San Antonio Spurs | Institutional Knowledge | De'Aaron Fox | 2nd Quarter Chaos | Towns and Bridges | Vibes Matter
Let Me Begin by acknowledging that I am aware that we are two days away from a FIFA World Cup. I expect to write about the World Cup. But for now, it’s important to chronicle the NBA Finals. In doing so, there’s a lot of learning for Owners, Investors, and Executives from All Sports.
Victor Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama is a Marvel and in Game 3 he played something close to a perfect basketball game both on Offense and Defense. He did the thing that I think everyone wanted him to do. The Spurs started by establishing Victor Wembanyama inside. Once established, that opened up the Mid-Range and the 3 Point Shot. But my most important takeaway from this game was Wembanyama’s Maturity, Emotional Intelligence, and Mental Toughness.
The San Antonio Spurs have been at the forefront of developing players over the last 30 plus years. This is an Organization with immense Institutional Knowledge around Accelerated Player Development. Victor Wembanyama made many mistakes both On and Off the Ball in Game 1 and Game 2. Those mistakes negatively impacted the Spurs ability to steal one of those games. He didn’t make those mistakes in Game 3. His Shot Decisions, His Pass Decisions, and His Dribble Decisions were excellent. For Example, you could see in real time, Wembanyama considering and reconsidering taking 3s early in the Shot Clock. That Ability to be disciplined is so important because in the NBA you’re a few Bad Possessions away from an Avalanche.
De’Aaron Fox
The Box Score isn’t friendly to De’Aaron Fox. But De’Aaron Fox had a really good game even outside hitting the Winning Shot. With Castle’s Emergence as a Primary Ball Handler, De’Aaron Fox has become a Secondary Playmaker on this Spurs Team. As good as Fox is with the ball, his Offensive Skills allow him to play both with and without the ball. Today was a reminder that Fox is an All-Star Caliber Player with the ability to Close Basketball Games.
The Spurs have sat Stephon Castle at the Start of the 4th Quarter. Mitch Johnson then brings Castle back for the Stretch Run. When he brings him back for the Stretch Run the game is in its Highest Leverage Situation. In My Opinion, it’s very hard for a player to be resting on the bench, come on the court, and immediately begin to run the offense efficiently. In both Game 1 an Game 2, Castle was inefficient in the 4th Quarter. There are Two Solutions to that problem.
One, I want my Primary Protagonist to be on the Court from the 8th Minute Mark onwards in the 4th Quarter. I want my Primary Protagonist to be a Key Figure in the Transition from a Medium-Leverage Situation to a High-Leverage Situation. Two, I want De’Aaron Fox as the Offensive Organizer in the 4th Quarter. Fox’s numbers haven’t been spectacular, but he’s generated Good Shots for himself and others in High-Leverage Situations. Especially in the 4th Quarter, I want Fox with the Ball.
2nd Quarter Chaos
There is such a Point of Emphasis to Stop Jalen Brunson, that the Spurs often Lose Their Bearings in the 2nd Quarter of these games. The Intensity Drops and there is a Lack of Attention to Detail. What’s the Result? The Result is Jose Alvarado getting into the Paint at Will, Mitchell Robinson gathering Offensive Rebounds, and a Scrambling Defense. The Spurs did a Great Job today on their closeouts against Landry Shamet, but generally speaking there needs to be Greater Attention on battling the Alvarado-Led Lineups because the Knicks are gathering momentum in those Minutes.
Towns and Bridges
The Box Score isn’t friendly to either Karl-Anthony Towns or Mikal Bridges. But Towns and Bridges lack of production has nothing to do with them. The Worst Version of the Knicks has Jalen Brunson as a Sole Entrepreneur. By that I mean, the Worst Version of the Knicks is when Jalen Brunson is the Only Hub for Offensive Creation, granted OG had a Great Game. But the Problem here was that at no point over the course of 48 Minutes was there a Point of Emphasis to use the Usage Lever to get Towns and Bridges going as Offensive Creators. When that isn’t happening in the Flow of the Game, that’s when the Head Coach has to ensure their Offensive Integration.
Vibes Matter
When I saw the Attendance and Seating Alignment of Celebrity Row, I knew we were in trouble. This Needs to Get Better if the Knicks are going to Win their First NBA Title in 53 Years.