RealGM

Spurs games are back! The first of our pre-season games after a week of practices with half a new team and handing the reins over to the young group should be a blend of excitement and measured expectations. It's a new era on the foundation of continued culture. We have a group of guys who were chosen for fit and character, and the off-court chemistry has, from all accounts, translated well to on-court energy. The next step is putting it together versus new competition. Onwards!

WHERE: AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX

WHEN: Monday, October 4, 2021, 7:30pm (CT)



GO SPURS GO!!!

Love the starting group. DJ and Derrick together again, Keldon in a more natural position, an actual PF at the 4 (ok a 3/4 but that works in our favour, too), and Jakob. Four players who can hit a 3, all players who can run and move without the ball. Should be fun to watch:



Everyone!

1ST Q: SPURS 24

JAZZ 18

A come-from-behind 1st Q. Poor shooting but a lot of energy, especially defensively! Lots of movement, quick decisions with the ball, more 3s taken (if not made - yet).

Drew is in the books as hitting our first 3 of the season. Lonnie hit the second one off his own dribble.

Lonnie and Devin are far more assertive looking for their shots.

Drew range is real. He's practiced it, has great form, and has a green light to take it. A great addition if he can give us one or two a game.

Something something a 3 made on Bryn...

Pop timeout...

Pop yells at Bryn for giving up too much space to not be able to contest that 3 well...

2ND Q: SPURS 49

JAZZ 38

Solid D overall, great switches and coverage.

Consistent effort to push the ball up the court.

Efficiency is poor tonight but we're getting good looks. Our pace is likely something we have to get used to as well.

Jock has a nice overall game - grabs rebounds assertively, can make a 3, and makes some nice passes. A couple have been picked off (3 TOs) so he has to get them ahead more crisply.

We're using a lot of off ball movement, screens, and back door cuts and that all our bigs can make the pass is terrific. Two of 3 Cs can hit a 3 now, too. Big and big.

Keldon now has a baseline turnaround fadeaway J in the toolbox

DJ and Derrick are struggling to score...

Everyone who's played has scored but Devin...

We need to get Jakob more involved on O...

You can see what we're trying to do and can see once it starts coming together that we'll be a fast, tough D team.

Haven't seen Luka, Thad, Primo yet...

Doug looking good, though he's yet to take a 3

Speaking of 3s, we've already attempted 14. Solid. Just need to make more of them...

Good team D and team rebounding (35-28 for us)...

Three traveling calls against us already. Like I said, our new pace is an adjustment for us as well.

We JUST built an18-point lead, stopped pushing the ball, allowed a 7-0 run by taking weird half court shots and allowing drives inside.

JOSH. IN!

3MO! Josh's first NBA bucket is a left corner 3. No hesitation. Beautiful.

3RD Q: SPURS 87

JAZZ 61

PRIMO BELONGS! Terrific pace within himself, court reads, assertive shots, finding open team mates, finishing at the rim as well as good outside shot. I was wrong. This IS THE pick! The RIGHT pick. Yes, that's right. All it took was one quarter of pre-season play

When we push the pace, when we impose our stingy D, when we gang rebound, we're an fun and dangerous team. I LOVE what I'm seeing already, even if it's still in its nascent form!

Luka sighting!

Ooof. Luka dribbles behind the back and falls.

6 TOs by us this Q alone.

The least polished group together. Clearly.

Except for Primo. Seriously. The kid is LEGIT legit.

Luka looking rough, man. He has to find a way to look coordinated and like he belongs...

On second thought, once Luka got his rhythm going, he played well. D was ever steady and effective, battled for an O board (stronger now, it shows), his an assertive 3 and drove and finished well at the rim.

He'll need to assert himself and play within himself if that makes sense in order to get regular rotation minutes. He's a rhythm player so it will be tricky, but he has to push through.

4TH Q: SPURS 111

JAZZ 85

Well well well... Looks like we have ourselves a new favourite, dare I say, the 'next one'? He's got it in him. I can feel the force:





Spurs showed solid commitment to D, to running in transition, to making assertive plays, to the ball not sticking, to off ball movement, to getting after rebounds, to hustling, to figuring it out.

Doug is far more mobile and able to score off runners than I'd realized.

Dejounte looked REALLY polished. Derrick will need more reps for his game to return. He's been out a while, but DJ really took over for us on both ends to solidify the lead.

Jock made some errant passes but he's got a good eye and makes good passes over all. His 3s along with Drew's (!) are really going to help us spread the floor. They're both just hustle guys with better range and good passing.

Lonnie will need more reps but his decisions with the ball were faster and crisper.

Devin started slow but let the game come to him and kept looking for his shot.

Keldon struggled a bit but was his bulldog self. That, along with some pretty new moves and Js in the toolkit will help. He has to get better handles, though.

Jakob has a light night on O (don't think he got a shot in the second half) but was his steady, impactful self on D.

Bryn played 17 minutes off the bench, shot 50%, got yelled at by Pop. Perfect night for him for us

Neither of the two recent acquisitions, Thad and Aminu, played. Interesting.

We're just getting the first taste of what we can be. We are a defensive menace, and will find ways to score. A fine start!

Couldn't watched the game, but from the box score Primo looked really good and Murray solid, itll be interesting seeing if Primo forces himself into the starting lineup and how that can look. Longshot, but hopefully we can see if K. Johnson or Primo/Murray can be building block type of players that can lead to playoff success.

Only pre-season and 1 game, but really impressed with Primo -- this guy may be really good, and pretty soon.

He is clearly comfortable shooting and handling the ball in general, and makes good reads in the half court. Looked like an all-star.