Analysis GRADES: 11/28/25 SPURS 139 @ NUGGETS 136

scott

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SPURS BEAT THE NUGGETS TO WIN THE GROUP OF DEATH, IMPROVE TO 13-5
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Scott's Notes
  • Big Game Dev! I mentioned this in the Devin thread, but Devin has shown up huge in the 3 most important games the Spurs have played since he was drafted, all of them on the road: the play-in game @ NOP, last year's win-and-in Cup game @ PHX, last night @ DEN. A fantastic season for Devin continues
  • Champ also continues his amazing season, his third straight game with double digit rebounds. Julian has also developed quite the knack for drawing fouls on 3pt shots and has converted more than a handful of 4-point plays this season. Getting 10 FTs last night is amazing. Devin's huge game shouldn't overshadow what we got from Champ
  • I was torn between a 3 and a 4 for Fox, which is reflected in the 3.46 community average. I went with a 4 because we won. His shot wasn't falling (and a few popped in and out) but he stayed aggressive to maintain gravity and he was dishing dimes last night. I entered the season thinking Fox would average near a career high in assists, and he's right about there with his early career assist numbers at 6.9/gm
  • Flowers to Korn Dog who did great work on Jokic and had two huge assists on the two Devin threes to win the game
  • Another great performance from Keldon, continuing to bring the energy and Harper was excellent as he ramps back up
  • Want to briefly discuss Sochan and Bryant. Their first halves were absolutely horrific, but they bounced back huge in the second half and provided some real positive minutes mostly by disrupting Jokic and not allowing him to go off on us. Kudos to them.
What You Said
  • @ginobilized: What a win! It's been a long time in which this team could withstand a 20-3 run from a championship pedigreed squad and bounce back to win. So much to love about this one. Riding Vassell's hot hand and minimizing turnovers while fighting and clawing on the boards (in the 2nd half) were keys to the victory. Everyone who played at least left a fingerprint on the game ball.
  • @Area 51.247: Maestro and the M's developmental work on the moment to moment awareness of the mundaneness of playing defense and rebounding is building confidence in the team that they have the skills and competence to do it. Wonderful to see!
  • @spursfanfromafar: Going 5-1 in non-Wemby/non-Castle games suggests that this is an awesome coaching-driven performance and this was visible in the Nuggets game. Mitch again showed that he had the adjustments to limit Jokic's impact if not neutralise it. Plus some brilliant out of time-out plays reminded us of Peak Pop. Getting the short rolling Barnes to draw in the help defender from the weak side and getting Devin / Champs free to shoot was money in the entire stretch of the clutch time in the fourth quarter and credit should go to Mitch and his minions.
  • @spursfanfromafar: Spurstalk/BB posters have always been harshly critical of Devin, whose maddening inconsistency has marred his obvious shotmaking capabilities and help defense potential. But Devin's overall performance in 2025-26 has been a huge net positive, showing poise and improvement on both ends of the floor while being willing to take a changed role with regard to circumstances (Wemby's presence or absence). It is time that Spurs fans learn to be a bit more patient with players like Devin, Champs and Keldon. They have some limitations, but they are high character guys who have started to and have gelled well this season.
  • @heyheymymy: I thought CB had a fruitful stint in the 3rd. Seems like he got a stop, reb, steal and triple plus his size and cheap foul risk were valuable for that stretch.
  • @jeebus: Victor Wembanyama is now officially a Julian Champagnie merchant.
  • @LeBowen: This was a statement game that we're a legit playoff team and not just Wemby and friends.
  • @Guru of Nothing: We're a top-4 team in the WC if healthy.
Up next: tomorrow a MIN to finish the road trip. I went into this hoping for 2-2, but let's go ahead and make it 3-1!

 
Great grades all around. It was a meaningful game, and Devin, while outstanding, played in a non-main character role. He stayed open, took his shots, and was disruptive on defense. No initiating the offense, no step-back dribble and three, no and-one on a wild drive. Since it was a win, I gave everybody an A+++, like the teacher in *A Christmas Story*, sparing any barbs for anyone. Thanks again for the grades, @scott, and everyone who made it into Scott’s lineup.

