SPURS GAME DAY! GAME 29: SPURS VS. JAZZ, 26-12-2023, 7PM (CT)

[G R E Y]

17 points scored with 2:32 left...

[G R E Y]

Good thing I have chocolate.

Dark chocolate.

With hazelnuts.

[G R E Y]

Sidy minutes with around 2 minutes left.

[G R E Y]

We now have Mamu, Julian, Blake, Sidy, and Branham (oof)

[imagump1313]

We stop at the screen, no **** effort to get around it by Julian, and they hit a wide open 3.

SIT ANYONE WHO REFUSES TO FIGHT THROUGH A SCREEN.

Too bad Mamu and Dom aren't getting a chance to play.

Maybe Pop has some genius plan he is working on, but I honestly can't believe what he is letting guys get away with this year that he would have been in other guys asses in the past.

Tony Parker is probably like WTF Pop???

Well Tony came up with a different-expectations team for sure. He was molded into playing up to the level of where others already were.

We are obviously in a different situation. Pop yells at our guys plenty, but there is also a lot to learn.

Just saw a replay and two of our guys got confused as to who was supposed to get on up, who was to sag. Both froze.

Anyway, I really like Keldon coming off the bench (just not the chuckasaurus tendencies).

I would LOVE to see Sidy at the 3.

Sochan has been terrific ; Wemby underwhelming.

Well I really haven't been watching this game like I said. And most coaches will tell you coaching is done in practice, not in the game. This is true.

I never thought I would see the day where a Spurs team's biggest attributes are low BBIQ and lack of effort.

We need to get this ship straightened out pronto if we want to win the NBA Cup this year guys! LETS GOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

[G R E Y]

4TH Q: SPURS 118 JAZZ 130

The twelve-point deficit is a bit deceptive as our 3RD Q woes returned and we doubled down on them in the 4TH, a pattern that is carrying over, maddeningly, regardless of who plays with whom, including the much-called for Tre-Devin-Keldon-Sochan-Wemby lineup.

Some early patterns that we did well but didn't stick to: worked hard on BOTH ends to get a 15-point lead early in the game - good rim protection, quick outlet passes in transition, no over dribbling, and points at the basket the other way.

Then we started settling for outside shots too early in the clock and things turned, never to get it back. Our 15-point lead in the 1ST Q dissipated to 5 points on their late Q run.

WHY we settle for outside shots early in the clock without working to keep passing it around and keep moving off ball is beyond me but it's like those falling elevator nightmares: we know it's coming, we step into the iron cage suspended by cables which has a mind of its own, we push the top button, and just before we get to it, it starts falling.

I really like Keldon coming off the bench even though playing with Tre it was a huge Chuckasaurus Rex situation. He needs to rein that **** in. He drove well enough, but settled for too many 3s without anyone else touching the ball.

He put up 20 shots from the bench lol, though he did lead us with 26 points on 9 makes, 3-7 from 3, and led us with 5-6FTs. He also grabbed 4 boards (2 on O), and 3 assists. He led the bench with 30 minutes (actually second highest on the team after Devin's 34), but was also a bench-low -14. At times he was solid in moving his feet and keep drivers in front of him. At other times his back was turned to drivers down the middle of our key. I don't understand how that is possible on defense. Like I only played girls high school basketball as the highest competitive level, but this was... surely SURELY not the defensive awareness. Surely. It's no wonder why we went with him to the bench.

STILL, Keldon and Tre and Zach on the bench is both a righting of things and shows where our last season's starting group was. Truth be told, each is in the right role.

That's not to say that Julian is a starter-level player, but a bigger 3&D player who does not need the ball in his hands as much is the prototype we need at the 3.

It puts Sochan at the 4 but with much better vision and decisions somehow. Not sure how or why that is, perhaps because of how each guys looks next to one another (meaning with Keldon) but this is the second game in which Sochan has looked much MUCH better, especially on O. He dribbled less, passed ahead in transition sooner, made nice passes to Wemby in the post, found cutters, and made 3s well. Very pleased with his games the last couple of games. Once the court got opened up with Keldon off the bench, suddenly the Sochan-Wemby tandem looked better.

Not sure why at times our 4-5 tandem were both on the perimeter at the arc, but it's likely wrong or broken set plays.

Wemby looked off today, too passive, especially in the second half. Pop said Wemby told him he felt fine but of course he wasn't his assertive, impactful self.

This:

Read on Twitter

And yet still he had 15-7-4, 1 steal, 5 blocks. Crazy.

Sochan kept pushing us the right way, showing flashes of all that he brings. Love it. Another crisp 7-10, 3-4 from 3, 2-2FTs, with 5 boards (2 on O), 3 assists.

Julian was 6-9, 4-6 from 3, 4 boards (1 on O), 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, but game high 5 TOs.

Branham. Jekyll and Hyde. NO points, mistakes on both ends, poor energy, no impact.

Yep:

Read on Twitter

Yep:

Read on Twitter

Hey I just called for that in the Rebuild thread! Yep:

Read on Twitter

In addition to Keldon coming off the bench, I also like that Pop staggered Devin and Wemby some, so that each was on the floor more of the game.

Devin absolutely has to drive more. He was better with deflections in passing lanes on D, but settled for too many 3s (yes he made 5-10, but there were a lot of shots that were ill-advised given the time and place in the game).

Keldon will have to settle in more as he was tunnel visioning his way to taking shots away from others. Zach was only 3-6 (with 4 boards, 4 assists, 2 blocks), Doug and Cedi combined for only 0-4. We need to spread that around better.

Tre played 27 minutes but was 3-7, 0-1 from 3, 0-1FT, with, get this, team high 3 O boards (4 in total), team high 7 assists, and 2 steals. Good energy and drives, dishes.

Pop paired him with Blake who absolutely provided the energy we needed. Branham is the more overall polished player but this is a good example of losing PT to the player doing more of the right things, starting with hustle. Good on Blake to take the Austin minutes and put on a god showing with the big club.

Mamu is a bit tunnel vision with his limited minutes. Ball tends to stick with him. Takes initiative, but has to make more of the right plays. Dom was in a Leafs jersey lol

Hoping to see more of Sidy as we progress this season.

We allowed too many 3s. We allowed far FAR too many second chance points - we were 25-10 against in them, and there's the ball game. Well you could also point to 20-22FTs for them to 14-21FTs by us as well. Or point to their catching us oin 3s made with far too many open ones allowed, especially from the corners.

But we stopped playing the way that got us points and stops, and the guys who were taking early clock longer shots were guys who we rely on to set the tone, Devin and Keldon, with Branham **** the bed on both ends.

When you score 118 it is deceptive because we were chasing them most of the game. Our 3RD Q woes need adjusting, namely starting the second half with more energy and purpose and doing so again in the 4TH Q. Boxing out is not a mystery but it is awareness and effort. We got better Sochan-Wemby synergy even if it can be better (like passes over the top rather than low bounce passes).

The issues we have are more team wide and Sochan - Wemby are emerging as our more well rounded two-way players through it.

Sort of rambling my way through this one, but I'm glad that post-game Pop said he's going to have to make changes if the consistency from some guys continues. Good. Next step after guys getting LOTS of room to make choices. Now it's time for consequences.

[G R E Y]

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube