SPURS GAME DAY! GAME 25: SPURS VS. PELICANS, 17-12-2023, 2:30PM (CT)

Post #61 » by **G R E Y** » Sun Dec 17, 2023 10:36 pm

We have Graham, Devin, Julian, Keldon, Wemby in. Shooters and spacing.

imagump1313 · Post #62 » by **imagump1313** » Sun Dec 17, 2023 11:00 pm

My bad.....

I go out to get some wings and return to be down by 36 :nonono:

Post #63 » by **G R E Y** » Mon Dec 18, 2023 12:34 am

4TH Q: SPURS 110 PELICANS 146

We know what it's like to pour in the 3s because we just did it. And the result is predictable when we're on the receiving end of 22 3s on over 50% from the arc. We also put up 42 attempts from the arc but made... 15.

Stops at the arc, not just from contesting but from running back on D with more energy to try and prevent passes and get more deflections and play tougher more physical man D have to be better. We banked on this opponent to shoot to their average which is 35.6% on 30.5 attempts per game. We banked on them regressing to the mean in the second half. Instead they hit a rhythm early and often and put up 12 more than they normally do, and made twice what they average.

We didn't match them at the arc in efficiency, didn't get enough PITP, down 56-46, and got caught by a pace we should have had, giving up 13-2 fast break points.

We faced yet another team over .500, one with set plays they run automatically. You can see their reps and chemistry unfolding. You also see what we wanted to run but be it personnel on the initiation or on the end part of a play we had it either late or backwards. Tre, for instance, was parked in the corner getting 3s passes from Cedi rather than the other way around. Ball handlers brought it up to the strong side where two other Spurs already were along the sidelines, cluttering the space all the more. Sochan bringing up the ball and taking too long to give it up (again), picking up his dribble too early in the non-paint 2s area with no one around him, or driving into a too congested paint before picking up his dribble, or over-dribbling to a guy already ahead of him out on the sides before HANDING IT OFF to him rather than making the pass ahead so as to beat the defense. It's **** mind boggling. He likes the ball in his hands. Like with Keldon when he had this habit earlier in his career, the ball sticks too much for too long in his hands. It's not why we lost, but it's a glaring aspect to his game that in games like tonight, his D does not offset the elementary O. He was 1-7 overall, of which it was 1-5 in the paint, of which it was 1-4 in the restricted paint. Why he tries to post up their C in the restricted paint with that sideways squat only to get blocked is mystifying. Youthful decisions and mistakes, but he was much better off ball last season. He has to peel it back to the simplest of fundamentals - defense, run the court, make the extra pass, move off ball to open spaces to finish at the rim. Glass fundamentals have to be better as well.

But he's not the only one making bad decisions today. I did like that we had our top trio taking the most shots, as it should be, but Keldon taking 18 while Wemby took 13 (same as Devin) is suboptimal. He missed all four 3s attempts so he was 6-12 everywhere else. At least he recognized these chances and took them. His shot chart was only arc and deep paint attempts, his best type of game. But 5TOs to 3 assists needs work, though he got a team high 5 steals. He also led us with 4 O boards (8 total) which itself is credit to him but also a bit damning for our bigs. Sochan was poor positionally in not boxing out, like our bigs were in general for most of the night. Wemby always has the height advantage but hes not muscling anyone out of the paint. Zach got bodied around, so guys who have more bulk have to get into better angles and with more physicality. Yes, this is a general statement, and I know we faced a behemoth of a front court. Still, we need to show more of these fundamentals, like we are actually trying to box out.

We got badly beaten on the boards, 52-39 including 12-9 on O boards. It's a function of our missing so many shots (40-92 overall), but it also made for plenty of boards practice. We rank 21st in total boards at 43.3 per game, of which 10.1 are on O (good for 24th). Our opponent is 12th at 44.4 rebounds per game, of which 11 are O boards. The discrepancy in ranking, then, is wider than actual numbers indicate - only one rebound on each end accounts for it - but in this game the discrepancy was far more pronounced and point to the eye test agreeing that our fundamentals of bodying up, better positioning and angles have to have more attention.

Wemby and Devin's shot selections needed work in this game. Both shot nearly half their shots from the arc and we needed more shot creation inside from both. A game after Devin led us with a spirited three-level scoring effort, he was 5-13, 3-7 from 3, only 0-1FT, only 2 rebounds, only 3 assists.

