Game Thread Spurs (23-8) vs Cavs (17-16) (Mon 12/29/25) [7:00 PM CDT]

[spursistan]

Just didn't feel like Spurs punched back in last 2 games compared to early season losses.. I'm little worried about the 'never-in-doubt' nature of last 2 losses, especially coming at home.

 

[Paramore]

He should really simplify his game.....and not attempt to become the conglomeration of all the superstars who have gone before

He wants to be Jordan
he wants to be Durant
he tries to be Garnett
he tries to be Hakeem
then he tries to be Kyrie

it aint gonna happen......

 

[timtonymanu]

We’re still not even halfway through the year and people are already making claims that Champ is not going to be built for playoff basketball

I mean it could happen and the Spurs have a lot of issues that are glaring but some of you are so glass half empty when we lose games, it’s annoying.

 

[tearsofmorningdew]

We already know Barnes nuts will shrink once of the playoffs start. Need a real PF

 

[Kick-Stand]

Kobe Bryant had a ton of crazy highlight reel plays. But he also had great fundamentals, played under control, and hit a bunch of boring jumpers and easy shots in the post. Victor sometimes seems like he's trying to make highlights on every play like he wants to run by the defender for the tomahawk jam like he did to Cooper Flagg or like mentioned above, those swing passes he often throws way too hard so the recipient is at a disadvantage if/when he catches the ball. If your defender is off balance on the catch then yeah run by him for the poster jam. But when he's not just make the simple play: raise up for the jumper, see if there are cutters with an advantage, simple pass out to the three point line when someone doubles one pass away, etc. I'd kill to have Phil Jackson come coach training camp next season. Leading up to their 67 win 99-00 season he just taught the Lakers basic fundamentals like they were a high school team in training camp.

 

[Kick-Stand]

We’re still not even halfway through the year and people are already making claims that Champ is not going to be built for playoff basketball

I mean it could happen and the Spurs have a lot of issues that are glaring but some of you are so glass half empty when we lose games, it’s annoying.

Role players rarely are built for playoff basketball. Playoffs will most likely be about how high Victor, De'Aaron, Steph, and Dylan can raise their games. Being this team has never seen playoff intensity I figure they might win a round on pure talent, maybe two with good luck in matchups, but teams like OKC or Denver are going to be enormous mountains to climb in a series. Maybe Minnesota and Houston too.

 

[Snake Eyes]

Nobody could shoot from deep tonight. It’s always a recipe for disaster when none of our guards and forwards can make a reasonable amount of threes. Pretty tough overcome that and turnovers..

Barnes was hitting treys but ever since the cup heh as gone into the tank. He was getting scorched on perimeter screens as well. He is obviously more suited to come off the bench, but we really have no option at the four since Sohans has crashed & burned. It would be amazing at the trade deadline or at least off-season, ifwe could get a tough four that can play inside and out I realize this is going to be a tough get.

Speaking of struggling with those high screens, the Spurs suck. You would think the coaching staff could come up with the plan while not leaving a player open for a wide open three.

 

[timtonymanu]

Role players rarely are built for playoff basketball. Playoffs will most likely be about how high Victor, De'Aaron, Steph, and Dylan can raise their games. Being this team has never seen playoff intensity I figure they might win a round on pure talent, maybe two with good luck in matchups, but teams like OKC or Denver are going to be enormous mountains to climb in a series. Maybe Minnesota and Houston too.

You said it perfectly. I think one can make that same point without sounding like an emotional little girl. Like good grief, this happens every time we lose a game.

I say this team can make the 2nd round but only if they have HCA. That's their ceiling for me. They will be a 1st round exit though if they finish 5 - 8. They are too unproven and have issues that other playoff teams can expose.

Unfortunately, we are likely standing pat this year so any chance at an upgrade at the 4 seems like wishful thinking. I don't think the dream Thunder/Spurs WCF happens this year unless we make a trade that addresses our weakness. Easier said than done.

 

[Kick-Stand]

It’s nuts Derik Queen was just one pick off. Bryant looks like a second rounder ya pick up just in the upside of his athleticism.

With Coward off the board I think it was a reasonable swing with Sorber out for the year and the Spurs probably having an expectation of signing Luke for the backup five. Maybe McNeeley could have been interesting too.

 

[100%Duncan]

We’re still not even halfway through the year and people are already making claims that Champ is not going to be built for playoff basketball

I mean it could happen and the Spurs have a lot of issues that are glaring but some of you are so glass half empty when we lose games, it’s annoying.

For Champ you can see it from a mile away to be fair. It’s not necessarily a bad take IMO

 

[Ice009]

What the F happened? I didn't get the watch the game, just bits and pieces. Is the carriage turning into a pumpkin? Spurs aren't looking good all of a sudden. Haven't even looked at a boxscore yet. Are the role players vanishing? Julian, Devin, Harrison, Luke etc.?

 

[100%Duncan]

What the F happened? I didn't get the watch the game, just bits and pieces. Is the carriage turning into a pumpkin? Spurs aren't looking good all of a sudden. Haven't even looked at a boxscore yet. Are the role players vanishing? Julian, Devin, Harrison, Luke etc.?

We couldnt throw a rock into the ocean. Offensive rebounds. Turnovers.

