GAME DAY, BALA! GAME 26: SPURS AT HAWKS, 12-2-2021, 6:30PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

We embark on the February bonding tradition that is the Rodeo Road Trip. This first of a seven-game journey has us test what we learned in a similar situation as we face another talented PG leading an undermanned team. Our perimeter and rim protection has to be the foundation we set for our transition game to flourish. Let's set the right tone for the RRT starting tonight.

WHERE: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

WHEN: Friday, February 12, 2021, 6:30pm (CT)

Earn The Stripes Mode: Pack smart, prepare well, execute game plan!

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GO SPURS GO!!!

[ducler]

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[G R E Y]

YES!

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Our bubble starters are back, Lonnie is coming off the bench, defensive balance restored!

Now let's start hitting our shots again, Spurs!

[G R E Y]

THESE. ARE. AWESOME!

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I'm not a sneaker connoisseur, but these and DJ's first Fiestas are my favourite!

[G R E Y]

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Defensive balance restored? Check.

Hitting our shots again? Check.

Bubble starters and bench unit cohesion? Check.

Now we must resist their push and relentlessly keep pushing back.

[imagump1313]

I did my part and put $20 on the Hawks in the Sportsbook. These guys are making me broke....

[G R E Y]

Thanks, gump!

How about that 4TH Q? OOF!

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Yep. Lots of film room footage for what looked like rec league play.

[G R E Y]

Full team win!

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[imagump1313]

I'm sure Atlanta fans feel like I felt about the Memphis games.
I didn't watch the 4th so I really can't comment on it,
but if it was such an embarrassment like Pop says how can it be a "full team win"?

Still my grasp on this team holds true. If we are hitting an abnormal amount of threes they can win games against anybody but if they don't they get rolled by anybody. 2021 NBA I guess. And GET OFF MY LAWN!

[G R E Y]

I'm sure Atlanta fans feel like I felt about the Memphis games.
I didn't watch the 4th so I really can't comment on it,
but if it was such an embarrassment like Pop says how can it be a "full team win"?

Still my grasp on this team holds true. If we are hitting an abnormal amount of threes they can win games against anybody but if they don't they get rolled by anybody. 2021 NBA I guess. And GET OFF MY LAWN!

Well in fairness this is the first time we've outscored another team from the 3 since Jan. 26, so we're doing other things right when we're not hitting the 3 particularly well, but yes in a make or miss league now more than ever, it was good to see us finally making more of them as we've struggled from the arc of late.

As to the 4TH Q, well I don't really count it. The game was well at hand after the 3RD Q, and so the guys who normally get to play in the last 90 seconds or so when we're up big played the 4TH Q. So it was Quinn, Lonnie, Trey, Diop, Drew. I think I recall seeing Devin in there as well as Keldon.

And it was spectacularly terrible!

Quinn fouled out in 10 minutes! (Keldon came in for him).

Lonnie doesn't know how to run a team. He just doesn't. Plus he's just too much in his head right now. You know how you tell yourself not to do that one thing so much that you end up doing it? Lonnie had another wide open drive down the middle and... missed the bunny. All because he didn't use simple fundamentals - off the glass! - and put too much spin in it for a pretty miss. The other guys are each serviceable when surrounded by good players, but put these all together and they ran nothing the entire Q. There were passes to Drew in the left block or to Diop in the right corner for either trips to the foul line or misses. Lots and lots of one or two passes and misses.

And on D they got torched with passes to cutters into the key for dunks or kick outs for 3s. Things we did all game long for a 42-point lead.

So yeah Pop was upset about how poorly they played having been given a golden opportunity to make a case for themselves. But that's Pop's job. I'm not fretting one iota about how end of bench guys fared. I mean, I thought they'd do better so in that sense it was disappointing. They have a lot of work to do. But the close result in no comments on the work the main rotation guys did. We won; main rotation guys got a lot of rest. That's the main take away.

[G R E Y]

Catching up on the game summaries:

This was our most dominant performance of the season as we led end to end for the whole game, and so much so for the first three Q’s that most of our regular rotation players sat out the 4TH Q for the first time this season.