Wemby was 6-13, 2-6 from 3, 3-4FTs, but was stellar with 13 boards (1 on O), 4 assists (tied for starter high with Sochan), 1 steal, 4 blocks to 3TOs. Settling for outside shots is a habit that he needs to get out of. He assesses quickly enough which is good, but takes the jumper or the 3 either to early in the clock or doesn't pass out or doesn't work to take his man (usually a big now) off the dribble. Part of it must be the physicality he is facing. Getting hacked by a big stings differently than by a F or G. If he can a baby hook from a quick post up, it will be a great addition to his game. I don't recall many (or any) of these types of shots, and it's an automatic bucket with a chance at FTs once he gets it going. Post up, quick big step spin into the paint, hook or pass out after drawing the D in.

Speaking of passing out, Wemby has a tendency to make these weak one handers back to the perimeter where he is facing. It is not only not hard enough of a pass, it is telegraphed so defenses anticipate and pick these off too easily. Like when he spins into the key from post ups, he has to keep the ball up high and scan with more patience to see the team mates on the weak side that are open, and to prevent swiping hands from steals as he goes into his move.

Branham did his job, such as it is. Scored 4-8, didn't chuck bad shots, took his time with running the open floor, faking and creating space, stepping in for open Js, had a diverse shot chart with 3s, non-paint J, paint shot, and restricted paint drives. Had 2 boards and 2 assists. Played within himself, more poised and patient.

Zach is more suited to the backup C and the results since putting Wemby at the starting 5 attest to it. But his getting only 3FGAs needs addressing, as does our back up PF position. Mamu will hopefully get more minutes as he's smart and big and mobile who can do a bit of everything. Maybe we can call up Dom at some point. I forget the number of games a two-way contract can play with the big club but he's balling in Austin. Sidy, too. Can't wait for his vision and passing touch and hard finishing at the rim to be brought over to the big club.

In the meantime, Cedi once again was a pro's pro. I know he's an upcoming UFA, but I hope we retain him. He does what we need from Doug but can facilitate more, is bigger, younger, and drives and defends more. His contract is half of Doug's. He finished with 14 on 5-7, 1-2 from 3, bench high 3-4FTs, and 3 boards in 17 minutes.

Doug played 15 minutes, scored 2-7, 1-5 from 3, 2-2FTs, 2 boards (1 on O), 1 assist, with a bench high -26. So once again, when he's not clicking on O, he's super exploitable on D. He's in the right position enough, hands up on contests, but tentative in terms of hard contests, in terms of too much space given up on shots, in terms of bad help D down low or getting beaten on drives and missing switches.

This brings us to Julian. After several scoreless games, he led the bench in pressureless 5-6 from 3 for 15 points in 14 minutes. I'm all for switching out his minutes with Doug's earlier in the rotation alongside Cedi et al.

Tre led the team with 5 assists in 16 back-from-illness minutes. He shot only 2-5, 0-2 from 3. He does what other guards should which is drive to collapse defenses and get them moving or putting them on their heels to open up chances for others. Sochan tries when he gets into the heart of the paint but then picks up his dribble, turns around, and looks for team mates to pass to, missing critical quickness that defenses then have time to better adjust to. We needed more of this from Devin tonight.

Graham looked better in his limited 6 minutes, dishing first out to open team mates in the corners, and spacing the floor at the arc and taking 3s from passes back out. Seven points on 2-3 from 3, 1-2FTs, 2 assists. No question we look better with a proper PG out there, and need one, and should use him more, even if we go for PG-by-committee for however long - and I hope Sidy gets a look here at some point.

Only 13TOs is an improvement and we were a modest +4 in the category. But they had 11 steals so almost all of our TOs came from opponent D pressure or better positioning and that combined with our telegraphed passes lacking fundamentals (one-handers, ball too low in the knees area that got picked off, not biting on pump fakes in the paint, better help D, etc.) It affected, in part, our 5 fewer FGAs, but then again, our opponent also had 13TOs so our slowed pace didn't do us any favours.

Too deliberate, not aggressive enough, not physical enough, not enough fundamentals (boxing out, quicker outlet passes - which we were doing better at the beginning of the season, go figure, contesting passing lanes and 3s attempts), and not enough energy throughout. We were far to easy to play against, even though we faced a team that has stars at various positions and has its sets established. We know we can play better and harder because we've shown it, including among other above. 500 teams we've played. Tip of the hat to a team that made so many 3s. Some nights there's not much you can do, but there's also much within our control that we can do better.