GAME DAY, BALA! GAME 17: SPURS AT KNICKS, 23-11-2019, 6:30PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

We're back at it on the SEGABABA and we have to fight through together plain and simple. This will be a more physical game so we need to start ready to compete and continue competing for the whole game. Every. Play. Counts.

WHERE: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

WHEN: Saturday, November 23, 2019, 6:30pm (CT)

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GO SPURS GO!!!

[ducler]

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[G R E Y]

An update to the starting line-up:

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[G R E Y]

A tale of two halves, each that saw our best and our familiar self-inflictions, but thankfully we did well enough of the first and found a way to get through the myriad of the latter to finally get a win.

They trended 16-27-28-33 whereas we scored 32-36-21-22. Our defense was much improved from the start, with really good rotations and reads, deflections, collapsing in the paint to contest shots, and great rebounding. It was a team effort with guys putting individual needs aside, but it seems some of these are getting in the way of what we are trying to achieve collectively.

In a post-game interview, Patty said, "We have to understand we have to make the person next to us better...."

LMA started the game passively on O, curious given our slow starts. He made a deft pass to a back-door cutting Jakob, but was 0-3 with all shots outside the paint, and he didn't start scoring until he made an effort to get into the paint. He has been curiously deferring for the most part especially early in games and I can't tell whether it is related to what Patty said above or whether there's some inner streak manifesting in performances that aren't always helping the team - missed bunnies, not fully engaged in starts, picking his spots of when he does fully engage.

He led us in scoring tonight, so it's strange to complain, but he hasn't put the team on his shoulders and been the flat out leader like he has been the last two years, he isn't nearly as physical consistently down low, and despite being more slim and trim isn't fully committed to the transition game. Not sure what to make of where he's at, but there have been enough of these performances that his step back from being the cog of the team is apparent, and I don't know whether he is resisting being in that role again or resisting being taken out of it to get more guys involved.

To his credit, he did look more engaged particularly in the second half once a lot of other guys had scoring chances, and finally got to the FT line at a team-best 7 times.

Besides the 39-point game by LMA, DeMar has been the far more consistently engaged player and has largely taken over the central scoring role. Another efficient night, and he and LMA both worked to get us an early lead and get others involved, combining for 7 assists. To that end, Jakob was terrific in his cuts and rebounding, and had a perfect scoring game for a double double. Loved his energy and smart play; he knows where to be and what to do when he gets there. Bryn - oof. A rare scoring bagel for him to go along with 5 fouls. An off night.

Derrick starting brought a familiarity to the line-up as this was our first unit for many games last season and we looked like it. Also, his style of play blends better with the more traditional pet shots that LMA and DeMar like to take. Part of the early issues with Dejounte starting has been the contrast in playing styles: running in transition versus the half court set. With Derrick, that difference is less pronounced so there's more of a flow between each rather one style at times conflicting with the other as at times happens when Dejounte starts. Plus, frankly, Derrick is the more experienced in running a team as PG and right now better at facilitating for teammates. He didn't have an efficient night, but chose his spots of when to drive and did well to get to the FT line as well. Turnovers continue to be something eh has to get a handle on, but he does far more good that justifies his minutes (25 a game ought to be a minimum unless he's having a glaringly off night on both ends). He switched and rotated and shadowed his man all game long and was consistently in good position to stay in front of drivers.

Our starters got us a lead, and our bench came in and doubled it. It was so good to see the ball and off-ball movement that resulted in great looks for multiple guys. It was also when neither LMA nor DeMar were on the floor and the flow and synergy among the bench guys was noticeable. Just saying. I really like that DeMarre is playing good minutes again. Though he was only 1-2, his defense was so important for us to maintain our lead. He provides that anchor we need to ground us. He stayed with drivers, he grabbed rebounds, and because he knows what to do on D and does it well, it aligned teammates and resulted in their better D. Rudy wasn't as efficient, but he was hungry and aggressive all night. FIBA Patty returned for a perfect 5-5 from the 3 to lead the bench with 17. His style of play meshes so well with that more movement-oriented style of the bench. And with Trey coming into the game from the bench now, he looked confident and decisive in his three spot up consecutive made 3s. We're still rebounding at a very good rate, and he fits well on the bench as it's more conducive to getting him open passes. He moves well without the ball to open spots and takes his shots in the flow of the ball movement. I loved when he ran down the court, beat the defense, caught the long pass and was fouled. Hustle and smarts. He looks much more comfortable out there now.

Cue the third Q which is supposed to be out most potent, but in the topsy-turvy we keep creating, it was anemic on O, and a comedy of errors after a clean first half: one unforced turnover after another, one missed shot after another, on defensive lapse after another. If it sounds like I'm picking on Beli again it's because I am. He is a cornucopia of weirdness this season. He's hitting some more shots at least, but my God is his defense ever piss poor.

Derrick made some mental mistakes, and of course we had to have the requisite inbounds brain cramp wherein we have it stolen and get scored on. It turns out that we needed the variety that we had from all the guys on O, and we held it together enough to weather our opponent's 4th Q run and our own second half collection of almost compulsive mistakes like we couldn't help but try and give the game away. But we resisted this time, and defended and scored enough for long enough to finally secure a victory.

Some positives include DeMarre getting solid minutes in important stretches of the game and once again showing he belongs; Lonnie with really standout defense - quick strong lateral footwork to stay in front of his man and hands up to contest, quick decision to drive and dunk, got to the FT line, and made a crisp rather gutsy baseline pass to Patty for a left corner 3. Seven minutes of solid all around contribution that helped the team with with all out effort on both ends.

Our D rotations were on the whole really good, even DeMar who isn't great at it, and our help D stepped up, too. Our P&R D still needs practice, but we didn't give up on plays and showed a level of dedication to collapsing and contesting that was encouraging to see. We still settle for outside shots too early in the clock when leading, and tonight the FT percentage was poor, but we got to the FT line almost twice as many times, and we had more players involved in the O and with more variety in plays: more cuts down the middle and back door, better passing out of anticipated doubles to the open man, great movement, some alley oop plays, high-low and cross court passes, etc., that kept the defense moving and less able to predict what we'd do. That balance translated into 63 points for the starters and 48 for the bench. Overall, I like the changes to the line-up rotations and minutes distribution. I hope Lonnie continues to earn more minutes, but the balance we now have in both units is much better.

It looks as if we still defer to LMA and DeMar's penchants for getting their pet shots later in games, and this is maybe the trade-off we're making when other guys are getting more involved in a style of play that suits these two less. Later in the game we fed LMA more in his favourite left block for his patented post-ups, and gave DeMar the ball to bring up and facilitate, which was really more dribbling for too long to try and get to his preferred spaces as teammates waited for him to do something (and that something was passing, but also included driving into multiple defenders or turning the ball over). As an alternative, I really liked that play when Derrick passed to LMA on the left side, moved to the basket, and when LMA read the double Derrick was in the perfect position to receive the ball back and pass to a cutting DeMar for a dunk. We need to use LMA and DeMar more like this where their tendencies are decoys that get us passing for open buckets. Each slows the game down in a way that isn't as constructive as a more movement-oriented style is, but this is the balance or barter we make for now.

Of course more of the first half play and less of the second is the hope going forward, but you can feel the relief that, despite the mistakes, we found a way to pull through. Rudy has recently spoken about discipline and effort, and now Patty addressed a way of playing that includes others more. Whoever needed to hear it and take it the right way and channel it for the good of the team did enough of it tonight so that all who played contributed to the final result.