The jdeleonpsn1's Podcast

Spurscast: The End of the Season

In Spurscast episode 653, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs Director of Digital Content Joe Garcia discuss: 

The Spurs’ season ended with a play-in loss to the New Orleans Pelicans

Where the Spurs finished the season on both ends of the court

An early look at important dates for the offseason calendar

An initial look at the roster going into the offseason

Season Ends in the Play-In Loss to Pelicans

The San Antonio Spurs' 2021-2022 season ended in a 10-point loss on the road in New Orleans Wednesday. On a night when the Spurs' two go-to players struggled and the team fell behind by 21 points, the Spurs didn't give up easily and fought back to get within six points of the Pelicans.

New Orleans eventually made plays down the stretch and that was enough to close the Spurs' season.

Strengths and Weaknesses this Season

With the season over, the Spurs can now look back at their strengths and weaknesses as a team with their first season of letting the young core take the keys to the car with multiple veterans off the team.

The Spurs finished 17th on offense and 16th on defense, and in the episode, their Top-10 and Bottom-10 areas are analyzed to determine what team needs will be going into next season.

Initial Offseason Calendar

The dates of the NBA Draft Lottery, the NBA Draft, and dates when players can become restricted free agents are discussed in the episode as the team heads toward the quiet part of the offseason.

Early Outlook of Roster Going into Offseason

Barring trades, the Spurs are projected to have 11 players on guaranteed deals next season when you count their three first round picks. The team also has decisions to make on four players who have partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed contracts. With a team already full, the Spurs will have to address which players who are entering free agency they'd like to try to bring back. 

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Title: Spurscast: The Spurs are in the Play-In Tournament 

In Spurscast episode 652, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss: 

The Spurs’ 8-2 record in the last 10 games

The team making the Play-In Tournament 

Keldon Johnson’s streak of 20 point games

Zach Collins and Josh Richardson’s play lately

Welcome to the Play-In Tournament

After going 8-2 in their last 10 games and getting some help from the Phoenix Suns in defeating the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs have officially qualified for the 2022 Play-In tournament.

The Spurs will play the New Orleans Pelicans, but the question that still needs to be answered is who will be the 9th seed and host the play-in game?

The Pelicans have a one game lead ahead of the Spurs in the standings and for the Spurs, the path to passing New Orleans in challenging, but there's still at least three paths available.

The Play-In tournament will take place next week from April 12-15.

Keldon Johnson's 20-Point Game Streak

Since March 23, Keldon Johnson has scored between 20 and 28 points in seven straight games. In the episode, Johnson's shot selection has changed lately and what his 20-point streak could mean for the future.

Zach Collins and Josh Richardson's Play Lately

With the Spurs being 8-2 in their last 10 games, two players who have been part of the rotation during this stretch are Zach Collins and Josh Richardson.

Both players weren't originally part of the opening day lineup, but they've fit in quite well in just a short amount of time. Collins has returned from injury that kept him out of games over the last two years and Richardson was acquired via trade at the trade deadline.

The offense and defense both players are bringing to the floor are discussed in the episode.

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In Spurscast episode 651, Remembering Project Spurs founder Michael DeLeon.

On Monday, March 21, 2022, Project Spurs founder Michael De Leon passed away at the age of 45 battling cancer. Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to Michael’s family as they go through this very difficult time in their lives.

Throughout his career, Michael helped numerous journalists get their starts in the media business, even if it meant moving on from the Project Spurs Network over time.

In this special Spurscast episode dedicated to Michael, Spurscast host Paul Garcia speaks with multiple current and former Project Spurs members about the impact Michael had on their lives.

Spurscast guests:

Jeff Garcia 

Stephen Michael 

John Diaz

Joe Garcia

Aaron Preine

Benjamin Bornstein

Jeff Cerda

Victoria Villareal

Collin Reid

Josh Paredes

Jonas Clark

Tom Petrini

Rocky Garza Jr.

