What can we take from the preseason?
Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2012 7:28 pm
Honestly, with practically the same roster, nothing changed much.
Despite Pop's complain about the defense, it isn't going to get that much better. This stuff about the team needing to have more of a dog in them or being more physical and stuff, that's not gonna happen. The Spurs defense these days only come in bursts. I'm not saying that because of the game's final score or opponent FG%. When our starters play, the defense is always average at best. For a team so good playing the pick and roll game, we suck really bad at defending it.
Bonner will continue to get minutes. I hope Pop stops experimenting Bonner playing with Diaw or Blair. That lineup is just too slow, too short, and too unathletic. It's not even a physical lineup. Bonner needs to be with Duncan or Splitter or not play at all.
This isn't the year Gary Neal stops taking questionable shots.
Kawhi isn't going to have a breakout season statistically. Perhaps with more minutes, he could get more rebounds. Offensively, he didn't improve his game enough. His midrange shot, something he obviously is working on, has been bricks. His 3 point shots is only good if it's from the corner. He can bring the ball up the court, but his ball handling isn't good enough to get by people. His P&R looks extremely awful. His biggest value will come on the defensive end where he's big and long enough to be our small ball PF and I think he'll continue to get steals. He's got a knack for those. Honestly, after summer league, I was hoping he became something more than what he's shown in summer league.
Our depth will win us a lot of games again. We're as deep as last year and No one has really seperated himself from their competition to a point where they will get 34-36 minutes a game. Even Kawhi still can't beat our Jackson. Green can't beat out Manu. Splitter, Blair, Bonner, Diaw are all locked into the same position and not one of them stood out that much more than the other. So I'm guessing this is going to be another season where we have a bunch of guys playing 20+ minutes other than Duncan, Manu, and Parker.
As good as Nando's passing skills, he's not good enough in other areas of his game to crack the rotation. Plus, the only way I can see Nando getting playing time is if Manu got hurt, which means we could use a Mini-Manu on the floor. Our last preseason game where Manu isn't playing, Pop tried Danny Green with the second unit and it sucks real bad.
DeJuan Blair will likely get traded. This is the last year on his deal. I doubt Blair wants to come back unless Spurs gave him the starting job. And our front office just isn't the type that would force Blair to stay even if he doesn't want to. Preseason, he didn't do anything to beat out Diaw, so he's unlikely to get what he wants. I think Spurs will likely try to get something back for Blair. Perhaps trading him somewhere Blair can actually get minutes, and Spurs get a future pick, probably a second rounder. hopefully one in the 30s.
Patty Mills IMO will win the backup PG position. He's just more of a natural PG than Neal. Last year, Patty was too new to the system and the NBA.
Oh, and Parker's jumper is off, but I'm not really worried about that. He's become good enough at it.
Despite Pop's complain about the defense, it isn't going to get that much better. This stuff about the team needing to have more of a dog in them or being more physical and stuff, that's not gonna happen. The Spurs defense these days only come in bursts. I'm not saying that because of the game's final score or opponent FG%. When our starters play, the defense is always average at best. For a team so good playing the pick and roll game, we suck really bad at defending it.
Bonner will continue to get minutes. I hope Pop stops experimenting Bonner playing with Diaw or Blair. That lineup is just too slow, too short, and too unathletic. It's not even a physical lineup. Bonner needs to be with Duncan or Splitter or not play at all.
This isn't the year Gary Neal stops taking questionable shots.
Kawhi isn't going to have a breakout season statistically. Perhaps with more minutes, he could get more rebounds. Offensively, he didn't improve his game enough. His midrange shot, something he obviously is working on, has been bricks. His 3 point shots is only good if it's from the corner. He can bring the ball up the court, but his ball handling isn't good enough to get by people. His P&R looks extremely awful. His biggest value will come on the defensive end where he's big and long enough to be our small ball PF and I think he'll continue to get steals. He's got a knack for those. Honestly, after summer league, I was hoping he became something more than what he's shown in summer league.
Our depth will win us a lot of games again. We're as deep as last year and No one has really seperated himself from their competition to a point where they will get 34-36 minutes a game. Even Kawhi still can't beat our Jackson. Green can't beat out Manu. Splitter, Blair, Bonner, Diaw are all locked into the same position and not one of them stood out that much more than the other. So I'm guessing this is going to be another season where we have a bunch of guys playing 20+ minutes other than Duncan, Manu, and Parker.
As good as Nando's passing skills, he's not good enough in other areas of his game to crack the rotation. Plus, the only way I can see Nando getting playing time is if Manu got hurt, which means we could use a Mini-Manu on the floor. Our last preseason game where Manu isn't playing, Pop tried Danny Green with the second unit and it sucks real bad.
DeJuan Blair will likely get traded. This is the last year on his deal. I doubt Blair wants to come back unless Spurs gave him the starting job. And our front office just isn't the type that would force Blair to stay even if he doesn't want to. Preseason, he didn't do anything to beat out Diaw, so he's unlikely to get what he wants. I think Spurs will likely try to get something back for Blair. Perhaps trading him somewhere Blair can actually get minutes, and Spurs get a future pick, probably a second rounder. hopefully one in the 30s.
Patty Mills IMO will win the backup PG position. He's just more of a natural PG than Neal. Last year, Patty was too new to the system and the NBA.
Oh, and Parker's jumper is off, but I'm not really worried about that. He's become good enough at it.