Game Thread Spurs (13-6) vs Grizzlies (9-12) (Tue 12/2/25) [7:00PM CDT]

[scott]

Nuggets lost, Rockets lost and Lakers are losing. Feels good man.

What a bizarro night of NBA basketball... Wizards beat the Bucks (with Giannis)... Nets beat the Hornets (lol Hornets)... complete Bizzarro World in Tanksville

 

[Spursgenius]

Spurs have blown double digit leads in 5 of their 6 losses. We could have OKC 1 loss record if we could defend the three and could have stayed healthy. Not to mention guys like Champ cant make road 3s

 

[Fireball]

Spurs have blown double digit leads in 5 of their 6 losses. We could have OKC 1 loss record if we could defend the three and could have stayed healthy. Not to mention guys like Champ cant make road 3s

double digit leads mean nothing in todays NBA. Spurs are a fringe playoff team and to think we could have the same record as OKC at this point is delusional. perhaps in one out of 100 parallel universes that is the case.

 

[Quentin_Compson]

 

[Ice009]

Spurs have blown double digit leads in 5 of their 6 losses. We could have OKC 1 loss record if we could defend the three and could have stayed healthy. Not to mention guys like Champ cant make road 3s

You are right, but it's not realistic. Spurs could have won those games (don't know what would have happened if they were healthy the whole season, I still don't think they win them all). Even so, the Spurs are not as good as OKC at this point.
I know Steph has confidence as I remember he mentioned during the off-season where we beat them once and came close another time last season, so I think he believes the Spurs match up well with them, but those were just regular season games. I'd like to see how a full strength in-form Spurs team does against them this season, though.

 

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Hawks lose too!

 

[scott]

I think our record is a pretty fair reflection of the team right now. We’re pretty good… that’s awesome to say. But we still have weaknesses. Part of the process of growth. Around a .700 team is ahead of schedule, but I think we are ahead of schedule in general.

 

[LeBowen]

I think our record is a pretty fair reflection of the team right now. We’re pretty good… that’s awesome to say. But we still have weaknesses. Part of the process of growth. Around a .700 team is ahead of schedule, but I think we are ahead of schedule in general.

I think we were on around the expected level before Wemby went down, but I'm really surprised that we managed to keep up without him (and Castle).
Also, a lot of supposedly good teams have been disappointing.
Nuggets, Timberwolves, Clippers, Warriors, Grizzlies are all underperforming while the Suns and I'd say the Lakers are the only teams that are better than I expected them to be.
Obviously a lot of this is about injures, as per usual, but we've been hit maybe even the hardest and are still doing well.

 

[Manu20]

I think our record is a pretty fair reflection of the team right now. We’re pretty good… that’s awesome to say. But we still have weaknesses. Part of the process of growth. Around a .700 team is ahead of schedule, but I think we are ahead of schedule in general.

Spot on....Sometimes during the game and after some of the losses I have to remind myself that this year there will be some growing pains and mistakes for this young team. So far it has been a really good season but the only annoying and frustrating part is that we have not seen this team fully healthy.

 

[Exstatic]

Spurs have blown double digit leads in 5 of their 6 losses. We could have OKC 1 loss record if we could defend the three and could have stayed healthy. Not to mention guys like Champ cant make road 3s

Champ did just fine in the two road games we needed to make the Cup. He’s not a star,so you can’t expect him to show out every game on the road. Role players don’t do that, but good ones show out maybe 50% of road games, perhaps a bit more.

 

[BatManu20]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1995855881372926112

 

[LeBowen]

I can't shake the feeling that this one is going to be a loss.

 

[spurraider21]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1995634189807530165

this is such a non update but these beat writers have to say something just to act like theyre doing something

everybody is always progressing lol. just his way of saying "i havent heard anything, so im assuming at least there have been no setbacks!"

