I’ve not written any posts for Pounding the Rock since my Finals recap on my mom’s birthday, June 23. Like gamers and coaches within the NBA, I additionally wanted an low season. To prepare for the brand new season, I deliberate to put in writing one thing earlier than the summer season ended. Any of us who has been a guardian or a baby (I’ve been each!) is aware of that, regardless of the calendar may say, summer season formally ends when kids return to high school.
Right here in Los Angeles, I discovered that college began final week. Chat GPT tells me that college began even earlier in lots of San Antonio faculties. What is occurring to America?!? College is meant to begin up once more the day after Labor Day, as God meant. Once I run for president in 2028, beginning college after Labor Day would be the central theme of my agenda.
One other key a part of my presidential platform can be much more common: Each restaurant will need to have chips and salsa (or the equal) on the desk once you sit down. This requirement might be glad by bread and olive oil in an Italian restaurant, olives in a Portuguese place, or crispy noodles and sizzling mustard in a Chinese language restaurant. In Canada, poutine on the desk will adjust to the rule.
As a result of the tip of summer season snuck up so immediately, this can be much more disjointed that my regular stuff. We are able to name it “Disjointed Basketball Ideas (DBT) As Summer time Prematurely Ends.” (Beginning after my election in 2029, this put up will happen in September, and won’t included the work “prematurely”.)
DBT 1. The basketball universe unanimously permitted the Spurs’ choice on Dylan Harper because the clear second finest participant within the 2025 NBA draft. The one concern I’ve heard is that Harper’s abilities overlap with these of the anticipated beginning backcourt of De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Fort.
Having coached a bit, I do know that having three good guards for the 2 backcourt spots is an efficient factor, not a nasty one. The reason being easy is gamers don’t play all 48 minutes. Certainly, the Spurs’ finest participant final 12 months (you recognize his title) averaged simply 33 minutes per sport. In 17 video games with the Spurs, Fox averaged 34 minutes whereas Fort averaged 27. If Fox and Fort play the identical quantity this season, they may play a complete of 61 minutes out of the 96 minutes out there. That leaves 35 minutes for Harper or others — as an illustration if Devin Vassell splits his time between the two and the three. Harper can be not be 20 years outdated till March 2026 — and 20 might be about the fitting variety of minutes for such a younger participant in his rookie season. There most likely gained’t be sufficient enjoying time for Harper to win the Spurs’ third consecutive Rookie of the Yr award, however with that different rookie in Dallas beginning for the Mavs, Harper most likely gained’t win the award anyway.
One sub-DBT. Chris Paul averaged 28 minutes per sport final season, and the ball was in his fingers for many of these minutes. The Spurs have loads of good and youthful gamers to fill these minutes, together with Harper, who’s half of Paul’s age. All in all, issues can be nice with three gifted guards filling a lot of the 96 minutes allotted to the Spurs backcourt.
DBT 2. The three man rotation might not work as nicely for the Spurs frontcourt as a result of the Spurs have 5 gamers competing for these minutes: Vassel, Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan and Julian Champagnie. A few of this group might drop right down to steal some backcourt minutes. After all, I’d somewhat have too might NBA high quality gamers than not sufficient. Which can also be why many within the know are enthusiastic about this Spurs staff. I might not be “within the know”, however I too am optimistic.
DBT 3. After Harper, the Spurs’ second most vital addition was Luke Kornet, signed away from the Celtics. Though I’ve not watched very a lot Celtic basketball, my Celtics’ fan mates (simpler to have these mates as soon as I deserted the Lakers) all actually like him. Sticking with the minutes theme, Kornet averaged simply over 18 minutes per sport, which inserts properly into the minutes that Victor shouldn’t be on the ground. If you happen to double Kornet’s counting stats, over 36 minutes Kornet averaged 12 factors, 10 boards and a couple of blocks — rather more productive than anybody who stuffed the back-up 5 function for the Spurs final season. He additionally invented the Kornet Kontest, which is each efficient and hilarious.
DBT 4. Please don’t take this as a criticism of Fox, however I don’t fairly perceive the NBA’s most wage guidelines. The Spurs simply gave Fox a most contract. In associated information, OKC gave 2025 common season and NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a most contract. Once more with no disrespect to Fox, he’s not so good as SGA. The Ringer ranked Fox because the twenty sixth finest participant within the league. SGA is first (if we ignore that Denver man). Sure, I do know that SGA really received a “supermax”, however that time period simply implies that the NBA doesn’t know the that means of the phrase “most”. It jogs my memory of this scene from Spinal Faucet:
DBT 5. In associated information, the NBA additionally has a little bit of hassle with geography. OKC is is the NBA’s “Northwest Division”. Anybody can go on Wikipedia or any map and make sure that Oklahoma Metropolis is solely not within the Northwest:
DBT 6. The Portland Trailblazers had been simply bought to a man who owns the Carolina Hurricanes in one thing referred to as the “Nationwide Hockey League”. By no means heard of it. Anyway, the Blazers have an extended historical past in Portland and a passionate fan base. I’m certain that Blazer followers don’t have anything to fret about simply because their new proprietor relies in one other state. Maintain that thought only one second — considered one of my ex-players from Seattle is on the road…
DBT 7. Earlier than we begin the 2025-26 season, let’s take a final look again on the 2024-25 Finals, and specifically, the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers may need gained all of it aside from, nicely, you recognize, that Tyrese Haliburton damage in the beginning of Recreation Seven. For Spurs followers, this evaluation from Michael Pina on the Ringer may have been an outline of the 2014 Redemption Finals Spurs:
The Pacers simply preserve enjoying just like the Pacers, which is to say they deploy a scheme that places their opponent in a singular type of basketball hell: full-court strain, fixed ball motion, unending dribble handoffs, capturing at each place, an obsession with tempo and ball safety, disciplined transition protection, and a clever, tactical contrarian for a head coach who instills confidence in a deep roster that epitomizes the age-old axiom of their complete being larger than the sum of its components.
Whereas the 2014 Spurs didn’t full court docket press (besides Patty Mills’ one-man press), the outline matches — particularly the “clever, tactical contrarian head coach”. The 2 groups additionally produce other similarities: Each began within the ABA and worth continuity and group. Each groups had a balanced assault: just one participant on the Pacers averaged extra that 20 factors per sport –Pascal Siakam at 20.2 — whereas the 2013-14 Spurs’ main scorer was Tony Parker at 16.7 ppg. The Nice Duncan averaged 15.1, Kawhi Leonard 12.8 and My Man Manu 12.3.
Haliburton’s ill-timed damage means we are going to by no means know if the Pacers may have additionally matched the 2014 Redemption Spurs’ crowning achievement, the very best of the staff’s 5 championships. Because the summer season ends, I’m trying ahead to the sixth of these championships within the not-too-distant future.
