SPURS GAME DAY! GAME 35: SPURS VS. NUGGETS, 4-1-2025, 7PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

DEV ONCE AGAIN OVER **** DRIBBLES AND ONCE AGAIN A BRAINDEAD TO.

[G R E Y]

Good Mitch challenge.

[DorianRo]

**** idiots. these are the bums Wemby has to play with.

[G R E Y]

Rebounds.

Second chance points.

*sigh*

[G R E Y]

Great point by Sean. Jokic brought ball down which brough Wemby down with it and it allowed Jokic to see the rim. Very smart. A note to take by Wemby.

[DorianRo]

I pity wemby for having to play with this trash seriously

[G R E Y]

Keldon taking a beating battling for the O boards. Underrated.

[G R E Y]

Wemby 2 TOs in OT. DO NOT BRING THE BALL DOWN LOW!

KELDON REBOUNDS.

[G R E Y]

We have 1 OT point in like 3 and a half minutes. This after 16 in the 4TH Q.

[DorianRo]

If the Spurs front office doesn't make moves next year, I won't blame wemby one bit for bouncing. You only got one life.. why waste it playing with BUMS and 40 year old Paul.

[G R E Y]

If the Spurs front office doesn't make moves next year, I won't blame wemby one bit for bouncing. You only got one life.. why waste it playing with BUMS and 40 year old Paul.

In fairness this is the same group that just deafeated the Nuggets yesterday. And we deserved that result, as we deserved this one.

I think this upcoming summer is *the* start to the consolidation of assets for whomever. Of course it's apparent CP3 is a stop gap, and while his assists are still there his shot has to be put on a milk carton to find. Nevertheless, at the end of last December we had FIVE wins. This December we had 17. This is big, despite the **** ups and hard loss lessons. This is with CP3 and Barnes stop gaps. We are making good strides. But there is no reason, especially with much better results, especially with quality drafts and tons of picks in them, especially with new cap constraints, to give up long term sustained success for short term swings. Unless it's for a player that will be part of the long-term core. And I'm not sure who that could be.

Like I LOVE Nolan Treore. If we could somehow land him in this draft I'd consider that a huge leap forward. He's one of those players that means more to us at a lower draft pick than to another team at a higher slot if you know what I mean. Basically I trust PATFO and the long term vision. We have missed on some picks, but we have stuck to our plan, and within it there has been created lots of room for maneouverability.

So I agree we need to make moves soonish. I think the timing of these are part preparation for luck and part of the long term plan. I think players like Sochan, Devin, Castle are part of the core going forward. But yeah we have a lot of work to do. And tons of options to get it done.

[G R E Y]

OT: SPURS 111 NUGGETS 122

Well it felt almost inevitable after we emptied the clip in the 3RD Q. Too bad the rest of the way we combined for 19 points. That's 16 in the 4TH and THREE points in OT.

4TH Q - we scored TWO points in the first four and a half minutes. THREE points in the next minute and a half. That's half way through the Q! And we scored NINE points the rest of the Q.

OT - THREE POINTS IN FIVE **** MINUTES.

We are the epitome of Jekyll / Hyde. But it is also a function of adjusting to higher expectations, games that matter in the middle of the season, adjustments to B2Bs versus the same team, and executing in the midst of higher macro and micro pressure.

To that end, Wemby on his 21st birthday put up 20 on 7-19 of which 2-12 was from 3, 4-4FTs, 23 boards (3 on O), 3 assists, 1 steal, 4 blocks, 4TOs. Last game was a better balance of inside/outside shot distribution. But last game he also didn't play 39 minutes. And last game he didn't have to with Collins putting together a better suporting performance.

We have to do better than passing to Wemby at his shins and he has to do better than bringing the ball down to within striking distance of defender arms. He did that last season and that's where it should stay. There was a point Sean made that Jokic brought the ball down and Wemby lowered himself to follow it, allowing Jokic to see the basket. But that was a one on one situation not an elbow post with a double blitz. Time and place and craftiness to get a better vantage point and adjust. Jokic is a savant at it. So the great benefit of such a match up for Wemby is not only to test himself versus the best of the best, but also absorb all lessons and make them his own for his game. Tough to even criticize his choices, but early clock 3s or long 2s isn't ideal. Time and score choices.

And that applies to Devin (well, the whole team really) who took several ISOs too slowly and it cost us. Not only did we stop moving as we watched him try to create, his over-dribbling ran down the clock and forced bad shots, be it his own or last second passes for someone else to get caught with a plit second heave. He did do well when making wuick decisions with the ball, when using screens to curl drive right down the middle of the key or go at Jokic for rim points. But ISO Dev is forcing the second best player narrative and largely shooting himself in the foot in the process. 19 on 8-20, 1-6 from 3, 2-2FTs, with 8 boards (4 on O), 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 4TOs with -12 shows the area that needs improving. There is no scenario in which Wemby does not touch the ball in the last few possessions.

Barnes led us with 22 on terrific 8-14, 4-8 from 3, 1 board, 3 assists, and a block. Nose for the ball, always seems to find him, and he did well to not only drive but also get to his spots for 3s and instruct the young'uns throughout. He had Sochan's ear, that stood out.

Sochan back in the starting group sort of stagnanted us. He is still so much instinct and rawness on O. Grewat movement and cuts but unreliable finishes at the rim. Still wants to go at bigger players. Still get blocked by the rim somehow. Still has horrible puzzling for on 3s. Solid rebounding and D. but the O has to come along more and the sooner the better.

All the more so since CP3's O struggles are beginning to be a thing. We have to now be compensating for not only his very poor shooting but the number of shots he takes. 1-9, 0-3 from 3 and yet he still hunts for clutch late game shots, especially from distance, is hurting us. Another game, another two starters in single digit scoring. He has to lead with time and place game management as well as lead by example of not taking the clutch shot but settin gup the hot hand.

Our bench did well scoring 43 to their 18(!). We had low TOs (for us) with only 12. But they had 11 steals so clearly they were targeting us to force passes and bad shots.

Collins hit or miss was more the latter tonight. At least you know what to expect. It is what it is and it needs improving. But since he didn't play well and he is the first back up big, it's a wonder Bassey got any minutes and a mystery why Mamu still does not get any at all.

But for him, the rest of the guys played efficiently even if wasn't from the arc. Steph and Tray chipped in 10 and 9 respectively with two other players scoring in double digits. Three bench Spurs had 10 players, Keldon was an absolute beast on the boards.

The rebounds were close, but as with our previous string of close losses, we lost PITP 62-50, second chance points 14-11, and fast break points 15-9. Basically they implemented our rule plan into their shedule.

These scoring droughts where we forget how to score, how to even run sets is film work.

I saw a part of the Mitch post-game interview and he was forthright about our play late. He phrased it diplomatically but he indicated that over-dribbling while waiting for the perfect set that may never come is not an option. You have to get good and make sure you stay good.

Disappointing because it was another winnable game, but grateful for the lessons which I hope we can use to strengthen us going forward. Like we may want any guy to get the ball on the arc, let's say, and be able to make the shot, but we have to do a better job settin up right guys or the hot hand(s) in the right spots. It's a complement that it took 46 /9/10 from a three time MVP to beat us in OT but we also gave that up. Lots of tape, not a lot of time to absorb and implement it. Competitive tilt. Let's learn from it and use it to our advantage.