Silver & Black Magic: The Spurs New Trick

This is what you get from search engines when you type in 'San Antonio Spurs', the logo. In fact seven of the first ten images offered are versions of that. Repeat the process for 'Cleveland Cavaliers' and six of the first ten are of LeBron James. Ditto for "Houston Rockets' with pictures of James Harden. The first actual Spur to feature is Derrick White, their 2017 first round pick, in case you were wondering. That's him down there with Brandon Paul, modelling their fresh uniforms from way back in the summer. And that's what you get from the Spurs. The Spurs. If you're one of the few interested in learning a little more, please follow me.

This article read a whole lot better at around 11:27pm EST with the Spurs up double figures in the first half of their Staples Center two day residency. But that’s likely just the Spurs way. On the verge of cruising to a playoff berth against the Clippers, while their grip on the lead slipped, their grasp of the process / grind / system (delete as appropriate) never seems to.

For what little press San Antonio does get throughout the season, this year’s headlines all about a certain franchise player have jumped off the page. All the very ‘un-spurs like’ threads of bravo-esq semi-scandal have played up to the expectations of editors, just not to the Silver and Black’s inner circle.

All the free press have for their readership to explain away the Spurs’ triumph in the face of this so called inner unrest is the usual ‘Genius’ of Coach Pop. All cable commentators can say is it must be the ‘Culture’ of management and the ‘System’ that players miraculously buy into year after year. But there’s more to it than that this year. More that needs to be looked at and less to be heard. More scratching beneath the surface and less of the head.

1. The Numbers:

In modern basketball, analytics rule. But with this season’s Spurs, analytics fool. Across the 27 traditional and advanced metrics of which the game is judged, for every unfashionable one which the Spurs rank in the top ten (Offensive Rebounds 6th, Total Rebounds 9th, Blocks 4th, Fouls 1st, Turnovers 5th and +/- 7th), there’s those hip trends where they sit in the bottom ten (PPG 27th, 3FG% 23rd, EFG% 24th, TS% 24th and Pace 29th).

Without dipping one’s toe too deep into the numerical waters, it seems their latest trick is to hide in plain sight. Plain, good old average middle of the pack standings in the vast majority of statistical categories that teams game plan around exclusively. The Rockets with their top ranked 3FA, standing 20% higher than the next most prolific team in Brooklyn. While Houston’s mid table 3FG% is offset by volume, the Nets fifth worst percentage is offset by losses. One man’s trash is indeed another’s treasure.

To that point, the Spurs once again have, in the space of a few months figured out exactly who they are and have adapted accordingly. Even if that makes them the unfashionable outlier, statistically. But it’s exactly who they are, with or without last season’s leading scorer, defender and number one option that is most fascinating. They are almost exactly the same this year as last.

2. The Players:

Ten of the twelve players in the rotation this season, averaging at least ten minutes a game were on the roster last year. With the exception of Dewayne Deadmon, David Lee and Jonathon Simmons. Replaced by Joffrey Lauvergne, Rudy Gay and Brandon Paul respectively. Almost like for like in their statistical and positional comparison.

Add to that, the coaching staff are mostly all back for another go round, albeit with some new wrinkles in time. But the uncertain and semi-permanent loss of a superstar will age even the most experienced of coaches. The Pelicans season altering loss of Cousins was as certain as it was unfortunate. Likewise, with Boston and New York who could begin to plan for the next day, sure in the knowledge that the impact was permanent in terms of this year.

The Spurs haven’t had such a luxury with their, on again off again relationship with Leonard which has prompted more scandalous back pages and team meetings than games actually played. Leaving an unbalanced roster of aging stars and inexperienced youngsters to fend for themselves, should have returned disastrous results.  

To compare the 2016/17 impact of Kawhi, his win shares for that season was fourth in the NCA. Rising to third over 48 minutes. On either side of the ball he was the only player in the top six for both offensive and defensive win shares. Without falling into the depths of Spur sorrow by imagining other teams without their LeBron, KD, Harden or Giannis, consideration should be given to how the same crop of players in the Alamo City kept the fort from being overrun.

