Back home with something to prove, a couple of days of implementing lessons and showing a better response for the entire game is the focus to protect our court.
WHERE: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
WHEN: Thursday, December 19, 2019, 7:30pm (CT)
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU, SPURS!!!
GAME DAY, BALA! GAME 27: SPURS VS. NETS, 19-12-2019, 7:30PM (CT)
Moderator: G R E Y
GAME DAY, BALA! GAME 27: SPURS VS. NETS, 19-12-2019, 7:30PM (CT)
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G R E Y
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GAME DAY, BALA! GAME 27: SPURS VS. NETS, 19-12-2019, 7:30PM (CT)
The Spurs Way
Thinking of you, Pop
Re: GAME DAY, BALA! GAME 27: SPURS VS. NETS, 19-12-2019, 7:30PM (CT)
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ducler
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Re: GAME DAY, BALA! GAME 27: SPURS VS. NETS, 19-12-2019, 7:30PM (CT)
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G R E Y
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Re: GAME DAY, BALA! GAME 27: SPURS VS. NETS, 19-12-2019, 7:30PM (CT)
So they keep driving as we don't guard the P&R properly, we keep mostly settling for outside shots, and missing bunnies close to the basket. Bryn looks afraid to shoot and when he does he is guiding his shots in.
We are hot-potato passing rather than with purpose (mostly when starters are in) but when we drive we are doing far better. The bench guys have been generating interesting looks with some cuts and good, well-angled bounce passes. Far better ball and off-ball movement by them.
We need stops on their drives. Good to see Lonnie in now.
We are hot-potato passing rather than with purpose (mostly when starters are in) but when we drive we are doing far better. The bench guys have been generating interesting looks with some cuts and good, well-angled bounce passes. Far better ball and off-ball movement by them.
We need stops on their drives. Good to see Lonnie in now.
The Spurs Way
Thinking of you, Pop
Re: GAME DAY, BALA! GAME 27: SPURS VS. NETS, 19-12-2019, 7:30PM (CT)
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G R E Y
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Re: GAME DAY, BALA! GAME 27: SPURS VS. NETS, 19-12-2019, 7:30PM (CT)
Good 8-0 run to finish the second Q.
Good Beli showing up tonight.
Bryn and Trey not nearly enough O to justify their minutes, so hopefully they are distributed appropriately from now on.
Rudy needs to get going and take it all the way to the hoop. We need to take advantage of mismatches with our bigs.
Lonnie with 3 minutes and more points and rebounds than Bryn in his 13 minutes.
Good pace and passing by DJ who is also hitting his shots. Derrick is taking his shots at times, but still deferring too much; when he has an open one, take it take it take it.
We did well to come back and bring it to single digits considering three players have 0 points. Better rebounding, just need to clean up the missed easy shots and giving up the points in the paint.
Good Beli showing up tonight.
Bryn and Trey not nearly enough O to justify their minutes, so hopefully they are distributed appropriately from now on.
Rudy needs to get going and take it all the way to the hoop. We need to take advantage of mismatches with our bigs.
Lonnie with 3 minutes and more points and rebounds than Bryn in his 13 minutes.
Good pace and passing by DJ who is also hitting his shots. Derrick is taking his shots at times, but still deferring too much; when he has an open one, take it take it take it.
We did well to come back and bring it to single digits considering three players have 0 points. Better rebounding, just need to clean up the missed easy shots and giving up the points in the paint.
The Spurs Way
Thinking of you, Pop
Re: GAME DAY, BALA! GAME 27: SPURS VS. NETS, 19-12-2019, 7:30PM (CT)
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G R E Y
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Re: GAME DAY, BALA! GAME 27: SPURS VS. NETS, 19-12-2019, 7:30PM (CT)
The Spurs Way
Thinking of you, Pop
Re: GAME DAY, BALA! GAME 27: SPURS VS. NETS, 19-12-2019, 7:30PM (CT)
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G R E Y
- Senior Mod - Spurs
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Re: GAME DAY, BALA! GAME 27: SPURS VS. NETS, 19-12-2019, 7:30PM (CT)
A bit late, but some thoughts on the game: An inversion of the previous one, and though we are still in pursuit of a 48-minute effort, we trended the right way this time around and won dribbling out the final possession of regulation.
In getting there, another slow start loomed. When some of the starters are not up for the beginning of the game, it is like being in the doldrums - no forward movement without the back wind of energy to thrust us. By all means, settle for outside shots (for the most part). Sure enough, a 12-2 deficit and a Pop timeout resulted in some much needed juice and we brought it to within a basket before their four points to end the first Q.
