SPURS GAME DAY! GAME 8: SPURS AT KNICKS, 8-11-2023, 6:30PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

Why are we going UNDER screen on their 3s? WHY?

[G R E Y]

FINALLY great D to O transition again.

[G R E Y]

Sochan GET ON UP INTO THE 3S SHOOTER!

[G R E Y]

2ND Q: SPURS 51 KNICKS 65

Signs of life. We scored a much welcomed 35 points, a 19-point improvement, and 'held', sort of, our opponent to 32, only one point fewer than their 1ST Q.

Still, chipping away with 5 made 3s this Q. We are still down -12 from the arc (courtesy mostly from the 1ST Q damage) but making sure we fight to go over screens rather than give up space under them should help.

Some better rotations and switches for perimeter contests and especially for help D down low.

Some good pushes in D to O transition.

But we must be careful about rebounding - BOXING OUT - and giving up second chance points. We are down 25-20 overall and 8-4 on O boards.

Looks like refs are letting both teams play, and that's not to our advantage as we are getting outmuscled too much. They only have 6-9FTs but we only have 2-3FTs.

While we have only 8TOs, we have forced only 2, 1 steal for us on them.

We may not have the advantage in brawn, but physicality is also about effort and mentality.

Sochan showed some grit, leading us with 10 on 4-6, 2-2 from 3, 4 boards, 3 assists, 0 TOs. Strong half for him even if he's in the nascent stages of his new position.

Wemby's struggling, as is Keldon. Tough when two starters that are high scorers don't make a shot, but we're putting something together. Hopefully it clicks and we get rolling with some made open shots. We're creating decent ones, but more forward momentum and mentality will help.

[G R E Y]

We start the second half with a miss, a TO, an O board given up, and a 3 against. Like the **** vegetable soup of bad responses.

[G R E Y]

17-4 against to start the 3RD Q. Brilliant.

[G R E Y]

We have SIX POINTS at the half way mark of the 3RD Q.

SIX. POINTS.

[G R E Y]

3RD Q: SPURS 72 KNICKS 99

BREAKING! Our 3s shooting.

We're 6-27, down TWENTY-SEVEN points at the arc.

We've closed the gap with rebounding (down 36-32, 10-8 on O).

Wemby nightmare game, Devin not playing in the 3RD Q, but 3S 3S 3S both ways are the bane of our confidence.

[G R E Y]

Oh LOOK ANOTHER O board dunk against with two Spurs - Doug and Sochan - right in the deep paint.

[G R E Y]

Bringing it closer... then missed layups, missed FTs...

[G R E Y]

Late late LATE rotations!!! Open 3...

[G R E Y]

We chip away the deficit to 14 at 4:23, then in a minute and a half it balloons up to 21 again. Like...

[G R E Y]

4TH Q: SPURS 105 KNICKS 126

Rough night. We won two Qs but they felt like gimmes after a big deficit was simply cut into. And the two we lost, we did so by double digits, a double slay of giving up points to a team having a hot shooting night and not being able to make shots, when we weren't missing FTs and bunnies and They could afford to give up some points; we couldn't, and the combination of physicality and 3s did us in.

We were once again on the receiving end of over 40 3s spammed (42 to be exact). And though we did better with putting up 34, we were -30 in the 19-9 against in made 3s. That's pretty much the game right there.

That's the book on us - get physical (hey, refs can't call everything, right?), and get 3s shooting. We're going under screens to try and combat physicality with speed and it's not working. We're late for rotations and get there after the pass is made and then stop running out, follow the ball first with the eyes then the feet too slow to follow. It's understanding and effort. Brains and legs too slow.

It didn't help that Wemby had a super off night (physicality on him was a factor, but just off nights happen) but he still finished with 14 (4-14, 0-4 from 3), team high 6-6FTs, team high 9 boards (team high 4 on O), 2 assists, 1 block, but 3TOs. He'll adjust, I'm sure.

And we'll have to do better around him.

Obviously the point-Sochan experiment is hard to watch right now, and that's saying it after he led us with 16 on solid 7-12, 2-4 from 3, 6 boards, 5 assists, 0TOs. It's a slog on O. We're executing like paint-by-numbers, and it looks very mechanical and too deliberate and so tentative. It'll look that way until it doesn't with more reps. Until that time, we have to get some better **** you spirit. It's tough being the youngest team, tough being without Devin for a bit, tough learning each other on the fly, and nobody gives a ****. Opponents WANT us to play lacking confidence, to get on our heels with physicality, to get worn down with spammed 3s.

