Season 50, Game 45
San Antonio 108, Toronto 106
36-9, 2nd in the West
With the game tied heading into the fourth quarter (on the road and down the team’s best player), Pop put Murray, Forbes, Bertans, Anderson, and David Lee on the floor against the Raptor’s (2nd best team in the East) arguably best unit: Kyle Lowry and the bench.
For those keeping track, that’s 3 rookies, a first year Spur (so 4 first year Spurs) who was on his way out of the league last summer, and Kyle Anderson, a player who has barely been able to find floor time in his 3rd season. Against an accomplished line up. In a tie game. On the road.
I’m not going to lie and say they were amazing. But they were good. Very good. Much better than should have been expected. After 4 1/2 minutes (with Aldridge subbing in for Lee at one point), the Spurs were +3 in a game they won by 2 points.
One of the more exciting subplots of this season has been watching the youngsters grow and develop. Maybe this is just novelty, since as Spurs fans we’re not accustomed to watching rookies develop. But to get a glimpse of the future is exciting, and to know that the pieces are in place for the next great Spurs’ team is comforting.
Murray, Bertans, and Forbes could all be key players on the Kawhi Leonard-led Spurs team in the next 3-5 years. Murray looks like he could be a special player, perhaps the third of a Big 3; Bertans could also be special, a scoring force off the bench or a high-level role player. And Forbes could easily be a Danny Green/Patty Mills type if he develops correctly.
These players are so early in their NBA careers, though. Their path could go so many directions. What has been more interesting in the last few games is watching Anderson, a player who is reaching an inflection point in his career.
Sometimes a career can be built on seizing on opportunity. Kyle is not a bad player by any stretch, but right now he just doesn’t fit with the Spurs’ roster when everybody is healthy. In the last few games, though, we’ve seen a glimpse into a role he can play. Small-ball 4. Playmaking 3 off the bench. Key piece in quirky, position-less lineups.
What I’ve been happiest with is Kyle’s confidence within the opportunity. It could easily be frustrating seeing your minutes diminish and your role usurped, but he’s remained positive and ready.
Against Cleveland and then Toronto, he played strong, confident basketball. And he played his game. In 32 minutes, he finished with 8 points, 4 assists, and 7 rebounds. Not amazing numbers, but solid numbers. More assists than you’d expect from a big, more rebounds than you’d expect from a wing/guard. More, though, he was so important down the stretch, and he made so many important “little” plays on both ends of the floor, that helped to add up to the win.
It’s obvious I’m a fan of Kyle, and I’m rooting for him to find his footing and his role in the NBA. Perhaps his counterpart was playing against him Tuesday night. We all watched Cory Joseph develop by leaps and bounds in his first 4 years with the Spurs, and then move on to Toronto, where he is a key player. I hope Kyle can stay in San Antonio, but more importantly, I hope he has a long and productive career, fostered and spurred on by his first NBA home.
The Spurs finish out the road trip in New Orleans on Friday night.
Go Spurs Go.
