SPURS GAME DAY! GAME 65: SPURS VS. HORNETS, 14-3-2025, 7PM (CT)

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Imagine Champie giving up on running back to at least try and contest their dunk... It's like we're up by 30 or something.

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HEY HARRISON INGRAM IN!

FIRST NBA BUCKET ON THE O BOARD PUTBACK!

CONGRATULATIONS, HARRISON!

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We have Blake Branham, McL Ingram and Mamu in with about half the Q left.

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Lmao another pass to no one in the corner as teammate was cutting. Each guy did what he thought he was supposed to. Ah well. More reps together needed.

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D to O, block fast break, McL off the dribble 3.

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Ingram O board bucket, D board, steal.

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4TH Q: SPURS 134 HORNETS 145

Well this 11 point loss is a bit deceiving.

True the third unit played well with lots of energy and discipline and togetherness to close the gap, but they were out there from about half way through the final Q. We were 20-30 points behind for much of the game.

Well we got slaughtered by a barrage of 3s.

Our three oldest vets took the fewest shots and played fewest minutes of the starters. Barnes led rhem with 10 on solid 4-9 and 2-6 from 3 but they scored only 13 points among them. BB led us with 4 assists but his zero shot attempts in 21 minutes is misuse of his P&R skill.

The levers are being turned up for our younger players getting more reps the rest of the season, starting with Castle being reinserted into the starting group - not Keldon, who has accepted, is making the most of, and thriving as a key sixth man, and not Sochan who has stood out well with the second unit but really not well enough yet to be back with the first five. Incomplete O game, with a still inconsistent 3 (highest percentage at 33.8% on fewest attempts - only 1.5 per game - in his career).

There seems to have been a shift with respect to ensuring he gets starter minutes. Not sure if the whole 'lotto player so let's treat him with appropriate respect so as to not put him off' was a big factor before (he was quickly reinstated as starter previously when for example returning from injury), but now it's really more about his having been here long enough to understand expectations and his place in the pecking order if fit or advancement of game are either not there yet or another player has shown it.

He is a key contributor, no doubt, leading the bench mob with 14 on efficient 4-9, 1-4 from 3, team high 5-6FTs, team high 4 O boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals in only 16 minutes! It's the all-around, two-way play and energy and cheeky nastiness that we love. He is a menace in the best way. Can he be satisfied with this star in his role? Can he rise into a bigger one? Time will tell.

Enter Castle. Starter. Top scorer with 26 on 10-17, 3-7 from 3, 3-4FTs, 3 boards (1 on O), and one each of assist, block, and steal in 29 minutes. The 3s efficiency and 4TOs need cleaning up, but the bigger role on both ends again is an adjustment.

Dev led us with 31 minutes and scored 22 on terrific 9-16, 3-7 from 3, 1-1FT, 3 boards (1 on O), 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, no TOs. A clean, confident, finding his spots in the flow of the game output.

I was disappointed with our bench's contribution earlier in the game but we finished with 73 points, with everyone who got minutes with the second unit scoring.

Blake played a bench high 24 minutes which was surprising and great to see. He used his speed and tenacity very well on D, showing BBIQ on switches, bodying up bigger players deep in the paint and getting position on them for disrupting passes and getting steals. On O he was rhe speedster we've come to know, and though he still has trouble controling it at the rim, he ran smartly off ball to open positions either down the middle or out to open spots at the arc. Ten points on 3-6, 1-2 from 3, 3-4FTs along with 4 boards (1 on O), 3 assists, 2 steals is a very solid contribution for someone who has barely played in a long while. He made the rhe most of it on both ends and has earned more minutes.

Mamu was aggressive on the boards and with his shooting (if fighting inefficiency), showing a hunger for more PT. Keldon fought his way through inefficiency as well to chip in 12. But both have also made plays beyond getting theirs to help the team across the stats. Champie did as well with 12 on 4-8, 3-5 from 3 and 5 boards (2 on O) and 3 assists. Has to get back on D instead of complaining to refs, even if his grievances are legitimate. As much grief as I give him, when he plays within himself in a right role he is a good fit.

I was impressed with Ingram. Made good plays all over the court, showed poise and hunger and just good play sense on both ends. Bouncy and smart and talented.

He was part of the finishing group, along with McLaughlin and Branham who each were +15 and played well together to trim the deficit to something respectable.

On the one hand, when a team is on rare blue fire form from the arc there isn't that much an opponent can do. More than half their shots were from the arc and they made over 56% of them. But when we score 134, it should give us a far better chance to win than how we set ourselves up.

D. Better D. And more better D. Can't rely on a team redressing to the mean and hope for the best. We have to push them into other shots, force drives into rim protector areas. And we also have to do a better job setting up teammates to maximize their strengths like BB not being set for a damn thing all game.

We won the board battle 36-34 including a convincing 17-8 on O boards, we had twice as many steals, more blocks, fewer TOs, put up 10 more FGAs, and yet... Here we are.

At least we managed 27 assists. And fought back time and again before backbreaking 3s got poured in again.

Lessons. Playing time. Better results. Let's see who keeps stepping up.