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The second of our three-game homestand has the top East opponent rolling into town. We were clicking just in time last game and must carry over our best play in a big challenge to protect our court. We'll need a cohesive, tenacious effort, run back on defense, and take advantage of our strengths - inside presence, passing, and transition game - for a positive result.

WHERE: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX

WHEN: Saturday, November 9, 2019, 4pm (CT)



GO SPURS GO!!!

p.s. Someone should convince LMA we're playing the Boston Thunder today

LMA looks in great shape. Ive said before I was expecting a big year from him.
I hope its more of that and not just the OKC thing lol.

Dejounte and Derrick together alert!

So, close out the 3 better, and get LMA involved more. Can't have him taking only two shots after the game he just had, especially when he has a mismatch with a smaller defender. Small recognition of things like that and reacting quickly will help us.

Beli *sigh* Just has to earn his way back.

Embarrassing.

This is the worst this team has looked in 20 years.

No joke.

Aldridge has no heart, no power to not only demand the ball but want it down low.

Derozan is absolutely useless. Can't hit anything outside 5 feet.

Phreak50 wrote:Embarrassing.

This is the worst this team has looked in 20 years.

No joke.

Aldridge has no heart, no power to not only demand the ball but want it down low.

Derozan is absolutely useless. Can't hit anything outside 5 feet.

Hey man, where were you after last game?

Bad shooting, and we're getting outhustled, which is not acceptable. Our 9 turnovers have also cost us 12 points which hasn't helped.

We need far better effort in rotating and closing out on D, and then getting points down low via LMA and Jakob. We can't put up high arc shots in the key trying to get fouls. Need to get more physical.

Looks like we don't play defense in the afternoon...

Ugh, that was a hard watch.
Boston is the kind of team we always have trouble with. Young, athletic, scorers. Denver, OKC(W/Westbrook), Sacramento...etc.
We always look super old against teams like that because we cannot defend.

Having LMA play a game like that doesn't help but against that team we would have lost 10 times out of 10 with our defense.
I am convinced that any player in the NBA can score easily 1 on 1 vs DeRozan. He is an ok help defender but he seems to have no interest whatsoever in stopping anyone 1 on 1.

I know I keep saying I trust Pop and the staff but they continue to baffle me with rotations.
Why in the 4th when we are giving guys like Lonnie Walker and Metu minutes do we have Belinelli out there? It makes no sense.
We know what Belinelli is. I dont hate him as much as Grey but we don't need to see it anymore., He has nothing to work on but his shot. We were actually working on a mini comeback with some of the younger guys getting some play (Even though Walker looks horrible)

Where was Forbes or Lyles or Poetl at that point to have a really athletic five in there to see how they play together? Forbes and Lyles only played 21 minutes, Poetl only 13. There was no reason they couldn't have been out there getting some more work. Just because Forbes and Lyles start doesnt mean they couldnt benefit from a little more time where they can be the facilitators while the veterans are sitting IMO.

Honestly mad respect for Spurs I’m drunk can’t figure out how to delete the post


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imagump1313 wrote:Ugh, that was a hard watch.
Boston is the kind of team we always have trouble with. Young, athletic, scorers. Denver, OKC(W/Westbrook), Sacramento...etc.
We always look super old against teams like that because we cannot defend.

Having LMA play a game like that doesn't help but against that team we would have lost 10 times out of 10 with our defense.
I am convinced that any player in the NBA can score easily 1 on 1 vs DeRozan. He is an ok help defender but he seems to have no interest whatsoever in stopping anyone 1 on 1.

I know I keep saying I trust Pop and the staff but they continue to baffle me with rotations.
Why in the 4th when we are giving guys like Lonnie Walker and Metu minutes do we have Belinelli out there? It makes no sense.
We know what Belinelli is. I dont hate him as much as Grey but we don't need to see it anymore., He has nothing to work on but his shot. We were actually working on a mini comeback with some of the younger guys getting some play (Even though Walker looks horrible)

Where was Forbes or Lyles or Poetl at that point to have a really athletic five in there to see how they play together? Forbes and Lyles only played 21 minutes, Poetl only 13. There was no reason they couldn't have been out there getting some more work. Just because Forbes and Lyles start doesnt mean they couldnt benefit from a little more time where they can be the facilitators while the veterans are sitting IMO.