Music for this episode was created and produced by Vincent Garcia

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In Spurscast episode 650, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer and editor Stephen Michael discuss: 

The Spurs in the last four games

Doug McDermott expected to miss the rest of the season

Keldon Johnson’s improved scoring post-trade deadline

The Last Four Games

The San Antonio Spurs went 2-2 in their last four games with wins against the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder, while suffering losses to the Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves.

In the win against the Jazz, not only did the Spurs come back from a 15-point deficit, but the win also put Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich in NBA history with 1,336 all-time regular-season wins.

By going .500 in their last four games, the Spurs have moved closer to trying to get into the play-in game, while that means on the other end their lottery odds decreased with an improved record.

McDermott Expected to Miss Remainder of Season

Wednesday the Spurs announced forward Doug McDermott is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with a grade 3 right ankle sprain.

With McDermott out, Josh Richardson is expected to start for the final 12 games of the season.

McDermott's play this season is discussed in the episode, as well as what the team looks like with a small ball starting five having Jakob Poeltl and four guards now in the starting lineup going forward.

Keldon Johnson's Improved Scoring

Since the Spurs traded Derrick White in early February, Keldon Johnson's scoring has increased from 15 to 20 points per game. Johnson is attempting more three-point attempts during the timeframe, while still shooting accurately from beyond the arc.

Johnson has improved his shot selection in the paint and his accuracy in the paint has increased as well.

Johnson's amount of wide-open 3-point attempts have decreased post-trade deadline. That could be for one of two reasons: a) defenses are not letting him get as many wide open looks or b) in trading White, the Spurs only have Dejounte Murray to break down the defense to get shooters open shots consistently.

DraftKings

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In Spurscast episode 649, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses: 

The Spurs in their last 7 games

Some late-season roster moves by the Spurs

The Spurs’ chances of making the play-in game

The Spurs in their last 7 Games

The San Antonio Spurs went 2-5 in their last seven games, with wins against the Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards, and losses to the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Hornets, and Toronto Raptors.

The loss to the Kings was the one that stung since the Spurs were projected to go 3-4 in their last seven games, but instead went 2-5.

Through 66 games of the season, the Spurs are 25-41, with a league-average offense and the 19th ranked defense.

The Spurs are still close to the Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans for the 9th and 10th seeds that would allow San Antonio to be in the play-in tournament.

Some players discussed in the episode are Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, Lonnie Walker IV, Jakob Poeltl, and Devin Vassell. Each players' play in the last 11 games is examined since the trade deadline, where there's been more opportunity with Derrick White now off the team.

Late Season Roster Moves

The Spurs made some late-season roster moves recently, by agreeing to a buyout agreement with Tomas Satoransky, converting the two-way contracts of Joe Wieskamp and Devontae Cacok to standard NBA contracts, and finally, signing DJ Stewart Jr. and Robert Woodard II to two-way contracts.

Each move is discussed in the episode as well as the Spurs' cap space projections for this summer.

The Spurs' Chances of Making the Play-In Game

With just 16 regular-season games remaining, the Spurs are 3.5 games behind the Lakers for the 9th seed and 2 games behind the Pelicans for the 10th seed.

The Lakers are projected to go 7-10 in their final 17 games, and if that happens, the Spurs would need to go 11-5 down the stretch to finish with a better record than the Lakers.

The Pelicans are projected to go 6-10 in their final 16 games, and if that happens, the Spurs would need to go 8-8 down the stretch.

DraftKings

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-877-770-STOP (7867) (LA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).

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In Spurscast episode 648, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Rocky Garza Jr. discuss the latest San Antonio Spurs topics: 

The Spurs going 3-2 to begin the Rodeo Road Trip.

The Spurs’ moves at the trade deadline.

How the Spurs are playing after the trade deadline

Looking ahead to the final 23 games of the regular season

The Beginning of the Rodeo Road Trip

The San Antonio Spurs have opened the 2022 Rodeo Road Trip with a 3-2 record. The Spurs lost in Cleveland and Chicago, but won in Atlanta, New Orleans, and Oklahoma City.

The Spurs' Moves at the Trade Deadline

The day before the trade deadline the Spurs traded Juancho Hernangomez to Utah as part of a three team trade that allowed the Spurs to land a 2nd round pick and Tomas Satoransky.

