2020-2021 SPURS SEASON NEWS

Post #61 » by **G R E Y** » Fri Feb 19, 2021 6:24 pm

DeRozan's father, Frank, has died in Los Angeles after a prolonged illness. The Spurs guard announced the news in a tribute on his Instagram page Friday morning.

DeRozan's strong relationship with his father was well known in the NBA circles. In January, DeRozan was excused from two Spurs games to visit Frank in Los Angeles, after his health took a bad turn. During his days in Toronto, DeRozan was known to often fly home on off days to check in on his dad.

As of Friday morning, the Spurs have remained in Charlotte, where they have been quarantined since Sunday under the NBA's COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Four Spurs players registered positive tests in the aftermath of the Spurs' 122-110 victory over the Hornets. The team has not identified which players tested positive.

With four games already postponed, the Spurs are not scheduled to take the court again until Wednesday in Oklahoma City. It was not immediately clear if or when DeRozan might be allowed to exit quarantine to return to his family.

https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/DeMar-DeRozan-mourns-his-father-s-deat-15963022.php

Post #62 » by **G R E Y** » Fri Feb 19, 2021 9:05 pm

Glad we're home; hopefully home is a safe space during the winter freeze in Texas:

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Post #63 » by **G R E Y** » Sun Feb 21, 2021 7:04 pm

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Hmm. Reading the tea leaves, we obviously need bodies with four Spurs out.

We'd call up Tre and Luka for bodies on the bench anyway.

But I wonder if we can surmise who isn't available. We know Quinn is one of them. So Tre fits positionally. I wonder whether Rudy is one of the players also out given Luka's call up? Or it may mean Keita is out. It's not DJ for sure, since he posted he doesn't have it. Lonnie I think intimated as much as well. So too did Trey. So that leaves Rudy, Keita, Devin as possibilities. Well ****, if so, that could be two of our four regular bench players, both crucial for our D.

We'll find out soon enough...

imagump1313 · Post #64 » by **imagump1313** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:39 pm

These are probably the 4:
Gay, Johnson, Vassell and Weatherspoon....

https://www.nbcsports.com/edge/basketball/nba/teams/sa/san-antonio-spurs/team-news

Oh, and White :cry:

Post #65 » by **G R E Y** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 1:15 am

imagump1313 wrote:These are probably the 4:
Gay, Johnson, Vassell and Weatherspoon....

https://www.nbcsports.com/edge/basketball/nba/teams/sa/san-antonio-spurs/team-news

Oh, and White

**** hell. That's worse than I thought. THREE starters (including DeMar here since he's away tending to his father's funeral, I presume, and of course grieving). FOUR excellent defenders.

Until further notice, **** you, Quinn. And whoever, wherever, however it **** came to be that suddenly people got lax and we're so **** depleted right now.

Sounds like LMA might be back. Yay. If he's active we'll have ten players available.

As to the five guys out (not including DeMar here):

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This week we have games Wednesday in OKC, then Saturday at home vs. Pels. So decent in that it gives the players the 'few days'.

Then next week the home stretch continues with Monday vs. Nets, Tuesday vs. Knicks, Thursday vs. OKC. And that's it - that's the first half of the season.

Like, if this doesn't **** set in the absolute importance of absolute **** VIGILANCE then I don't **** know what will.

It of course puts extra pressure on the guys who will play. When the sick guys return, they better play balls out on ever single play. Forever.

Post #66 » by **G R E Y** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 1:44 am

Oh ok, some potential timeframes:

It remains unclear how long the Spurs must remain short-handed.

NBA protocols call for players who have logged a positive test to remain quarantined for a period of 10 days. That window ends Wednesday.

After that, players are limited to monitored individual workouts for a minimum of two more days before they can be cleared to play.

It remains within the realm of mathematical possibility the Spurs might be able to get some players back from protocol for Saturday’s home game against New Orleans.

Popovich said it is impossible to make that determination with any degree of certainty at this point.

“Each one (in protocols) is a little different,” Popovich said. “I don’t really have a final date.”

OK. So based on the above, we may get some, or perhaps even all, or none back by Saturday! Clear? Clear.

The Spurs can accept the difficulty of what they are up against. They can hope for teammates to get well and for the COVID cavalry to come back soon.

But complain? Popovich won’t let them.