It sure was yeah. I think our mental approach to games like this matters a lot. We've defeated more athletic teams, but we were mindful to keep finding ways of playing to our strengths. LMA with 4 shots isn't it.

I don't hate Beli so much as am frustrated with him, and given all the sideline talks he has, Pop looks like he is, too. Sure, Trey could have been out there, maybe Jakob, too. When the young guys are in, there are always vets in with them. Beli's funk being what it is, it was probably a chance to break out of it. I have a feeling (or I'm projecting) guys may be quietly weary of his getting minutes and having to incorporate him into the line-up. Sort of resigned that they have to pass to him and that he'll miss. Needs to get going, plain and simple. I'd rather he do it late in a game like this than in crucial times.

Agree about DeMar's man D. It looked particularly bad today.

My sense is that with a 20-point deficit, the young guys got in for minutes and shots. Bryn was bad on D tonight, and when we brought it to within 12 like three times, they went on a 6-0 run and on the final one Pop put in the young players.

I think once these ten games are done, we can lift Dejounte's minutes even more and we'll see how we progress. I'm ok with the starting line-up, though a LMA-Jakob tandem is sometimes advantageous in terms of big presence. That said, it's clear Trey has a solid all-around game and can hit an outside shot far better than Jakob can.

This was a block of games that got the rotations set and sent a message other guys have to earn their minutes. To that end, Beli's ought to be cut, DeMarre ought to play more, and Lonnie still has work to do.

Fantaxp7 wrote:Honestly mad respect for Spurs I’m drunk can’t figure out how to delete the post


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The one time I had to leave after a game, too! No worries. Took care of it. Hope you had fun at the wedding.

It was Military Salute Night, and prior to the game a special veteran was honoured at center court:

So we had the urgency of a Sunday drive in the country for some R&R in this game. That was the main feeling after that early 7-0 start. LMA was doubled early and then we bizarrely just... stopped involving him in the O. Four shots the whole game. Four. It's not like he can create his own shots, though it would help if he were more vocal in demanding the ball. It's almost like we have guys alternating stepping up whereas games like the previous one show that we have a lot of weapons to exploit and we're dangerous when we do so.

But we gave up four 30+ point quarters, and that's a formula for the result we deserved, this despite shooting a stellar 46.7% from the 3. Both teams made 14 threes, both got to the FT line at similar frequency, and were within five shot attempts of one another. And yet we were clobbered. Part of it is which team made the most of its chances. I could have sworn they outrebounded us - nope: a clear 57-43 advantage for us, including a whopping 21-7 on O boards. We had many multiple possessions and multiple shots, and did not reward ourselves nearly enough.

Many empty such possessions were compounded with ones we couldn't even get going because they had 11 steals (to our one), three more blocks, and we had 15 turnovers which cost us 19 points. For a team incorporating a transition game, we were 21-10 in fast break points, and though we ought to have had a stronger inside presence, we played tentatively in their key and were doubled 60-30 points in the paint. t was strange how we started the third Q with many passes (again giving up great shots for lesser ones) and brought up the ball trotting (DD) - again, no urgency. Weird. So both D and O were culprits, and the lack of energy on both sides was felt as much as proven by the score.

As gump said, DeMar's man D was particularly egregious today, just got blown by whomever was driving. He gets credit for team-high 22 points, but it was inefficient, and the old culprits of driving into multiple defenders and losing the ball, driving but not going full tilt to the basket and instead angling for a foul reared their head. And then complaining when he didn't get it. And then fouling in frustration right after.

Our P&R D needs work as does our rim protection - awareness and consistency are crucial. On O, our shooting is off across the board; lots of front-of-rim misses.

