It’s admittedly troublesome to be grateful in the course of a shedding streak. Spurs followers all miss the halcyon days of a 3-2 document, a two-game successful streak (on the highway!) and looking out down within the standings on the L.A. groups and different supposed contenders such because the twice-vanquished Suns. These days made my Spurs over-under prediction of appear prescient:
Spurs — 28.5 (final season: 22)
OVER, OVER, OVER.
Simply as each successful streak seems like it’s going to go on perpetually, so do shedding streaks, just like the Spurs’ current 10-game skid. (I might have been greater than grateful for a 1-game successful streak heading into Thanksgiving, however alas.)
However even with the Spurs’ disappointing document, there may be a lot to be pleased about as a result of this too shall cross. Listed here are some:
The ex-Spurs. I’m very grateful that the Spurs of our (relative) youth are nonetheless round and invested within the crew. It’s at all times nice to see David Robinson within the stands at a Spurs residence sport, aside from the fan who has to take a seat immediately behind his 7’1” self. The Huge Three additionally appear to be round lots. Manu Ginobili particularly, I’m assured is haunting Spurs’ practices educating the children how you can throw lengthy one-handed bounce passes via visitors. Even on the broadcasts, now we have Sean Elliott mentioning the Memorial Day Miracle at any time when attainable and Matt Bonner filling in when Sean will get a sport off. It’s even good to see the ex-Spurs on completely different groups. Derrick White is flourishing in Boston, probably getting a hoop this yr. Davis Bertrans in OKC, raining threes when he will get an opportunity to play. And naturally, Boban, discovering fame in quite a few TV commercials that at all times make us smile to see him. I’m grateful for all of that.
The Spurs system. On a current podcast with Invoice Simmons of the Ringer, Doc Rivers talked concerning the issue of transitioning management of groups as a result of the previous stars who ought to take lesser roles are reluctant to take action. He talked about how the issue of that course of has introduced down many a contender or champion. As he was speaking, my thoughts went to the Spurs’ seamless transitions. From Robinson to Duncan, from Duncan to Manu and Tony Parker, and from the Huge Three to Kawhi Leonard — all three had been thrilled when Kawhi was named Finals MVP within the Redemption Finals in 2014. All cared extra concerning the crew than themselves. Extra about successful than what number of photographs they received. I’m very grateful to be a fan of a crew that conquered the transition course of due to the grace of the celebs, all of whom considered themselves not as stars, however as an alternative as among the finest phrases within the English language: teammates.
Pop. I’m grateful to know first-hand the reply to this trivia query: What was Gregg Popovich’s final head teaching job earlier than the San Antonio Spurs? Reply: The Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens, as recounted in my first piece for Pounding the Rock. We had excellent coaches in our Division III league, a lot of which grew to become lifers at their schools, together with Charlie Katsiaficas (“Coach Kat”), who changed Pop at Pomona in 1988. Coach Kat continues to be there and doing nicely. Maybe Pop took that “lifetime job” mentality with him when he got here to San Antonio. SpursNation could be very grateful that he did, and that he elected to remain round to teach the Spurs’ newest No. 1 choose.
Victor. When the Spurs group gained the lottery in June, Spurs followers did too. I don’t want to deal with Victor Wembanyama’s sport or potential. Others have achieved that in abundance. Daily of the week, you’ll find somebody at Sports activities Illustrated, The Athletic, the Ringer or a number of different websites analyzing the Spurs’ latest (and youngest) participant. In a earlier Thanksgiving publish, I wrote about operating into Rudy Tomjanovich at a Los Angeles driving vary. He instructed me he at all times heard across the league, and from others who had been with the Spurs, that the Spurs gamers and coaches had been “good folks”. All the pieces I see and listen to about Victor is that he matches that mannequin. As with the earlier Spurs stars, he desires to be a great teammate first, then a star, and he will be each. And I’m very grateful for that; I like rooting for the nice folks within the league. Victor certain looks like he’s a type of good folks already.
This Spurs crew. Maybe it will have been higher if the Spurs didn’t have these back-to-back early wins in Phoenix. The worst sort of hopes are false hopes. After these two video games, and the ensuing 3-2 document, Spurs followers had false hopes. This early success led a few of us, me included, to dream a bit of bit too early. Particularly when the crew misplaced one or each of Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell, they only didn’t have sufficient expertise or expertise to win video games. Blowing massive leads made it particularly painful. Why couldn’t they play 4 quarters like they did the primary two? Put merely, they haven’t realized how you can win – but. However they may. I’m grateful each for that future and the tempered expectations for the current this shedding streak has granted us.
Comfortable Thanksgiving, Pounders!
