Gerry Hamilton

Hi

Hi

Shaq was the best player on the Lakers. He was the most dominant player in the NBA. The NBA changed the rules of defense because of Shaq.

He’ll likely improve on that as he gains more experience… probably in the 25% range. And has to! A lot of the great players don’t hit as high% of game winners as many believe look back at this study from a 5+ year stretch https://82games.com/gamewinningshots.htm Koby Bryant had this reputation as a clutch game winner type. 25% with only 1 assist during that time. Great great player, but stats didn’t back up the reputation during this stretch. He attempted very difficult shots from long distance many times off balance to get cleanest look possible … not high % shots Hitting 35% in those scenarios with enough attempts is top shelf … not many do it. Length of shot, toughness of shot etc… Centers/bigs aren’t going to even be part of that convo unless is a big that can play on the perimeter and put ball on floor. Wemby is going to be an anomaly in that regard … if he gets to 25% over time … would be a first in history for a big man. Tough task, as it’s never been done before

Spurs are going to have to have a hot 3 point shooting game to win a single game IMO So far, Knicks have shot the 3 better - and now go to home court. Knicks ball movement in half court is so much better and more crisp. Then Brunson does his thing when it’s time. They are getting a lot of good looks, and are shooting the 3 better by 6-7%’ish so far with 4 more makes in series. Spurs are going to need a 17-18 made 3’s type game to get one in NY IMO. And that’s if Knicks keep shooting it like they are (Brunson will have a better 3-pt shooting game at home IMO). Spurs are averaging 11 makes per right now. That dog won’t hunt in this series. And it’s tougher because they don’t have the ball movement and timing/flow in half court. Younger team, obviously, but Spurs putting ball in Castle’s hands as much as they do/are is always going to make it tougher to have that level of ball movement/flow ideally needed. Hope Spurs get one in NY to at least get it to 5 games, and refs can get it to six from there lol

Fun and interesting to think about some of the teams guys were. Shaq O’Neal was the best player on the Lakers team. To be clear. So much of this has to do with who is on a team with you vs a single player comparison. O’Neal averaged 30.4 points. 15.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 16 playoff games. In the NBA Finals … Shaq averaged 33 points, 15.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.4 blocks to take home MVP honors. That was an older more experienced Shaq, obviously. Lakers had 2 of the top 10 players ever on the same team. And two of the very best player in the league on the same team. With a couple of clutch role players around them. Now the study to think about is this IMO Put Kobe on the Spurs with Wemby. Spurs win it too. Going to be the best two players on the floor, and each make the others job easier and more efficient/dominant Same thing with putting Shaq on Cavs with young LeBron. They beat the 2007 Spurs. ——- Michael Jordan is the best player in the history of the sport, until someone comes along and takes it from him. Which hasn’t happened yet. One thing about Jordan early days. That was before expansion. There were some truly great teams in the league , that wouldn’t have been put together after expansion. He wasn’t going to lead that Bulls team to an NBA Title at that point. Jordan was absolutely dominant in a an extremely tough stretch … Celtics were about all HOF’ers with a top 10 player ever leading them, Pistons were just a loaded roster with 3 Future Hall of Fame players, and terrific depth of talent. It’s part of why Jordan’s dominance will always be underrated. ——- The LeBron Cavs team is the closest to the Wemby Spurs team. Both carried a team to the NBA Finals, but ultimately didn’t have the pieces around them to help them climb the mountain top. A lot of people said LeBron didn’t play well enough in the Finals. As great of a player as he was, his team was simply overmatched. Averaged 22 points on sub 40% FG shooting for series. Averaged 7 rebounds and 6.8 assists. Also averaged 6 TO’s per game having to try and do too much.

Wemby leads the series in scoring, second in rebounds, leads in blocked shots and has the biggest impact on his team of any one player. He averaging 27.5, 10.5, 3.5. If he has to average 33-34 points, 13-14 rebounds and 4-5 blocks as a 22 year old for the Spurs to win the series … that’s probably not going to happen. KAT is a 6 time NBA All-Star and possible Hall of Fame player. A really, really good player and former No. 1 pick. He’s averaging 19.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 4 assists and a block per game. Wemby isn’t the reason the Spurs aren’t winning. But that’s what comes with being who he is.

Kid is very gifted Would be interesting to have two true freshman QB starters in SEC (Jared Curtis)

https://gocards.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster

That’s more national people thinking Lewis Goosby has to go take it, but Texas wants that bigger, longer lineup IMO, Mikey Lewis would be really good as scoring punch 6th man … he’s looked good in individual work thus far I was told. Natural scorer

First team meeting Sunday Workouts with staff begin Monday

Castle is a huge part of it IMO. I've been on this watching him in person each of the last two years and them enough on the tube. Spurs are square peg, round hole'ing this thing right now. Castle has ball in hand more than any other player. And he's just not that player. He's not a team runner, let alone a "PG". He's just playing with the most gifted both ends of the floor player in the world. He's not instinctive (like play with 10 seconds to go last night was glaring as have been too many others), it's not natural, he's too slow to make the correct read too much, produces bad flow too much and turns it over too much at critical times. And it's going to be a problem for Spurs long term (against the very best) if the brass doesn't engage him in a role change, and just says this is who you actually are as a player and go do it and very good at it. If he's not willing, which I think will be the case, move him sooner rather than later. I think he's a solid player, overrated in the eyes of many, but I would consider trading him right now after the season and getting more wing shooting. Spurs need to hand ball to Harper starting next year, surround Wemby with best shooting possible and get a four man that fits the roster/rotation.

For those wondering ... Wemby leads the series in scoring at 27.5 per game. 27.5, 10.5, 3.5 blocks per Brunson is at 25 points per on 19 of 56 from the field (4-17 from 3). Clutch dude, battling through minor injuries IMO

For sure it will be.

This is the reason the Spurs are losing. Until the SA Spurs HC and organization realize this has to and must change, they will not maximize their time under Wemby.

Huge key this summer for Texas basketball … S&C getting Freeman, Goosby, Isaiah Johnson and Mikey Lewis stronger And they will … Hearing Matas is 7% body fat right now David Punch stays between 245-250 pounds… Will likely play low 240’s by time season starts

Hearing Elyjah Freeman's raw talent really catching eyes so far. Very quick second jump, ball handling showing improving signs and can play in the ball screen game

Texas has four 2nd rounders in latest 2027 mock draft ... 34, 37, 42 and 44 ... Goosby not even in yet. https://www.nbadraft.net/nba-mock-drafts/?year-mock=2027 IMO, Texas will end up with 2 first rounders and 3 second rounders on drafts during and after the 2026-27 season

Ball screen defense and defense overall Add one more piece to his offense

https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/college-basketball-rankings-top-25-and-1-kentucky-milan-momcilovic/

I do think Texas will start 5 NBA draft picks … of course, doesn’t guarantee a FF. So many talented teams Thing I like about the roster: Isaiah Johnson - sophomore Austin Goosby - freshman Elyjah Freeman - junior David Punch - junior Matas Vokietaitis- junior Mikey Lewis - junior Amari Evans - sophomore Bo Ogden - freshman John Clark - RS freshman Joe Sterling - freshman Lewis Obiorha - RS Freshman Coleman Elkins - freshman Texas “could” return a number of tremendous players in 2027-28

Absolutely