SPURS GAME DAY! LAS VEGAS SL GAME 3: SPURS VS. WIZARDS, 11-7-2023, 9:30PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

We won challenge!

Malaki with a pretty, quick, herky jerky drive for 2.

[G R E Y]

BETTER D, good switches, force a shot clock TO...

[G R E Y]

Blake keeps his hands down on D then misses erratic floater on P&R. Almost feel bad like I'm picking on him but yeah he's got tons of athleticism that is super raw in terms of it translating into right good plays.

[G R E Y]

Sochan repping!

[G R E Y]

3RD Q: SPURS 66 WIZARDS 65

At times organized and in sync; at times a hot mess. Twas ever thus in SL.

Sidy showing some flashes in transition open court.

Malaki running the right play but you can see he's a bit frustrated with others not doing their part.

Nice that Julian is getting some positive attention.

[G R E Y]

Malaki in put your head down and make the harder play drive mode oof...

[G R E Y]

Of course he hits the next shot lol

[G R E Y]

Ooooooh juuuust missed a pretty highlight pass.

Followed by a sweet finish from a Sidy dish...

[G R E Y]

Malaki just stayed with his man well off ball on D... Arms out feet moving right angles. Good.

Followed by a 3. And another one. Woot.

[G R E Y]

Blake and bad finishes at the rim still oof..

[G R E Y]

Blake steal and dunk, Wemby first team mate to his feet clapping him on on the bench. Awesome.

[G R E Y]

Julian showing more than just hitting 3s... Pretty assertive finishes at the rim. Well done to get open.

[G R E Y]

4TH Q: SPURS 96 WIZARDS 85

We know Malaki can score and I guess it's good to get reps. At least he made more of them this game, leading us with 29 including 5-6 from 3. But he finished with 1 assist, same as what he had at the half so he has to show more of this game. Good habits or you'll get (even more) chewed out. He had 4 assists last game and 3 the first Vegas game, so not great but trended the wrong way tonight.

Blake as I've said has nice physical gifts but is very raw. Trying to make something happen rather than making the right play or doing it the right way. Led us with 4 assists but he missed a lot of right passes, frankly

Julian showing an expanded game. Good off ball movement to get open. Rewarded with team high 8-9FTs. 18/8/7 is a best all-around game.

Sidy with some pretty passes, but looks like that shot will be Jekyll/Hyde until his form gets better.

Dom did well on both ends again, 20/7, just needs consistency.

Team shot 17-26FTs has to be better.

Eight players in double digits minutes but 12 players got to play. I get we have four main guys who needs to show various things, and with the reps they're getting it's showing some positives and some things to work on. I wonder if the other guys will get featured a bit more on Friday.

Ok win but will be better to see better habits and execution from Blake and Malaki in the things they need to work on. Hopefully we look more like a team again rather than guys taking turns putting their head down and trying to make something of the play. On to Friday with hopefully some attention to better team play in practice.

[G R E Y]

A positive spin. He's right if we're not considering what we needed to see more of but didn't. Maybe that's over considering things but isn't that what SL is for, working on improving other aspects of a player's game?

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Read on Twitter

[Tony Parker]

Just let branham score. He is too far away from ever playing PG, he will be a bench spark, which we will really need. The team has no real scoring options right now. Give him 5 shots, if he is on good, if not he sits. Thats all he is good for currently.

[imagump1313]

A positive spin. He's right if we're not considering what we needed to see more of but didn't. Maybe that's over considering things but isn't that what SL is for, working on improving other aspects of a player's game?

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

I hate the fanboi twitters....
I'm convinced most of them don't even watch the games.

Throw up a highlight of him hitting a couple shots. I watched most of the game and I barely remember Branham standing out at all. And I want him to do well.

[G R E Y]

Just let branham score. He is too far away from ever playing PG, he will be a bench spark, which we will really need. The team has no real scoring options right now. Give him 5 shots, if he is on good, if not he sits. Thats all he is good for currently.

Yeah I mean this is partly the point of SL - show an expanded game in addition to the calling card you already have. Now if that happens to include some new finishing moves, fine, but it should include court vision to see open team mates and Malaki was far better at it in the CA SL. Maybe he was green lit to spam shooting I don't know but we already know he can score so what's he been working on? That has to show more.

And yes, he'll be the scoring spark plug off the bench and that's great, but we're always in the process of evaluating so how he expqnds6his game with respect to other ways of benefitting the team is a next step.

Like even Doug whose main role is 3s is terrific off ball and his movement helps us even when he doesn't have the ball.

But fair point about our SL team and scoring options, too.

[G R E Y]

A positive spin. He's right if we're not considering what we needed to see more of but didn't. Maybe that's over considering things but isn't that what SL is for, working on improving other aspects of a player's game?

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

I hate the fanboi twitters....
I'm convinced most of them don't even watch the games.

Throw up a highlight of him hitting a couple shots. I watched most of the game and I barely remember Branham standing out at all. And I want him to do well.

For sure it's an edited glossy look into Malaki's game.

I think this season we'll have to go from hot takes that have missed the mark because of ignoring the Spurs to hot takes that blow smoke up asses for more access or clicks.

Malaki is a nice scorer, no doubt. And we don't have that many of them on this team, ok.

Malaki stood out to me with his decisions and frankly not in a great way. Putting your head down and driving into a congested key when you have team mates open, or driving when the big popped or rolled and was ignored, or taking contested shots - these exacerbate bad habits .

Again maybe Malaki got the green light to spam shooting but my goodness these last two games - the previous one with Wemby doing well no less! - was quite the sight.

I want to see better decisions even in scoring situations. Just because it goes in doesn't mean that the hardest most obstinate option was the best one. And I want to see better decisions in finding open team mates even if, to TP's point above, Malaki is more of a scorer not a pass first guy.

I will say he looks better on D than Blake does, less out of position, better angles.

Maybe he's just getting it all out of his system or whatever but yeah some balance like Dom and Julian are showing would be good.

[imagump1313]

For sure it's an edited glossy look into Malaki's game.

I think this season we'll have to go from hot takes that have missed the mark because of ignoring the Spurs to hot takes that blow smoke up asses for more access or clicks.

Malaki is a nice scorer, no doubt. And we don't have that many of them on this team, ok.

Malaki stood out to me with his decisions and frankly not in a great way. Putting your head down and driving into a congested key when you have team mates open, or driving when the big popped or rolled and was ignored, or taking contested shots - these exacerbate bad habits .

Again maybe Malaki got the green light to spam shooting but my goodness these last two games - the previous one with Wemby doing well no less! - was quite the sight.

I want to see better decisions even in scoring situations. Just because it goes in doesn't mean that the hardest most obstinate option was the best one. And I want to see better decisions in finding open team mates even if, to TP's point above, Malaki is more of a scorer not a pass first guy.

I will say he looks better on D than Blake does, less out of position, better angles.

Maybe he's just getting it all out of his system or whatever but yeah some balance like Dom and Julian are showing would be good.

Yes. I understand its summer league. Branham does play slightly better defense but again, its summer. There is an awful lot or matador defense going on out there. Maybe its not all being on the same page. Every time someone blows past Wesley he throws up his hands and looks at the bench like he is expecting help or some rotation.

You know me Grey. The things that annoy me are the "Branhan Putting in Work!" or "PURE BUCKET GETTER FROM ALL LEVELS" posts. What?????? Are you serious?? Stop lying to my face. I actually watched the game