Dejounte needs more experience against those herky-jerky, stutter step, change pace and direction PGs. When they're physical as well, Derrick fares a bit better. He's light on his feet but has a bigger body to make it more challenging. Also, consistency in his efficiency is a work in progress. They played together for the first time this season, but we need to see more of it to get a clearer indication of how they can work together.

DeMarre earned more minutes tonight - moved his feet, was physical, made his 3s. Exactly why we signed him. Good attitude while he's been waiting for his number to be called.

Lonnie and Metu finally played some more meaningful minutes. Metu's footwork and disruptive presence was felt in blocks and putbacks, though his screens need work. Better J. Missed a few easy ones, but he had 7/8/2 and 2 blocks in only nine minutes. Lonnie was allowed to play through some mistakes, and he frankly rushed things. It wasn't so much the 1-7 but the 1-on-3 rather than passing out to team mates that stick out. Both Lonnie's and Metu's shots were too 'live', hitting around the rim hard like those balls in a pinball machine.

Pop called Lonnie over for some instructions at one point, and though you can't with any certainty gauge what's getting absorbed, Lonnie looked like it was something he had to go through, not really take in. That's just a perception on my part, but he certainly played a bit frustrated. His first basket, a sweet quick drive from a Dejounte pass was that great balance of athleticism and creative flair rooted in fundamentals. The rest were more athleticism and flair than fundamentals - off balance shots that were more like shedding excess energy than using it to his advantage. He's saying all the right things, and Dejounte's in his ear on the bench a lot, so hopefully he's absorbing the process and finds a way to channel his considerable talents more consistently.

It's games like this one that remind me of last season's team looking for its identity early in the season. LMA was the clear anchor and he and DeMar were A and A1. Now we have Dejounte emerging as the next gen A / A1, and though he's not quite there yet in his game, I like his mental approach - always hustling and trying. When LMA gets too passive and / or DeMar plays too frustrated, we need an anchor to keep fueling the team when we're not as cohesive as we should be.

There's yet more we're incorporating this season, but effort and compete level are things we can always control. Our team identity has to be rooted in defensive principles and execution. To whatever extent that's also mental, we need to be tougher and more resolute. Lots to work on, and I hope this wakes us up and lights a fire under us to play up to our greater collective capabilities. Let's see how we respond.

I don't apologise for sounding angry, because I am.

What sort of a coach allows his team to play this way? A guy scores 39 points while barely missing and you seriously allow him to stand there and do nothing, attempting 4 shots? 4 shots!?!

And LA is just as much to blame for not demanding the ball.

Bryn seems to have dreams of breaking out into a mini Steph Curry he launches so many shots and Aldridge just watches.

Marco is a joke. For all of Pop's brilliance and not settling for threes or highlight plays, he seriously let's this guy fake on wide open threes then take fading falling long twos when the defense recovers and collapses on him?

And shame on Demar for not even remotely trying to keep the defense honest with some 3 pt range. Even guys like Rajon Rondo can hit an open three.

This is nowhere near the least talented Spurs team I've seen in 27 years supporting them, but by far the worst performing.

Well, yours are valid points, Phreak50, but are you sure you're not looking at them in a vacuum and as such over-reacting to a couple of lemon games? The reason I asked you earlier in the thread where you were after the Thunder game wasn't to call you out, but to consider the team when it plays well so as to have a more balanced view of it.

A lot of what you mention is completely fixable, though some we can't expect much more than what we have. For instance, can and should LMA demand the ball more? Yes. But he also had to hustle down the court better to get better positioning or be ready before the defender is set and he didn't do that. Bryn's job is to get us quick points, so yes, he has a green light to take the 3s, though his physical drives and floaters are good additions. Again, he was lights out in the Thunder game and is averaging I think 3 or 4 points more so far this season than last. As a whole the Spurs are not shooting as well, and there are several factors for that, but we're getting good open looks for more players so far this season, too.