 

[spurraider21]

What a bizarro night of NBA basketball... Wizards beat the Bucks (with Giannis)... Nets beat the Hornets (lol Hornets)... complete Bizzarro World in Tanksville

Hornets are perennially disappointing. and thru 21 games this year, LaMelo has already missed 7, and Brandon Miller has missed 15. Miller also played a total of 27 games last year. then they traded oft-injured Mark Williams for the McNeeley pick + a shit 2029 first rounder thats been swapped like 3 times over

and it doesnt help that they threw away the #6 pick last year with the Salaun selection instead of either of the big centers or buzelis

at least Kon looks good

 

[scott]

I think we were on around the expected level before Wemby went down, but I'm really surprised that we managed to keep up without him (and Castle).
Also, a lot of supposedly good teams have been disappointing.
Nuggets, Timberwolves, Clippers, Warriors, Grizzlies are all underperforming while the Suns and I'd say the Lakers are the only teams that are better than I expected them to be.
Obviously a lot of this is about injures, as per usual, but we've been hit maybe even the hardest and are still doing well.

Funny you mention the Nuggets, who are at .700 right now, which last year would have been good for a comfortable #2 seed in the West (HOU was .634).

There were three .700 teams last year (OKC, BOS, CLE). Right now there are four .700 teams just in the West, and another in the East, and if the Spurs and Knicks win their next game they'll join the .700 club.

The league is really top heavy right now now. Here are the number of .700 teams in the league the last 10 seasons:

2024-25 - 3
2023-24 - 1
2022-23 - 1
2021-22 - 1
2020-21 - 2
2019-20 - 3
2018-19 - 2
2017-18 - 3
2016-17 - 2 (last time we made this list)
2015-16 - 2 (both of which, including us, were over .800)

I'll be interested to see how this changes throughout the course of the season.

 

[Correct Crusader]

Spurs have blown double digit leads in 5 of their 6 losses. We could have OKC 1 loss record if we could defend the three and could have stayed healthy. Not to mention guys like Champ cant make road 3s

Delusion. OKC is so far ahead of every other team it's not even funny. They're KD warriors tier this season. I would not be surprised if they won around 72-73 games.

 

[Seventyniner]

Funny you mention the Nuggets, who are at .700 right now, which last year would have been good for a comfortable #2 seed in the West (HOU was .634).

There were three .700 teams last year (OKC, BOS, CLE). Right now there are four .700 teams just in the West, and another in the East, and if the Spurs and Knicks win their next game they'll join the .700 club.

The league is really top heavy right now now. Here are the number of .700 teams in the league the last 10 seasons:

2024-25 - 3
2023-24 - 1
2022-23 - 1
2021-22 - 1
2020-21 - 2
2019-20 - 3
2018-19 - 2
2017-18 - 3
2016-17 - 2 (last time we made this list)
2015-16 - 2 (both of which, including us, were over .800)

I'll be interested to see how this changes throughout the course of the season.

Spread of win/loss percent has more to do with number of games played than anything. MLB almost never has a 0.700 team for the season (113 wins) while NFL has several each year (12 wins). There should always be more 0.700 teams in the NBA now at the 1/4 season mark than at the end of the season.

 

[spurraider21]

Delusion. OKC is so far ahead of every other team it's not even funny. They're KD warriors tier this season. I would not be surprised if they won around 72-73 games.

yeah. 20-1 is an insane start lol. the only team to have a better record thru 21 games was the 15-16 warriors who started 21-0 and ended up winning 73 games. they started 24-0 before dropping 1

its actually crazy how dominant OKC has been in the regular season going back to last year. they were less impressive in the playoffs (were pretty cold from 3) but still won of course, but nowhere near the playoff run of the 23-24 celtics

last season they won 68 while comfortably leading the league with a +13 average point differential (second was the celtics with 9.5 in a weaker east, and thats a pretty big gap). its not even like OKC has been blessed with great health. chet only played 32 games last year. hartenstein only played 57. caruso only played 54. they had a long stretch of the year where they were starting J-Dub at center lol. j-dub himself missed 13 games, which isnt a ton, but its not nothing.

and now this year they are off to a historic start with j-dub missing the first 19 games of the year, and they've also had dort, caruso, and chet miss a few games this year as well. really, Shai has been the one guy who hasnt gotten hurt for them. and their average point differential is an absurd +15.5

as points of reference, when the spurs rang in 13-14, they were a league best 62-20 with a league best +7.8

 

