***********2023-2024 San Antonio Spurs Thread********************

178,141 Views | 3299 Replies | Last: 16 hrs ago by Guitarsoup
Guitarsoup
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Rec said:

Not looking too good
The Twin Towers will turn it around. Can't stop Mamu+Collins.
Guitarsoup
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Guitarsoup said:

Rec said:

Not looking too good
The Twin Towers will turn it around. Can't stop Mamu+Collins.
MAMU+Collins+Graham are +24 since this post.
Rec
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10 point lead at halftime
Rec
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Guitarsoup did you design the "we go to 12" Aggie t shirt?
Rec
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Pretty good game after all.. 2 OT. Still here
Average Joe
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We forgot how to pass in OT 2.
jteagle
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Tough loss.
Young guys played well until 2nd OT.
Victor had 33 pts 18 rebounds and 7 blocks
Guitarsoup
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Rec said:

Guitarsoup did you design the "we go to 12" Aggie t shirt?


Haven't seen it
West Texan
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jteagle
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Another incredible Victor stat. He now has 100 blocks in the last 24 games. Crazy!
He is now 3.6 bpg. The next closest is 2.4
Guitarsoup
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Enzo The Baker
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Mamu was +17 last night. The only positive +/- for the team.
jteagle
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Enzo The Baker said:

Mamu was +17 last night. The only positive +/- for the team.

I would've liked to see him in OT instead of Graham but oh well.
Sher Thing
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Enzo The Baker
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Ag Natural said:

Guitarsoup said:

Ag Natural said:

Enzo The Baker said:

Yea I think that's right. Those are the three that I can see on this team long term as of today.


Almost every guy who's had some playing time has shown at least flashes of good play. I dont think the strategy is going to be to trade out all these developing guys for different developing guys. It take several years for most players to become who they are. Just look at DJ and Derick. Both late 1st round picks and now years later are considered real assets on a winning team.
I don't think the Spurs are pushing them out - especially guys on cheap contracts like Branham, Wesley, Bassey, Julian - but they are certainly going to take opportunities to upgrade through draft and free agency. And if you have to include one or more guys to get a playoff rotation guy, it is no big deal.

I think Derrick and DJM are bad examples, because we had a good idea of their value in their second year. DJM was All-Defense 2nd team in his second year. White joined the NBA later, and is one of those guys that has grown every year, but we knew we had a valuable role player early on. In his second year, White was 16th in All-Defense voting. It isn't like we thought those guys were spares and they suddenly grew up one day.

Wesley shows some above average passing and defense, but can't shoot. Branham is hot and cold and awful on defense.


Branham has shown glimpses of being an elite scorer and he's way more athletic than I anticipated. He's going to be a Spur for a while.

The reality is if the Spurs do nothing this offseason they'll be at least .500 next year just based on the clear trajectory of Vic, Vassell, Sochan, Jones, Branham, etc. It would be great if they could hit in the draft as well and possible move some these future picks for someone like a Bridges. I have no clue if that's the plan, but that would be mine.

I thought yesterday was a perfect example of Branham. He puts up 22 points but it's a wash because of his bottom of the league defense and poor decision making on offense. He reminds me of Lonnie Walker on defense but just worse. He just sleep walks on that side of the floor and doesn't get it. Will he improve? Maybe. But I think it's far more likely he is on the Lonnie path than a top 8 rotation player on a contending team path.
Sher Thing
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Ehh Branham is 20 years old and has shown some significant improvement in certain areas. Gotta realize how young some of these kids are still. As far as trying to project his future... that's tough but I do think we have seen enough to not give up on him and assume that at the very least he can be reliable three level scorer in this league. His defense does need a lot of work.
Enzo The Baker
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Sher Thing said:

Ehh Branham is 20 years old and has shown some significant improvement in certain areas. Gotta realize how young some of these kids are still. As far as trying to project his future... that's tough but I do think we have seen enough to not give up on him and assume that at the very least he can be reliable three level scorer in this league. His defense does need a lot of work.

His shooting splits have for sure improved and that's encouraging. But I think his size, iq and effort on the defensive end are just not there. He's going to get continuously hunted and having Victor behind him won't change that. I get that he's young but I also don't see him turning it around on that end. It's not like he's been hidden in the g league for his career and has just been brought up. We have a two year sample size to see him on that end of the floor. And frankly, his body language on that end is just complete crap when he makes mistakes. He doesn't have the mindset/accountability to make him successful on that end.
Ag Natural
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I just don't know how anyone can be so certain about the future of a second year guy who played one year of college. Most young guys struggle to find a niche on one side of the court in the first few years. Then as they mature they can become more complete. Branham and Wesley and Sochan to so extent will get their 3 years to show enough to stay. Next season will be huge for Branham. I personally think he could turn into another version of Malik Monk,and how long did Monk take to become something?
West Texan
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Sher Thing said:




That's a dope logo! The alien in the basketball is freakin sweet!
West Texan
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Ag Natural said:

I just don't know how anyone can be so certain about the future of a second year guy who played one year of college. Most young guys struggle to find a niche on one side of the court in the first few years. Then as they mature they can become more complete. Branham and Wesley and Sochan to so extent will get their 3 years to show enough to stay. Next season will be huge for Branham. I personally think he could turn into another version of Malik Monk,and how long did Monk take to become something?


