Game Thread Spurs (18-7) vs Knicks (18-7) (Tue 12/16/25) [7:30PM CDT]

[SpurPadre]

I don't like the way Vic talks, but I've come to live with it as that seems to be what he's doing to get to the destination he wants to get to. I'd rather he not do it, but I'm not a guy that has a chance to be the best off all time, so I'm not sure if I can comment on his mindset. What I can comment on is that he really plays stupidly sometimes and he needs to simplify and cut a lot of the shit out of his game.

It feels like he’s picked up that shit from KG.

 

[bozhemoi]

That and ST trained a bunch of people here now to be as negative as possible and just feed narratives. Whatever the narrative is, that's reality. I'm pretty convinced a huge number of the people here don't watch any other basketball and don't understand what an 82 game season means.
On that note, this was a GREAT loss. This was an exhibition game, DON'T MEAN SHIT.

We were clearly the better team for 3 quarters...then, gave up tons and tons of oRebs and 2nd chance points. The "get to the paint" mentality was gone, Wemby was a 0 in the 4th. This is a learning lesson on many levels and it doesn't matter, except positively. No one except Amazon employees (and the players that are/aren't getting the extra $318,000) care about this game. Pure exhibitation...and the Spurs showed out, the guards crushed getting to the paint...then the bigs/boxing out and the Knicks wanting a meaningless banner decided it.
Great loss for a young team, cuz it doesn't hurt us at all. Just a learning experience and I think Castle/Harper look around and say "I don't have to defer to any of these guys". If Vic's not showing up, just do what you do without him on the court (on O). Be aggressive. We stopped going hard to the paint in the 4th and I think it was looking to Vic. Fuck that, going hard to the paint is never bad, Vic can clean you up. Go get it, attack. Don't defer, just go.
Perfect confidence building game---or knock you back down to learn. You beat Luka and Lebron, then you bet the bEST shooting 41%. Then you looked like the better team for 3/4, then you stopped doing the things that made you look like the better team, hoping the 21 y/o phenom would carry you and...nope.
Out hustled, out positiioned. They wanted it more because you stopped playing your game. Keep playing your game, keep doing you. This was always a thing with the Big3. Timmy's off, Timmy's on, Manu is gonna do Manu, Tony's gonna do Tony. Don't defer to the "great"...you're great too, but only if you do you.
Best possible learning experience, cuz its playoff intensity, but it don't mean shit (except to NYK, cuz it's their first "banner" since I've been alive)

I always thought SpursTalk got to the point where users were trying to impress each other by how negative and whiny they could be. Like it was some in-group thing. That's definitely carried over here, and it's many of the same people. I keep thinking back to the game where Wemby scored 50 points last year and people were rushing in to complain about how Zach Collins played. It's still going on. The team is playing extremely well, yet one of the busiest threads is about Sochan.

America is a miserable place right now, and the Internet in America is filled with miserable people. I wish they'd shut up, at least long enough to talk about the good things, but really what's most important for them is to impress each other. It's just a circle jerk.

Anyway, the Spurs just beat the Thunder. They made it to the final Cup game. Knicks do give them trouble, but we're still growing. Keep on.

 

[WembyFan]

You guys are seriously dogging on Victor Wembanyama, the most amazing player who has been gifted to you in 25 years, for not giving 100% in an exhibition game shortly after coming back from an injury.

Y'all need to go outside for a while. I hope you remember how stupid you sounded tonight when he's raising each of his multiple Finals MVP trophies.

Dude was playing unethical basketball sir, brick city in the 4th.

 

[BatManu20]

Wemby's getting clowned on social media and rightfully so tbh. Can't be talking all that shit about how you're "the best player in the world" and how "some people aren't built for the moment but you are" and then come and completely shit the bed in the NBA Cup Finals. He needs to learn from this tbh. Can't be running your mouth like that when you haven't accomplished anything. Just quit talking, stay humble, keep your head down, and keep busting your ass to get better.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2001146974683455496

 

[tearsofmorningdew]

I can't remember the exact stats, but someone said he went 5-32 or something when the Cavs made their comeback from 3-1 down which IMO pretty much prompted the Warriors to call up Durant to join them. I don't have much confidence in him in big playoff games. He's a lot older now. It doesn't matter how much we like the guy, it's just a reality that if the Spurs want to be a Championship contender, he can't be the starting PF. It's not going to work. He failed in 2016 and he's much older now. If he was younger and could move better on defense and offer more resistance out there and rebound the ball, it'd be OK, but he can't do much else out there except hit open shots.

yup. Bitch made as always

 

[spursistan]

Wemby was a team-worst -18 tonight... He was dog-shit outside of that 2-min stretch where he hit consecutive shots. He played like a dumbass the majority of the game. Horrible shot-selection, pressing offensively, late on defensive rotations, and worst of all, got destroyed on the glass all night long.