This pattern of catch up and fall behind farther kept repeating, but as in the 1st Q and the second, it was our bench that came in and brought energy, movement, and smart tough play on both ends to keep getting us closer: a Derrick block here, a Jakob pass there, a Patty 3; we finally started driving more in the second Q, and though down 14, 3s by Derrick and Lonnie and Derrick's assist on DeMar's J helped trim the deficit as we finished on a 8-0 run.
That momentum finally pushed us and the bench unit was wonderful in finally pushing us through: down 12 in the 3rd Q (sound familiar?), the push that finally got us a lead began with Jakob's J along with his three blocks in the latter half of the Q that matched three by LMA earlier in it, Derrick's drives on the foundation of solid man defense that contested shots, grabbed rebounds, and ran in transition; Patty's smart, energetic play hitting 3s and sneaking in for drives.
Much has been made of Beli starting the second half at the small-ball PF, but really, neither Trey (1-4) nor Rudy (0-3) could get anything going in the first half, and Beli was a solid 3-5. We had to try something to generate more offense, and sure enough, on the back of solid defense, we moved a lot better, made back door and key cuts, got steals and rebounds, and spread the floor ready to drive and hit 3s. Bryn and Beli did foul in the first 30 seconds, so that's the trade-off keeping him in the game when he's hitting his shots.
I really liked that DeMar was put in a position of facilitator in the 4th Q. Not sure he did, but well, it's what the team needed, and if wanted to not sit again, that was the role. To his credit, he fulfilled it and the pick and pops with LMA resulted in confident rhythm shots by LMA. Given his slow start and generally lesser game again (1-5 in the second half), DeMar it's fair to say, took the role he could to stay in the game. LMA began with poor shooting, too, but he did provide a strong defensive presence throughout the game and was really sharp and efficient offensively. His late game instincts of when to follow drivers and nose for the ball for O rebounds has really helped us. So we've been moving away from DeMar ISOing or probing with the ball in his hands late in games, and other guys get far more of the ball to the benefit of the team. This is an important adjustment for us going forward, especially as it's an attack-by-team which is harder to guard against.
DJ and Derrick took turns with great defense and solid shot making which gave us a solid one-two punch at PG. I thought Derrick deferred a bit too much early, but he asserted himself more as the game progressed both in his physical drives and stepping into open 3s and taking a charge which were great to see. Since being re-inserted as a starter, DJ has brought a focus about his PG responsibilities that wasn't there previously. It's like things are slowing down for him and he better recognizes what each situation needs. He balances great defense with a more poised O in that he sees when to get his shots, when to get others involved, and equally important, how to do so depending on who is playing with him at any given time. He is far better already at the pick and pop with LMA that DeMar has usually executed. I like the shift.
Early and often we got clobbered on drive after drive after drive by them and though our defense tightened up in the second half, we lost the points in the paint battle handily 52-26. Our P&R defense needs work plain and simple. We also manage to keep getting switched on be it to get their guard on one of our bigs or to zero in on a poor defender. Our help D was good enough to offset some of it, especially our bigs recovering for blocks and shot contests. On the other end, when we were down we got stuck settling for shots after one pass rather than working to create good to great from movement.
The shift was propelled by the bench which outscored theirs 63-17. They helped clean up our defense - 9 turnovers in the first half, only two in the second; two blocks in the first half, six in the second; we won the O rebound battle 13-6 (LMA with 4 and 10 overall, Jakob and DJ with two each). They also helped pick up the pace and more stops meant more possessions (96 to their 83) and chances to score.
Even though Lonnie had an off O night, he found ways to contribute with his solid defense staying in front of drivers, grabbing boards, and looking for the open man.
Bryn looks like he's losing some confidence / fighting frustration out there. You can see it in his body language. He hesitates to shoot at times and looks to be guiding the ball in at others. There's pressure for him to make his open shots because he knows he's more of a liability defensively. Trey back in the starting unit isn't generating more O from him though he isn't one to demand the ball which may be a good complement to players that do. Perhaps it was to take the load off Rudy who could create for himself more but hasn't been able to get going on O recently.
I love the synergy developing between Patty and Jakob. They look for one another and have that two-man game now that anticipates where each will be. Jakob needs to work on his short Js; if he's going to be quickly releasing the ball, use the glass. That said, he did that beautifully when taking a deft pass from Patty for a terrific layup. It would be good to see him develop and use some more post-up and inside moves as he doesn't have range on his shot.
