SPURS GAME DAY! GAME 2: SPURS AT NUGGETS, 22-10-2021, 8PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

Well quite the schedule! Second game, first of a back-to-back on the road. Into the fire early. So glad we had a full training camp and pre-season to prepare. Except for Collins we're fully healthy and we'll need all our resources at their best versus a polished West opponent. Our nascent but resolute defense is our foundation from which our best O flows. It would be great to catch some teams unawares with our new look on both ends. No time like now.

WHERE: Ball Arena, Denver, CO

WHEN: Friday, October 22, 2021, 8pm (CT)


(Photo from Spurs Twitter)

#PorVida

GO SPURS GO!!!

[imagump1313]

First road game, and against a real team this time. We will find out much more about ourselves tonight IMO.
Are we going to see Thad Young during this back to back or are we waiting for a trade 100%?

[G R E Y]

Read on Twitter

[G R E Y]

Drive! Drive! Drive! RRRAAAWWWRRR!!!

[G R E Y]

1ST Q: SPURS 22

NUGGETS 26

Slow start with spurts of good play, but too many TOs with 6 so far, and only 1-5 from 3. Have to improve both. Hopefully we've got the wind in our lungs now and can run some more. I'd prefer if we started games running more but perhaps the altitude is a factor.

[G R E Y]

Countdown: When will Bryn score this season? *uuugh*

[G R E Y]

Thad in btw...

[G R E Y]

"AAAAAAAANNN OOOOOOONE!!!!!!!" Keldon screams in a full arena and is STILL heard lol

[G R E Y]

2ND Q: SPURS 50

NUGGETS 53

A better showing overall with some solid switching on D, collapsing in the paint, and doubling in low blocks and baselines. Solid help D for the doubling. Derrick is wonderful with two charges taken already. We miscommunicated a couple of times on their WIDE open 3s. Jakob called out for someone to rotate over yet we had four Spurs under our basket so he ran out to cover someone's missed assignment. Our 3s rotations need to be crisper and our contests need to actually make an impact as we pretty much to everywhere else on the floor. We've forced some TOs so that even though we have more than a season's average already, the TOs are close for both teams.

On O, Keldon is all kinds of WONDERFUL. Our movement will get us more points. We're getting into their paint at will, and with more cuts, P&R bounce passes inside, trailing passes, we'll score more. We HAVE to make our 3s. Doug and Bryn have combined for 0-5 from 3 and we've only attempted 11 so far. Move the ball, move off ball, take more 3s. It's surprising that from all those drives inside we only have 3-4FTs, that's all I'll say about it. Pop has already taken a timeout to rip the refs for it.

Drew and Jakob are on the brink of foul trouble. I'd like to see KBD and Jock with some minutes in to get acclimated before we need them in. They're good at getting their noses into it, are physical, and can space the floor. Good to have the experience of a close game against a solid team. Let's clean it up, make a strong push, and push through to a good result.

[G R E Y]

p.s. DJ needs to pick it up. I'd like to see Tre get some minutes, especially against that little **** disturber PG.

Also, their coach has said he wants them to average 40 3s per game, so we should expect a second half blitz from the arc. We need to communicate and contest, as well as make way more of our own.

[G R E Y]

DJ picks up dribble, Doug scoreless, and Lonnie missing bunnies and taking awkward contested shots...

[G R E Y]

LONNIE WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF JOKIC AT THE TOP OF THE ARC WITH HIS **** ARMS AT HIS SIDES AS THEIR C HIT A 3... FFS...

[G R E Y]

3-16 -- I've found our problem!

[G R E Y]

3RD Q: SPURS 70

NUGGETS 79

I missed the hot 9-2 start by us to take the lead, but we went all kinds of cold as they finished on a 13-2 run to close out the Q. DJ to his credit was formidable and impactful on both ends.

Thad looks out of place. No other way to put it.

We look like we're out of air. No excuses, but it's also no doubt it's a factor.

A lot of mud on O and we're getting beat by their quick transition baskets. Lots to clean up.

[G R E Y]

Just lots of missed shots after we brought it to within 1. I like to think it'll come with more experience together, but it's also a game of misses and makes. Lots of our shots are hitting back of the rim, like we're overcompensating for the tiredness and pushing too hard.

Can we PLEASE make our 3s and FTs? Thank you!

[G R E Y]

4TH Q: SPURS 96

NUGGETS 102

A little bit here, a little bit there and it's a woulda, coulda, will do better next time if we clean some things up on both ends.

The pace started slow, perhaps affected by the altitude. If felt as if we picked spots in which to pick up our pace and others to slow things down to get our breath. We only put up 84 shots, and only 26 of those from 3, making a paltry 6. To keep fighting back from 11-point leads three times, and take the lead at one point is decent; to not get ahead but once when we brought the leads down is something to work on.

We had four starters in double figures, with Doug the lone guy who frankly didn't have it tonight. Add to that our bench only gave us 18 points, with only two 3s made.

