Post#88 » by G R E Y » Tue Jan 31, 2023 12:42 am
OT: SPURS 118 SUNS 128
It’s the how of our play that is at the core of this season, and the evaluation of it throughout is showing some good and some revealing traits.
Whether we would have won on an open Sochan 3 or potential drive we’ll never know. But it’s secondary to the fact that in a tie game with the ball in Keldon’s hands and Sochan open, the right play – an extra pass to the open man – was not made and it’s time for the fig leaf to get pulled about it.
Post-game, Keldon talked about how proud he was of Sochan’s growth, and it’s irritating because there’s been a whole lot of talk about leadership and the Spurs way and defense and playing the right way in interviews, and our broadcast crew pointing out those times Keldon made a good pass or defensive play. But in between, Keldon has outscored team mates who had more points than him and it wasn’t within the sets that we run. He keeps looking off players, driving into a too congested key versus too many defenders, and doesn’t pass out.
Sochan had 26 points after three Qs; Keldon, 14. So of course Sochan had but two attempts in the 4TH Q, made both for 30 points. And of course Keldon took 7 shots in the 4TH Q and another 7 in OT by which point he had surpassed Sochan with 34 points on 26FGAs, one more than Sochan. Heaven forbid that Devin or Tre or Sochan or whoever get more points or more attempts.
There’s nothing that’s been said or implied that Keldon is somehow our #1 option. Even before the season, Pop said we’d have to play by committee because we do not have that true #1 option. And the Klutch boys have taken their turns expanding their games in the meantime. Sure you need someone to step up, and the assertion is in a way good.
But if you watch replays, you notice how players are not giving the ball to Keldon as the first option once we pass half court even if he’s open. And when they look off him two things happen: one, they keep moving on and off ball, more guys touch it and more guys shoot it; two, Keldon’s body language doesn’t look too happy when he doesn’t get the ball. But that’s how his team mates feel when he continues to look off them and stifle movement as we stand around watching him barrel through the key. And it didn’t start with team mates looking off him – that’s a consequence of Keldon looking off team mates so often. And so here we are, players taking turns rather than feeding the hot hand.
And the hot hand was Sochan but hero ISO ball stepped in to do his thing and we missed a chance to seal a good comeback with a W.
Keldon can’t be the leader and be poor defensively, or be lax in off ball movement (much to Pop’s chagrin on the sidelines to keep moving to get to the right spot to run the play properly), or not make the right pass. This season is about right habit development and about evaluation. Keldon is not an exception to playing the right way and he’s certainly not the embodiment of it. And it’s getting really irritating when he actually gets in the way of team mates who are playing the right way on both ends by taking the flow out of our O.
He was one of only three Spurs who even put up a shot in OT, certainly took the most shots in the game. We took six more FGAs, made two more 3s, had a 66-52 points in the paint advantage, and still lost by 10 because the things that got us back into the game are the very things that we keep going away from in crucial times: movement and sharing on O, communication and movement and responsibility on D. And if Keldon isn’t emulating that by example then he’s part of the problem, especially since these same issues come up more frequently and in successive games now.
I did see Keldon communicating for where guys should be going and directing us, so that’s good. But again, it doesn’t make up for the cumulative plays that were well outside our right way play on both ends. And if he happens to do right things for a game or two, unless and until he does them consistently where he shows IQ and effort on D and looks to make the right play on O, it’s an exception.
So that’s it. We had a chance to reward ourselves for good play, and because the selfish hero compulsion or entitlement of whatever it is that is underpinning these decisions, the right play to end regulation wasn’t made and it cost us. Tired of the one-player free for all at the expense of the rest of the team. Make the right play. Defend with pride. Everyone is being evaluated with how they play within our sets or without them, and with what kind of effort and improvement on D. Everyone.
The Spurs Way
Thinking of you, Pop
#XX
