For a while there, it looked as if the Spurs would prove preseason prognoses right. Rocked by a heavy roster turnover that included the departure of key figures to their protracted streak of success, they were pegged by not a few quarters to miss the playoffs for the first time since 1997. Following an auspicious 6-2 start that saw them bent on bucking conventional wisdom, they went an abhorring 5-12 through the next month; from the outside looking in, their failure to register back-to-back wins over the period underscored a talent deficiency that exposed their relative lack of competitiveness.
And then something happened. The Spurs became, well, the Spurs. Reflecting a preferential option for excellence that permeated every aspect of their operations on the court and off, they promptly went on a tear that catapulted them from doormats to division leaders. They claimed seven of their next eight outings, the lone blemish a fluke setback to the otherwise-overmatched Bulls. So good were they during the two-week stretch that their average margin of victory stood at a whopping 25.8 points, the highest and lowest at 38 and 13, respectively.
Over the weekend, though, the Spurs could not add to their run of excellence. They trekked to the Toyota Center determined to take the measure of the highly touted Rockets, who likewise seem to have recovered from initial stumbles. And, as is typical under head coach Gregg Popovich, they hung their hats on defense. As badly as they shot from the field, they managed to compel their opponents to shoot much worse. Reigning Most Valuable Player and scoring leader James Harden was particularly errant, as good an indication as any of their excellent coverage.
That said, the Spurs found themselves ultimately succumbing to the Rockets, their determined efforts to force misses undone by a glaring inability to thereafter secure possession. For all their solid play, they were overcome by second-chance attempt after second-chance attempt, not to mention an unrelenting barrage of threes. The stats said it all; they gave up 19 offensive rebounds and 19 made shots off 54 attempts from beyond the arc, nine more than they themselves canned from 30 less tries. Broken down to basics, the difference was what accounted for their seven-point defeat.
Given how the match unfolded, it’s fair to note that the Spurs aren’t close to contenting for the hardware. Given the midrange predilections of their leading lights, they appear hard-pressed to stand toe to toe against the acknowledged best of the best. Invariably, they’re very, very good at what they do, but the output isn’t enough — not in this day and age of advanced metrics calling for treys or layups and close to nothing in between. It’s a change in mindset that Popovich has termed “boring … There’s no basketball anymore. There’s no beauty in it.”
Still, the Spurs will leave nothing in the tank every time out. It’s why they can’t be written off, and why their ups speak more of them than their downs. Regardless of circumstance, their sets on both ends of the court will be like balletic dances designed to elicit intended outcomes. Meanwhile, the Rockets represent the polar opposite, with isolation-heavy forays dictated by moneyball objectives. That the latter won speaks volumes of where pro hoops is. Popovich understands, and is adjusting as best he can with what he has. “It is what it is and you need to work with it,” he said. True, and sadly so.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.