FIBA Patty was incredible for us tonight, willing us to keep fighting with his infectious energy and poised play. His 7-10 from 3 was huge for us, and he hit some clutch shots. It helped push us towards another 30+ attempts from the 3 game which is an important marker for us because when we hit that number we get better results. But equally important, Patty was encouraging Bryn when he got called for that flagrant foul on a 3 shot, and LMA looked animated in a timeout huddle feeding off of while acknowledging Patty's huge contribution in the game. You can't help but want to go out and battle with a guy like that, and LMA responded as did the rest of the team. Smart, simple, gutsy plays - shots off screens, bounce passes to cutters, crafty drives, back door cuts, etc. Crucially he and Beli were able to hold on to the ball late as we spread the floor and broke down their full court press. Patty's such a great leader for us and example for our young guards.
I know he only played one minute, but Mezie's hops and smart play on the O rebound putback (perhaps it was an airballed shot, but still) are intriguing to warrant some more minutes, so hopefully we find room to give him some more. Drew played some minutes for us last season as a back-up big, so it's conceivable that Mezie will get his chance in due time. He's terrific in Austin, looks comfortable in the system, and we need very athletic bigs in our line-up.
We competed much better in the second half (carrying over from the end of the second Q) till the end, and even when we didn't, like on a too-wide open layup nobody contested, Pop called a timeout with less than a minute left to make sure it wouldn't just get a pass, and to put the subs in. So we managed to put up 118 points even on a night when two starters Bryn and Trey combined for 2-10 (with DeMar a lacklustre 4-14) and two key bench scorers in Rudy and Lonnie combined for 2-15. We had solid all around contributions from many others on the back of spirit leader Bala Patty and his FIBA mode. But when some of them were not hitting their shots or not getting enough shots they contributed in other ways (DeMar - 6 assists, Jakob - 4 assists; Lonnie - 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal).
It was all part of a charge that finally brought us to tie the game and then take the lead for the first time, one we built on and didn't relinquish. The trend now was whenever they made a couple of baskets, it was we who countered and kept growing our lead and pulling away for a reversal of patterns, a 68-49 second half, and a comfortable double digit win in regulation. This game reinforced we can rely on our defense to get us back into games and showed that we have enough ball for everyone if we move and share it. It's a good game from which to build as we move towards the young guys grow into bigger roles.
NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENTS
In getting there, another slow start loomed. When some of the starters are not up for the beginning of the game, it is like being in the doldrums - no forward movement without the back wind of energy to thrust us. By all means, settle for outside shots (for the most part). Sure enough, a 12-2 deficit and a Pop timeout resulted in some much needed juice and we brought it to within a basket before their four points to end the first Q.
This pattern of catch up and fall behind farther kept repeating, but as in the 1st Q and the second, it was our bench that came in and brought energy, movement, and smart tough play on both ends to keep getting us closer: a Derrick block here, a Jakob pass there, a Patty 3; we finally started driving more in the second Q, and though down 14, 3s by Derrick and Lonnie and Derrick's assist on DeMar's J helped trim the deficit as we finished on a 8-0 run.
That momentum finally pushed us and the bench unit was wonderful in finally pushing us through: down 12 in the 3rd Q (sound familiar?), the push that finally got us a lead began with Jakob's J along with his three blocks in the latter half of the Q that matched three by LMA earlier in it, Derrick's drives on the foundation of solid man defense that contested shots, grabbed rebounds, and ran in transition; Patty's smart, energetic play hitting 3s and sneaking in for drives.
Much has been made of Beli starting the second half at the small-ball PF, but really, neither Trey (1-4) nor Rudy (0-3) could get anything going in the first half, and Beli was a solid 3-5. We had to try something to generate more offense, and sure enough, on the back of solid defense, we moved a lot better, made back door and key cuts, got steals and rebounds, and spread the floor ready to drive and hit 3s. Bryn and Beli did foul in the first 30 seconds, so that's the trade-off keeping him in the game when he's hitting his shots.
I really liked that DeMar was put in a position of facilitator in the 4th Q. Not sure he did, but well, it's what the team needed, and if wanted to not sit again, that was the role. To his credit, he fulfilled it and the pick and pops with LMA resulted in confident rhythm shots by LMA. Given his slow start and generally lesser game again (1-5 in the second half), DeMar it's fair to say, took the role he could to stay in the game. LMA began with poor shooting, too, but he did provide a strong defensive presence throughout the game and was really sharp and efficient offensively. His late game instincts of when to follow drivers and nose for the ball for O rebounds has really helped us. So we've been moving away from DeMar ISOing or probing with the ball in his hands late in games, and other guys get far more of the ball to the benefit of the team. This is an important adjustment for us going forward, especially as it's an attack-by-team which is harder to guard against.