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There were some suspect whistles last night, even though nuggetfan thought none of their guys committed any fouls. If it wasn't for a close game with their fouling at the end of the game, the nuggets would've had under 20 fouls to the spurs' 27. Dunno wtf that was all about. Anyways, I think the spurs stumbled on to a way to easily beat the nuggets...just throw a smaller guy on Jokic and he'll get passive as fuck
 
There were some suspect whistles last night, even though nuggetfan thought none of their guys committed any fouls. If it wasn't for a close game with their fouling at the end of the game, the nuggets would've had under 20 fouls to the spurs' 27. Dunno wtf that was all about. Anyways, I think the spurs stumbled on to a way to easily beat the nuggets...just throw a smaller guy on Jokic and he'll get passive as fuck
It's been a reoccurring trend this season against the Spurs.
 
Flipping the script on what other teams have done with Wemby, nice to see that work for us.
Interesting that Suns pioneered this against us, and we used it fairly effectively against Jokic... and then the Suns turned around and gave up 26/9/10 to Jokic, with him going a perfect 7/7 from the floor. He did have 5 TOs though. I didn't watch that game to see if the Suns went with the same approach and Jokic just beat it.
 
Interesting that Suns pioneered this against us, and we used it fairly effectively against Jokic... and then the Suns turned around and gave up 26/9/10 to Jokic, with him going a perfect 7/7 from the floor. He did have 5 TOs though. I didn't watch that game to see if the Suns went with the same approach and Jokic just beat it.
Apparently Jokic has been dealing with a writst injury which is the reason for his passive play.
Personally, I'm more inclined to believe that he started half-assing it during the regular season because whenever the team needs him in the playoffs he takes around 20 shots, if not more.
 
It was mad of Mitch to throw CB out there in the 3rd but it ended up being like a wrench in the spokes of the Denver Nuggets. His energy and effort was disruptive. If CB plays collected and avoids bad contested shots he brings a lot of value with his size and physicality. Plus he can pick up inexpensive fouls and then sit while more significant players preserve their foul situation for the 4th closeout.

I feel like CB is learning fast enough to keep him upstairs with the big squad in very select utilization. Might be a waste to send him down to G League but if the roster gets healthy and CB starts seeing inconsistent mins maybe sending him to Austin to let him get run wouldn't be the worst idea.
 
It was mad of Mitch to throw CB out there in the 3rd but it ended up being like a wrench in the spokes of the Denver Nuggets. His energy and effort was disruptive. If CB plays collected and avoids bad contested shots he brings a lot of value with his size and physicality. Plus he can pick up inexpensive fouls and then sit while more significant players preserve their foul situation for the 4th closeout.

I feel like CB is learning fast enough to keep him upstairs with the big squad in very select utilization. Might be a waste to send him down to G League but if the roster gets healthy and CB starts seeing inconsistent mins maybe sending him to Austin to let him get run wouldn't be the worst idea.
I'd like to see him get a little bit of run in Austin just to build up some confidence and slow things down. Maybe when Wemby and Castle are back we can afford a nice week long stint there for him and then bring him back up.
 
Even when he's the player of the game, he's still a net negative. :LOL:
That’s why you should never put too much stock in one player’s +/- for one game.

If Sochan hit 4–4 on 3 balls for one game, the first words,out of your mouth would be Yeah, but it’s just one game. Same thing here.
 
It was also mad of Coach Mitch to leave a crumbling Fox in the game and I was one of those screaming put Harper back in as a steading hand but I'm glad to admit I was wrong. Fox was missing shots and actively losing us the game but Mitch was right to trust Fox and he adjusted to passing just in time. Plus Harper might not be ready for pressure moments in the 4th as well as still coming back from the injury might've been best to be done for the night all around.

Mitch is kinda impressing me a lot lately. Just feels like he's got a good handle on his approach to everything and it's working for now. Mitch still needs to develop a challenge use logic protocol for when it is strategically best to initiate a coach's challenge.
 
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