SPURS GAME DAY! GAME 72: SPURS AT PELICANS, 21-3-2023, 7PM (CT)

imagump1313 · Post #61 » by **imagump1313** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 2:25 am

Ooh! I didn't notice that Charlotte won yesterday. This gives us another game to play with.

I wish the rest of our games were more like tonight so I live longer.

10 games left. We can go 3 and 7 max.

Tonight's effort is worthy of a laser....

Post #62 » by **G R E Y** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 2:38 am

imagump1313 wrote:Ooh! I didn't notice that Charlotte won yesterday. This gives us another game to play with.

I wish the rest of our games were more like tonight so I live longer.

10 games left. We can go 3 and 7 max.

Tonight's effort is worthy of a laser....

I was starting to worry about you there for a bit. I posted after the last game how in these last 11 games we have travel back-to-backs at the beginning and end, eight games on the road, and playing at least eight teams that are vying for some sort of playoff spot/seed. We're well positioned to give lots of time to young guys and rest those who need it. I do hope we look more cohesive and competitive at least.

Post #63 » by **G R E Y** » Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:45 am

4TH Q: SPURS 84 PELICANS 119

Yeah I kind of blanked out at some points in this one. Looks like we did, too. Sure we had four starters out, but we only took seven fewer FGAs than last game but score 42 fewer points. Some Jekyll-Hyde efficiency. We actually made three more 3s, but our 13 were on 41 attempts which comprised over 47% of our shots! This is not how we play. But when you resort to spamming 3s, you live with the results. For whatever reason, the 3s that were falling at home have stayed there despite getting sharp shooters Doug and Graham back.

And to think I was worried about Graham keeping us in it. For the longest time, he was the lone bench scorer. It wasn't until the end of the 3RD Q that Blake joined him with a basket.

Mamu led us with 20 on 7-14, 3-6 from 3, 3-3FTs had a solid all around game with 5 boards (1 on O), 3 assists, and 3 steals. I'm well pleased for him in his showing more of his game. He's a smart player. He reads plays well, passes willingly and on target, screens and rolls or pops, keeps the play going, hustles. Just makes good things happen by understanding the game, doing little but hard things, and fitting into the flow of our system.

Diop chipped in 12 on 3-3, 2-2 from 3, and team-high 4-6FTs, along with 3 boards (1 on O), and 1 assist. It was a tough slog for him, making only 1-1 by half time (and even then that lone make was in the 1ST), and finishing with 18 minutes in three Qs of play.

Tre led us with 32 minutes, the lone player to cross the 30 minute threshold. He also led us with 8 rebounds, grabbed 5 boards (1 on O), and got 1 steal, working his way to 15 points on 7-13, 1-3 from 3, 0-1FT. Not all of his shots were well thought out as he took some questionable contested shots. He made 2-4 in the restricted area, 3-3 in the non-restricted paint, 0-2 in non-paint mid range Js, and 1-3 from 3. Really nice balance in terms of shot distribution, though the timing and construction of some of them could have been better. Still, three-level effort was good to see.

So Mamu, Diop, and Tre scored efficiently. And that's it. Romeo got a bagel though he got the shots he normally makes. That's the thing. There wasn't such great defensive pressure that we took a lot of contested shots or those out of our comfort zone. Malaki was only 2-11, 1-7 from 3 (leading our starters in attempts at the arc) and got 4 boards (1 on O). He needs to work on taking off the tunnel vision blinders. I get he's a scorer, but it needs to be smart shot selection. When team mates are more open and he's doing his own thing regardless, he makes things more difficult for himself and the team. We only had 21 assists, but they were well distributed among most of the team. Malaki was the lone starter (and one of only two Spurs) who didn't register one. And while us not scoring well was a factor, so too was his missing team mates. I did like his defensive coverage better, hunting down drivers on fast breaks, angling them to the outside better, not reaching in as much and letting his legs do more of the work.

We just couldn't hit the ocean off the side of the boat. **** happens.

Barlow was a bagel, too, but he still controlled what he could otherwise and competed well on D. Wide stance, angling his man away from the basket, upright, arms up, didn't allow turns into the key and provided good help D. Led us with two blocks. Wesley really struggled to score, too, making only 1-7, 0-1 from 3 but he found other ways to compete and impact the game. He led the bench with 3 assists and tied for team high 3 steals. He also had a team high 3 TOs but we only had 14TOs in total and the points each team gave up on them was a wash.

The shot distribution was noticeably egalitarian with the bench having three players with 5 attempts, one 6, one 7, one 12 (Graham, naturally, and of course a whopping NINE of those were from 3). I liked Julian's rebounding (led the bench with 6 boards, and he fought for some, too), his man D, and his block.

Young guys have figure out ways to contribute when what they're good at isn't working. So Blake getting a run down block, or a steal with a dunk, and making smart passes is good to see. Julian and Barlow teaming up to double or man and help D at our rim stood out well.

We were badly outrebounded 49-37 (that's also a function of missing so many shots) but we won the O boards 10-5. Some signs of hustle.

We were pounded in the paint 58-32.We created so many shots at the arc that the paint work was not a priority. We were thin at the bigs in terms of the starting 4/5 being out and guys who drive (Wilder). Couple that with a new starting five and our spacing was imbalanced as well. It got better as the game progressed, we spread out better, but used these to bomb away from 3 more. Imbalanced shot distribution in something for the film room.

Small graces that no one looked to be injured (though Diop didn't play in the 4TH Q). Pop balanced the minutes keeping the schedule and development opportunities in mind. Young guys got plenty of playing time. Patterns of tough 1ST (16 points scored) and 4TH Qs (19 points) persist. Lots to improve on teamwise, but some good individual elements to take from this one, too. We have to put it behind us, go over film, and get ready for the next one.