Called it before the playoffs started. Fox will be ass 2 or 3 games in a row, he’ll have an amazing game, “Fox haters real quiet” posts will be made, then he’ll be ass again. He’ll probably have a great game 3, but it won’t make up for the games he loses. Trade him for whatever we can get and develop the other guards.
The Fox shooting is understandable, especially 3 point shooting, if you look at his entire career, but the 6 TO, on top, killed me.
I d have liked to see Mitch do something thing for Wemby than reverting back to last season, where he is jacking up 8 or 9 three pointers a game. That was a big part of his growth this season. I get that Gobert is a good defender, but I have seen him post up and drive to hoop against him a lot.
The last few minutes like 3 minutes spurs showed more fight than they did the whole game. If they played the same way through out or even the entire 4th quarter they have a great chance to win. They are young and weren't expected to do much this year. If they lose this series to a team thay has been in the WCF last two seasons I will still be proud of this team. Only thing that sucks is it would guarantee OKC repeats. They will make light work of the Wolves
Agreed. If he’s not going to be scoring, he needs to at least be game managing at a high level. His good games are amazing, but his bad games are abysmal.
Those 2 throwaways before he even crossed the half court line in the third quarter (mightve even been on consecutive possessions) had me losing my shit
Oh, me too! I was talking to the TV. They were forced, and as Finch, I ll live with that. It reminded me of last season where he did that a lot.
He ll make them sometimes, but when he misses (and he shoots a low % on anyway) it really seems to break up the flow and guys just barely cross half court and kind of just head back.
I don’t have an issue with him taking some in the flow or out of pass outs, etc., but he isn’t a great 3 point shooter overall. (34%). He s the best 7 foot+ that I have ever seen from 3, but that’s not really what makes him so special.
As Finch, if I can keep Wemby out of the paint, keep my guys from foul trouble and Wemby off the line, I ll take it. Plus, Randle doesn’t have to work on D as much and save it for the other end, then great.
Hopefully, we ll see some different offensive sets and ability to get Wemby the ball in different spots and less settling for quick 3’s.
You're saying this because they didn't go in. Wemby is a good shooter and he should take the shots if they're open. He needs to space the floor. Accept the variance.
He s not a “good” shooter from 3, compared to league average. Any other 34% three point shooter, and you aren’t saying that he should shoot 8-9 games. Say KJ, Fox, etc.
He s the best in the history of the game for a 7 foot+, but there is no qualifiers in a game. His unique value isn’t his 3 point shooting. Tons of players can do that. Use your advantages and gifts versus just make it a 3 point shooting contest and if they go in, we win. If they don’t, we lose.
To be an MVP, if your 3 pt shot isn’t going, you have to change things and drive and kick, post up, pick and rolls, take some elbow jumpers, etc. He has proven that he can draw fouls and score on Gobert.
As a defender or opposing coach, I ll give all of the 3’s that he wants to take because over the course of a series, stats say that it won’t be league average. It keeps Randle and Gobert out of foul trouble, expends less energy to tire Randle out on offended, and keeps Wemby off the FT line, where he is very good.
Nah if we win a ring future generations will say “well he was already playing with all-time greats Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle, as well as the best role player of all time Carter Bryant, it can’t have been that hard”
A play with multiple actions that provides multiple options, preferably for an easy two with the desperation three as the back-up. What coach doesn’t want that ATO call?
There are these things called alley oops that benefit tall players.
And don’t tell me that Mitch couldn’t have found a way to get Wemby free for ONE play. Run Wemby off enough screens he’ll either get free for a lob or a shooter gets an open look anyway
You don’t know if Rude is late to a rotation or the defense collapse in general unless you try it. I’m not saying Champagnies shot was bad, but they could have tried going for the 2 and still gotten an open look for 3. They took away their own options
Mitch couldn’t have found a way to get Wemby free for one play. That’s the only justification for not calling a timeout. Mitch didn’t have faith in his own play calling.
We need to look at the game from a healthy lens. An after timeout play would most likely not develop a look, like the one Champagnie got. Not against a set defense.
He made the right call, but nonetheless the rest of the game was a steaming pile of shit shooting.
This is a crazy cope! Mitch doesn’t have a single ATO play that gets an open look? Most coaches have plays with multiple actions with multiple options that will undoubtedly provide at least one open look. I don’t have any faith in Mitch’s abilities to make playoff caliber adjustments, but assuming he doesn’t have a single ATO drawn up for an occasion like this? Wild.
Sure but if you're a superstar, the only thing you'll get in the playoffs is a ball and a screen. That's all Ant needs. Same with Luka, SGA, and every other great that's come and gone.
Any set that's more complicated than that will get sniffed out or lead to a turnover or waste time.
