Welcome to the Week in Assessment: a Monday characteristic that appears again on the week that was for the San Antonio Spurs, takes a take a look at the week forward, and extra. Get pleasure from!
Week 2: A wild 2-1 week featured the Spurs sweeping a miniseries in Phoenix, each with a 20-point comeback after which staving one off, earlier than blowing a double-digit lead at residence to the Raptors.
Week 3: 0-4 (3-7 general, thirteenth in West) — 111-152 L @ Indiana Pacers; 105-126 L @ New York Knicks; 110-117 L vs. Minnesota Timberwolves; 113-118 @ vs. Miami Warmth
If you happen to take a look at final week in a vacuum, the Spurs really improved every sport, going from large blowout, to aggressive blowout, to 2 aggressive losses, all whereas the margin of defeat decreased with every sport. While you take off the determined try and view losses with rose-colored glasses take a look at the extensive view once more, it’s nonetheless disappointing. Sure, that is the youngest staff within the NBA, and they’re nonetheless studying and experimenting, however there’s some issues that simply shouldn’t occur, no less than not typically, and blowing double-digit leads at house is one among them. It was once one thing that just about by no means occurred to any staff, however as a substitute it’s occurred in all 4 of the Spurs’ residence losses to date.
Overlook the street losses for a second — Indiana was unstoppably scorching in a kind of video games the place you simply tip your hat to the opponent and transfer on, and the Spurs fought a lot tougher in New York — however even the youngest groups needs to be higher at residence, and in some methods they’ve been, making the losses all of the extra maddening. Past one among their two wins in Phoenix, the Spurs have began gradual on the street and compelled themselves to aim large rallies in the event that they hope to win. They succeeded as soon as within the different win in Phoenix, however the remaining have gotten too out of hand to totally overcome.
The answer? Begin stronger. They’ve accomplished that at residence, getting out to double-digit leads in opposition to the Mavericks, Raptors, and this week the Timberwolves and Warmth, however they preceded to lose all 4 video games, often on account of taking their foot off the fuel and shifting away from what obtained them there (which is usually staff offense and dealing from the within out, establishing a presence down low to open issues up on the perimeter). On the street this may be extra forgivable, however not with the ability to trip the vitality of your house crowd to victory makes life way more troublesome for a staff that’s nonetheless studying to play 48 minutes.
If they may defend these residence leads, they’d be a 7-3 file, having weathered a tough opening schedule and setting the tone for what may very well be a particular season. As an alternative, they’re sitting at 3-7 after three weeks and nonetheless attempting to determine quite a bit out what to do (which, granted, is extra consistent with what we anticipated earlier than the season began). It’s nonetheless method too early to write down them off, and it wouldn’t take a lot to show issues round, however that’s at present the place issues stand, and it’s as much as the gamers to vary the pattern.
Energy Rankings
John Schuhmann, NBA.com — 25 (final week: 22)
OffRtg: 108.4 (26) DefRtg: 119.8 (29) NetRtg: -11.3 (30) Tempo: 101.8 (8)
After successful two video games in Phoenix, the Spurs have misplaced 5 straight, with a second loss by no less than 40 factors included. However they have been aggressive in opposition to each the Wolves and Warmth over the weekend.
Three takeaways
1. The Spurs rank final in opponent efficient discipline purpose proportion at 58%. They’d their finest sport in that regard (50.6% for the Warmth) on Sunday, however Miami was 28-for-30 from the free-throw line and dedicated simply seven turnovers.
2. Victor Wembanyama registered a constructive plus-minus in each of the weekend losses, and the Spurs have outscored their opponents by 19.3 factors per 100 possessions in 136 minutes with he and Tre Jones on the ground collectively. Because the Spurs misplaced consecutive video games by 62 whole factors final week, the Jones-Wembanyama combo was a plus-1 in 17 whole minutes.
3. Devin Vassell is taking some powerful pictures (as a result of any person has to attain), however continues to be registering career-high marks (by extensive margins) in efficient discipline purpose proportion (60.9%) and true taking pictures proportion (63.5%). His 16-for-29 (55%) from mid-range ranks second amongst 35 gamers with no less than 25 makes an attempt.
The a number of blowout losses are nonetheless skewing the Spurs’ general numbers fairly a bit. However in case you’ve suffered a number of blowout losses simply three weeks into the season, you’re most likely not staff.
A type of blowout losses (at Indiana) got here within the Spurs’ first rest-disadvantage sport, and their second rest-disadvantage sport is Saturday in opposition to Memphis. Earlier than they get there, they’ll play a few enjoyable In-Season Match video games, together with a rematch of what was an entertaining preseason sport in Oklahoma Metropolis.
Brett Siegel, Clutch Factors — 24 (final week: 20)
Victor Wembanyama continues to do his factor for the San Antonio Spurs, but his staff has misplaced 5 straight video games. The Spurs rank amongst the underside of the league in offensive and defensive manufacturing, plus they’ve the worst common scoring differential (-11.2) within the NBA. Keldon Johnson has taken a step again offensively since Wemby’s arrival and San Antonio’s level guard experiment with Tre Jones and Jeremy Sochan has not been too favorable. After starting the yr 3-2 and searching like a younger staff gaining momentum, the Spurs are actually 3-7.
Jeff Zillgitt, USA In the present day — 30 (final week: N/A)
Rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama has been spectacular however this Spurs rebuild isn’t occurring in a single day. They’ve the worst web ranking at minus-12.7 factors per 100 possessions, almost 5 factors worse than the Twenty ninth-ranked staff.
Arising: Tues. 11/14 @ Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder (In-season Match); Fri. 11/17 vs. Sacramento Kings (In-Season Match); Sat. 11/18 @ Memphis Grizzlies
Prediction: 1-2 — The final two weeks have definitely proven I do not know what’s occurring with this staff (while you anticipate them to win, they lose, and vice versa). Nonetheless, I’ll predict that they lastly flip issues round sooner or later this week, both at residence in opposition to the Kings or on the street in opposition to the Ja Morant-less Grizzlies, who’re one of many few groups with a worse file than the Spurs at this level.
