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San Antonio Spurs '23-'24: Hoops, Hype, Hair Dye

ztejas

By ztejas
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RichUT
RichUT

This one is even better.

Mitch Cumsteen
Mitch Cumsteen

The December clouds were as grey as an extinguished fire. The cheers from earlier that night had long since faded as the Spurs completed a painful and unfathomable one win November.  The players and s

Radical Larry
Radical Larry

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RichUT

RichUT 1832

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No idea how this season will go, but should be entertaining! The Wemby hype got to me and I bought the half-season ticket package, so I'll be traveling down to San Antonio a lot more often! Go Spurs Go!

I did the 10 game weekend package. 2 seats in section 26. And I grabbed a pair of tickets to both games at the Moody. Really looking forward to watching him develop this year.
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Mitch Cumsteen

Mitch Cumsteen 18547

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15 hours ago, ztejas said:

Not sure what our plan is. Accidentally make the playoffs? 

GSG

I don't think this team is making the playoffs. There won't be a single team in the west that's tanking, with the possible exception of Portland. And I'm not really sure about them. Don't get me wrong, I don't think the west is great by any means, but find me some easy wins in this conference:

  • Championship tier: Nuggets - defending champs with a core in their prime. They aren't going anywhere.
  • Window closing tier: Lakers, Clippers, Suns and Warriors are pot committed with aging rosters. Also, of those four, only the Warriors own their own first round pick in 2024 and that's only if it falls in the top 4. So even injuries won't push any of them into tank mode.
  • The time is now, maybe, tier: Grizz, Kings, Mavs, Wolves and Pelicans all have some sort of urgency to win now, too. The Pels and Grizz are close to being at tipping points with Zion and Ja. The Mavs went all in on fucking Kyrie and need to win to keep Doncic around. The Wolves mortgaged their future and have a budding star in Edwards on the clock. The Kings just made the playoffs for the first time in 100 years and decided to run it back and commit long term to their core. They gotta keep that beam lit.
  • Not rebuilding anymore tier: Thunder have a really young talented team hoping to take the next step. The Jazz are probably a notch behind the Thunder, but likewise have some talent. Maybe if things head south for them, they start to punt on the season? That leaves the Rockets, who don't own their pick either, so they have zero incentive to tank.
  • Likely to suck no matter what tier: Portland. They finally embraced the rebuild, but they aren't completely devoid of talent. There are some dogs on that team, too. Not dawgs, dogs. Like the kind with fleas. Portland is likely to be terrible unless Scoot is the real deal right away and they compete from day 1. I'm not seeing it.

And then you have the Spurs. They are going to be better than last year for the simple reason that they won't be actively tanking, but it may not show up as much in the win column. They still have some major holes in the roster (ahem... point guard). They are going to have to stay healthy themselves, and then hope for a lot of weird shit to happen to the other teams to even make the play-in. Should Wemby greatly exceed year one expectations, this is still an extraordinarily young roster that doesn't know how to win and close out games. Some of those lessons just have to be learned the hard way. This is going to be a season for growing pains, I'm afraid. But it should be fun as hell to watch them grow up. 

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Mitch Cumsteen

Mitch Cumsteen 18547

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55 minutes ago, Kermit said:

If anything, they should be improved from being historically awful on the defensive end last season. Like franchise worst bad. That tall, lanky kid who swats anything close to him should help with that.

They weren't franchise worst bad. They were history of the NBA worst bad. Literally, last year's Spurs had the worst defensive rating in the history of the NBA. 

Of course, the five worst team defensive ratings in NBA history were last season (not to mention the majority of the 15 worst ever) and probably speaks more to the era we're in, but still.... this would have never happened if Gregg Popovich were still alive.

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Kermit

Kermit 3156

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8 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

They weren't franchise worst bad. They were history of the NBA worst bad. Literally, last year's Spurs had the worst defensive rating in the history of the NBA. 

Of course, the five worst team defensive ratings in NBA history were last season (not to mention the majority of the 15 worst ever) and probably speaks more to the era we're in, but still.... this would have never happened if Gregg Popovich were still alive.

image.thumb.png.d11b7bbfe2d538ea265127a65628f1d9.png

I knew it was bad, but sheesh. RIP Pop. 

