After what felt like a near-perfect game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, the San Antonio Spurs looked more like a young squad again in Friday’s 120-116 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. The game was defined by messy offense, blown leads, and silly mistakes. And yet, in overtime when it was time to step up with Victor Wembanyama fouling out, the team did what was needed to steal a victory on the road. That’s not something that happened too often in the last two seasons.
Last year, the final
two minutes of the fourth quarter would have buried the Spurs. And you could argue that against a better opponent last night, it would have. San Antonio gave away a 6-point lead by turning the ball over twice and making poor shot decisions in the last few possessions. If they valued possessions and ran the clock more in the final moments of the game, they likely don’t need the overtime period.
In a development season, opportunities like this are learning moments for younger players, but the Spurs are self-proclaimed playoff contenders, and bad losses will hurt their chances. It was apparent that they needed a steady hand to calm them in the final moments. Someone like, I don’t know, the former clutch player of the year – De’Aaron Fox. He has become somewhat underrated in the conversations surrounding San Antonio. Last night showed what his absence can cost the team.
In place of a steady veteran leader on the court was a strong voice and tactician on the sideline. Mitch Johnson coached an incredible offensive overtime.
On the first play, Johnson ran a flex play to get Wembanyama isolated in the pinch post, where the big man has thrived in two games this season. He got an easy dunk against rookie big Derik Queen.
The next play, after Wemby fouled out, the Spurs coach went back to a similar high-post action, this time with Luke Kornet operating as a passer/screener in a “zoom” (screen into dribble handoff) action to get Devin Vassell a wide-open three.
After a transition free throw split by Stephon Castle, on the next half-court possession, San Antonio ran the same play. This time, the Pelicans overplayed Vassell, Castle slipped the screen, and found a wide-open Julian Champagnie in the corner for three.
Three half-court possessions, three scores, 8 points. It was the stretch that gave the Spurs the cushion they needed in overtime, and it was done by Johnson putting his best players in positions to thrive in the context of smart team offense. Then, even after Castle made critical mistakes in the fourth, Johnson put the ball in his hands again to close it out in the overtime period. The sophomore delivered. It was superb coaching by the Spurs’ new head man. Through two games, this team seems to have the talent on the bench and on the court to have a successful season.
Takeaways:
- The Pelicans showed the adjustments that teams will start to make against San Antonio. They sent multiple bodies at Wembanyama all night, especially trying to force him to give it up when his back is turned to the basket. They went way under on pick-and-rolls with Castle, forcing him to beat them from three. That paid off for the Spurs in the final moments of the fourth quarter, but Castle shot just 3-8 from deep. Offensively, they played fast, got downhill, then made a point to spray the ball out to shooters. Sure, they got blocked 9 times by Wemby, but attacking him also got the big man in foul trouble and opened up shots from deep. It’ll be interesting to see if other teams try to replicate the strategy.
- It looks like the Spurs are still learning how to play together. San Antonio had 19 turnovers in the game, and a lot of them seemed to be because guys weren’t on the same page. That will change as the year goes on. However, it could get worse before it gets better, because this team is welcoming back two, maybe three rotation players in Fox, Jeremy Sochan, and Kelly Olynyk in a few weeks.
- San Antonio shot just 30.2% from three on 43 deep shot attempts. That’s not going to get it done, especially if teams are going to pack the paint. Luckily, the Spurs have been good enough to dominate the paint in their first two games. But if you’re looking for a way this roster can improve, wing shooting certainly seems to be at the top of the list.
- Dylan Harper has looked good in his first two games. He had an impressive stretch in the fourth that essentially got the Spurs back into the game. His passing instincts are awesome, and when he’s aggressive getting to the hoop, he’s hard to stop. It would be great to see him become a more intentional scorer as the season goes by. This bench unit will need it.
- There has been talk of Vassell heading to the bench once Fox returns. It’s going to be hard to reduce his minutes with how he’s playing. He’s one of the few impactful shooters on the roster; his defense is improving, and he’s thriving as a tertiary option in the offense. He was crucial on Friday night with his 23 points on 8-19 shooting.
- Keldon Johnson fouled out after 19 minutes of play, but it’s hard to be too upset about it. His energy has been great off the bench. He grabbed 10 rebounds, 5 of them offensive, and chipped in 8 points on Friday. He has always been this team’s heart, and he’s showing it on the court right now.