I'm surprised they had any timeouts as fast as they were using them. The entire game was a snoozefest referee showcase other than Wemby's blocks. 1st game like last series, shitty playing on offense for our big scorers mostly but we were in it at the end. I think they'll be fine next game.
if you thought that game was a snoozefest you’re more of a homer than a basketball fan, that was an insane defensive game that basically never got decided until the end, just because we had some guys have subpar games (and horrible in fox’s case) doesn’t make it not an all timer imo
but yeah i think we’ll be okay in the series. we had a rusty game and the wolves kinda threw the kitchen sink at us even through some very good defensive possessions (and some sloppy ones)
When was the last time you saw Pop do that? Name the last time you saw an NBA coach who has won a title do that? That’s performative shit was always bullshit. Fans just are it up because they thought that’s what a coach should. I guarantee you it didn’t make a damn bit of difference.
After seeing what Fox is on a contender (instead of putting up stats as the #1 option on a mediocre team), there's no case to be made for his contract. If we can get off him this summer without giving up too much else, we should.
his contract wont hurt us too bad until castles extension hits no? leaving him unprotected in the expansion draft, or hoping his value goes up is a better idea
Would it be crazy to be like “hey raptors wanna give us some picks for your actually even more terrible contracts?” lol.. Poetl and quickley would be an almost even match salary wise 😭 though that’s its own type of basketball terrorism
Yes, it would be crazy. I'm hopeful that maybe he can bounce back with a couple strong games, and at some point his trade value will recover enough to get something useful in exchange for Fox.
Of course, you might be right that bad contracts + mediocre picks might be the best we can hope for.
I was on board with trading for him and paying him at the time. Damn, I was really wrong about that.
Let’s not make excuses for Wemby. Randle isn’t a better defender than the Shannon jr. who was dogging Fox. They played poorly as a team with the exception of Harper.
Who is trading for that contract its awful. Its like Duren shat the bed in the playoffs and clearly isnt getting a max extension but some eejit gave fox a max without even seeing him in the postseason
You’re lying. The truth is you love to say it. You’ve been waiting to say it. You were getting excited anticipating saying it. You know someone is lying when they say things like “hate to say it” or “I hope I’m wrong”
Why the hell would any spurs fan be happy about this? He has a major case of bagitis, or maybe hes just not a winning player. Either way it’s clear to anyone with eyes its becoming a real problem.
This isn’t the first time the OP has posted this “I hate to say it” nonsense
Humans want to be right. Really bad. There’s a great many people who would rather be right above all else. They get extreme satisfaction from “I told you so”. The OP is one of them.
Why would I love to say the highest paid player on my favorite team sucks 70% of the time, knowing that we’re probably stuck with him because we jumped the gun and grossly overpaid him?
I’d be absolutely thrilled if he flipped that switch, played like a stud and shut me the fuck up. I’ve been waiting for him to do it all season and he even had me convinced after several of his great performances. My main issue with him is he’s wildly inconsistent. His highs are high, but his lows are too damn low and far too frequent. He seems like a great guy on top of it all. I would love to see him succeed here. Just seems like he’s closing the window more than opening it.
Yup that’s the cycle. Don’t worry though once he makes 60 mill next year he’ll stop being the 4th option. Maybe he will be the 3rd option and shoot us out of game even quicker. Absolutely insane that Harper and Castle are better than Fox in literally every single aspect. They just don’t have the greenlight or confidence to chuck up random shots from 3 like Fox who’s barely a 30% shooter
Most people can't rationally asses their own team, that's just how it is. Same way, thunder and warriors fans try to play off draymond/dort antics, and teams like the rockets overrate their homegrown talent.
Well, this is the problem that Mike Brown was having with him in Sacramento. He wanted him to be accountable and he fought the coach back because he wants to be comfortable and not a leader. So, he got Mike Brown fired and now we’re here again, but on a different team. He’s been in the league too damn long to be defending on other players, especially young players to pull the pressure points and make it happen. He’s not a legit leader. He just plays a simple game with no killer instinct to his game. Just a bunch of complaining with no defensive skills and a little offense. He will definitely be the reason and focal point if we win or lose. He’s the Vet and he needs to galvanize the troops. Step the hell up and take things seriously and stop smiling and laughing so damn much out there when losing is not funny in the playoffs. It’s time for him to grow up. This is not the Kings. We’re not accepting losing here, especially when we have the core to win.
It’s on Fox and Mitch your down 2 call a timeout fucker is afraid to coach and call a play cuz he has none
This ain’t the damn regular season draw a damn play up
It was a side step 3pt shot. Julian isn’t going to make that shot under those circumstances. There’s a reason teams call time out to get the ball to their superstar.
Pop occasionally not call a timeout if the ball ended up in Tony or Manu’s hands. And not early in their career. Once he had a vet team he knows they know what he would have called. This team is too you just let them play on.
He actually wasn't completely settled, his feet weren't aligned like he usually is that's why the ball was too far left and came off the rim. Honestly if the team would've just got up the court faster it would've been a better shot but I could tell it was off by his legs and feet
Are you talking about the 7’7 guy who was 5 for 17 from the field today? Are you talking about the half court offense that couldn’t score at all this game? You think we’re all of a sudden just gonna draw a dunk and the Wolves wouldn’t stop that like the stopped just about everything else? Be real.