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Mitch Cumsteen

Mitch Cumsteen 18547

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I'm glad they locked up Vassell, but that ain't exactly a home town discount. Apparently there are some bonuses in there so the real number is 5/$135, and there is no team or player option in year 5. By then, his number is probably going to be around 15% of the cap, which is very palatable, and may look be a bargain. They're so far under the cap right now and have so many rookie deals for the next few years that it doesn't matter. I still like the trajectory he's on and it's clear that they think he's a cornerstone moving forward. He's someone that should feast off the attention Wemby is going to get. 

I also watched a good deal of the press conferences yesterday and I'm starting to fall for the hype. My brain tells me this is a 28-34 win team, but if I squint hard enough I can see them being .500 and contending for a playoff spot.

 

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Mitch Cumsteen

Mitch Cumsteen 18547

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Vassell article....

Lowe: The 5 most intriguing NBA players this season

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/38548025/zach-lowe-5-most-intriguing-nba-players-2023-24

Spoiler

Devin Vassell, San Antonio Spurs
It's already easy to picture Vassell fitting into a Victor Wembanyama-centered team as an elite 3-and-D player. The intrigue lies in how good Vassell can get at the core skills of that role, and whether he can stretch the boundaries of it -- becoming the 3-and-D type who can work as a secondary ball handler in playoff-level games.
In inking Vassell to a five-year, $146 million extension, the Spurs made an emphatic bet on Vassell becoming that sort of well-rounded two-way wing. "San Antonio is home," Vassell told ESPN about a week before signing the deal. "I love it here. Getting feedback from Pop [Spurs coach Gregg Popovich] is huge. It's a great culture."
Vassell was watching the NBA draft lottery at his house. "There was such an excitement," he said. "Victor is gonna help us out right away. We have more national [TV games], which means more chances to put everyone on notice."

Vassell drew little national attention even as he bumped his scoring average by six full points -- to 18.5 per game. His catch-and-shoot 3 is proven; Vassell hit 40% on such shots over the past two seasons combined -- including a sizzling 43% last season. (He appeared in only 38 games before undergoing knee surgery midseason; Vassell said his knee was sore during most of those games.)
He tripled his pick-and-roll volume -- from about 7 per 100 possessions to nearly 23, per Second Spectrum -- and managed well on a rebuilding team. He defaults to his pet midrange shot, though that's not a major problem; Vassell hit a tidy 47% on long 2s, and that's an important tool for him and Spurs late in the shot clock. (He has a high release that is tough to disrupt, and can move the ball to either side of his head in mid-air to find a clear line to the rim.)
Still, some early-clock mid-rangers come at the expense of more profitable stuff -- rim attacks, pocket passes, pull-up 3s when Vassell's man gets caught on picks.
Vassell attempted only 20 pull-up 3s all season. He didn't get to the rim or the line much. He vowed to do more of all of that this season. "I'm going to go up and test some big men," Vassell said. "I'm trying to catch more bodies."
He showed flashes of a more nuanced paint game -- changing pace, keeping his dribble alive, fooling defenders with eye fakes and shoulder shakes:
He thrived sling-shotting into sideline handoffs -- after an initial action had bent the defense:
It's easy to say Vassell won't get to control the offense so often on a winning team. Maybe so. But the best teams have lots of secondary handlers capable of keeping the offense moving on plays exactly like that handoff. Improving on those also bodes well for Vassell's catch-and-go driving game -- the bread-and-butter of any 3-and-D wing. Tre Jones -- San Antonio's starting point guard -- has made huge strides, but he's still more of a game manager; the Spurs need dynamic ball handling.
"I have a big opportunity," Vassell said. "There's definitely more to my game than just 3-and-D."
Vassell averaged 3.6 dimes last season, easily a career high, but he has to level up as a playmaker. He often carves deep into the paint with eyes on the rim, only to change course at the last second and heave lollipop bailouts -- soft, high passes the defense can track in flight. He leaves pocket passes on the table.
In fairness, the Spurs' spacing last season was cramped. Passing lanes were tight, and closed fast. Vassell did not have a rolling threat anything like what Wembanyama could be. "Having a screener like that -- it's gonna change everything," Vassell said.
The "D" part of the Vassell 3-and-D equation has lagged behind expectations -- typical of young players with ambitions of scoring. Vassell is slithery, with a 6-10 wingspan, and has the look of someone who can switch from point guards to power forwards. In some matchups, he can. But bigger wings have bullied him some. Vassell's attention to detail can wane. He's a so-so rebounder.
But the tools are there. Vassell has also put on weight -- he said he's up to 205 pounds -- with an eye on becoming a more versatile defender.
He should get there. If the right parts of his game pop, Vassell could be a core starter on the next great San Antonio team.