Pace was another factor - we put up 10 fewer shots (100-90) and when on our heels too much we ended up fouling rather than making it a defensive grind. We had 22 PFs to their 14, and put them on the line 22 times, saved somewhat only by their 7 misses. We only got to the FT line 13 times, but still only made 8. They nearly doubled our free points simply by running us into the ground.

TOs - we had a respectable 13, but we gave up 19 points on them. We only forced 3 the other way so making the most of them with 6 points only left a smaller deficit. We can't expect to give up a shooting practice without concessions and not have teams get into rhythm. Hoping for misses is not a winning strategy. Neither is hoping for a hot shooting night. We tend to move and slash and cut and run with far more verve when the shots are falling (who doesn't?) but when they're not, we're still learning how to get stops, how to lock down defensively, how to be aggressive and stop the clock, run back on D to prevent easy scoring.

Confidence and scoring looking to be hand in hand, when it should be confidence flowing from compete level. We look like we're not sure of our sets on both ends, look like we're fearful of making mistakes and embarrassing ourselves yet these are just the results we're getting.

You have to know what you're doing to do it well (it's one thing to miss a good to great shot; another to take and miss poorly set up ones) so confidence or lack of it right now comes from being in the growing pains stages. Part of that growth, too, is maintaining compete level when things get hard, and we've frankly rolled over too much too early and too often.

If we think Pop will somehow give in and concede that the point-forward experiment should be scrapped we're in for a long bumpy ride. The sooner our guys accept and work together, the sooner we'll make a turn.

We had 31 assists, 7-0 in blocks (they frankly didn't need any), and we caught them in the rebounding department (also has to do with the game being all but decided long before it ended), but shooting 48.9%FGs on fewer FGAs and 28.5% from 3 on fewer attempts AND only 61.5%FTs on fewer attempts still makes for a tough night that pressures a defense to be near perfect and we were far from it.

Individually, Zach had a solid night again, led us with 3 blocks, and put up efficient 11-7-3. We haven't seen as much piss and vinegar from him. He sort of goes about his business, making the most of his chances, steady, reliable, which is what we need, even if it doesn't stand out with neon lights.

Branham has had two decent games filing in for Devin as starter, making 6-9, 1-1 from 3, played within himself but was a pure scorer, hardly any stats anywhere else.

Doug was Doug (4-9, 3-8 from 3); Tre was Tre (6-11, 0-2 from 3, 1 board, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block. *This* is the benefit of Tre coming off the bench - he does very well versus his counterparts while still getting minutes with starters (led the bench with 25MP, matching Zach's, one more than Branham's). Once we get Devin back and Branham returns to the bench, we hope the bench back court gets cooking.

Guess who led us with assists? Keldon. Eight. He struggled scoring and was 4-9, 1-4 from 3, and uncharacteristic 0-2FTs (low number of total FGA chances for him) but when he's not the main scoring option and the target of primary defenders, he contributes in other ways, with 7 boards as well. Late rotations and contests, though, goodness... Still, credit where it's due and he's filling in in several ways.

Bassey looked solid once again in limited minutes. Wish Mamu could get a bit more burn in these types of situations, but the pecking order's been set unless or until someone forces Pop's hand with elevated play.

Feels like guys are locking in to do their best in their roles, but collectively it hasn't meshed as well yet. Needs more time, more reps, more learning of one another's tendencies. It's one thing to do it against one another, quite another against a different opponent every game. We were all kinds of confident coming into the season what with all the summer reps we had together, and now we see why they were necessary. To think where we'd be without them.

Efficiency cures a lot of ills, and we're bound to turn the wheel of fortune there. We just have to make sure we're competing on both ends and changing bad patterns into good ones in the meantime - boxing out, rotating and contesting faster and harder, protecting the ball. Every play counts feels like it at times hampers us (mistakes can weigh heavily) but every play counts has to be the mantra that gets us going. Onward.

[G R E Y]

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[imagump1313]

4TH Q: SPURS 105 KNICKS 126

Rough night. We won two Qs but they felt like gimmes after a big deficit was simply cut into. And the two we lost, we did so by double digits, a double slay of giving up points to a team having a hot shooting night and not being able to make shots, when we weren't missing FTs and bunnies and They could afford to give up some points; we couldn't, and the combination of physicality and 3s did us in.