[LeBowen]

yeah. 20-1 is an insane start lol. the only team to have a better record thru 21 games was the 15-16 warriors who started 21-0 and ended up winning 73 games. they started 24-0 before dropping 1

its actually crazy how dominant OKC has been in the regular season going back to last year.

last season they won 68 while comfortably leading the league with a +13 average point differential (second was the celtics with 9.5 in a weaker east, and thats a pretty big gap). its not even like OKC has been blessed with great health. chet only played 32 games last year. hartenstein only played 57. caruso only played 54. they had a long stretch of the year where they were starting J-Dub at center lol. j-dub himself missed 13 games, which isnt a ton, but its not nothing.

and now this year they are off to a historic start with j-dub missing the first 19 games of the year, and they've also had dort, caruso, and chet miss a few games this year as well. really, Shai has been the one guy who hasnt gotten hurt for them. and their average point differential is an absurd +15.5

as points of reference, when the spurs rang in 13-14, they were a league best 62-20 with a league best +7.8

OKC's advantage over other all-time great teams is their age.
Caruso is the oldest rotation player at 31 and he's got low mileage, wasn't in the league until 24.
Kenrich Williams is also 31, but out of the rotation.
And that's about it.
Hartenstein and SGA are the next oldest at 27.

Then you look at all the teams with the best records post-merger. All those rosters had plenty of veterans, in some cases the best players were over 30.
And in some, mainly 2000 Lakers the best player wasn't known for his work ethic.

We could've surely won 70 games in 2016, but there was no point in risking it with all the veterans and everyone was rested at some point.

 

[spurraider21]

OKC's advantage over other all-time great teams is their age.
Caruso is the oldest rotation player at 31 and he's got low mileage, wasn't in the league until 24.
Kenrich Williams is also 31, but out of the rotation.
And that's about it.
Hartenstein and SGA are the next oldest at 27.

Then you look at all the teams with the best records post-merger. All those rosters had plenty of veterans, in some cases the best players were over 30.
And in some, mainly 2000 Lakers the best player wasn't known for his work ethic.

We could've surely won 70 games in 2016, but there was no point in risking it with all the veterans and everyone was rested at some point.

theyre also loaded with picks to shuffle through role players as needed. caruso was playing less than 20mpg for them last year anyway (and this year so far). up to 25 in the playoffs. but cason wallace could just take more minutes now. they drafted Sorber probaby with an eye on him replacing at least Jaylin Williams if not eventually Hartenstein.

they are all set with their big 3 and just need to continue finding good enough role players at the other spots within their remaining budget, and they have all the draft capital needed to do that

sucks about Topic though

 

[Area 51.247]

Spot on....Sometimes during the game and after some of the losses I have to remind myself that this year there will be some growing pains and mistakes for this young team. So far it has been a really good season but the only annoying and frustrating part is that we have not seen this team fully healthy.

Real experience and growth in difficult, competitive game circumstances to create a deep and capable roster is invaluable. In the long run, that may be the takeaway from the injuries.

 

[RC_Drunkford]

double digit leads mean nothing in todays NBA. Spurs are a fringe playoff team and to think we could have the same record as OKC at this point is delusional. perhaps in one out of 100 parallel universes that is the case.

I wouldn‘t say fringe. We‘re a top 5 team in the west. We‘re in the 2nd tier together with the Lakers, Rockets and Nuggets. It’s just that OKC is on a whole different level.

 

[spurraider21]

I wouldn‘t say fringe. We‘re a top 5 team in the west. We‘re in the 2nd tier together with the Lakers, Rockets and Nuggets. It’s just that OKC is on a whole different level.

sure... but against teams currently in the playoff/play-in picture in the west, the spurs have a 4-6 record, so its hard to feel great about our status relative to them for now. spurs are much less battle tested than the 3 teams you've mentioned

 

[RC_Drunkford]

sure... but against teams currently in the playoff/play-in picture in the west, the spurs have a 4-6 record, so its hard to feel great about our status relative to them for now. spurs are much less battle tested than the 3 teams you've mentioned

close losses with a bunch of injuries though

 

[scott]

Just my opinion, but I think we're at the top of a third tier behind DET/DEN/HOU/CLE/LAL (which I'd have in that order). I'm happy with that.