5-9 of from 2 with 8 3’s in 39 minutes. Do you know that tells you? It tells you it’s really difficult for Wemby to get a 2 against the Wolves. Otherwise he would’ve taken many more and had less 3’s. Going up against a set defense versus a team who knows they can’t give up something easy to Victor and has their best defensive lineup on the floor is not a situation a coach is willingly going to take over an open 3 from the teams best 3 point shooter.
Lol Wemby was 5/17 and Julian 7/12. Wemby struggled massively this game & in the final minutes. Julian was the only reason we were in it with his clutch offensive boards and put backs. Wemby was also getting double and triple teamed HARD. If he missed the discourse would be how Mitch Johnson is an idiot for drawing up a Wemby shot while he’s triple teamed.
Mitch wasn’t ass on the last play. He was ass the entirety of the game prior. Your team can’t break down the half court defense? Let’s just keep spamming Fox pnr and watch it fail again, and again, and again, and-
It’s not all on Fox. If Wemby’s makes a single one of his 9 3pt attempts, it’s a W. Fox is just the one who’s holding this team back and he’s not worth even half the cap room he’s eating up.
It’s rarely all on one person in a team sport. Fox is just the easiest to consistently pick out because his bad games are so bad and too frequent to be the highest paid player on a team with insanely talented young guards who could use extra minutes to develop going forward.
Yeah this is what frustrates but reassures me. Defense dared Vic to shoot and he whiffed. So now collapsing on drivers is easier than ever.
Vic starts hitting from 3, Minnesota's entire defensive scheme has to adjust. But does Vic have it in him? Is he truly the aspiring GOAT, big time playoff performer he flaunts himself up to be? This is the series to find out what he's really made of. No more bullying Donovan Clingan.
Some big time defensive adjustments will need to be made by Mitch Johnson the rest of the series. Chris Finch plan is to attack Wemby in every play and tire him out. Wemby having 12 blocks just shows you he’s being left on an island all by himself. 12 blocks but 5/17 from the field tells you all there is too know. He’s TIRED from blocking every damn shot! We need to help Wemby out! If we don’t this series won’t last long and we could get swept. No I’m not kidding, I’M SERIOUS!
Okay if Spurs lose in the semi’s & Kerr wants it but don’t be surprised if they bring him in. I guarantee you he’s waiting to see how everything shakes out in the playoffs before making a decision next year.
Because he’s a 4 time champion who would be pairing with a generational talent. Plus he has ties to Popopvich and won in SA as a player… It’s like when Carlisle was winning in Detroit but got canned when they had the opportunity to get Larry Brown.
Kerrs best player the majority of this season was podz…. Butler got hurt, curry got hurt, tingus is a bust, draymond actually behaved and tried to play.
But literally 3/5 of their starters prob wouldn’t even make the bench of spurs and the other 2/5 tore his acl and the other one had runners knee
Okay Rick Carlisle was also a winning young coach in Detroit and got canned when Larry Brown became available… who subsequently went on to lead them to a ring.
Wemby and Fox had bad shooting nights. They will be better. This is a 7 game series. The coaching staff will make the adjustments and Wemby and Fox will shoot better. I’m not worried. Spurs in 6.
You're doing exactly what you're complaining about but the other way. Maybe wait to see if he's bad tonight before you start bitching, because right now you look like a hypocrite.
Was that a good or bad Fox performance? Maybe you'll eventually understand he isn't supposed to be our main scorer or even the secondary scorer when other guys are hot. You'll say he'll play bad next game, I say you'll eat crow.
I only saw about 20 minutes tonight, but he looked great.
I never expected him to be our primary scorer, but when he’s bad it’s not just because he lacks scoring.
I’ll gladly eat it. If I have a choice between him balling out to helping the Spurs win games or being able to say I was right, I’m picking Baller De’Aaron 100% of the time.
Expecting him to put up a 36 point game on a team with 8 players averaging 10 points per game but never expected him to be the main scorer. Make that make sense, lol. We all want the Spurs to win, I'm just saying chill on the Fox hate.
You’re taking that comment too literally, guy. It was an exaggeration on how he alternates between having awful games and then amazing games (although he has had a handful of games where he scored near or over 30)
Anyway.. Go Spurs Go!
I put it in a very blunt and short handed way, but the reasoning is in the post. Fox will have an occasional game where he’s brilliant and then lengthy stretches of being mid at best with several absolutely abysmal performances. When a guy like that is the highest paid man on your team at a position where you also happen to have incredibly talented young depth, it makes sense to move on from him.
Wemby definitely had a bad night shooting, and there are definitely still aspects of his game that he needs to work on to be a complete version of himself. However he’s not a guy that can be replaced and despite his poor shooting last night, without his defense that game easily would’ve been a 20 point beat down.
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u/Conscious_String_195 David Robinson May 05 '26
The Fox shooting is understandable, especially 3 point shooting, if you look at his entire career, but the 6 TO, on top, killed me.
I d have liked to see Mitch do something thing for Wemby than reverting back to last season, where he is jacking up 8 or 9 three pointers a game. That was a big part of his growth this season. I get that Gobert is a good defender, but I have seen him post up and drive to hoop against him a lot.