Monk is way more athletic than Branham.
Enzo The Baker
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Ag Natural said:

I just don't know how anyone can be so certain about the future of a second year guy who played one year of college. Most young guys struggle to find a niche on one side of the court in the first few years. Then as they mature they can become more complete. Branham and Wesley and Sochan to so extent will get their 3 years to show enough to stay. Next season will be huge for Branham. I personally think he could turn into another version of Malik Monk,and how long did Monk take to become something?

You might be right. I'm just saying I am seeing the defensive inadequacies that I saw in Lonnie, but worse. If they change, I'll eat crow. But like I didnt with Lonnie (which I took crap for), I don't see a long term future with Branham on this team, especially when we have a generational player in Victor.
Guitarsoup
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West Texan said:

Sher Thing said:




That's a dope logo! The alien in the basketball is freakin sweet!



Love it

Ag Natural
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Enzo The Baker said:

Ag Natural said:

I just don't know how anyone can be so certain about the future of a second year guy who played one year of college. Most young guys struggle to find a niche on one side of the court in the first few years. Then as they mature they can become more complete. Branham and Wesley and Sochan to so extent will get their 3 years to show enough to stay. Next season will be huge for Branham. I personally think he could turn into another version of Malik Monk,and how long did Monk take to become something?

You might be right. I'm just saying I am seeing the defensive inadequacies that I saw in Lonnie, but worse. If they change, I'll eat crow. But like I didnt with Lonnie (which I took crap for), I don't see a long term future with Branham on this team, especially when we have a generational player in Victor.


Even if you're right, plenty of guys have good careers without ever being good defenders.
Enzo The Baker
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A nice little writeup from pounding the rock on Castle. Maybe just confirmation bias on my part but he sounds like a Spur.

https://www.poundingtherock.com/2024/4/8/24123571/a-tower-and-a-castle-why-the-san-antonio-spurs-should-consider-uconns-stephon-castle-nba-draft
superunknown
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Maybe I'm being petty but I think he could have #2 here and people would like that.
Enzo The Baker
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Haha I thought the same thing. How fitting would that be? A defensive minded player who hits the boards with questions on his shooting coming out of college? I'll approve.
Guitarsoup
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Ag Natural said:

Enzo The Baker said:

Ag Natural said:

I just don't know how anyone can be so certain about the future of a second year guy who played one year of college. Most young guys struggle to find a niche on one side of the court in the first few years. Then as they mature they can become more complete. Branham and Wesley and Sochan to so extent will get their 3 years to show enough to stay. Next season will be huge for Branham. I personally think he could turn into another version of Malik Monk,and how long did Monk take to become something?

You might be right. I'm just saying I am seeing the defensive inadequacies that I saw in Lonnie, but worse. If they change, I'll eat crow. But like I didnt with Lonnie (which I took crap for), I don't see a long term future with Branham on this team, especially when we have a generational player in Victor.


Even if you're right, plenty of guys have good careers without ever being good defenders.
Begs two questions:

1. What do you consider a good career?
2. Do most of the players that have a good career have a good to elite talent?

Because Trae can have a great career without ever been an adequate defender, because he is so elite at scoring, shooting, and creating.

But also Boban has played 9 seasons and made $36MM without being good at anything but being tall. Is that a good career?

Branham has times when he hits threes and scores, but I don't think he is good to elite at anything.


He's cheap so we let him hang around and hope he develops something but if we are making a deal with someone for a rotational player, we don't blink at including him.
Guitarsoup
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Enzo The Baker
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If Jeremy can be our Marion that would be yuge.
Guitarsoup
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Enzo The Baker said:

If Jeremy can be our Marion that would be yuge.
If we were to go with 5 guys that can pass and play defense, wonder what the Wizards would charge for Deni. He's on an insanely good contract.
Enzo The Baker
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It's an interesting point. It's one of the reasons OKC is so successful.
Guitarsoup
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Sochan should be doing this 3x/game
Enzo The Baker
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Castle's activity on defense is insane. He's always in the play, even when you think he's not. Refreshing to see a player fight through a screen while contesting.
Guitarsoup
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FTAG 2000
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Castle is gonna be a beast in the league. Get him to SA, Wright!
 
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