“It’s inappropriate, not deserved,” Popovich said. “Only thank-you’s for what we all have.”

Pop's the best, man.

Coming soon - GO SPURS GO!!!

imagump1313 · Post #67 » by **imagump1313** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 3:01 am

I doubt we win any games without Johnson. Actually I doubt we win a game all year without him.
But it will be nice to see guys like Jones get some time with the big boys. Luka too. Hopefully they get to actually play.

Post #68 » by **G R E Y** » Wed Feb 24, 2021 8:11 pm

OK, some SECOND HALF SCHEDULE news is trickling in:

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And voilà!

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Seven back-to-back games.

Post #69 » by **G R E Y** » Wed Feb 24, 2021 8:24 pm

Officially official!

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Wow...

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Post #70 » by **G R E Y** » Wed Feb 24, 2021 8:57 pm

It'll be a challenge:

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"Thanks" Covid people (to whatever extent they didn't take the necessary precautions - if they did and they still got it unbeknownst to them, well that's that. Wish them the best in a quick and full recovery either way).

We will have to rely on our best discipline and rest and recovery science to push through successfully.

Post #71 » by **G R E Y** » Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:18 pm

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Post #72 » by **G R E Y** » Wed Feb 24, 2021 11:46 pm

**** bull ****

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DeMar flat out deserved to be selected an All Star this season.

Captain Ballmer · Post #73 » by **Captain Ballmer** » Thu Feb 25, 2021 6:09 pm

GREY 1769 wrote:**** bull ****

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DeMar flat out deserved to be selected an All Star this season.

Kinda agree. I do think PG13 and AD shouldn't be qualified as they missed almost 1/3 of games so far. Derozan and Fox would be my choice instead of them.

Post #74 » by **G R E Y** » Fri Feb 26, 2021 9:00 pm

Oof. Not a good look for DJ (one of a couple post-game. More on that later). Both were frustration reactions. He can be impulsive, but now there's this extra incentive to rein it in. He'll learn from it and hopefully channels it better:

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Post #75 » by **G R E Y** » Sat Feb 27, 2021 6:37 am

Justly deserving!

But also a possible sign of the AT&T Center allowing more fans in. There have been some trial runs with family members of those associated with SS&E sitting in the stands, and now it is expanding. There will reportedly be more fans allowed in the second half of the season starting in March.

Until then, I hope we secure the win for these most worthy and laudable fans :clap:

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Post #76 » by **G R E Y** » Sat Feb 27, 2021 11:56 pm

Hmm ok. The more, the sooner, the better. I expect Rudy to be out longest just because he's the oldest, has a wife and kids, etc. Just seems like it would take a slightly older guy with more responsibilities (so more checks to go through) longer. But of course it all depends on how each is feeling and progressing with respect to testing.

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(Still upset at however it came to be that FIVE of our players got infected. Seems like there may have been some relaxing of diligence around Valentine's, or hanging out together after a game. We'll never know if it was through Quinn or separate incidents, but to whatever extent it was self-inflicted, uugh, and they better make up for it with kick ass play at a whole new higher level for the rest of the year).

Post #77 » by **G R E Y** » Mon Mar 1, 2021 1:25 am

Some more positive news! Come on, Keldon! :pray:

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Post #78 » by **G R E Y** » Mon Mar 1, 2021 6:31 pm

YES!!!

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Post #79 » by **G R E Y** » Wed Mar 3, 2021 7:40 pm

Congratulations, Keldon! :clap:

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Post #80 » by **G R E Y** » Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:44 am

WOOOOOOW!

We turtled (in that it took a long time, not in any sense of hiding) our way towards this for a long while now, and now all of a sudden we have pushed to the finish line of our relationship.

HUGE thank you to LMA for all his contributions for us, especially that annus horribilis during which he shouldered the team and pulled us to safer shores. Wish LMA all the best:

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The writing's been on the wall with how he's played as a starter, and with his fit in our faster paced system with so many younger guys coming up. We tried incorporating him in both first and second groups, but it became increasingly apparent that against teams with mobile athletic bigs - and there are more of them than not - that his game could not keep up, especially on the D end.

I'll be honest: I've been hard on LMA, especially for his open pining for the Blazers, but he came here with the aim to compete and be part of an important transition to remain competitive. Things didn't work out, but credit to him for remaining a pro.