No need to watch the replay, save yourself.

 

[ird80]

Bring back mcbuckets

 

[Ice009]

With Coward off the board I think it was a reasonable swing with Sorber out for the year and the Spurs probably having an expectation of signing Luke for the backup five. Maybe McNeeley could have been interesting too.

Sorber didn't hurt his knee until after the draft, didn't he?

 

[Trainwreck2100]

another loss to another shitcan team

 

[spursparker9]

Bring back mcbuckets

Bring back Patty Mills as well and Cedi Osman

 

[ird80]

I know we're joking but Doug brings size, cedi not bad idea either

 

[tearsofmorningdew]

What the F happened? I didn't get the watch the game, just bits and pieces. Is the carriage turning into a pumpkin? Spurs aren't looking good all of a sudden. Haven't even looked at a boxscore yet. Are the role players vanishing? Julian, Devin, Harrison, Luke etc.?

Team is having trouble integrating Wemby as a starter and primary offensive option. Honestly things flow so much better when he plays within the offense and lets the game come to him. Less-gaudy numbers but everything looks crisper

Clutch player of the year striking again

Vassell being vassell

Champ not overachieving anymore and Barnes looking washed as he did early in the season and pussing out like he has his whole career

CB not belonging on the floor

Inability to defend the 3, same as every loss this year

 

[onechance87]

What the F happened? I didn't get the watch the game, just bits and pieces. Is the carriage turning into a pumpkin? Spurs aren't looking good all of a sudden. Haven't even looked at a boxscore yet. Are the role players vanishing? Julian, Devin, Harrison, Luke etc.?

They hit shots and we couldnt.And we also turned the ball over more.Dont even have to watch the game,The stats say it all.

 

[dn0774]

He should really simplify his game.....and not attempt to become the conglomeration of all the superstars who have gone before

He wants to be Jordan
he wants to be Durant
he tries to be Garnett
he tries to be Hakeem
then he tries to be Kyrie

it aint gonna happen......

The frustrating part is all of those guys had simple, repeatable, non-flashy go to moves that were/are the bread and butter of their offensive output yet Wemby seems to never do the same move twice. He chases highlights far too often when a simple move would suffice. I hope the Spurs are shoving the data in his face of when he dribbles > 1.5 times into a shot vs when he dribbles < 1.5 times.

The preseason and 1st couple of games (Mavs game being the crown jewel) really had me believing he had made serious strides into his offensive mindset and not just bailing out the defense possession after possession. Our young guys need to learn the true value of a possession ending in a good shot and not play so loosely with the ball.

Alright, venting session done. Let's fuck up the Knicks.

 

[Ice009]

They hit shots and we couldnt.And we also turned the ball over more.Dont even have to watch the game,The stats say it all.

Thanks, I'm not going to watch it. I read back the past 5 or 6 pages and it seems it wasn't a competitive hotly contested game. Sounds like the Spurs just played atrocious in the 4th quarter and it was taken from them quite easily.

 

[heyheymymy]

Really it all traces back to closing the first half poorly. Spurs had a nice lead but allowed Cavs to chip it down at the end of 2Q and then things crumbled from there

 

[Kick-Stand]

Sorber didn't hurt his knee until after the draft, didn't he?

Wow good memory, you're right. Yeah might have been the better pick than Bryant. Maybe they figured they were getting Luke with the inevitable Celtics teardown?

 

[Kick-Stand]

They hit shots and we couldnt.And we also turned the ball over more.Dont even have to watch the game,The stats say it all.

They really didn't shoot well at all other than Tyson making three open threes in a row in the fourth. Cavs shot 42.7% from the field and 31% from the three while also not shooting a ton of FTs. Spurs got beaten by Cleveland's C game at best.

 

[Ice009]

Wow good memory, you're right. Yeah might have been the better pick than Bryant. Maybe they figured they were getting Luke with the inevitable Celtics teardown?

Yeah, I'm not sure how highly the Spurs rated him. I read he had injury concerns going into the draft from college and people here were mentioning it (can't remember what the injury was? Was it a foot?), as a lot of ST'ers/Baseline Bums posters were interested in drafting him.

No one knew the ACL tear was going to happen, but posters here thought there might be concerns with previous injury he's had. Maybe he doesn't tear his ACL if the Spurs drafted him and he'd be playing now. OKC might not have drafted him if he had the injury beforehand, but then again, they can afford to wait, so they may have drafted him anyway if they really believed in him.

I just read on Wikipedia, is he actually the first Freshman from Georgetown drafted into the NBA? I wouldn't have thought so, but if true, I'm guessing a lot of the Georgetown greats played more than one season of college.

They really didn't shoot well at all other than Tyson making three open threes in a row in the fourth. Cavs shot 42.7% from the field and 31% from the three while also not shooting a ton of FTs. Spurs got beaten by Cleveland's C game at best.

Spurs shooting is a real problem and like others have been mentioning lately, so is their 3 point defense . My hopes of even winning a playoff series are now dropping a bit. It seems teams are exposing them a little bit and I don't know if they can fix these issues and/or if you can trust some of these guys to step up in the playoffs. I also doubt the Spurs will make any big moves before the trade deadline. I think they're going to want to wait and see how the season finishes up to evaluate everyone.