Player The restricted-age video store section of Dylan Harper

[dn0774]

It seems pretty irrelevant which if the 3 guards doesn’t start. The minutes all count the same until you get to closing time. To close games out, I think Harper will often get the nod if we need points and castle if we need D. Seems like a fairly fluid situation and I’m not sure there’s any wrong answer.

I agree in theory, but practically speaking if you roll out a starting lineup that is consistently putting the team in an early deficit that puts more pressure on the bench unit to perform. We aren't there yet, but it is always something to monitor. We looked great tonight after the bad start up until Wemby was pulled too early in the 3rd due to reasons (aka hoping the lead would hold up and Vic's night could be done early for B2B purposes).

Until Fox comes back, I am going to be nervous by a Castle-led starting lineup.

 

[ginobilized]

Harper’s an elite ball handler. It is such a luxury to have one of he and Fox on the court. McLaughlin has been great insurance, too in that regard. Castle is not at an elite level as a ball handler. I’ve felt that we lacked the ability to get into sets quickly and handle ball pressure. It’s such a relief to have Harper already out 2nd best PG.

High IQ and contributes to winning in many ways. I’m still dumbstruck that we got him.

 

[DaSlicer]

Dylan's drives to the hoop are very Hardenesque. I see a lot of Harden and Manu inside of his game.

 

[Ariel]

He's our PG of the future, but FFS, hire the best shooting coach money can buy!!! it's a better investment than any role player, tbh.

 

[CGD]

Barnes is functionally a small at this point in his decline. HB has 6 rebounds in 90 mins this season, Castle has 19 rebounds in 92 mins. HB shooting @ 43% from 3 has a starting spot...barely. HB shooting 3s at 35% just doesn't make sense for a big role anymore. Love the dude, but getting nostalgic about players is how you end up in the lottery every season.

Pop had to have the same conversation with Steve Smith in 2003; Stephen Jackson was ascending and Smitty was 33 and didn't have his fastball anymore. Pop didn't get sentimental, he did what needed to be done and we got a ring out of it.

This may well be the plan. We have to see how Lunch Lady and Sochan’s return impact the rotation. We simply lack better options at the 4 right now (though Keldon has been doing great).

 

[Shmurs]

I agree in theory, but practically speaking if you roll out a starting lineup that is consistently putting the team in an early deficit that puts more pressure on the bench unit to perform. We aren't there yet, but it is always something to monitor. We looked great tonight after the bad start up until Wemby was pulled too early in the 3rd due to reasons (aka hoping the lead would hold up and Vic's night could be done early for B2B purposes).

Until Fox comes back, I am going to be nervous by a Castle-led starting lineup.

How did it work with Manu being better than at least 1 starter? Wasn’t there an advantage with him feasting on 2nd units?

 

[sKiN20]

Dylan's drives to the hoop are very Hardenesque. I see a lot of Harden and Manu inside of his game

How did it work with Manu being better than at least 1 starter? Wasn’t there an advantage with him feasting on 2nd units?

Manu didint become a superstar in the nba by playing 6th man/ of the bench. If harper wanst to be a superstar he needs to play as a starter.

 

[Ariel]

How did it work with Manu being better than at least 1 starter? Wasn’t there an advantage with him feasting on 2nd units?

what??!!

 

[dn0774]

How did it work with Manu being better than at least 1 starter? Wasn’t there an advantage with him feasting on 2nd units?

Yea Manu was great, my point was just that we need a starting group that can build leads. Manu coming off the bench after Duncan/Parker built a lead was a terrific luxury to have. Manu coming off the bench also made sense due to him not being sustainable as a high minute per game guy (not to mention he frequently missed small stretches of games due to injury).

As for Harper, he is still an infant in the NBA, so much for him to learn and for MatFO to learn about him with regards to his trajectory. If we keep seeing what we're seeing it will make for some tough decisions way sooner than expected.

 

[Paramore]

Rapidly becoming a junior point god of our own

 

[Paramore]

 

[Paramore]

 

[Paramore]

 

[Ocotillo]

It's not even November but discussions of ROY are already coming up mentioning Edgecomb, Coward and Dylan. That was in one article I just read and it is interesting because of Kidd insisting on playing Flagg at point he was not even mentioned in the article. It made me think I wonder if it will lead to unhappiness on the part of Flagg with Kidd and if it leads to Kidd being fired.