We can't suddenly expect DeMar to become something he is not. Unfortunately when he came into the league, he was not properly developed, and inserted into a line-up with holes in his game that were accepted. To his credit, he expanded his O game to his strengths, but was not held accountable on the D end. Had he come up in the Spurs system then or now he'd be a better defender simply because he wouldn't get near the playing time if he coasted. Would his 3 be better? It's likely given Chip's work with so many other players. But he does have strengths to his O game nevertheless even if he doesn't shoot the 3. The effort on man defense in the last game was poor, however, and there's no excuse for either him not hustling more or team mates not responding well with rotations and help D. We will improve defensively, as we have in years past (especially last season) and we have better personnel to do it.

The point I'm reiterating is having a broader context when evaluating the team. Last season, we were also 5-4 but with Jakob starting with LMA (forget for how many games) and with Dejounte and then Derrick out, we were forced to start Bryn at PG for most if not all of the season and Dante Cunningham for a quarter of the season. Dante averaged 3 points, 3 rebounds, and as nice of a guy as he is, he is currently not on a NBA roster. We now have Dejounte and Derrick and Bryn at his more natural position (Patty, too, and that's reaping rewards as well), and Dante has been replaced with Trey as starter, and DeMarre as role bench guy. Both are better.

We have two new starters and implementing a faster transition game, we have to lift Dejounte's minutes restrictions, and we have to make adjustments as a result of the first chunk of games. Last season, Jakob was taken out as a starter (I forget after how many games) when it was clear it was too much for him. By season's end, he looked much better alongside LMA. Dante was a starter for defense, but his O woes had Pop adjusting again and having Dante come off the bench. Beli was the leading bench scorer last season at 10PPG, and is clearly struggling this season. Is it not reasonable to assume that Pop is pushing other bench guys to earn their minutes so as to know who he can count on should changes be made? Is it not reasonable to expect adjustments going forward now that we have an idea of how each guy is playing and how they're playing with one another, and now that Dejounte and Derrick will be able to play together more? I think it is because there's precedent for it.

I don't think it's prudent to over-react to a couple of poorly played games as if they're the sole indicators of our game or as if we can't be better. We know we can because we've already shown it. Pop has been patient in allowing the set rotations to gel. The pattern has been to let guys figure some things out, but also calling successive timeouts when egregious breaks from the game plan especially on D have happened. As frustrating as Beli's missing shot is, and his game is making a case for reduced minutes, because Davis is no longer with us, we need a pure shooter like Beli to figure it out, so it's a balance between giving him time to do so while letting other guys contribute. Expect more adjustments and for guys to respond. We are nowhere near the sum of our parts, and our parts have a much higher floor and ceiling.

What I'm watching to see how we figure things out: Last season LMA was the clear central cog, and he needs to be more engaged and willing to play an uptempo game when we need him to. He did start slow last season, too, in the first 14 games or so, then he made a positive turn, so he's shown he can figure it out; Dejounte is making a case for himself as that leadership guy others respond to, and Derrick is, too. I'm excited about their playing more together; we should incorporate Jakob more into our O as he has more to his game than he has been able to show; I also hope we incorporate a faster style of play that's balanced with our half court set so they're more synergistic and expand our sets so we have more backdoor cuts, alley oop plays, etc., to get more out of the more athletic Spurs.

Finally, and I can't stress this enough, we are NINE games into the season with a lot of room to grow and a better roster with which to do it.

Without having watched the game, it sounds like the same ol' DeMar I'm used to seeing on the Raptors. He's good in neutral situations when momentum isn't going in any certain way, but when the tide avalanches against his team he goes into horrible tunnel vision hero mode and start jacking up bad out of flow shots and foul everyone out of frustration. I thought if anyone could discipline him out of these tendencies it'd be Poppovich.

Kyle Lowry was usually great enough to alleviate these horrible DeMar stretches and single handedly carry the team. I don't think Aldridge is that kind of player. He'll bounce back, but it's going to give your front office a lot to think about extending a player earning max money when he has these terrible habits that'll most often appear in the playoffs. He's at his best when he can get into the lane and draw defenders to him and kick it out. Whatever fans think of his game he's one of the most skilled and crafty when it comes to finding ways to get into the paint (second in the league in drives per game behind only James Harden), but having a guy like Aldridge eat up his driving lanes complicates things for him.