The following day on the trade deadline, the Spurs made two trades. They acquired a protected 1st round pick and Goran Dragic from Toronto for Thaddeus Young, Drew Eubanks, and a 2nd round pick.

Then, the Spurs traded one of their core players in Derrick White to Boston in exchange for a protected 1st round pick, the rights to swap a future 1st, Josh Richardson, and Romeo Langford.

A few days later the Spurs waived Dragic and now have an open roster spot.

The team is projected to have anywhere from $12 million to $33 million in cap space this offseason after the trades.

Early Success Post Trade Deadline

It's a small sample size, but the Spurs are finding success after the trade deadline with a 3-1 record. The Spurs have a Top-5 offense and close to league average defense during the stretch. With more minutes and opportunity, the Spurs have seen improvement from Dejounte Murray, Devin Vassell, Lonnie Walker IV, and Doug McDermott post trade deadline.

The Final 23 Games

The Spurs have a chance to get 8-9 more wins in their final 23 games because they'll face more opponents with losing records (12) than teams with winning records (11) to close out the season.

Will they win enough games to make the playoffs or play-in game, or will they end up in the lottery because they couldn't get into the playoff picture? The next 23 games will allow that story to play out.

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In Spurscast episode 647, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs founder Michael De Leon discuss: 

The Spurs in the last five games and Zach Collins’ injury return

Dejounte Murray being named an NBA All-Star

The latest trade rumors involving Thaddeus Young, Jakob Poeltl, and Derrick White

The Last 5 Games and Zach Collins' NBA Return

In their last five games since the last Spurscast episode, the San Antonio Spurs went 2-3. The Spurs were able to defeat the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets, while losing to the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and Miami Heat.

In the Friday game against Houston, Zach Collins made his injury return to finish with 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals in just 13 minutes. Collins showed how he's a versatile player on offense with four points in the paint, a mid-range make, a pick-and-pop three, and a made free throw.

Dejounte Murray, NBA All-Star

After not being picked as an All-Star reserve, Dejounte Murray was named an NBA All-Star Monday as an injury replacement player with Draymond Green out for the game.

This season Murray is averaging almost 20 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, and 2.1 steals per game.

He's one of the top players in the league in assists, triple-doubles, defections, and steals. Murray is also one of the top players at his position in assist percentage, turnover percentage, steals, and rebounding per CleaningTheGlass.com.

According to CleaningTheGlass.com, the Spurs play like a 46 win team when Murray is on the floor this season.

Murray said Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich called him to let him know he was an All-Star and Murray and his family were overcome with emotion. "I wouldn't change it for nothing," said Murray of being drafted by the Spurs with the 29th pick in 2016. "The Spurs organization was perfect for me."

Trade Deadline Approaching Thursday

With the trade deadline approaching Thursday, Thaddeus Young, Jakob Poeltl, and Derrick White have all been mentioned in trade rumors. The latest trade rumors are discussed in the episode.

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In Spurscast episode 646, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein discuss: 

The Spurs in the last four games

The latest trade rumors with the trade deadline two weeks away

Devin Vassell and Jakob Poeltl’s strong play lately

The Last Four Games

The San Antonio Spurs went 1-3 in their last four games, with losses to the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Memphis Grizzlies. The Spurs' lone win over the last four games was a blow out against the Houston Rockets.

Defense has been an issue for the team. The Spurs have maintained the 16th ranked offense over the last week, but they've slipped down to 19th on defense.

In other team news, Zach Collins is getting closer to his return to the team with more games played in Austin, while Keita Bates-Diop became the latest player on the team to enter health and safety protocols.

With Andrew Wiggins being selected as a Western Conference All-Star starter, Dejounte Murray's path to becoming an All-Star might have become more difficult.

Trade Rumors Two Weeks Before the Deadline

The latest trade rumors have the Spurs being interested in John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks again, the Hawks having interest in Derrick White, and teams calling the Spurs about Murray, White, and Jakob Poeltl.