 

[spursparker9]

Not counting Parker and Fox....I think Harper is the fastest Spur with the ball

 

[Fireball]

The Harpoon baby

 

[mo7888]

He's our PG of the future, but FFS, hire the best shooting coach money can buy!!! it's a better investment than any role player, tbh.

This can't be overstated. We all see bright futures for Castle and Harper, but they only reach those lofty expectations if they can score from deep on a good clip.

 

[MacNeacail]

How did it work with Manu being better than at least 1 starter? Wasn’t there an advantage with him feasting on 2nd units?

Manu coming off the bench worked in much the same way I advocate for Fox / Castle / Harper each getting 32 minutes at PG/SG...

We always had 2 of the "Big 3" in the game at any time. There was no letting up. It wasn't just Manu versus the opposing 2nd unit. Manu career-averaged 25.4mpg. He would come in, go absolutely crazy 100% effort while others were resting. But the rotations always allowed for all 3 to play the end of every half together. In fact, when Manu was at his peak... in close games, it was usually him with the ball in the final few seconds.

 

[spursparker9]

Most FG Attempts at the rim per game:

1. Giannas 15.3
2. Zion 14
3. Wemby 9.7
4. Harper 9
5. AD 8.5

Harper is the only guard in the top 5

 

[KobesAchilles]

How did it work with Manu being better than at least 1 starter? Wasn’t there an advantage with him feasting on 2nd units?

Manu feasted on everybody tbh. Nobody could guard him. The problem was actually Beno kept shitting the bed in the playoffs. I personally think the Spurs gave up on Beno too early but the bench unit didn’t have anybody that could score/ run the offense so Pop just put Manu in that role.

And bc Harper can’t shoot you can’t start him over Vassell currently. It’s really a matter of him vs Castle bc if this keeps up then Castle can quickly become the odd man out. Not everybody is Manu. Believe it or not players like starting and making all star games and all nba teams. Manu only having 2 of those hurts us in that sense bc he wouldn’t have made it in the HOF if not for his international play strictly bc Pop benched him.

 

[spurraider21]

Most FG Attempts at the rim per game:

1. Giannas 15.3
2. Zion 14
3. Wemby 9.7
4. Harper 9
5. AD 8.5

Harper is the only guard in the top 5

this was the same story in college. it was a bunch of bigs and then harper among them

 

[dn0774]

This can't be overstated. We all see bright futures for Castle and Harper, but they only reach those lofty expectations if they can score from deep on a good clip.

Castle is in a weird spot with his shooting from what I can tell; should his shooting mechanics be torn down to the studs and rebuilt or continue to make tweaks and hope something clicks?

Tearing down to the studs comes with inherent issues, usually the actual percentages will regress in the short term, it needs to be initiated in the off season, seeing the benefits takes a couple seasons, it might not take/work (see Sochan, Jeremy).

Castle certainly doesn't have a textbook shooting stroke (leans back, no legs etc) but I don't think he qualifies for full tear down treatment either.

Why didn't we just let Chip be an official assistant coach again?

 

[BatManu20]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1982830102124925308

 

[Exstatic]

He is a baller and already a better bb player than castle tbh fwiw

Why do we have to start this shit again? Can you not enjoy one Spurs player without tearing down another one?

Castle is in a weird spot with his shooting from what I can tell; should his shooting mechanics be torn down to the studs and rebuilt or continue to make tweaks and hope something clicks?

Tearing down to the studs comes with inherent issues, usually the actual percentages will regress in the short term, it needs to be initiated in the off season, seeing the benefits takes a couple seasons, it might not take/work (see Sochan, Jeremy).

Castle certainly doesn't have a textbook shooting stroke (leans back, no legs etc) but I don't think he qualifies for full tear down treatment either.

Why didn't we just let Chip be an official assistant coach again?

He was an assistant. There are no official or unofficial designations.

Spurs don’t usually announce reasons for stuff like that, but my working theory is that he had no taste for a rebuild. He left in the summer of 22, right before the final tear down for the ‘Wemby season’.

 

[scott]

I want to see some Fox/Harper/Castle/Vassell/Wemby minutes and see what it looks like.

I also want some Fox/Harper/Champ/Dev/Wemby minutes

I also want Fox/Luke/Wemby + two of Harper/Castle/Vassell depending on who’s hot/cold that game.

Damn it feels good to have options