Anyway, PLAY SMART, PLAY HARD, DEFEND HARD, MOVE-PASS-SCORE!

[G R E Y]

Our first play is a Sochan right corner 3 miss. WHY? Dude you have not made a 3 and you are only 1-5 the entire game.

NO **** HERO BALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[G R E Y]

Wemby wonky dribbling gets it stolen.

Devin gets it stolen.

Sochan blows a layup.

Wemby blocks them.

We're hanging on by a Wemby thread.

[G R E Y]

Sochan AGAIN TRYING TO SCORE AGAINST THREE DEFENDERS. STOP HERO BALL AND **** PASS LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN ALL GAME.

[G R E Y]

Beautiful team play!

Tre to Sochan bounce to Devin just ahead and alley oop to Wemby for the dunk.

[G R E Y]

Pop in Sochan's ear on the bench about something.

We'll see what...

[G R E Y]

WHAT A **** TERRIFIC ATO PLAY CALL AND EXECUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOOOHOOOOOOO!!!

[G R E Y]

KELDON HARD FOUGHT D BOARD!

HOLDS ONTO THE BALL DESPITE GETTING HIT IN THE FACE.

FOULED. SHOOTING FTS.

MAKES BOTH.

[G R E Y]

THEY MISS ANOTHER 3.

TRE ANOTHER GOOD D BOARD. FOULED.

MAKES BOTH.

[imagump1313]

Thanks for the updates Grey.

Really didnt know or care we had a game today LOL.

[G R E Y]

Thanks for the updates Grey.

Really didnt know or care we had a game today LOL.

Ooooh you missed a historic Wemby performance, mate!

[imagump1313]

Thanks for the updates Grey.

Really didnt know or care we had a game today LOL.

Ooooh you missed a historic Wemby performance, mate!

Seen it. Just didnt watch it live

[G R E Y]

4TH Q: SPURS 122 NETS 115

Fun game! Full of competitive spirit, poise under pressure, and clutchness.

And with our top two guys getting the two-two reps, we rode the wave for the OT win. And in doing so we were able to overcome some poor efficiency from several other Spurs. Lesson: we can ill afford for it to be the other way around where we don’t involve our top two enough even when they are not scoring efficiently. And it’s not about force feeding them at the expense of others having good games; it’s always about the right play first. Get them the chances in the right spots at the right times. That takes discipline and reps practice and willingness. Do that consistently and chances are better we get more of their best. And right plays bring out the best of those who set it up as well.

After a couple of waning outputs for his standards, Wemby had a resurgent game, leading us with a stellar 33 points (14-26, 1-7 from 3, 4-6FTs), 15 boards (4 on O), 7 assists, and 7 blocks in 36 minutes. A stellar overall game but for the 1-7 from 3 inefficiency and the 4TOs, but given the D attention and the amount of time he had the ball in his hands, you take these in just the sixth month of his professional career. He’ll learn to better handle situations with doubling or dribbling versus certain defenders or keeping the ball up high rather than swinging through so low as to be near the reach of swiping hands. And some shot selection with 3s earlier in the clock or with no one else touching the ball or far too deep are not what we want, but are also rare enough that we know it’s more of a flex in this game rather than a bad habit.

He operated far more deep in the paint in this game compared to the previous two, and especially when it mattered most, making 1-2 from 3 in the 4TH Q alongside 2-3 in the paint, and then 3-3 in the paint in OT. We also did a great job getting him the ball in prime paint real estate spots, running right plays and making timely passes, so better team effort.

Wemby also got some payback versus a big counterpart who made a show of bodying him and flexing after scoring the last time we played them about a month ago. What a difference a month makes, with Wemby better absorbing the physicality and imposing his game.

Joining him was Devin who in a game high 44 minutes poured in 25 points on 11-21, 1-7 from 3, 2-2FTs. He also had 2 boards, and game-high 8 assists. Four of those assists were for Wemby, spread through the second half and OT. Devin found him on some alley oop passes and dishes for crowd pleasing dunks. Their P&R two-man game is growing and it’s a pleasure to witness it’s growth. That they came through with clutch plays in crucial moments to seal the game is also encouraging.

Devin did his damage in two of the three-level game he is capable of, scoring at the rim and in non-paint mid range shots which he’s been mindful of developing and including in his growing O game. When the 3s aren’t falling, he can create space and get his pet middies to good effect. The downhill game opens up the court for him, keeping defenses guessing. As ever, beautiful high release point, and better absorbing of physicality, maintaining of balance, and craft in finishing at the rim. We needed the full breadth of his two-way game.

They were joined by a fully energized Keldon who in bench high 34 minutes led the second unit with 24 on stellar 8-12, a game best 5-8 from 3, 3-3FTs, with 5 boards (2 on O) and a game high +14. What stood out impressively was his recognition and willingness to move off ball to the right open spots and the good decisions he made with the ball when we got it to him. Seven of his eight made shots were assisted by various Spurs – that’s Spurs basketball at its best.

We welcomed back Cedi who rewarded his 14 minutes with 4-7, 2-4 from 3 and 3 boards. He’s often unheralded but he is a strong grounding and movement-generating force for us.

Collins was not a scoring factor (1-3) but did make 4-4FTs (bench high), and also led the bench with 7 boards (2 on O), 2 assists, and 2 steals in 17 minutes.

Branham has come back down to earth and struggled again on 2-8, 0-3 from 3 but 3-3FTs, but rounded out his game better with 3 boards (1 on O) and 2 assists. Blake only played 10 minutes and was 1-4, 0-1 from 3 and only 1 board.

While the bench’s 49 points overcame some inefficiency from its group, the starters did likewise with Julian’s 0-3 an 1 board in 16 minutes and Sochan’s 1-8, 0-2 from 3, 2-2FTs. But at least for the latter he was tasked with dogged D, grabbed 9 boards (3 on O), 4 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks in second highest 42 minutes of play.

While we do need Julian and Sochan to score, their combining for 11FGAs limited the bleeding of chances and at least in Sochan’s case found other ways to significantly impact the game in a positive way.

We did a great job finding ways to score by getting the ball to our best scorers in the best spots which offset the 3s inefficiency for anyone not named Keldon and Cedi. We got to the FT line for a terrific 21-23 for +8, had 30 assists on 46.5%FG. We outrebounded them 50-48 and 13-11 on O boards but got walloped 20-4 in second chance points – surely a point of boxing out emphasis for future games. We were also down 70-60 PITP. We also overcame giving up 24 points on our 17TOs, for -14 in the category. This makes the constant counterpunching throughout the game and effort to get to the FT line where we made them so well so valuable, including 4-4 in OT.

There’s a lot there to go over in film that we had to overcome but that we overcame them with now familiar go-to plays, with doing a better job getting the ball to the right guys in the right spots at the right time and coming through in the clutch are important accruing of levelling up. Playing through adversity and mistakes and pressure are crucial experiences for us. Very solid two-way team win.

[G R E Y]

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