Keldon's game is growing before our eyes and it's wonderful to see. I could have sworn he got to the FT line more than four times, and could have sworn he missed more than once. Anyway, he's showing more of his toolkit in the variety of shots he was able to make. Everything but 3s.... I like his faster decision making with the ball, his creating space inside and deft touches off the glass, and finding his spots for Js.

Derrick finding his rhythm more is great to see. When he's on his game, he's on the balls of his feet like a boxer, very nimble and quick footed. He's sneaky athletic in adjusting his body to take a charge, almost sensing ahead of time when the driver will go. At just the right time, he moves his feet and puts his hands at his sides to position himself to take a hit and fall safely. He took the most 3s of any Spur, but was only 2-7. He was still the only player on our team who hit more than one 3. I'll say it again: he was the only Spur to hit more than one 3. Well ****.

DJ and Derrick on D is a wonderful tandem already. On O I think both can work on their handles and decisions in terms of where they dribble (ie/ avoid tight, doubled spaces) and when they pick up their dribble. A little clunky at times, but then again they have to adjust to being bigger focal points of opponent defenses. It'll get better with reps.

DJ had only four attempts in the restricted area so that accounts for the 0 FT attempts. We'll need him to generate more FT chances. He was at 79% efficiency last season, but his career high then was only 2FTAs per game. Both should be better.

Jakob's all around contribution is coming along well. Fifteen points on 7-9 is terrific. Not surprisingly he led us with 4 O boards. He looks to be more assertive so far this season in taking his shots. That spin to the left for a drive when he faked a hand off was a great move that I hope he uses again. He may not have post up moves, but he can make these sneaky plays for himself. His Pop-a-shot in the key was working, and I loved how he kept on trailing drivers for O reb putback DUNKS. He's dunking more and it stands out in a good way.

I liked Drew's couple of hook shots in the paint. But for a couple of moving screen fouls each, he and Jakob worked hard for their four fouls each. It's a tough assignment to bang with the reigning MVP but we made it tough for a first effort.

We did a better job rotating out to 3s in the second half and our closer contests made for more misses. We did allow too many points in transition, so awareness about getting back will likely be in the film session.

Lonnie's consistency is a work in progress. Like I just don't understand his decisions. At times he looks like he's turned a corner but at others it's like he's Freaked Out Frankie Freshman. I like the drives, but just knowing that he's not dependable in finishing at the rim at this point is just... mystifying. It's like there's some sort of invisible ceiling he can't break through. I thought it was inexperience before, but it's looking more like a mental hurdle of some sort. He needs to sort that out.

Devin - welcome to the Sophomore Strides and Stumbles. From leading us in scoring one game to struggling the next, that he got up a bench-high seven shots is in itself encouraging.

Looks like Thad played Diop's minutes tonight and frankly didn't look all that acclimated. I don't know if it's our system that needs more adjusting to or what, but it's clear that he's not quite the guy who put up career numbers the previous season.

Bryn. Christ. Make a shot, guy.

Pop ran a tight nine-man rotation despite the four fouls each to Jakob and Drew. And even though we are on the first of a back-to-back, four starters were in the 30+ minutes of playing range. It'll be interesting how we handle minutes distribution throughout the season.

I think with Tre and Jock coming off of injuries we're bringing them along slowly which gives us room to acclimate the new faces. Once we get things more settled and they're more settled, I think we'll have more versatility at our disposal with both. Tre was wonderful in SL and I think he'll be a big asset once he gets his feet under him. I'd like to see us using Jock more as his passing and floor spacing can help. I can't wait to see what Zach brings. He's the extra insurance once we decide what we do with Thad.

So our communication on D can use some work with some uncontested 3s being the big difference makers in a game that had almost identical stats for both teams: rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, turnovers, 2Qs won per team, neither getting at least 30 points in any of them. The big difference was made 3s. They took six more and made three more, and that's game. But within that, we allowed some clearly open ones early and with neither taking nor making enough, neither our D nor our O stepped up enough in this single area. Habits being what they are, we need to push our transition game more (we again started with half court sets), generate more transition points, and create more 3s chances.

You could see some of our new O with quicker decisions with the ball, more assertive drives, and great cross court passes as well as P&R and dishes inside. But we stopped moving during some consecutive possessions and got stuck dribbling around in small areas too much. We'll have to get more crisp at recognizing the need for screens (DJ had to wait too long for the double high screens to get set in this game), and maintain movement. More cuts, more movement, more communication for better switches and contests, more 3s generated.

I thought our help D was once again terrific, our zone D was effective and we battled well for boards. Our inside game is clicking as well with 54 points in the paint which accounted for more than half of our scoring output. New habits take time to take root. Pick up our pace, get more points in transition (only 7 fast break points for us to their 17), contest, take and make 3s and we're well on our way to swinging games in our favour.

[G R E Y]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[imagump1313]

We need to figure out who wants to lead. As much as I hated seeing DeRozan flail trying to get foul calls last year, I hate just as much seeing 5 different guys pass up shots in a close game because no one wants to offend anyone.
Understandable with a young team, but we need to figure it out.

Also its been refreshing to see how much has changed in 2 years. Denver used to be one of those young, athletic teams we couldn't keep up with. Now we are younger and more athletic.