Spurspective - Game # 1, @ Memphis, 23DEC2020

I decided I might like to write about the team on a game-by-game basis as I wet my feet anew. And, well, hell, I just don't care as much about the other teams or their players. So it sounded like a potential idea to write about the other teams through the prism of the Spurs. Of course, getting to grips with the team I'm more attached to seems like Priority 1. ___________________________________________________________________________________

The Spurs' season opener took place in Memphis, as all the teams are (for the moment) playing back in their own arenas, albeit still empty of fans (again, for the moment). I'd spent the previous week or so briefing myself on the players and the storylines of this year's squad, and thus had come to many of the same conclusions as other Spurs fans:

• The Aldridge/DeRozan/Gay core is not tenable as is, and maybe not even as it could hypothetically be
• Aldridge needs to stop taking so many shots, but he needs to take more 3s, and he needs to stop flitting between the 4 and the 5
• DeRozan is probably who he is at this point with regards to his long range shooting
• All their contracts are up (UFA) at the end of the year, so we have one year to figure out where they might it in with the squad, if anywhere
• The team needs to take more 3s in general and to get younger and faster
• Dejounte Murray should be healthy--he got a contract extension, so hopefully he's continuing to develop
• Derrick White might be the team's most valuable player in terms of what a team needs a guard or wing to do in the NBA in 2020
• He also just got extended, albeit at a price Spurs fans seem to think is a bargain...and if he has a decent year (16/4/5, something like that) he would DEFINITELY be commanding $25M/year on the open market, so I guess they're right
• Keldon Johnson is the next young guard in the rotation, and could turn into something important
• Lonnie Walker has shown flashes over the past couple years but he might not put it all together
• Devin Vassell is the highest draft pick for the team since...(checking notes)...wait a minute...are you fucking kidding me...Tim fucking Duncan. And Vassell only went 11th. Jesus Christ. Well, he's got the attention of the fanbase, some of whom are convinced he could be a savior.

As for the Grizzlies, what can I say? Ja Morant. Helluva player. In watching highlights last season, it sure seemed like a lot of them were him dunking on people like a younger, lankier Russell Westbrook. Jaren Jackson seems like he could be an All-Star, a fact that Ben Golliver of the Washington Post will tell you is underselling him. The Grizzlies got back Jonas Valanciunas in the Gasol trade and have enough vets to keep things looking professional, if abnormal.

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What happened in the game, you ask? Oh, I'm getting there. Suffice it to say that I'm happy with a win to kick off the year. But an important pause is somewhere after that statement, and just before I follow with this: the Spurs won't make the playoffs playing like that all season.

I know, I know. Just cutting against the grain. Being a contarian. Both those things are true about me, but that's really not what is happening to me here.

First of all, they gave a new career high 44 points to Ja. Well sure, he's a superstar in the making. Everyone knew he was going to hang 40 on someone this season, probably multiple times. And he's awfully athletic. No argument there. But most teams that allow a 40 point scorer in a game don't win that game. Sometimes they do, and this was one of those times. But not having an answer to someone is not something to be ignored.

Second of all, for all the talk about the Spurs needing to get LaMarcus easier, faster looks, getting him to take more 3s, getting him to play more in his time than continue to play as a throwback...he sure seemed to be shooting like a throwback. In the first quarter, it sure seemed like they were mixing in some new looks and getting him some touches. He took a couple attempts from 3 near the top of the key, and they didn't fall. At the end of Q1, he had 1 point on 0/2 shooting. Well shit, it's only one quarter! In the second quarter, he got himself going with 8 points on 4/6 shooting. But they were all mid range jumpers. None of them were particularly quick looks, and all of them still felt like the guy was lumbering around. He ended with 20 and 3 rebounds, which doesn't bother me too much, but it sure as shit ain't no sign of change (as he stated after the game).

Third, there were just a lot of mid range shots that went in despite them seeming unadvisable. Some of that is desperation at the end of the shot clock, and every team has some of that going on. But the shots falling as well as they did, well, you can't count on that. And when they're not falling, the other team is likely to get the rebound, get out running, get themselves some momentum, etc. Consider me unimpressed with the process but impressed by the results.

All that griping is out of the way. There were a few things that they seemed to be doing well. Pop was quick to kill momentum with timeouts. The team was 25/29 from the line, and both the attempts and the percentage are encouraging. The team on the floor was rarely large, and lots of young wings were getting minutes to figure out what the hell they need to do--that absolutely HAS to happen for the team to get better, unless the Spurs start attracting free agents who are smart and still in their prime (hint: that's not going to happen anytime soon).