Being 8-feet tall and getting out-rebounded by your 19 year-old PG is fucking pathetic, especially after flapping his gums the past couple days. He just needs to shut up and get back to working on his game.

He wasn't like that last season (at least not to this degree of mouth-running). Just look at the backlash in the comments on X or reddit; folks are just interested in his downfall because of it

 

[timtonymanu]

“Biggest game of his career” a game that doesn’t even count in the standings.

I would call him out if he has a history of choking but he doesn’t. He showed up against OKC. Some of you just need to chill with the overreactions.

 

[tearsofmorningdew]

He wasn't like that last season (at least not to this degree of mouth-running). Just look at the backlash in the comments on X or reddit; folks are just interested in his downfall because of it

eh it was gonna happen eventually he just accelerated the process

 

[Spursgenius]

“Biggest game of his career” a game that doesn’t even count in the standings.

I would call him out if he has a history of choking but he doesn’t. He showed up against OKC. Some of you just need to chill with the overreactions.

The coiaching staff needs to coach the erratic play out. He needs to play inside get position inside. He wasnt even roatating inside and gave knicks several easy layups. I dont care what the fuck you do atleast get defensive rotations right and rebound. He didnt do that and that cost the team

 

[TowelWaver]

Wemby absolutely should have to take some shit for some of those provocative quotes. He seems mature at times, but at the end of the day he’s still only 21 and he has a lot to learn about basketball and the world. We all had to learn at that age a dose of humility, and so will he. He’ll gain wisdom in time.

 

[Ice009]

A little perspective here…im laughing reading all the cliff jumping and doomsday panic…lol


1) barnes has been money all season and even champ has come thru…maybe both dudes just didnt click in this vegas arena, vegas rims, whatever…it happens…id say both have earned some grace and both will be solid contributors the rest of the season…

2) 2-3 weeks ago if you had told me the spurs would beat the shit out of the hated lakers and the hated thunder frontrunners and wemby would be back also? Id have said - “fuck yeah”

3) spurs have now played two full games with a healthy roster - TWO GAMES- and wemby is not back in game shape yet

4) the early season - where mitch allowed 8-9-10 player rotation was cut short due to this cup tournament…id prefer if mitch goes back to allowing carter bryant, sochan, djg , to see some limited minutes and continue that 10 man rotation..
It would keep everyone fresher and would hopefully morph into something similar to what the pacers did last year- which is play harder/faster for 48 minutes and wear out other teams…

5) wemby will be getting closer to real game shape fast and those two upcoming okc games are the real barometer

6) another bonus of the 9-10 man rotation was how different players stepped up on different nights and the wins were nice suprises by surprising contributions every game- and it became a beautiful team chemistry building journey which could really help in the playoffs…im not sure i like mitch reverting to pop’s style of shrinking the rotation and giving out more and more dnp’s …

7) knicks played hard and they earned the win and the spurs emotional high against okc drained them- it happens…
I would not worry too much about the knicks tbh- i cannot see any other team coming out of the east other than detroit…
And if we are lucky…maybe the spurs can get hot at the right time…

Long ramble over….

Fair enough on most of those. Puts it all into perspective quite nicely.

Point 1 I won't relent on. Barnes no showed in critical playoff games for the Warriors in 2016, he's now 9 years older and starting for a team looking to make a playoff push and run once they get there. That's not going to work. That spot has to be upgraded for the Spurs to have a legit chance at winning a series. Maybe they get a favourable matchup and he does well, but it's looking like he'll be a liability out there.

We desperately need an upgrade this offseason at the 4. Barnes has a reputation for not showing up in big games. Kings fans weren’t shedding any tears over trading him to us to get Demar. And there was a reason we got a pick swap attached to the trade for taking his contract. Overall he has been great for us and was a steal getting him and the swap for nothing. But when the Spurs take the next step to being legit year in year out contenders they are going to need someone else at the 4.

