Lean Into The Break

Season 48, Game 53
San Antonio 104, Detroit 87
34-19, 7th in the West

Now that’s more like it.

We should probably disregard the first half of the game, which looks like it should have been set to this music. I actually laughed out loud at a few of the back and forth sequences. Players from both teams appeared as if they had already left for their All-Star Break vacations.

But the second half was something truly great and rare this season: a Spurs’ dominating win. I don’t know if I’ve seen one of those games this season, a type of game that was so common the last two seasons. The Spurs looked like themselves again: ruthlessly efficient on offense, just wearing the defense down with precision and execution. And with no let up from the bench.

Damn, was it fun to watch. Pop is notorious for ramping up before the All-Star break, trying to catch teams with one foot already out the door. Perhaps this was nothing more than that. But for at least a week, we can also envision a world where this team is starting to gear up, figure it out, or whatever vague turn of phrase you want to use.

With few exceptions, every player looked great last night. (Boris, you are the primary exception. Enjoy your vacation.) Parker looked like his old self. We’ve been yo-yo-ing back and forth the last few weeks with good and bad Tony, but the fact that we’re seeing more of the good is a positive sign that whatever is ailing him–mental, physical, or both–is starting to heal.

The initial surge was sparked by Patty, Marco, Tiago, and Aron. The two guards started making some shots, and the two bigs did dirty work down low on both ends. Last time we played Detroit, their two young bigs killed us, and the Spurs seemed much more focused on gang rebounding and playing strong and tough down low. Both tasks were accomplished. (The Spurs outrebounded the Pistons 45-36.)

Another huge difference in the game: the 3s were falling. It’s a touch simplistic, but the difference between the Spurs offense being good and the Spurs offense being near-unstoppable is often just that. The offense is designed to get good shooters wide open shots. That’s the hard part. The easy part is making them. Unfortunately, that’s been quite a difficult task this season, and the offense has looked off because of it. But Patty and Marco made a few last night, and it really underlines the importance of those two in the system (and why Cory is often the odd man out).

It was Danny Green that really opened up the game with his shooting. However, as P.J. Carlesimo said on the broadcast, Danny’s entire floor game was impressive last night. He was shooting well, but also driving and dishing effectively when he was run off the line. He had a few really nice assists in the game. He defended and rebounded well, as he always does. He was basically the very best version of himself, the “super” role player that has helped the team get to back-to-back NBA Finals. (He finished with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and 0 turnovers. That’s a helluva line.)

But it was Kawhi, he we expect to graduate to full-fledged “superstar” that was most impressive. He was saddled with foul trouble, but when he was on the court he was an overwhelming force. We know about the defense; we know how his shooting is improving; we know about his ever-expanding and potentially lethal post-game. But what we saw last night (and in that final play in the Indiana game) that was most exciting was his increased awareness, his vision, and his passing ability. He mostly uses isolations as a chance to score and get his own shot, which makes sense because he’s very good at it. But you see him slowly start to use his force and increased attention from defenses to get other players open, and then he finds them with really keen passing. He fed Baynes right at the rim twice last night by pulling all of the rim protection towards him.

This is the next logical step of his evolution as a player, and it’s a treat to get to watch him grow game to game.

Now we stand at the All-Star Break, the unofficial dividing line of the NBA season. Once games resume, it’s a downhill rush towards the playoffs. Now is when teams start jockeying for position, building momentum, and making that final push. It’s probably not much of a coincidence that the Rodeo Road Trip–the flash point for the Spurs–always coincides with the All-Star Break.

The picture in the West is starting to come into focus, even if there are still a lot of moving parts. The playoff hunt can really be divided into 3 tiers. Memphis and Golden State have really set themselves apart at the top; spots 3-7 are all clustered, separated by a mere 2 games; and then Phoenix, Oklahoma City, and New Orleans are fighting for that last spot.

In that 3-7 group, there’s a real incentive to not be the 7 seed, as it avoids having to play Memphis or Golden State. Granted, the Spurs aren’t really scared of any team, and have shown dominance over Memphis for several seasons. Still, it’s always best to avoid the teams that are playing the best in the first round if possible.

A 2-game separation doesn’t seem like much, but in this loaded West, it can be brutal. The Spurs have had a pretty good record since the start of the year, going 14-5. And they’ve moved exactly ZERO spots in the standings.

At this point, it’s useless to try and predict anything. The most important thing is to play well and be healthy. Here’s hoping last night’s second half was a sign of good things to come.