Having our bubble starters back was like collective muscle memory activating.

We were facing a familiar challenge: a talented PG with range anchoring bouncy, athletic bigs. But both our game plan and its quick, crisp execution helped to offset what have been tricky opponent line-ups to overcome. We essentially stayed glued to Young pestering him with shadow D as well as some quick doubles to pressure him and keep him guessing as to when it would come. That the rest of the players responded so well to the doubles in rotating and covering passing lanes were a credit to the coaching staff and the players’ commitment and focus.

And once again for whatever reason we found our shot on the road, hitting the 100-point mark with 5:42 left in the 3RD Q, and finishing the first three Q’s 110-72 on 42-68FG’s for 61.8%, making 12-23 3s for 52.2%, and a below average 14-18FT’s for 77.8%. By this point we had six players in double figures, including all the starters, all on very good to excellent efficiency. Everyone except for Rudy, Devin, and to a lesser extent, Lonnie, shot it very well. Part of it was the Midas shooting touch on the road, but the other was also smart, quick lockstep O in which we kept finding open teammates - those 42FG’s were on 27 assists – and pushing the ball D to O transition.

What made us so successful was that every player contributed to our D to O waves time and again throughout the game. And it made us formidable as a team in neutralizing their strengths and maximizing ours.

Sometimes DeMar slows his game so much that his rhythm is discordant with that of the team, but in this game he found just the right balance of probing for open spaces, teammates, and shots that fit with the pace of the rest of the team. And when he needed to slow down a bit, others adjusted well to him with great off-ball movement. In this rhythm and vision, he picked the opponent apart time and again with his patience, wonderful footwork, and overall O toolkit for great shots for himself and others, as well as getting to the FT line time and again. DeMar also stood out with his activity on the O boards which was an additional way he got FT’s. He also skied over their C for a D board.

Just terrific all around effort: he led us in scoring with 23 on wonderful 7-11, led us with 9-10FT’s, led us with 8 assists, and tied Jakob with 2 O boards and 6 in total for+30 in 26 minutes over three Q’s. That he was solid on D with arms out, feet moving to agitate drivers showed how engaged he was. Towards the end of the 2ND Q, he made one of his patented pump fake and J followed by a terrific contest for their end of Q miss. Throughout he showed good awareness and with solid positioning and effort he prevented a shot even though we had a big lead.

A solid 36-29 1ST Q lead led to Pop experimenting with some lesser used lineups to start the 2ND Q – DJ, Derrick, Patty, Rudy, and Drew which ranks14th of top 20 five-man combinations as they’ve played only 18:05 minutes together. I wasn’t a fan of our three-guard lineups last season but personnel had a lot more to do with it than principle. Patty and Rudy are two of three of our most impactful on/off players:

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And in a line-up with DJ and Derrick whose back court defense is stellar along with Drew, a mobile big who runs the floor well and is a rebounding wrecking ball made for a good blend of defensive versatility and offensive mobility. Drew doesn’t need the ball on O and his role as a screen setter and board crasher fit well with four other players who could create his own shot. Drew led the bench with 7 boards (3 on O), got 1 block, and chipped in 5 points on 1-2, 3-4FT’s.

We collapsed well for D boards and Drew fought to keep O boards alive. Patty hit back to back 3s after our lead was cut to 3 points, and these were off of his dribble. Sean pointed out how both times Drew did a great job ensuring Patty got enough space. Both of them worked well off of one another for smart positional work. Their good chemistry and doing what the situation called for doesn’t show up in stats, but was effective.

Patty’s role has streamlined this season as more of a sniper, but he made a full contribution in his 21 minutes. He led the bench with 12 points on 4-6, 3-5 from 3, 1-1FT’s, along with 3 rebounds, and a bench high 4 assists. He channelled his best inner Derrick by stepping up to take a charge as well.

I love Derrick’s fundamentals – hands out, body positioned properly angling drivers away from the basket, quick feet, and uncanny timing for steals. He has struggled with his shot since his return so it was good to see him hitting 3s, especially those off his dribble. He made a strong all around contribution, pitching in 11 points on 3-5, 2-3 from 3, 3-4FT’s. He also registered 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He was a defensive 1-2 force with DJ that prevented Young from getting a rhythm going; when he didn’t have the one one him, the other was there. What a menace. I love it!

