It simply felt good to be watching basketball. All the things occurring in L.A. proper now’s horrifying on a scale that’s laborious to even comprehend and, as normal, when the horrors of the world begin closing in, sports activities are likely to discover a method to be a centering pressure. It doesn’t repair something. It doesn’t convey again something that was misplaced. It simply makes us really feel good, if just for just a little bit. Typically that’s all you may ask for.
Purely on a basketball degree, I wanted the Spurs to indicate me just a little life. Not a ton, thoughts you, however just a little. This current stretch in opposition to a good lineup of groups promised to be a take a look at for a gaggle of fellows who’re attempting to determine it out, and that take a look at has to this point definitively proved that they’re certainly nonetheless within the “figuring it out” course of. It’s nothing too shocking, however I believe it’s honest to say it’s been a bit disappointing. Progress definitely isn’t linear and, whereas there’s little question the Spurs have made progress this season, I believe we’re all itching for that subsequent little indicator that issues are nonetheless headed in the precise course.
The primary half was grim. Effectively, not grim — possibly simply lackluster. Staid. Pallid. Blah. Choose your uninspiring descriptor. They weren’t taking part in “dangerous,” however in addition they didn’t appear to have a lot spark. That’s definitely to be anticipated, given the week they’ve had hanging out in a lodge whereas the actual world raged on outdoors. Because the Lakers pushed out to a double-digit lead, I used to be able to pack it in. This wasn’t going to be the sport the place they discovered it, and it will be bizarre for me to anticipate them to, underneath the circumstances.
There’s in all probability a lesson in right here someplace about persistence or one thing. I don’t know. Possibly it’s like that factor the place you’re frantically tearing your own home aside in search of a misplaced merchandise and solely whenever you’ve given up hope does it flip up underneath your nostril. The Spurs rallied within the second half. In reality, they didn’t simply rally—they got here alive.
It was virtually weird to see them flip a swap like that. Out of nowhere, our guys morphed into this hyper-aggressive behemoth on protection that wouldn’t cease hounding the Lakers at each flip. Did somebody clue them in on the key tip that depth on the defensive finish makes it troublesome in your opponent to attain? I beloved it. What an adjustment!
We are saying this on a regular basis, however the Spurs aren’t damaged or something like that; they’re simply not absolutely fashioned. Some items are lacking. Nobody’s precisely certain what the following section of the Spurs goes to appear like, however within the meantime, we’re simply going to be sitting right here watching guys proceed to discover ways to play a full NBA season night time after night time. Chris Paul goes to yell at them, Harrison Barnes goes to set a very good instance, and the children are going to attempt to comply with their lead. More often than not, they’ll fall quick, however each every so often, it’ll all click on into place.
That’s after we get to see one thing like that fourth quarter occur — all the pieces falling into place, photographs dropping, a brick-wall protection, transition buckets, ball motion, the entire shebang. The diploma of problem in doing that each sport is extremely excessive, and the truth that this crew can pull it off at a good clip is a type of miracle I’m in all probability not grateful sufficient for.
All of that being mentioned, on the finish of the day, it simply felt good to spend a night watching some guys play basketball. If just for just a little bit.
Takeaways
I lived in Los Angeles from 2011 via 2021 — virtually ten years precisely. It’s not the place I’m from, but it surely was definitely dwelling for a really very long time. It has been impossibly unhappy to observe that place go up in flames on TV this previous week. I can barely put it into phrases. That quantity of destruction is so laborious to fathom, and nothing I can say right here will make any of it higher. I do know all of us form of clown on L.A. every now and then — myself included — but it surely actually is a particular place stuffed with so many unimaginable individuals. I hope that, via all of this ache, they’re capable of finding peace and power within the coming months and years as all of us attempt to assist put that metropolis again collectively.
One thing clicked for me about this crew’s defensive effort final night time that, I’m certain, smarter individuals than me have observed — however no matter. I believe Victor Wembanyama’s prowess on that aspect of the ground, whereas clearly a bonus, can lure our guys right into a false sense of safety. Vic is just so good at cleansing up everybody’s messes that it permits individuals to chop corners. Even when it’s not a aware resolution, I believe it’s simply simple for guys to tug a punch right here and there from an effort perspective as a result of they know they’ve a 7’4” security web behind them. They get away with it rather a lot as a result of, you understand, he actually is that good. However it’s habit-forming. He can’t repair all the pieces, and he’s additionally not all the time on the ground. Typically you’ll see somebody get too informal letting their man blow by on the baseline, then understand half a second too late that it’s Chuck Bassey again there as an alternative of Vic. As normal, I’m undecided repair this apart from to level it out and write on the chalkboard, “Don’t try this,” with three massive strains beneath. Possibly an exclamation level? That could be one thing to save lots of for late within the season.
I don’t know how Chris Paul was capable of compartmentalize all the pieces occurring together with his household this week and nonetheless go on the market and ball, however, man, it was a pleasure to observe him do it.
That was a pleasant little offensive burst from Stephon Citadel. I do know we don’t need to depend on him for that, but it surely’s fairly cool to see him flex that muscle from time to time. I’d additionally like to make use of this area to marvel aloud, for the umpteenth time, “Why the hell did we ever let Chip Engelland go away?!?!?!” I simply… I’ll by no means get it. What sum of money was an excessive amount of to maintain possibly an important determine in Spurs franchise historical past (Non-Tim-Tony-Manu-Pop division)? It makes me need to put a gap in my wall each time I give it some thought. Then I do not forget that not solely is he gone, he’s in OKC instructing our long-term rivals all his little secrets and techniques, and I need to put one more gap within the wall. I’m undecided I’ve sufficient partitions to deal with this Chip Engelland scenario.
WWL Put up Sport Press Convention
– Is it form of enjoyable that the Lakers have “LakeShow” on their jerseys? I assumed it was form of enjoyable.
– Thanks for asking me this, it’s a extremely good query. The reply is “certain”. Certain, its high quality that they’ve LakeShow on their jersey. That’s not the issue. The issue is that these jerseys are lame in each single different method. How does this leagues premier franchise, situated in one of the inventive cities on the earth, have a jersey that appears prefer it was thrown collectively in photoshop by somebody who was handed an Adobe subscription three days in the past? The black awkwardly fading into purple? This mishmash shorts? It’s simply disappointing. I may care much less about it saying Lakeshow.
– Ah. So…you do NOT suppose it’s enjoyable?
– I simply want that in the event that they had been going to shove all these Metropolis Version uniforms down our throats that they might no less than have a league huge mandate that they weren’t allowed to be “boring and intelligible from a design perspective”
– That looks as if a tough factor to implement.
– Effectively that’s simply because they haven’t requested me be in cost but. I’m nonetheless accessible and my charges are fairly affordable. Name me Adam!