We were once again on the receiving end of over 40 3s spammed (42 to be exact). And though we did better with putting up 34, we were -30 in the 19-9 against in made 3s. That's pretty much the game right there.

That's the book on us - get physical (hey, refs can't call everything, right?), and get 3s shooting. We're going under screens to try and combat physicality with speed and it's not working. We're late for rotations and get there after the pass is made and then stop running out, follow the ball first with the eyes then the feet too slow to follow. It's understanding and effort. Brains and legs too slow.

It didn't help that Wemby had a super off night (physicality on him was a factor, but just off nights happen) but he still finished with 14 (4-14, 0-4 from 3), team high 6-6FTs, team high 9 boards (team high 4 on O), 2 assists, 1 block, but 3TOs. He'll adjust, I'm sure.

And we'll have to do better around him.

Obviously the point-Sochan experiment is hard to watch right now, and that's saying it after he led us with 16 on solid 7-12, 2-4 from 3, 6 boards, 5 assists, 0TOs. It's a slog on O. We're executing like paint-by-numbers, and it looks very mechanical and too deliberate and so tentative. It'll look that way until it doesn't with more reps. Until that time, we have to get some better **** you spirit. It's tough being the youngest team, tough being without Devin for a bit, tough learning each other on the fly, and nobody gives a ****. Opponents WANT us to play lacking confidence, to get on our heels with physicality, to get worn down with spammed 3s.

Pace was another factor - we put up 10 fewer shots (100-90) and when on our heels too much we ended up fouling rather than making it a defensive grind. We had 22 PFs to their 14, and put them on the line 22 times, saved somewhat only by their 7 misses. We only got to the FT line 13 times, but still only made 8. They nearly doubled our free points simply by running us into the ground.

TOs - we had a respectable 13, but we gave up 19 points on them. We only forced 3 the other way so making the most of them with 6 points only left a smaller deficit. We can't expect to give up a shooting practice without concessions and not have teams get into rhythm. Hoping for misses is not a winning strategy. Neither is hoping for a hot shooting night. We tend to move and slash and cut and run with far more verve when the shots are falling (who doesn't?) but when they're not, we're still learning how to get stops, how to lock down defensively, how to be aggressive and stop the clock, run back on D to prevent easy scoring.

Confidence and scoring looking to be hand in hand, when it should be confidence flowing from compete level. We look like we're not sure of our sets on both ends, look like we're fearful of making mistakes and embarrassing ourselves yet these are just the results we're getting.

You have to know what you're doing to do it well (it's one thing to miss a good to great shot; another to take and miss poorly set up ones) so confidence or lack of it right now comes from being in the growing pains stages. Part of that growth, too, is maintaining compete level when things get hard, and we've frankly rolled over too much too early and too often.

If we think Pop will somehow give in and concede that the point-forward experiment should be scrapped we're in for a long bumpy ride. The sooner our guys accept and work together, the sooner we'll make a turn.

We had 31 assists, 7-0 in blocks (they frankly didn't need any), and we caught them in the rebounding department (also has to do with the game being all but decided long before it ended), but shooting 48.9%FGs on fewer FGAs and 28.5% from 3 on fewer attempts AND only 61.5%FTs on fewer attempts still makes for a tough night that pressures a defense to be near perfect and we were far from it.

Individually, Zach had a solid night again, led us with 3 blocks, and put up efficient 11-7-3. We haven't seen as much piss and vinegar from him. He sort of goes about his business, making the most of his chances, steady, reliable, which is what we need, even if it doesn't stand out with neon lights.

Branham has had two decent games filing in for Devin as starter, making 6-9, 1-1 from 3, played within himself but was a pure scorer, hardly any stats anywhere else.

Doug was Doug (4-9, 3-8 from 3); Tre was Tre (6-11, 0-2 from 3, 1 board, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block. *This* is the benefit of Tre coming off the bench - he does very well versus his counterparts while still getting minutes with starters (led the bench with 25MP, matching Zach's, one more than Branham's). Once we get Devin back and Branham returns to the bench, we hope the bench back court gets cooking.

Guess who led us with assists? Keldon. Eight. He struggled scoring and was 4-9, 1-4 from 3, and uncharacteristic 0-2FTs (low number of total FGA chances for him) but when he's not the main scoring option and the target of primary defenders, he contributes in other ways, with 7 boards as well. Late rotations and contests, though, goodness... Still, credit where it's due and he's filling in in several ways.

