SPURS GAME DAY! GAME 36: SPURS AT PISTONS, 1-1-2022, 6PM (CT)

[imagump1313]

IS KELDON DRUNK?

Bet he is in covid protocols before next game.....

[imagump1313]

Saddiq Bey has zero basketball IQ as well as many of our guys....

[imagump1313]

I can't believe we are trying to run a play for BRYN FORBES on this last possession LMAO

[G R E Y]

4TH Q: SPURS 105

PISTONS 105

Excellent charge taken by Derrick.

To his credit, great shooting by Bryn.

Keldon missed bunny because why not?

BRILLIANT side out play call by Pop. Excellent pass by Jock. Should have gone to Devin there, though.

Well hopefully we can put enough actual basketball fundamentals to keep up our push forward. We have momentum going into OT.

[imagump1313]

Figures we have to watch 5 more minutes of this

[G R E Y]

Sure. By all means let's settle for the outside shots we haven't been making and then watch them get O rebounds and putbacks.

[imagump1313]

LMAO, did I mention some of our guys have zero bbiq? White.....

[imagump1313]

Pistons announcers thinking this is a great game

[imagump1313]

LMAO, that was the most perfect ending for a game that pathetic...

[G R E Y]

OT: SPURS 116

PISTONS 117

Of course Keldon misses TWO game winners.

Of course Derrick misses an FT and we got 4-9FTs in the 4th Q.

Of course the ball goes through Jakob's legs for their final 3. Of course it does.

SIXTEEN TOs and 20-28FTs, you jerks!

We made more shots overall, made more 3s, but they made 6 more FTs. Jakob you oaf! And whoever else missed one, screw you, too.

63-48 down in rebounding, including a whopping 22-13 on O boards.

SOFT and DUMB = bad combination.

The fuming disappointment is all over Pop's face. He deserves better than the absolute debacle we just put out.

**** disgraceful basketball. Fin.

EDIT: Poor Pop, gutted for him

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[Phreak50]

I haven't watched a game for a while, how has White looked running the show?

Any argument to trade one of him or Murray?

[JeffReal]

I haven't watched a game for a while, how has White looked running the show?

Too often clunky, erratic, even clumsy. Only good on occasion. In his fifth year with the Spurs, at age 27, he ought to be more consistent, more reliable. Also, his 3pt shooting is down to .290.

Any argument to trade one of him or Murray?

Keep Murray. White, I’m afraid I have to say, it’s at the point where I’d rather watch him play for somebody else.

[imagump1313]

I haven't watched a game for a while, how has White looked running the show?

Any argument to trade one of him or Murray?

How is this for basketball awareness in crunch time?
Guy has the weakest handles and I don't trust him running a good team....

https://youtu.be/1ZM3Yvl6N9E?t=474

^^This one highlight tells you all you need to know^^

I don't hate him and maybe he is still injured. I don't think you would get much in a trade though.

[G R E Y]

I haven't watched a game for a while, how has White looked running the show?

Any argument to trade one of him or Murray?

Yeah I agree with Jeff and gump. I'm a huge Derrick stan, he's my favourite Spur (along with Devin now) but as a combo guard, his ball handling is poor. The best you can say is that it plateaued, but truly for someone coming into the league as a 1-2, it's not too much to ask for this crucial aspect of the front end of a spear to be sharp. I've been commenting on his lacking ball handling for like three years now, and here he is still picking up his dribble too early, still dribbling up to his chest, still not having any manner of cross over or other tools in the handling kit to beat his man off the dribble besides a spin or pump fake or up and under, and even then, these are finishing moves.

Even Bryn has a behind the back dribble he's been using to create space. Bryn!

I love Derrick and just about everything about him as a guy who worked his way up to the NBA. And he's worked hard in the NBA, too. I love his defense, his physical drives, his herky jerky moves in the key, his decent passing (though that's been spotty this season, too).

To whatever extent he was the lead PG in that Denver series, I see now it was a combination of confidence of being surrounded by vets, so as the PG he wasn't tasked with also being the main scoring option, and so he succeeded as the secondary option that wasn't scouted well. It may also have been peak Derrick.

When we don't have those other primary options and rely more on the back court to initiate and create, well we see that even getting doubled by Pistons is pressure he hasn't learned to overcome (and true, we have to do a better job coming to the ball of a doubled player).

Maybe gump's right and he's still finding his way from a largely missed season. It's just surprising he lacks that killer take-over we've seen at times, that putting the team on his back confidence to make the right decisions and moves on O. To his credit he stepped up on D to take the charge late - his D I don't question at all. But it looks like he lacks confidence on O because he hasn't developed a wider array of go-to moves to be a late game difference maker, and that's frankly on him.

I don't want to see him on another team, and he's still a value contract despite his struggles this season, but I do think that he functions best as a bench 2 guard. Lonnie is there now and he's nowhere near the defender, so maybe Lonnie can slide to the 3? I don't know.

Feels like we have the next wave of players pushing up on players who we have now - Primo for the 1/2, Joe for Doug's eventual spot, Lonnie if he gets more steady perhaps for Derrick's spot, though he's not done anything to make us think he can dethrone Derrick. Too erratic and unreliable still.

So clearly DJ is THE guy. DJ has stepped up and proven to be the leader of the team, to be the central guy who can be the cog around whom the team naturally organizes itself well, and the guy who can make clutch shots. He's surpassed Derrick, though they work well together at least for now. But Derrick's making himself replaceable with the lack of ball handling and not really being the galvanizing force with the ball. We've waited so long for this tandem to be together, and it may be together for a shorter time than I thought they would be if he doesn't improve these crucial aspects of a guard's game.

DJ's not going anywhere. (At least I'd be shocked if at this point he were moved).

As to our contracts, here's their value:

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[Phreak50]

Thanks for the input guys.

The new year has been busy at my job so I appreciate the commentary and suggestions.

I too am surprised how well DJ has performed this year. I take my hat off to him and admit I was wrong. He has finally proven he can play.

Imagine if he had a decent front court?