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

[siraulo22]

cavs matchup well vs the spurs

they shut everything on their actions and the spurs didnt have any size advantage at any positions

wemby/korne5 couldnt overpower cavs bigs, keldon couldnt just bully himself through hunter etc

wemby's gonna have to go to basics for this team to take the next step, actually set screens, actually box out etc...

 

[SpurPadre]

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.

I’m not writing him off already but he seems so far off from being a legitimate NBA player.

 

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Should’ve had more Kornet and wemby together. Mitch had way too much musical chairs with the lineups.

 

[Spurminator]

The biggest issue isn't that our shooters couldn't hit shots, but that they got so few wide open looks.
Tyson won the game with two wide open corner 3s.
How many of those did our shooters get? We can't expect them to keep hitting contested shots when they don't get any early and open looks.

Eye of the beholder maybe, but a good number of our threes looked open from where I was sitting. Definitely makeable. If we shoot even slightly below average from the arc, we're all singing a different tune tonight.

 

[Spurminator]

Yeah the fan that irrationally hates on De'Aaron Fox is the standard for what our fanbase should be more like.

That's a weird interpretation, but I get that it's part of the grieving process after a December loss.

 

[tearsofmorningdew]

Should’ve had more Kornet and wemby together. Mitch had way too much musical chairs with the lineups.

I thought that’s what he was gonna go with, was working against Allen and Mobley.

Still can’t believe we lost to this mid Cavs team, they were mid last year too

 

[Spurminator]

Should’ve had more Kornet and wemby together. Mitch had way too much musical chairs with the lineups.

I'd like to see more of this too, in general, because it allows Wemby to guard the three-point line without giving up as much on the offensive glass.

Would help to get a playable third big.

 

[poopbox]

Champ 1 for 12 and Barnes 5 from 15 in 3's last 3 games

 

[timtonymanu]

That's a weird interpretation, but I get that it's part of the grieving process after a December loss.

I agree it's a long season so getting worked up over December losses is silly.

 

[siraulo22]

Champ 1 for 12 and Barnes 5 from 15 in 3's last 3 games

vassell, barnes and champ rough stretch

 

[spursistan]

Spurs record without Wemby (9-3) (75.00)
Spurs record w/ Wemby 14-7 (66.6)

This stat bugs me and need to be fixed because the sample size is considerable.. Teams should be infinitely better with a supposedly MVP caliber player suiting up for them

 

[SanAnSpursFan21]

How does Steph and Vic running into 3 people sound to you

I’d prefer something a lil different

 

[spurs10]

This game started poorly with Castle playing hero ball and missing every shot. It's hard for anyone to get into rhythm when you never touch the ball. Now when they did touch the ball Vassell, Champ, and Barnes missed. Wemby kept leaving his man wide open and those were the 3s that put us a way it seemed. In fact their 3 pt shooting was bad as well, but they hit their many open 3s. Knicks will be a tough one.

 

[frenchfred]

Champ 1 for 12 and Barnes 5 from 15 in 3's last 3 games

They have not been shooting great for the whole month of December.

We knew going into the season that we didn’t have great shooters. Some have over-performed for a bit but are going back to their career averages.

 

[e78]

Champ 1 for 12 and Barnes 5 from 15 in 3's last 3 games

Harper is like 1 for 11 over the last 6 and Castle is shooting like 25% over the last 6.

ROUGH STRETCH from 3

 

[Paramore]

Spurs record without Wemby (9-3) (75.00)
Spurs record w/ Wemby 14-7 (66.6)

This stat bugs me and need to be fixed because the sample size is considerable.. Teams should be infinitely better with a supposedly MVP caliber player suiting up for them

Wemby's bbiq/on court discipline has not improved

its tough when your so-called generational player plays like an off guard during the 1990s

 

[Paramore]

we really need shooters

 

[spursistan]

Emptiest 26 and 14 I have seen in a while.

That opening week salvo from him looks like a distant memory..Just made no consistent and sustainable stride as an offensive 1st option.. You could argue he-s little worse off as his 3PT point diet & the playmaking have either stagnated or taken a back seat

 

[Kick-Stand]

That opening week salvo from him looks like a distant memory..Just made no consistent and sustainable stride as an offensive 1st option.. You could argue he-s little worse off as his 3PT point diet & the playmaking have either stagnated or taken a back seat

And all I could think after that game was (1) those pivot moves with the long strides no one can match and (2) the play where he just backed Anthony Davis down and shot a baby hook over him were both easily repeatable. And haven't seen either of those since. Hakeem rolling in his grave at Victor wasting the moves he taught him. I'm so tired of Victor wanting to be Durant instead of Hakeem. I don't ever remember a time even in his rookie year that Durant was a walking Tragic Johnson when putting the ball on the floor but here we are three years in and these forced drives seem to end in turnovers or Victor falling down and saving it to someone 50% of the time.

 

[spursistan]

What's really disgusting is Cleveland didn't even really play well. They kind of stunk it up tonight too, shooting 31% from the three point line and 43% overall.

Got their doors blown off by Houston without Sengun and choked their hearts off vs Knicks.. That they looked so poised against this team says a lot about us than them. This is a young team that's led by someone who's not exactly the most down to earth budding superstars. Someone tell them we aren't hanging a "3-0 vs OKC" banner anytime soon..

 

[spursparker9]

The shooting slump is spreading to everyone. Mitch need to arrange some spiritual cleansing tbh

 

[LakerHater]

Mitch Johnson took Wemby and Fox out at 9:59 in the 4th down 87-82. He does not put them back in until 5:05 down 101-89!!

 

[DaSlicer]

And all I could think after that game was (1) those pivot moves with the long strides no one can match and (2) the play where he just backed Anthony Davis down and shot a baby hook over him were both easily repeatable. And haven't seen either of those since. Hakeem rolling in his grave at Victor wasting the moves he taught him. I'm so tired of Victor wanting to be Durant instead of Hakeem. I don't ever remember a time even in his rookie year that Durant was a walking Tragic Johnson when putting the ball on the floor but here we are three years in and these forced drives seem to end in turnovers or Victor falling down and saving it to someone 50% of the time.

Agreed whenever he drives especially from the 3 point line it always looks he's out of control and results in a strip, turnover, or ugly layup attempt. I would prefer him to operate from the top of the freethrow area and either face up or get into post position on the baseline area like he was doing in that Mavs game. He can still shoot 3's from the 3 point line but enough of attempting to drive to the hole like he's a guard.

 

[spursistan]

Castle back on his TOVs bullshit is definitely not helping things. My biggest fear is Barnes has been previewing 'playoffs bedshitting' mode last few games. We already know playoffs virgin Champ will crap it anyway..

 

[TowelWaver]

Agreed whenever he drives especially from the 3 point line it always looks he's out of control and results in a strip, turnover, or ugly layup attempt. I would prefer him to operate from the top of the freethrow area and either face up or get into post position on the baseline area like he was doing in that Mavs game. He can still shoot 3's from the 3 point line but enough of attempting to drive to the hole like he's a guard.

It doesn’t help that his kickout passes lately have widely varying precision to them. He flings the ball like a goddamn trebuchet, and about as accurate. I’ve lost count of how many times the recipient has to lean to one side or leap to be able to make the catch, rather than just being able to catch it in the numbers and shoot in rhythm. It’s a little thing, but little things like that add up.