3. The Roles:

Same role, new team. The most alluring concept of fantasy sports and off season reality is also the most simplistic. Chris Paul from LA to Houston. Hayward and Irving to Boston. First and second fiddles are always the subject of speculation and surprise when rumor becomes reality.

Danny Green has never had that worry. Asked for the first time in his career to play the small forward in a position-less sport, this ‘wing’ on the surface seems to have very little to adapt to. However, the detail now tells us that with the Spurs now starting two point guards, he now can’t match up against point guards as he once did as a member of the back court. Now his role is purely to guard the larger of the two wings. A subtle difference, but for someone who hangs their professional hat on that end of the floor, a considerable shift.

And he does so because the future has just entered the starting lineup in the form of  Dejounte Murray. The spindly 6’5’’ 170 lbs point guard now splits the back court with promoted reserve Patty Mills. While learning on the fly, it’s the mentor of the sophomore who quietly took to the bench and had to adapt the most. Still leading the team in assists (3.7apg), this window into the functionality of the team illustrates his and their collective selflessness. While Russell Westbrook leads the league in assists (10apg), yet the Spurs have eight players averaging over 2apg. The Thunder by way of comparison, has just three.

The remainder of the front court has undergone a similar shift. Kyle Anderson, a career small forward now tasked with battling bigger bodies and most notable of all is LaMarcus Aldridge and his shift to the center, a position he historically shied away from. It’s one thing to convince a player to adapt to a new role, as Miami found out only this week. It’s another all together to help them thrive once there. The most spur-like thing is the thing you never read about. Examples of such subtle technical adaptations and unwavering professionalism should be considered as magic in modern sports.

4. The Rotation:

So with all the pieces in their new place, the job seems to be done. Play ball, right? Not quite. Another twist in the tale of this season has been the choice of lineups and rotations. Rolling out a starting lineup of youth (Murray and Anderson) around the experience (Aldridge) with those still in their prime (Green and Mills) offers more than just demographic balance.

The bench offers a daunting specter in itself. The hall of fame trio (Parker, Ginobili and Gasol), two of which are reserve rookies this season, has all the makings of a lineup capable of starting even if it’s asked to only close. Add to that a certain Rudy Gay and the bench packs more of a punch than the starters on a given night.

What a fall back option that must be. With Pop’s well used hook, players get janked at a moment's notice from any spot in the rotation and often with good cause. Those sitting behind are more than capable. Opponents that contain the first five, still have to deal with the next lot. Get down early and it’s an uphill struggle all night to clamber back into the game with your bench against theirs. The Spurs’ trademark bench hasn’t been outside of the top three in production in the past five years. The only difference now, is the caliber of players sitting there. And in true San Antonio style, there’s the fifth element of the reserves ranging from the microwave scorer (Forbes) to the versatile stretch four (Bertans) and the burly big (Lauvergne) to the energizer wing (Paul). All 11 players susceptible to the hook at any time.

5. The Impact:

Beyond the wins and losses, the impact of this season’s coaching decisions have given fans something familiar but also something new. Never before have the Spurs rolled out duel point guard backcourts, which it does on a regular basis now with its miniature backcourts of Murray and Mills followed by Parker and Forbes. Two law firms in the making if ever there was one.

The new starting point guard is a non shooter, who unlike his predecessor won’t have the time this season to learn to love the short corners in season. So they simply turn him into an offensive rebounder (third on the team) which fits perfectly with their mid range favoring center.

With such a history behind them and expectations in front, this iteration of the Spurs will likely not win a title. At this point, they still may not make the playoffs. Similar to Pop’s playing time, nothing at this stage is certain. What we do know however, is while the headlines have blustered onto phone calls pertaining to the availability of a certain super-spur this week, the world seems to have once again missed the magic of the silver and black. The art of misdirection continues. Just the way most good magicians like it.

@iamGRWilson