Bassey looked solid once again in limited minutes. Wish Mamu could get a bit more burn in these types of situations, but the pecking order's been set unless or until someone forces Pop's hand with elevated play.

Feels like guys are locking in to do their best in their roles, but collectively it hasn't meshed as well yet. Needs more time, more reps, more learning of one another's tendencies. It's one thing to do it against one another, quite another against a different opponent every game. We were all kinds of confident coming into the season what with all the summer reps we had together, and now we see why they were necessary. To think where we'd be without them.

Efficiency cures a lot of ills, and we're bound to turn the wheel of fortune there. We just have to make sure we're competing on both ends and changing bad patterns into good ones in the meantime - boxing out, rotating and contesting faster and harder, protecting the ball. Every play counts feels like it at times hampers us (mistakes can weigh heavily) but every play counts has to be the mantra that gets us going. Onward.

I had to stop watching again and find something better to do.

I know its early but besides Vassel and Johnson who are about the same as they were last year, Collins is the only guy I see that has improved at all over last year. Its like the rest of us have fallen off a cliff.

Last year we were soo excited for Branham and Wesley and while they struggled at times they both showed they could be useful NBA players. We've gone from that to now I cringe whenever one of them enters the game.

Again I know its early. I understand the point thing is going to be slow with Sochan but its coming at the cost of everything else he did well last year. Defense, rebounding, rim protection and aggressiveness isn't nearly what it was last year with him. He is totally confused but we are going to have to live with that until he figures it out.

I like that Jones isn't as afraid to shoot outside anymore but there is a fine line between taking a good shot within the offense and just chucking up bricks at the wrong time.

Bassey, Champaigne and Mamu have leveled off into Austin Spurs where they belong. I cant say it wasnt expected but I am still disappointed that they are not contributing much at all.

One thing I am happy about is that we are not wasting minutes on Graham. I don't hate the guy(just his game) but we need to find out about these kids so we can make proper decisions.

Just playing along side Wemby should make things much easier for everyone, regardless of what Wemby is doing but somehow its now having that effect as of yet.

One more time, I know its early. NBA Basketball in November is nothing like NBA basketball in March/April so I'll continue to just observe. And cringe

[Fundamentals21]

We faced a playoff type team and pretty much dropped the ball. Season's still early and Wemby can figure a lot of things out.Our guys don't look terrible overall IMO. Time will tell how our season goes.

[G R E Y]

4TH Q: SPURS 105 KNICKS 126

Rough night. We won two Qs but they felt like gimmes after a big deficit was simply cut into. And the two we lost, we did so by double digits, a double slay of giving up points to a team having a hot shooting night and not being able to make shots, when we weren't missing FTs and bunnies and They could afford to give up some points; we couldn't, and the combination of physicality and 3s did us in.

We were once again on the receiving end of over 40 3s spammed (42 to be exact). And though we did better with putting up 34, we were -30 in the 19-9 against in made 3s. That's pretty much the game right there.

That's the book on us - get physical (hey, refs can't call everything, right?), and get 3s shooting. We're going under screens to try and combat physicality with speed and it's not working. We're late for rotations and get there after the pass is made and then stop running out, follow the ball first with the eyes then the feet too slow to follow. It's understanding and effort. Brains and legs too slow.

It didn't help that Wemby had a super off night (physicality on him was a factor, but just off nights happen) but he still finished with 14 (4-14, 0-4 from 3), team high 6-6FTs, team high 9 boards (team high 4 on O), 2 assists, 1 block, but 3TOs. He'll adjust, I'm sure.

And we'll have to do better around him.

Obviously the point-Sochan experiment is hard to watch right now, and that's saying it after he led us with 16 on solid 7-12, 2-4 from 3, 6 boards, 5 assists, 0TOs. It's a slog on O. We're executing like paint-by-numbers, and it looks very mechanical and too deliberate and so tentative. It'll look that way until it doesn't with more reps. Until that time, we have to get some better **** you spirit. It's tough being the youngest team, tough being without Devin for a bit, tough learning each other on the fly, and nobody gives a ****. Opponents WANT us to play lacking confidence, to get on our heels with physicality, to get worn down with spammed 3s.

Pace was another factor - we put up 10 fewer shots (100-90) and when on our heels too much we ended up fouling rather than making it a defensive grind. We had 22 PFs to their 14, and put them on the line 22 times, saved somewhat only by their 7 misses. We only got to the FT line 13 times, but still only made 8. They nearly doubled our free points simply by running us into the ground.

