Ah, what a difference a day makes.
Just 24 little hours is all anyone needs to shift their perspective, reach a different conclusion, and fire off another take. In the event that another species discovers the remains and records of human civilization, I think that’ll be one of their favorite things about us. For better or worse, our opinions about the nature of our existence matter more than the actual state itself.
Just as only a human being living in relative poverty can assure someone of their happiness
in spite of their circumstances, and only a human being living in a state of relative wealth can assure someone of their abject misery, only a sports fan can assure someone of the certainties they have regarding their favorite team.
Every game represents another exercise in certainty; another opportunity to waver. (I suspect that an alien race stumbling across our remains will ultimately be more fascinated by our sporting events and reality TV shows than by our cinematic classics)
After last week’s deflating loss to the Phoenix Suns, a not-insignificant congregation of Spurs fans was certain that the season had taken the downward turn that it was destined to take. And, based on the patterns of the last several seasons, it’s not hard to understand why. It has not been unusual for the Spurs to exit the first week of the season with a winning record, only for the hot start to be rendered a full-on mirage by mid-season.
And to be fair, the Spurs have once again been struck by a wave of injuries that at this point has begun to feel like retribution for the previous decades of dominance.
Offensive possessions were inconsistent at best once the rookie wonder that is Dylan Harper made his way to the injury report as well, and Mitch Johnson appeared to be trying to find anything to spur offensive cohesion with brief stints from both Jeremy Sochan and Victor Wembanyama spent at the point.
Victor himself was beginning to show subtle signs of frustration, stuck in a hard place between a group of ball-handlers who were having difficulty getting the ball to him in advantageous spots, and defensive schemes designed specifically to thwart him.
And then: De’Aaron Fox.
At long last, one of those more important names disappeared from the list of players being held out, and it was on.
Prior to the season (particularly after drafting Harper), there had been a lot of conversation about San Antonio’s stacked guard rotation. Trade scenarios were thrown out. Extensions were dramatically scrutinized. Prognostications of awkwardness and learning curves abounded.
As it turned out, that awkwardness lasted all of one quarter. After what looked like a little bit of pressing from Fox in the first, he exploded for 15 points in 2nd quarter, scoring 10 straight during one stretch.
Oddly, everything else sort of fell into place. Operating in tandem with a bona fide back-court scoring threat in Fox, Stephon Castle suddenly found plenty of openings for his sharp and accurate passes. And though Fox still seemed a step slow on the other end, both players made it hard on the New Orleans guards when it was their turn to advance the ball offensively.
Indeed, San Antonio’s offense on the whole seemed to erupt once Fox got going, with eight Spurs finishing in double figures for the night (on 53% shooting, no less).
Even Wemby started to see his coverage shift a little once the offense really started to hum, hopefully a sign of things to come as Fox and the rest of the team more fully acclimate to the threat of another dynamic scorer in the lineup.
They certainly made the Pelicans pay for their decision to continue doubling Wembanyama in the fourth, as they exploited the gaps in spacing, and Fox found himself a very clutch six points to slam the door on the Pelicans near the end of the game.
It wasn’t perfect, to be clear. The Spurs still suffered some of their traditional lull in the 3rd quarter. The bench simply could not handle Derik Queen when Wemby was off the court. The forwards let Trey Murphy go off for 41 points a night after holding Kevin Durant to just twenty-four. The bench is still lacking a true ball-handler.
But, for at least 24 hours, none of that is a concern. The Spurs are 7-2 for the first time since their last trip to the Western Conference Finals! They defeated the Rockets (who were roundly predicted to outperform them this season) and won a SEGABABA in spite of a forty-point individual performance from a Pelicans team coming off two games of rest!
The Spurs are on the rise, and we walk in the garden of their turbulence! (Huzzah)
Takeaways
- The forward rotation for San Antonio now has a glaring weakness. While they can otherwise handle forwards with size who lack moves/foot-speed (like Durant and Ingram), and forwards with moves/foot-speed who lack size (like Terrance Mann or P.J. Washington), they just don’t (yet) have a player who can handle someone with both. To date, Trey Murphy, Andrew Wiggins, R.J. Barrett, and Luka Doncic have all feasted on them — Barnes is beginning to lose his speed, Champagnie and Vassell simply lack the bulk/strength, and bless Keldon’s heart, but he never had the lateral speed to begin with. I truly believe that San Antonio will have to make a move to improve here to have a real chance in the postseason.
- That being said, when it comes to running three-and-D in almost every other situation, that rotation has put in work and been highly effective. Outside of the dud in Phoenix, some combination of Barnes, Champagnie, Vassell, and Johnson has gone off at just the right time every night. There’s no doubt that this team would not be sniffing 7-2 without the long-distance bombs that this group has been dropping on the regular. I still cannot believe that Keldon is shooting close to 40% from three *and* showing signs of improvement as a ball-handler. Pinch me.
- It should also be noted that after an inexplicably disastrous start to the season, the Spurs are finally making their free throws with regularity again! Over the last four games, they’ve been shooting 83% from the line, and just a tick over 90% over the last two. I don’t know if Mitch Johnson locked them in the gym during their off days, but whatever is being done is working, so keep it up!
- Also, how about that Lindy Waters? All that dude does is chew bubble gum and drop threes, and lately he’s been all out of bubble gum. He hasn’t gotten a ton of playing time yet, but he sure has done wonders for my confidence about long-distance shot-making in the event that one of San Antonio’s shooters goes down/goes ice cold. It’s not easy to just walk out there, drop a bomb, and then go right back to the bench, but he’s been a perfect soldier in that sense and deserves a salute.
- And lastly, this team is just a different animal with Jeremy Sochan available. He’s not ideal for backing up big men, but the Spurs play with a lot more fire and grit just knowing he’s out on the court. He dropped a quiet (and efficient) 10 points in this one, but he really just is one of those teammates who can affect play without scoring a point. San Antonio looked soft in just about every game without him. I hope they’re able to hammer something out this off-season.
Playing You Out – The Theme Song of the Evening:
What a Difference a Day Makes performed by Bobby Darin