The Spurs also reportedly have interest in Cedi Osman. All of these trade rumors are discussed in the episode.

Devin Vassell and Jakob Poeltl's Strong Play Lately

In the month of January, Devin Vassell is averaging 14 points per game, making it his best scoring month of the season. Jakob Poeltl has been dominant in the paint in the last six games, averaging 18.7 points per game, with 15.6 of those points from the paint.

Vassell and Poeltl's strong play lately and their seasons overall are discussed in the episode.

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In Spurscast episode 645, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs Director of Digital Content Joe Garcia discuss: 

The Spurs in the last four games against Cleveland, the Clippers, Phoenix, and Oklahoma City

The Spurs trading Bryn Forbes to Denver in a three-way trade that brings Juan Hernangomez to San Antonio

The Spurs when their main three of Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, and Jakob Poeltl are in the same game together

The Last Four GamesThe San Antonio Spurs went 2-2 in their last four games with wins by their defense against the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder, and losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns.

The Spurs are now 17-28 through 45 games of the season with the 16th ranked offense and 17th ranked defense. They finally have their full-rotation back after Tre Jones returned from health and safety protocols.

Zach Collins is getting closer to his return after participating in a G-League game with the Austin Spurs, and multiple assistant coaches on the team have entered health and safety protocols.

The Three-Team TradeWednesday the Spurs traded Bryn Forbes to Denver in a three-team trade that included the Boston Celtics and Nuggets. For taking on Juan Hernangomez's $6.9 million contract, the Spurs received cash considerations and a protected 2028 second-round pick from Denver.

In the episode, Hernagomez's deal is examined for this season and his non-guaranteed salary for next season. Plus, there's a conversation about what realistic playing time he'll get and whether he can be moved again before the February 10 trade deadline.

The Main Three of Murray, White, and PoeltlThe Spurs are now 13-14 in 27 games when Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, and Jakob Poeltl are in the same game together.

Since Thanksgiving, the Spurs are 11-6 when those 3 players are in a game together. The Spurs are 6-8 when Murray and White play in crunch time together, a far better record than their 6-13 overall crunch time record.

In the episode projected records are discussed if the Spurs can remain healthy for the rest of the season with the three of them.

There was also a recent trade rumor involving the Toronto Raptors having interest in Poeltl. The rumor is discussed in the episode.

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In Spurscast episode 644, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss: 

The Spurs in the last six games

Team updates on players returning from health and safety protocols

The 15 game sample size from November to December before players went into health protocols

Lonnie Walker IV's aggressive play with multiple rotation players out

Dejounte Murray’s All-Star chances

The Last Six Games

The San Antonio Spurs went 1-5 in their last six games since the last Spurscast recording. Along with ending a 7-game road trip, the Spurs had multiple players enter health and safety protocols.

The Spurs' most recent game was a return home Wednesday against the Houston Rockets, but the Spurs weren't able to stop the Rockets on defense, and so they were dealt their 26th loss of the season.

Players Returning from Health and Safety Protocols

In the loss against Houston, Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell returned to the team and exited health protocols. Doug McDermott, who has been out for seven games, has also exited protocols.

Derrick White is listed as questionable to play Friday in the Spurs' game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, which puts him closer to exiting protocols.

Once White is out of protocols, the only rotation player left in protocols is Tre Jones.

The 15 Game Sample Size Before Health Protocols

From November 24 to December 23, the Spurs were able to play 15 games without any players going into health protocols.

During this stretch, the Spurs went 9-6 with the 3rd best offense and 15th ranked defense. In the episode, a discussion takes place examining if this is who the Spurs can be when fully healthy.

Lonnie Walker IV's Strong Start to January

Since returning from health and safety protocols in January, Lonnie Walker IV has been more aggressive on offense. Lonnie's paint attempts and free throw attempts have increased with more chances at being the second playmaker alongside Murray when White and Johnson were out. Can Walker IV remain aggressive when his teammates return?

Dejounte Murray's All-Star Chances

In the final topic on the episode, there's a discussion that looks at Murray's chances of making the Western Conference All-Star team.

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