This is pretty much all I've been saying. He's been great as a teacher, but to take the next step, it just won't work with him starting at PF.

i'm saying your argument is faulty, not that i would have benched him. I was saying wemby makes coaches get greedy with small lineups and then results in conceding rebounds.

Yeah, well, we don't really have any alternatives, though. Who could/should he have played. I didn't see any alternatives. Do you think he could have tried Kornet and Victor?

 

[TDomination]

I always thought SpursTalk got to the point where users were trying to impress each other by how negative and whiny they could be. Like it was some in-group thing. That's definitely carried over here, and it's many of the same people. I keep thinking back to the game where Wemby scored 50 points last year and people were rushing in to complain about how Zach Collins played. It's still going on. The team is playing extremely well, yet one of the busiest threads is about Sochan.

America is a miserable place right now, and the Internet in America is filled with miserable people. I wish they'd shut up, at least long enough to talk about the good things, but really what's most important for them is to impress each other. It's just a circle jerk.

Anyway, the Spurs just beat the Thunder. They made it to the final Cup game. Knicks do give them trouble, but we're still growing. Keep on.

Very miserable. And yeah unfortunately it didn’t take long for this forum to be filled with the constant negativity on every level like ST was constantly filled with. It’s a disease.

But like in ST, I try to weed out the bad and enjoy the good quality post, which there are as well

 

[Anto210]

Upgrade at the 4 is needed if we want to get serious. Considering we are way ahead of the timeline, we'll probably stay PAT.

 

[timtonymanu]

The coiaching staff needs to coach the erratic play out. He needs to play inside get position inside. He wasnt even roatating inside and gave knicks several easy layups. I dont care what the fuck you do atleast get defensive rotations right and rebound. He didnt do that and that cost the team

Well good thing it’s only December and not March/April. Still enough time to figure it out. We’ve barely had a full available roster up to this point.

Even so, with how good we look, this isn’t a title or bust season. We are way ahead of schedule.

 

[Kick-Stand]

It feels like he’s picked up that shit from KG.

I like when he talks shit in game like KG and Kobe; not so much off the floor.

 

[SpurPadre]

I like when he talks shit in game like KG and Kobe; not so much off the floor.

I prefer the TD method when, after hearing Shaq and and KG talk his ear off, he’d calmly be like, “Ok, watch this bank shot” and nailed it right in front of them lol.

 

[heyheymymy]

Life springs eternal
On a gaudy neon street
Not that I care at all
I spent the best part of my losing streak
In an Army Jeep
For what I can't recall
Oh, I'm bangin' on my TV set
And I check the odds
And I, and I place my bet
I pour a drink
And I pull the blinds
I wonder what I'll find

I'm leaving Las Vegas
Lights so bright
Palm sweat
Blackjack on a Saturday night
Leaving Las Vegas
Leaving for good, for good

I'm standin' in the middle of the desert
Waitin' for my ship to come in
But now no joker, no jack, no king
Can take this losing hand and, and make it win

I'm leaving Las Vegas, oh
I'm leaving Las Vegas
For good

 

[Goliath]

For what it’s worth Michael Weight posted on X that Wemby lost someone close to him today.

 

[Spursgenius]

Well good thing it’s only December and not March/April. Still enough time to figure it out. We’ve barely had a full available roster up to this point.

Even so, with how good we look, this isn’t a title or bust season. We are way ahead of schedule.

its been 25 plus games he still has the same bad habits and the coaching staff lets him do what he wants

 

[Snake Eyes]

The truth is that we have too many role players that do similar things and not enough role players that do certain other things.


My biggest takeaway after this game is that the franchise is safe even if Wemby turns out to be another Ralph Sampson.
Harper/Castle look like they could be a Harden/Butler duo and I'm not even over-exaggerating.

Sampson… please

 

[Goliath]

For what it’s worth Michael Weight posted on X that Wemby lost someone close to him today.

Michael Wright

 

[Spursgenius]

Upgrade at the 4 is needed if we want to get serious. Considering we are way ahead of the timeline, we'll probably stay PAT.

does that mean Fox for Gianniss back on the table ?

 

[Spursgenius]

For what it’s worth Michael Weight posted on X that Wemby lost someone close to him today.

damn that explains some of the lack of emotion

 

[tearsofmorningdew]

Michael Wright

Even if it did affect him not a good look for this to leak out tbh

 

[Goliath]

He was emotional with tears in his eyes at his press conference. Only took 2 questions and left