With Derrick back, DJ functioned more like a SG or like a hybrid guard. He took the most shots, making 7-13 and 2-3 from 3 for 16 points. He also got 6 rebounds and 5 assists. He didn’t get to the FT line, but that’s also perhaps a function of his not driving right to the rim; all of his shots were J’s around the key. He did go into a mano-a-mano mode after his confrontation with Collins; instances like these tend to bring out an extra hyper competitive gear in DJ and I love it!

He was operating with Derrick, DeMar, and Patty in different times. With this extra freedom and improved handles, he tended to dribble into traffic while missing open teammates out on the wings. I think this is part of Phreak’s and gump’s criticism of him. In open court, DJ is wonderful passing the ball ahead quickly down the court, bounces passes right on target in transition, but at times he can miss team mates as he drives with intent into traffic. I did love his quick zip pass inside to a cutting Jakob, so he’s showing improvement. He’s much better than he used to be, but in terms of improving half court vision, there’s room for growth in just seeing team mates sooner and moving the ball.

His defense was ever on point, though. He was terrific all night fighting through and over screens to stay on Young and in one instance forced a pass to a player covered by Derrick who stepped out of bounds. He’s also better at creating space by bumping into defenders without pushing off for his mid-range shots. You take what you’re given and he’s finding his range of just how much he can use his physicality.

Rudy was the recipient of many passes but couldn’t get his shot going (5 points on 2-10, 1-6 from 3 along with 3 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal). He tends to go ISO mode too early in the clock in finding it so if I had to find a point of emphasis it would be to not chase his shot, and function more within the flow of the O with others touching the ball, too. It’s more tempting in games where we have a big lead to try and get yourself going, but good habits are good habits. All but one of his shots were long J’s or 3s, so perhaps getting into the team flow of some weak side cuts and drives to the basket for some variety can help.

Devin and Lonnie struggled, too. Devin you give more leeway to at this point because he’s a rookie and he was playing in front of family for the first time. I thought he rushed his shots, pulling up for contested J’s which hasn’t been the norm. I liked his two-step jump into the lane move to get an open shot even if it swirled out. He brings these extra details to his game and it’s nice to see him take try new moves. His fundamentals are sound not just on D. His bounce pass to Jakob for a J in the key show his awareness in making the right plays with the ball more often now.

Lonnie showed some good man defense preventing some drives and he’ll continue to get minutes so long as he’s committed on that end. But his inconsistency in finishing with fundamentals at the rim is preventing him from shooting with any decent efficiency from just about any range. He was 4-10, 1-5 from 3, 2-2FT’s, and 1 rebound. You can see him fighting to get his shot back, and perhaps it’s in his head too much, but again, he finishes with what gets him points then goes away from it which is hard to understand. He loves to finish with flair, but as I’ve said often, he’s more missing with flair. I think it contributes to mental mistakes in other aspects of the game. In the 1ST Q he has three in a row: hi got crossed up by Young and gave up a lot of open space (in fairness, that’s Young’s strength and it’s hard to stop momentum once you’ve committed to the first step); then Lonnie followed it with a missed shot; finally, he drove and threw it away inside for another TO. He was second behind Patty on bench scoring with 11, but it was a struggle for him to find his way to get them.

On the other hand, Keldon and Jakob were flat out wonderful on both ends. Keldon was his relentless driving self going hard at their bigs, and making 3-4 in the restricted area and 1-2 in the paint. And just to keep opponents honest, he made 2-3 from the arc for good measure. His chemistry with DeMar is growing and it’s becoming an easy assist when DeMar puts the ball in Keldon’s hands. Each game Keldon shows a new finish, be it via a spin in the key or an up and under, or a drive to one side, faking back the other way, then spinning back towards the rim with physicality off their PF for 2 off the glass. It’s like he takes aspects of his teammates and suddenly it’s a move he’s using.

