Welcome to the Week in Assessment: a Monday function that appears again on the week that was for the San Antonio Spurs, takes a take a look at the week forward, and extra. Take pleasure in!
Week 22: In one of many extra enjoyable weeks of the season, the Spurs misplaced their make-up recreation in Los Angeles earlier than exploding for 3 straight wins, together with a Mamu Mania-led win towards the Knicks, rally previous the tanking 76ers, and a blowout win in Toronto that featured a uncommon defensive show.
Week 23: 0-4 (31-43, thirteenth in West)
96-122 loss at Detroit Pistons
Recap: After boasting a league-leading offence for the month of March, the Spurs got here crashing again to earth for the ultimate week. All of it started in Detroit, the place they solely hit two discipline objectives within the second quarter, digging too massive of a gap to climb out of regardless of the Pistons lacking All-Star guard Cade Cunningham.
What we discovered
116-124 loss at Cleveland Cavaliers
Recap: The Spurs had a bounce-back efficiency towards the chief of the Jap Convention, going toe-to-toe with the Cavs nearly all the recreation, however their lack of dimension lastly caught up as Cleveland made changes within the fourth quarter, and Jarrett Allen dominated the put up to finish the Spurs’ upset bid.
What we discovered
111-121 loss vs. Boston Celtics
Recap: Again dwelling from their three-game street journey, the second seed within the East was ready for the Spurs. As soon as once more, they put up an admirable battle, by no means letting the Celtics put them away and preventing till the top, however they had been merely out-talented and too undersized towards the defending champions.
What we discovered
106-148 loss vs. Golden State Warriors
Recap: Maybe fatigued from the Celtics recreation the evening earlier than, the Spurs appeared fully misplaced in wall-to-wall shellacking. The Warriors uncovered their lackadaisical protection from the opening tip, and not one of the starters had something happening offense exterior of an honest stretch from Devin Vassell within the third quarter. It was a type of video games that you simply placed on the backburner and overlook about.
What we discovered
Energy Rankings
John Schuhmann, NBA.com — 23 (final week: 23)
OffRtg: 113.7 (17) DefRtg: 116.5 (25) NetRtg: -2.8 (22) Tempo: 100.0 (14)
The Spurs have dropped 4 straight video games, with their worst lack of the season (to the Warriors by 42 factors) approaching Sunday.
Three takeaways
1. This would be the third straight season wherein the Spurs ranked within the backside 10 defensively. They’d one bottom-10 protection (2019-20) within the 25 seasons prior.
2. They’d a worse-than-average protection (rating nineteenth) on the All-Star break, once they misplaced Victor Wembanyama for the season. Because the break, they’ve ranked twenty ninth defensively, with solely the Sixers having allowed extra factors per 100 possessions. General, they’ve allowed 8.8 fewer factors per 100 possessions with Wembanyama on the ground (110.0) than they’ve with him off the ground (118.8). That’s the most important on-off differential on protection amongst gamers who’ve performed at the very least 1,000 minutes for a single workforce.
3. The Spurs lead the league in opponent free throw fee, having allowed simply 20.0 makes an attempt per 100 photographs from the sphere. This would be the 18th time within the final 28 seasons that they ranked within the prime 5. They allowed simply 14.2 makes an attempt per 100 photographs from the sphere in 814 minutes with Wembanyama, Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes all on the ground.
The Spurs are midway by a stretch of 4 video games in 5 nights that happened through a postponement from earlier within the 12 months, however they’ll have a relaxation benefit once they host the Magic on Tuesday. They gained their first seven rest-advantage video games of the season, however have misplaced two of their final three.
Brett Siegel, Clutch Factors — 24 (final week: 21)
The San Antonio Spurs have seen some highs this season, as they rose inside the highest 15 of the NBA energy rankings at one level. Sadly, their season ended with Victor Wembanyama being recognized with a deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder and De’Aaron Fox present process finger surgical procedure.
Plenty of good issues are in retailer for the Spurs shifting ahead, as their younger core is below contract and one other lottery decide will probably be heading to San Antonio.
Arising: Tues. 4/1 vs. Orlando Magic (rescheduled); Wed. 4/2 at Denver Nuggets; Fri. 4/4 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers; Solar. 4/6 at Portland Path Blazers
Prediction: 1-3 — It is a friendlier schedule than final week strength-wise, however I’m not thrilled with journey and time zone adjustments between every recreation. Each the Magic recreation — which ought to have been again on March 17 when the Lakers recreation was rescheduled to, robbing the Spurs of a break now — and Path Blazers are winnable; it’s going to simply rely upon if final week’s model of the Spurs reveals up or the explosive one from the week prior. The Nuggets and Cavs are scheduled losses, however this workforce isn’t above shocking us.
