Some observations from the Spurs first pre-season game against the Kings.

The San Antonio Spurs played their first official 48 minutes of the 2015-16 NBA Season Thursday night.

Yes, it was the pre-season, and the only thing less important than the first pre-season game is Summer League. And yes, Tony, Tim, Manu, Boris, and even Pop couldn’t be bothered to make the trip.

Still, that first pre-season game means we’re mere weeks away from real basketball, and it feels so good to have the NBA and the Spurs back in my life.

Pre-season games present their own drama, of course. New players fitting into systems, rookies getting their first taste of real NBA action, journeyman and vets fighting to hold on to a spot in the league. In the pre-season, the battle for the 15th roster spot–a spot that will matter very little in 3 weeks–is often the most compelling subplot.

Here are some thoughts from the Spurs’ loss to the Kings:

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–The big offseason question: how does LaMarcus Aldridge fit in the Spurs’ system? After one game, the answer is: I don’t know. Without Tim, Tony, and Pop there, much of what LMA will have to play off was missing. The real intrigue is how will he fit with the starters, and a good chunk of the starters weren’t there.

My biggest takeaway was that he seemed to be pressing, perhaps simultaneously eager to fit in and also exert his role in the system. He seemed a bit lost on a few offensive sets and in some defensive moments. His shot was just a little off, but that is the last thing to worry about in his game. I would have liked to see more interplay with him and Kawhi, but that will take time to develop. In the second half he seemed a bit more settled, and he did quite well in isolation sets.

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David West looks so natural in a Spurs’ jersey, I’m shocked he’s ever worn anything else. I mean that in both the basketball and sartorial sense. (Let’s get Andrew that jersey!) Like Aldridge, a bulk of his offensive game is from the mid-range (I have more coming on that this pre-season), and he seemed more comfortable there in his first game.

What really impressed was his court vision. His passing will fit in seamlessly with the Spurs’ system. It looks like he, Patty, and Anderson have been playing together for years already. There were a few moments of Spurs’ “beautiful game” basketball, and all of them involved West and quick, smart passes. He’s not quite as big or as limber (when healthy), but he has the chance to be Tiago-like in his role on the team, his interior passing able to make up for his lack of shooting range (which can allow him to share the floor easily with both Tim and LaMarcus).

We also saw glimpses of his toughness and on-court bad-assitude. All Spurs’ fans will be in love with West by Thanksgiving.

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–Kyle Anderson looked great. You’ll find no bigger Anderson fan than me. I’m happy to see his game progressing from his superlative Summer League. He looks like he’s slimmed down tremendously from last season and is in great shape. He’s still “SloMo”, but his court awareness has really improved. As the cliche goes, the game seems to be slowing down for him.

On offense he was confident and played with conviction. He knew what he wanted to do and did it. His passing and vision were spot-on, and his shot looks a lot better. As long as he can get to “average” on defense, he should find a home in the rotation.

–Patty looks fully recovered from his shoulder injury. Even after coming back last season, he seemed hesitant and out-of-rhythm. Thursday he was back to his whirling dervish self. He looked super quick, and like Kyle, was playing with confidence and passion.

–Continuing the trend, Kawhi looked really confident and decisive out there, too. This is his season, and the biggest step for him to take is in aggression and decisiveness. He should be the best Spurs player on the court in most every game, with apologies to Tim and LaMarcus.

–Boban is huge. I mean gigantic. He made DeMarcus Cousins look like a guard. And he also flagrant fouled him within 10 seconds of checking in. Uncharacteristically, Cousins didn’t have too much to say to him. He moves well for a man his size, but he’s still pretty slow afoot. His ability to understand the system and move within it rather than react to it will be critical in his ability to stay on the floor.

–Rasaul Butler was clearly the best 15th man candidate last night. In many ways, he is greatly overqualified. His shot looked good, but he also worked well within the flow of the system, finding some easy shot and lay-ups off of smart cuts and quick passing. Jimmer was uninspiring, so strong edge to Butler at this time.

The pre-season Spurs next play on Monday in Miami. I’m sure at some point Pop, Tim, and the others will bother to play, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they miss Monday, as well. Who cares? The Spurs are back!