It’s not the top of the world or something. It’s not like we’re in a full-on disaster just like the Thunder, are you able to even think about?!?!? However yeah, this wasn’t it. There are issues beginning to present up now. Traits. Themes. Echoes. Motifs, even. Massive-picture points peeking their little heads up via the cracks within the facade.
We’re not panicking but, clearly. However I do suppose we are able to formally escalate this to the stage of the film the place everyone seems to be standing round within the management room, solemnly monitoring the state of affairs, and somebody lastly says a line like, “Boss, you higher come and check out this.”
It’s simply that this didn’t really feel like a one-off. It felt like a handful of acquainted points the crew’s expertise has been capable of paper over all season out of the blue colliding and sounding louder than common. Dropping the bodily battle. Taking their foot off the gasoline within the third. Trying a bit dicey in crunch time. These are all issues we’ve seen crop up repeatedly.
Certain, it’s solely resulted in 11 losses up to now. The document is nice. But it surely’s additionally led to numerous nights that have been nearer than they wanted to be. Video games that became coin flips as an alternative of unpolluted put-aways. And now that the remainder of the league is beginning to take this crew significantly, it could be time for the Spurs to take a protracted look within the mirror and do the identical.
For me, all of it comes again to manage. This crew tends to fluctuate between a locked-in, killer demeanor and one the place it feels just like the magnet will get pulled out and all the things begins flying round by itself. You noticed the nice model within the first half, after they have been buzzing round defensively and by no means letting the Grizzlies come up for air. They have been lively and aggressive with out being reckless. It was quick, but it surely was calm. A bullet practice on the tracks.
That management confirmed up within the particulars. The Spurs have been forcing errors, turning protection into early offense, and by no means letting Memphis get snug. Even when photographs weren’t falling at a excessive clip, the possessions made sense. The ball moved. The guards stayed downhill. There was a rhythm to it, one that allow San Antonio take up Memphis’ runs with out spiraling.
I don’t wish to hear about capturing being an issue with this crew. That dialog misses the forest for the bushes.
Capturing just isn’t the problem. Whether or not or not this crew can rating just isn’t even the query. The actual questions are how they rating, and why that course of appears to vanish once in a while.
As a result of look, Julian Champagnie can hit photographs. Barnes can hit photographs. Fox, Citadel, Harper, Wembanyama, all the way in which down the road. The expertise is there. We’ve seen it. This isn’t about needing one other shooter or playmaker. It’s about having a plan for the way these photographs are created, no matter who’s on the ground, and with the ability to replicate it for 4 quarters.
When all the things is flowing and the Spurs are in management, these appears to be like come naturally. They’re born out of fast, lightning-strike breaks in transition or the chaos generated by a well-executed half-court assault. Champagnie can get, and hit, open appears to be like all night time if the offense is producing them. Have a look at the primary half of this recreation, or the opposite night time when he went supernova to beat the Knicks. However when issues bathroom down, like they did within the second half when it felt like everybody was standing round ready for Wemby or Fox to bail them out, the nicely dries up quick.
I’m not telling you something you don’t already know. These are points which were pinging across the edges of the Spurs’ season all yr. They simply really feel louder now that we’re deeper into it. That is the purpose the place you begin wanting round, sizing up the competitors, and determining the place you really stand.
As a result of we are able to all watch this crew exit and dismantle the Thunder and it’s not possible to not begin dreaming about what an actual playoff run would possibly appear to be. Then we watch them take their foot off the gasoline in opposition to groups like Utah, Portland, or Memphis, and out of the blue it will get a bit sweaty. The ceiling with this group is apparent. They’re so good. Unbelievably gifted. Thrilling in methods the Spurs haven’t been in a decade.
They’re additionally fairly inexperienced. They are often undisciplined. They lose focus. They don’t all the time know the right way to modulate their vitality and energy from night time to nighttime, quarter to quarter, second to second. I’ve little doubt everybody concerned is conscious of it, and that there are numerous heads down, attending to work on it. The issue is that the the video games preserve coming and so they don’t cease coming. The margin for error is shrinking and all these theoretical checks we preserve getting about to get very actual.
The hour is later than you suppose.
WWL Put up Sport Press Convention
– Forgive me for studying between the strains right here, however I’m beginning to suppose you would possibly really be anxious about Victor Wembanyama’s match into the Spurs offense.
– I’m not anxious. I used to be very clear about that. I went out of my approach to say that we don’t even want to debate it as a result of it’s not an issue. Have you ever seen how tall he’s?
– Sure. Victor could be very tall.
– He’s so tall! And in basketball, being tall is likely one of the finest belongings you could be.
– So, yea, he’s tall and he’s good and the Spurs are good and he’s tall and so, after they’re on offense, they’ll simply, you already know, they’ll determine a manner to make use of the tall half to their benefit together with all the opposite good things that can be good simply not as tall.
– Looks like plan.
– Proper, I imply nobody has all the small print sorted out proper now but it surely’s nice and it’s not an issue.