DJ and Derrick took turns with great defense and solid shot making which gave us a solid one-two punch at PG. I thought Derrick deferred a bit too much early, but he asserted himself more as the game progressed both in his physical drives and stepping into open 3s and taking a charge which were great to see. Since being re-inserted as a starter, DJ has brought a focus about his PG responsibilities that wasn't there previously. It's like things are slowing down for him and he better recognizes what each situation needs. He balances great defense with a more poised O in that he sees when to get his shots, when to get others involved, and equally important, how to do so depending on who is playing with him at any given time. He is far better already at the pick and pop with LMA that DeMar has usually executed. I like the shift.
Early and often we got clobbered on drive after drive after drive by them and though our defense tightened up in the second half, we lost the points in the paint battle handily 52-26. Our P&R defense needs work plain and simple. We also manage to keep getting switched on be it to get their guard on one of our bigs or to zero in on a poor defender. Our help D was good enough to offset some of it, especially our bigs recovering for blocks and shot contests. On the other end, when we were down we got stuck settling for shots after one pass rather than working to create good to great from movement.
The shift was propelled by the bench which outscored theirs 63-17. They helped clean up our defense - 9 turnovers in the first half, only two in the second; two blocks in the first half, six in the second; we won the O rebound battle 13-6 (LMA with 4 and 10 overall, Jakob and DJ with two each). They also helped pick up the pace and more stops meant more possessions (96 to their 83) and chances to score.
Even though Lonnie had an off O night, he found ways to contribute with his solid defense staying in front of drivers, grabbing boards, and looking for the open man.
Bryn looks like he's losing some confidence / fighting frustration out there. You can see it in his body language. He hesitates to shoot at times and looks to be guiding the ball in at others. There's pressure for him to make his open shots because he knows he's more of a liability defensively. Trey back in the starting unit isn't generating more O from him though he isn't one to demand the ball which may be a good complement to players that do. Perhaps it was to take the load off Rudy who could create for himself more but hasn't been able to get going on O recently.
I love the synergy developing between Patty and Jakob. They look for one another and have that two-man game now that anticipates where each will be. Jakob needs to work on his short Js; if he's going to be quickly releasing the ball, use the glass. That said, he did that beautifully when taking a deft pass from Patty for a terrific layup. It would be good to see him develop and use some more post-up and inside moves as he doesn't have range on his shot.
FIBA Patty was incredible for us tonight, willing us to keep fighting with his infectious energy and poised play. His 7-10 from 3 was huge for us, and he hit some clutch shots. It helped push us towards another 30+ attempts from the 3 game which is an important marker for us because when we hit that number we get better results. But equally important, Patty was encouraging Bryn when he got called for that flagrant foul on a 3 shot, and LMA looked animated in a timeout huddle feeding off of while acknowledging Patty's huge contribution in the game. You can't help but want to go out and battle with a guy like that, and LMA responded as did the rest of the team. Smart, simple, gutsy plays - shots off screens, bounce passes to cutters, crafty drives, back door cuts, etc. Crucially he and Beli were able to hold on to the ball late as we spread the floor and broke down their full court press. Patty's such a great leader for us and example for our young guards.
I know he only played one minute, but Mezie's hops and smart play on the O rebound putback (perhaps it was an airballed shot, but still) are intriguing to warrant some more minutes, so hopefully we find room to give him some more. Drew played some minutes for us last season as a back-up big, so it's conceivable that Mezie will get his chance in due time. He's terrific in Austin, looks comfortable in the system, and we need very athletic bigs in our line-up.
We competed much better in the second half (carrying over from the end of the second Q) till the end, and even when we didn't, like on a too-wide open layup nobody contested, Pop called a timeout with less than a minute left to make sure it wouldn't just get a pass, and to put the subs in. So we managed to put up 118 points even on a night when two starters Bryn and Trey combined for 2-10 (with DeMar a lacklustre 4-14) and two key bench scorers in Rudy and Lonnie combined for 2-15. We had solid all around contributions from many others on the back of spirit leader Bala Patty and his FIBA mode. But when some of them were not hitting their shots or not getting enough shots they contributed in other ways (DeMar - 6 assists, Jakob - 4 assists; Lonnie - 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal).
It was all part of a charge that finally brought us to tie the game and then take the lead for the first time, one we built on and didn't relinquish. The trend now was whenever they made a couple of baskets, it was we who countered and kept growing our lead and pulling away for a reversal of patterns, a 68-49 second half, and a comfortable double digit win in regulation. This game reinforced we can rely on our defense to get us back into games and showed that we have enough ball for everyone if we move and share it. It's a good game from which to build as we move towards the young guys grow into bigger roles.
NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENTS
The Spurs Way
Thinking of you, Pop