TOs - we had a respectable 13, but we gave up 19 points on them. We only forced 3 the other way so making the most of them with 6 points only left a smaller deficit. We can't expect to give up a shooting practice without concessions and not have teams get into rhythm. Hoping for misses is not a winning strategy. Neither is hoping for a hot shooting night. We tend to move and slash and cut and run with far more verve when the shots are falling (who doesn't?) but when they're not, we're still learning how to get stops, how to lock down defensively, how to be aggressive and stop the clock, run back on D to prevent easy scoring.

Confidence and scoring looking to be hand in hand, when it should be confidence flowing from compete level. We look like we're not sure of our sets on both ends, look like we're fearful of making mistakes and embarrassing ourselves yet these are just the results we're getting.

You have to know what you're doing to do it well (it's one thing to miss a good to great shot; another to take and miss poorly set up ones) so confidence or lack of it right now comes from being in the growing pains stages. Part of that growth, too, is maintaining compete level when things get hard, and we've frankly rolled over too much too early and too often.

If we think Pop will somehow give in and concede that the point-forward experiment should be scrapped we're in for a long bumpy ride. The sooner our guys accept and work together, the sooner we'll make a turn.

We had 31 assists, 7-0 in blocks (they frankly didn't need any), and we caught them in the rebounding department (also has to do with the game being all but decided long before it ended), but shooting 48.9%FGs on fewer FGAs and 28.5% from 3 on fewer attempts AND only 61.5%FTs on fewer attempts still makes for a tough night that pressures a defense to be near perfect and we were far from it.

Individually, Zach had a solid night again, led us with 3 blocks, and put up efficient 11-7-3. We haven't seen as much piss and vinegar from him. He sort of goes about his business, making the most of his chances, steady, reliable, which is what we need, even if it doesn't stand out with neon lights.

Branham has had two decent games filing in for Devin as starter, making 6-9, 1-1 from 3, played within himself but was a pure scorer, hardly any stats anywhere else.

Doug was Doug (4-9, 3-8 from 3); Tre was Tre (6-11, 0-2 from 3, 1 board, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block. *This* is the benefit of Tre coming off the bench - he does very well versus his counterparts while still getting minutes with starters (led the bench with 25MP, matching Zach's, one more than Branham's). Once we get Devin back and Branham returns to the bench, we hope the bench back court gets cooking.

Guess who led us with assists? Keldon. Eight. He struggled scoring and was 4-9, 1-4 from 3, and uncharacteristic 0-2FTs (low number of total FGA chances for him) but when he's not the main scoring option and the target of primary defenders, he contributes in other ways, with 7 boards as well. Late rotations and contests, though, goodness... Still, credit where it's due and he's filling in in several ways.

Bassey looked solid once again in limited minutes. Wish Mamu could get a bit more burn in these types of situations, but the pecking order's been set unless or until someone forces Pop's hand with elevated play.

Feels like guys are locking in to do their best in their roles, but collectively it hasn't meshed as well yet. Needs more time, more reps, more learning of one another's tendencies. It's one thing to do it against one another, quite another against a different opponent every game. We were all kinds of confident coming into the season what with all the summer reps we had together, and now we see why they were necessary. To think where we'd be without them.

Efficiency cures a lot of ills, and we're bound to turn the wheel of fortune there. We just have to make sure we're competing on both ends and changing bad patterns into good ones in the meantime - boxing out, rotating and contesting faster and harder, protecting the ball. Every play counts feels like it at times hampers us (mistakes can weigh heavily) but every play counts has to be the mantra that gets us going. Onward.

I had to stop watching again and find something better to do.

I know its early but besides Vassel and Johnson who are about the same as they were last year, Collins is the only guy I see that has improved at all over last year. Its like the rest of us have fallen off a cliff.

Last year we were soo excited for Branham and Wesley and while they struggled at times they both showed they could be useful NBA players. We've gone from that to now I cringe whenever one of them enters the game.

Again I know its early. I understand the point thing is going to be slow with Sochan but its coming at the cost of everything else he did well last year. Defense, rebounding, rim protection and aggressiveness isn't nearly what it was last year with him. He is totally confused but we are going to have to live with that until he figures it out.

I like that Jones isn't as afraid to shoot outside anymore but there is a fine line between taking a good shot within the offense and just chucking up bricks at the wrong time.