He also did well to be active contesting and after staying with Young for a TO he ran full sped the other way so that he was the recipient of a transition push for a layup. All of this on top of his skying for rebounds against bigger opponents. Relentless on both ends. I’m so happy we have him on our team!

Unheralded and overlooked, Jakob showed flashes of his O game that may not be hidden for long if he keeps this up. Unassuming as he is, there’s no hiding a 7-7 performance for 14 points, 12 rebounds (2 on O), 1 assist, 3 steals, and 3 blocks – the latter two both team highs. He was incredible on the boards keeping possessions alive on O for us, he was wonderful running the floor, cutting, and finishing inside. I love it when after a block we reward him with a pass inside - and that he makes them. I also loved the P&R game between him and Patty that we used twice in a row in the 3RD Q. We should use that more often.

He’s not an outside threat, and is still a FT liability, but as the chart above showed, he’s our most important on/off player, and our most stout defender. Once his touch around the rim settles in (he tends to have either excellent or very poor efficiency), he’ll be all the more dangerous in both ends. He did give up a lot of points to his C counterpart on drives and finishes at the rim, so some better physicality and positioning can help there, but he scored and rebounded and defended at least as well, so it was a won battle.

After we got a huge lead in the first three Q’s, Pop rested the starters and gave minutes to the players who normally get the last couple of minutes in big leads. Quinn didn’t do himself any favours by fouling out in 10 minutes. Lonnie played all of the 4TH Q. Coming into it he was 2-3, 1-2 from 3, so in the final Q he shot 2-7, 0-3 from 3, 2-2FT’s. Throughout he just could not run the team well. Is that a fair critique if that’s not his primary function? Still, at this point, I do expect him to have more of a ball handling and court vision game than he has. He basically either uses his athleticism to drive to the basket or in a half court setting he over dribbles a lot, getting into a pocket of space then backs out to reset as the clock winds down. We mostly passed the ball to Drew on the left block who drove and got to the FT line, or we swung it to the right corner for Keita 3 attempts. Everything else in between was a really poor, disjointed effort.

Trey didn’t get a single attempt in his 9 minutes of 4TH Q play. You’d think we could have put the ball in his hands at least once given he can drive and score from outside. But it was that kind of decision making that led to a 15-point Q for us while giving up a whopping 42 points.

It’s the 4TH Q that hides our dominance for 3/4’s of the game, making the result look more respectable and making us sweat it more than we really ought to have. How bad was it? Our opponents had 9 assists in the final Q. We had 27 assists at the end of the 3RD Q, and we also had 27 assists by the end of the game. YIKES! It has to be some kind of futility record. We were also 0-8 from 3 whereas they were 6-11; we had 6 TO’s and they had none; we were 9-10FT’s, they were 12-16FT’s. We were a horrible 3-17FG’s, they were 12-22. So not only could we not score, we did a poor job preventing them from scoring. They drove and got points inside on open lanes or fouls; they drove and kicked out uncontested 3s because we kept getting crossed up on our rotations. They basically scored almost every time they tried. That these were new line-ups with guys not knowing one another’s tendencies is one thing; that we looked like we’d never played together or forgot basic tenets of the game is another. Basically, thank goodness that time ran out because none of the stats were trending our way.

As well as we played for the first three Q’s is how badly the reserves played in the last Q. And so as always, giving us plenty of film tape.

But overall, minus that 4TH Q it was as complete a team win as we’ve had all season. We executed the game plan to a man. The dynamic PG was neutralized with our persistent shadow defense, we ran the floor very well to impose our game, and when we made mistakes, even with a big lead Pop called a timeout to get us back on track and for three Q’s we were relentless on both ends. Despite not having as mobile bigs, we outrebounded them and that’s including the 4TH Q when there weren’t that many to be had. As great as our shooting was, it was our swarming, locked in D with crisp switches and rotations to cover driving lanes, passing lanes, shots, and rebounds that set the tone. I loved that most of all because it’s where the core of our identity is, and with everybody contributing, it made our D to O dangerous with just about everyone being a threat. Can’t get complacent, though. This was a foundation strengthening game, one we can build on going forward.

NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENTS

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