Starting throughout their franchise record-setting seventeenth straight loss in opposition to the Houston Rockets and stretching into the subsequent morning, Editor-in-Chief J.R. Wilco, Jesus Gomez and Marilyn Dubinski bought into an prolonged dialog about what is definitely occurring with the Spurs and why they’re so mindbogglingly dangerous. It ended up being an extended and therapeutic dialog as extra than simply writers and coworkers, but in addition as followers and mates.
Ultimately, we determined it was price sharing with our Pounding the Rock household, the place you can also see our uncooked, unfiltered opinions versus what we write in additional formal settings. With that, we kick issues off through the Rockets recreation:
Jesus Gomez: How are the Spurs so dangerous in so many alternative however apparent methods? It’s so bizarre to observe.
J.R. Wilco: It might be extra curious if it wasn’t so clearly intentional.
Gomez: Yeah. I nonetheless ask “why?” thrice 1 / 4 — although I do know the reply is “as a result of we’re tanking”.
Wilco: Right here’s a metaphor that retains coming again to in my thoughts: it’s like strolling into an workplace the place somebody has their teenager sitting at their dad or mum’s desk, and also you assume, “That’s odd. I’m wondering why George has his child working in his place as we speak. Effectively, let’s see what sort of work they’ll have the ability to produce.”
Midway via the day, you go by to see what they’ve carried out, and so they’re midway via hammering a nail via their keyboard into the desk. Solely as an alternative of a hammer, they’re utilizing an iPhone. And also you assume, “Actually they’re able to doing one thing extra than simply destroying stuff. They might not less than sort an e mail or one thing. However even when that they had been instructed to safe the keyboard to the desk with a nail, anybody would know not to do this with an iPhone!”
And but, they hold fortunately banging away on the nail with the iPhone, destroying each the cellphone and the keyboard and damaging the desk — and there aren’t any explanations forthcoming.
Gomez: That’s not a foul method to put it.
Marilyn Dubinski: I’ll be trustworthy, if I might, I might in all probability be taking a break from watching them for my very own sanity. They’re bordering on unwatchable, and even the novelty of (Victor Wembanyama) is sporting off as a result of he can’t shoot to save lots of his life proper now, and regardless of this he’s nonetheless taking extra jumpers than something.
Gomez: Yeah, there’s not lots to get enthusiastic about proper now, sadly.
Wilco: Final 12 months was worse for me as a result of there was no assure that any of these guys could be with the crew long run or be nice sooner or later. However now, not less than we are able to count on to say, “I keep in mind when Victor…”
Dubinski: Yeah, however not less than we knew what they had been making an attempt to do final 12 months, and in opposition to all the chances, it paid off! I simply by no means thought they’d worsen earlier than they bought higher.
Wilco: I don’t assume any of us thought this season could be this pungent. That’s what makes it sting, as you talked about within the final Within the Bonus.
However right here we’re, and there’s a stink.
Gomez: I believe what bothers me is that they might be higher or not less than extra enjoyable to observe. It’s like they don’t seem to be solely making an attempt to lose however they’re going out of their method to give us a substandard product.
Wilco: How a lot I want they had been extra enjoyable to observe. The iPhone/hammer scenario is infuriating to me. The entire time I’m watching I’m internally screaming, “No! That’s a excessive tech piece of apparatus!! Don’t deal with it like a blunt instrument!!!”
(The following day…)
Wilco: We all know that “on tempo for” means nothing, however… San Antonio is at present pointed towards an eleven-win season.
Gomez: Certain, the report is terrible, however not less than (Jeremy) Sochan and (Zach) Collins misplaced their confidence and Victor’s dangerous habits are operating unopposed — so the longest streak in franchise historical past was price it!
Wilco: Effectively, if Pop corrected them, then the crew would win extra video games. So…
Gomez: LOL proper. If the crew was in New York, there’d be a SNL skit with a Spurs’ choice tree for changes and adjustments that reads one thing like: “would it not lead to extra wins?” Sure. “Then we received’t do it.”
Wilco: Ha!
Dubinski: I laughed at yesterday’s NBA.com Powering Rankings, the place John Schuhmann known as the Spurs’ strategy the “‘Begin Anyone However A Level Guard At Level Guard’ Problem”. Would it not assist? Sure. Will they do it? Apparently not!
Wilco: Humorous! Appears clear to me what’s occurring — the crew goes again to the tank properly for one more go.
Dubinski: Curiously, there are any variety of Spurs writers at present insisting that the Spurs aren’t purposefully tanking. That’s not a superb protection of Pop or the crew proper now.
Wilco: I see solely three potential explanations for the Spurs season’s efficiency: A) they’re tanking once more (and Pop’s preseason-talk of successful was simply misdirection), B) the gamers aren’t coachable, or C) the coaches can’t coach. I don’t assume B or C are worthy of great consideration, so both there’s a cause I can’t consider, or we’re operating final season again to maximise the worth of each decide the crew has affect over.
Be at liberty to proceed or add to the dialog within the feedback, and tell us in case you just like the casual dialog strategy — we simply may do extra sometime.