Bassey, Champaigne and Mamu have leveled off into Austin Spurs where they belong. I cant say it wasnt expected but I am still disappointed that they are not contributing much at all.

One thing I am happy about is that we are not wasting minutes on Graham. I don't hate the guy(just his game) but we need to find out about these kids so we can make proper decisions.

Just playing along side Wemby should make things much easier for everyone, regardless of what Wemby is doing but somehow its now having that effect as of yet.

One more time, I know its early. NBA Basketball in November is nothing like NBA basketball in March/April so I'll continue to just observe. And cringe

Thanks yeah can't say I blame you. It's a funny part of a young team. Some nights we look actually cohesive and clicking and good (Suns), others like we are playing together for the first time (Pacers) and others still (Knicks) some combo of both.

To think we actually cut it to 14 by half and then started abysmally in the 3RD to then cut it to 14 in the 4TH only to just get rolled in like a minute and a half encapsulates our season this far: inconsistent level of play on both ends, too many 3s allowed, poor rebounding, with flashes of terrific individual and team play (D to O transition, movement when it's there).

I think Devin has taken a step up in finishing creativity; Keldon has in breadth of contributions now that he's not the main defensive focus (passing and rebounding are up); Bassey is more efficient and reliable with an added floater (he hit 3s in Austin. Maybe that's next).

Tre is Tre and he's looking for his own shot more but yeah he's not a threat unless or u til he proves it. Agree that shot selection has been questionable.

It's interesting that after a season of him starting, and of Blake in the fold, and of Graham our most seasoned PG, we went the Sochan route when we could have conceivably traded for a high caliber PG.

Branham is a pure scorer and curls over screens and gets to his spots well. He's what we maybe thought LWIV would be. It's rare to get more 5hwn scoring out of him though.

Blake barely plays and when he does he looks about the same which is why he barely plays.

Julian regressed badly. There's slump like Zach was in from 3 and then there's 'was the last 20 games of the season a fluke '. He's missing nearly everything and badly.

Agree about tentativeness with Sochan. I'm not going to check his numbers until like a quarter of the season intervals. His handles are not great, legs looks like they lost some bounce, and plays like he doesn't want to make a mistake rather than the more aggressive wanton abandon he had last season. But he's a year in college player, a utility PF with nice court vision, and now learning a new position on the fly going up against starters.

Ours 3s D is poor because our perimeter man D is both a sieve and slow. Going under screens, two guys covering one man (wrong switch), too many guys in the paint on a driver leading to easy kick outs and late rotations for 3s contests. We're chasing the ball a step or three behind which is why Pop has them in zone at times.

But all it takes is that one guy on D. And from among Wemby, Zach, Keldon, Devin, and Sochan, who do you think it is? Sochan is slower on the perimeter but he's smart and big and chases guys down. It's not him mostly. I hate to pick on the guy because our spirit animal but all it takes is that one guy to get beaten on a drive or miscue a coverage and everyone else has to scramble to cover.

It's also not just on that one particular guy, just that it only takes one guy's break down. It's why some guys get isolated on.

Like last season, it's an audition of who works best with the team and around Wemby, whose BBIQ we can rely on, whose intangibles or star in their role is a must have...

Unlike last season, we have better talent and experience.
At least individually. It's going to take some time to gel together given all the new factors now.

I'd love it if we could play more like in the second Suns game more consistently. I'm sure the team does, too. The mental approach when the shots are not falling is a crucial step. It's still something our youngest team in the league needs to improve. D first, D out. But those that can't hang defensively are gone sooner than later.

[G R E Y]

We faced a playoff type team and pretty much dropped the ball. Season's still early and Wemby can figure a lot of things out.Our guys don't look terrible overall IMO. Time will tell how our season goes.

Yeah physicality wears us down quickly and puts us on our heels literally and mentally. It's something we have to find and hone, that extra FU gear. This was a big team, played big, and then crushed us from the arc. Some opponents are a bad match up with how they play. So far, it's really been the 3s for / against that have really been the main factor. They shouldn't affect how hard we drive to get more FTs or how we box out, but here we are.

I agree that we have looked like a fun team more this season even with familiar patterns creeping in that we have to improve.

I have hope that we will put it together sooner than expected, even if the start of the season is topsy turvy, reflecting our growing pains. But we grow together.

Games or plays get magnified and tend to be taken as emblematic of a player or who we are as a team but really they are more points in a growth curve continuum. It's not always linear, sometimes we circle back with mistakes, but I agree it's more of a forward motion so far.