 

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ztejas

ztejas 43411

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On 10/3/2023 at 9:03 AM, Mitch Cumsteen said:

I'm glad they locked up Vassell, but that ain't exactly a home town discount. Apparently there are some bonuses in there so the real number is 5/$135, and there is no team or player option in year 5. By then, his number is probably going to be around 15% of the cap, which is very palatable, and may look be a bargain. They're so far under the cap right now and have so many rookie deals for the next few years that it doesn't matter. I still like the trajectory he's on and it's clear that they think he's a cornerstone moving forward. He's someone that should feast off the attention Wemby is going to get. 

I also watched a good deal of the press conferences yesterday and I'm starting to fall for the hype. My brain tells me this is a 28-34 win team, but if I squint hard enough I can see them being .500 and contending for a playoff spot.

 

DV is worth 25 per. Jaylen Brown just got 5 for 288. 

I think it's hard to predict our win total without seeing Wemby play yet. I mean if he's one of the 5 best defenders in the league as a rookie then making the play-in isn't a crazy idea. 

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chainsaw

chainsaw 9858

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2 hours ago, ztejas said:

DV is worth 25 per. Jaylen Brown just got 5 for 288. 

I think it's hard to predict our win total without seeing Wemby play yet. I mean if he's one of the 5 best defenders in the league as a rookie then making the play-in isn't a crazy idea. 

Los Angeles Lakers Win GIF by Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty

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ztejas

ztejas 43411

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21 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

Ok. Fuck it. After half a quarter of a meaningless preseason game I’m in on the Spurs making the playoffs. This dude is going to be a problem for everyone. 

The only thing in his way is some weird heart thing or lower body issues. If he stays relatively healthy he's going to be fucking incredible. I mean even if it's just 60 games a year and being healthy for the playoffs 75% of the time.

I can't believe we won the lottery for him after just a handful of years wandering. God has to be a Spurs fan. He's like "fuck this shit I tried being patient. I'm giving them Wemby".

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Mitch Cumsteen

Mitch Cumsteen 18547

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Some knee jerk thoughts after one very meaningless preseason game, with all caveats:

  1. It's going to take a minute to get used to Wemby doing ridiculous shit every night. But he's going to do ridiculous shit every. single. night. It's going to be so much fun.
  2. I was not expecting Wemby to be chippy, but he was a bit last night. I figure he will be tested and hoped he wouldn't take any shit, but I think he might actually be the one dishing it out. This could be a thing that bears watching with him, Collins and Sochan. 
  3. The pace was really, really fast and it seems intentional. I don't particularly like it, but I guess that's the NBA today. 80 point half is just not right.
  4. They don't appear to have any set in stone plan how to use Wemby offensively, but you can kinda see where they're going defensively. Play him next to another big (Collins / Bassey) who guards the other team's big, and let him play off ball as a weakside shot blocker and general havoc creator. He's probably going to get more steals in that role than I thought and maybe fewer blocks. Whoever they are playing against is almost assuredly going to hide his matchup in the corner to occupy Wemby and take their chances going 4 on 4. Zone, anyone?
  5. Collins is in for a big year. If so, it's going to cost them some dollars next off season. I wish they had extended him.
  6. I continue to be impressed with Charles Bassey. Solid rebounder and rim protector, good energy guy. Glad to see him back healthy and he's a good fit as a bruiser next to Wemby. If he's actually a rotation player, then holy shit for $2.5 million per over the next three years.
  7. Point guard is going to be an issue. Jones is fine but he's ideally your backup. I think they experiment with Sochan there in some positionless basketball utopia shit, but Wesley does not give me good vibes at all, and I actively dislike that chucker Graham. If Wesley does makes the leap (which is the ideal situation), then this development staff deserves some sort of medal.

 

Edited by Mitch Cumsteen
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