Pre-season - - -Pelicans come calling - - 3:30 PM

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, kg01 said:

I'm not laughing at a guy getting hurt .... buuutttt ....

When Herb Jones ran into that bag of twisted steel named with 'Fernando' written on its back, ol' Herb went into the fetal position, didn' he?

He got knocked back to the 3rd grade when he got a whuppin' for fightin' after school, didn' he?

I'm sure he's ok.  Just having a little fun.

Ya before that Herbie was stickin to DJ like glue I was noticing his D then bam he got hit and that Marshall kid was wheeled off. Geez.

[Spud2nique]

2 hours ago, Diesel said:

Caption This!!!

 

SON:  Oh No, not that fan cam again...  Sh--  Dad's waving.  Oh the embarrassment!!!!!

Guy in the back:  Damn, I wish my Dad would have took me to games!

Guy in the Gray:  Damon, I did take you to games!! Stop capping for your friends. 

Dang bro you back to this? I’ll caption it right now:

Diesel steals folks material without dropping a like!  

[JustSomeGuy]

The energy with this team is palpable. Last year the team looked like they had a 2 ton gorilla on their backs all the time. Everyone looks like they’re playing free and having fun, especially Trae. 

[JayBirdHawk]

7 minutes ago, JustSomeGuy said:

The energy with this team is palpable. Last year the team looked like they had a 2 ton gorilla on their backs all the time. Everyone looks like they’re playing free and having fun, especially Trae. 

Yep.

Whenever a player takes a charge, the entire bench celebrates. Apparently it's something Quin wants them to do.

 

I didn't think Trae and DJ would play in the 2nd half but....love it!

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

Our defense

 

[Spud2nique]

11 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

Our defense

 

We are scrappy and scramble and the next thing you know we are out on a break. This is going to be refreshing. We never really had that with Nate or Lloyd. Like where you play good actually defense that leads to fast breaking. Great stuff. I love it when Bogi is out leading the pack on a break too it’s pretty awesome cuz you know at any point he could pull up like Trae from 30 feet out.

[marco102]

If nothing else, this team looks much more exciting than the prior few preseasons.  Hope they can bring that defensive energy throughout the regular season. 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JeffS17]

Missed the game but saw some highlights and read through this thread.  Looking forward to seeing the guys on the road for the next couple, including the opener at Charlotte.

I am very curious what is going on with Hunter right now -- him not playing the first 3 preseason games is a bit odd, to me, particularly given his attitude during media day, the open practice, and the fact there's no real injury to speak of.  I really feel like there's something going on with him, but I can't put my finger on it.  Feels inevitable we trade the guy at some point.

[Sothron]

Hunter has a bone bruise that is keeping him out of preseason but Snyder was evasive when asked if it would last into the real games.

[RedDawg#8]

40 minutes ago, JeffS17 said:

Missed the game but saw some highlights and read through this thread.  Looking forward to seeing the guys on the road for the next couple, including the opener at Charlotte.

I am very curious what is going on with Hunter right now -- him not playing the first 3 preseason games is a bit odd, to me, particularly given his attitude during media day, the open practice, and the fact there's no real injury to speak of.  I really feel like there's something going on with him, but I can't put my finger on it.  Feels inevitable we trade the guy at some point.

They said he had a bone bruise that wasn’t super serious. Possibly suggesting that he would play if it were a regular season game.

As much as I like Quinn and as good as we look so far in preseason, I can’t imagine that we can improve that much as a team to make up for losing JC and an injured (or disgruntled/dog-housed) Dre in one offseason.

I hope we get him back on the court soon. We are light on size in our frontcourt as is.

[theheroatl]

The defensive awareness is much stronger than previously

 

the rotations and zone sets are clearly an improvement.

 

ultimately I want to see a JJ-OO-Bogi-DJ-Trae line up more often.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[Sothron]

Random note from one of my Hawks sources:

Said the offense and defense is "like comparing high school basic math to college level trig " difference in how Snyder's playbook and coaching style is compared to Nate's.  Said the team is buying in big time on both ends. Source said team has already warned Trae the goal is for him NOT to lead the league in assists but for the TEAM to lead the league in assists and Trae was fully behind it. 

JC's criticisms are aimed at Nate and mostly Trae for selfish stat driven play. Trae took that to heart in a positive way. Source said that Trae and DJM are so on board with Snyder that everyone else on the team is looking at that and buying in as well because the team follows it leaders. 

Source said teams after the preseason are really trying to get Jalen Johnson away from us.

[Diesel]

3 hours ago, Sothron said:

Hunter has a bone bruise that is keeping him out of preseason but Snyder was evasive when asked if it would last into the real games.

How can you not be evasive?  Snyder can't  speak for Hunter's Healing powers.  The question almost makes it seem as bone bruise is code for in Snyder's dog house?

 

 

[Diesel]

3 hours ago, RedDawg#8 said:

As much as I like Quinn and as good as we look so far in preseason, I can’t imagine that we can improve that much as a team to make up for losing JC and an injured (or disgruntled/dog-housed) Dre in one offseason.

If your style of play is totally different then it's possible to improve a lot. 

Trae is a top scoring/assist guard in the league... maybe the best. 

DJ is a good OG. 

Clint is one of the best rebounders in the game. 

We have good pieces.   If used the right way, who knows where we can go.   IF we had 19-20 JC... then we may be even Better but JC was moved for money and maybe for style.  The coaches/GM believes that JJ can take up the duties and in preseason, he looks apt for the challenge because he plays the way that we will play...  But we still need solid shooting. 

 

[JustSomeGuy]

Agree that Hunter situation looks odd. No real proof but the Energy there doesn’t feel right. I don’t think he lasts the season here. 

[Phunkabilly]

1 hour ago, Sothron said:

JC's criticisms are aimed at Nate and mostly Trae for selfish stat driven play. Trae took that to heart in a positive way. Source said that Trae and DJM are so on board with Snyder that everyone else on the team is looking at that and buying in as well because the team follows it leaders. 

I know some people have touched on this already, but I think the bolded statement is super important, if not absolutely necessary, to make this transition work.  How many of us in our early 20's, after making MILLIONS of dollars, being a huge celebrity, and being put on a pedestal all of our lives, would be able to put our ego aside to fully buy into an unselfish, team-centric system that may cause our personal numbers and celebrity to take a hit?  Trae really deserves a ton of credit for doing so.  As Soth states, when your leaders and best players buy in, everyone else will follow suit.  I've seen many interviews with people that were around during the Spurs' prime years say that one of the main reasons they were so successful is that Tim Duncan humbled himself and fully bought into Pop's system, which helped the rest of the team buy in.  I'm very, very thankful that Trae seems to be doing the same.

[Diesel]

31 minutes ago, JustSomeGuy said:

Agree that Hunter situation looks odd. No real proof but the Energy there doesn’t feel right. I don’t think he lasts the season here. 

Hunter is hard to read.   I can't read his energy.  I hope he's happy.  Hell, he's getting paid to sit the bench. If he's not happy with his role on the floor then he either needs to give coach what coach wants or ask to be moved to a team that can use what he's willing to give. 

However, we gave up way too much for Hunter.  Too many lost liters. 

[JustSomeGuy]

IIRC didn’t he wipe his IG this off-season when the trade rumors began?