点击查看原文：Can San Antonio stay in the race?
Can San Antonio stay in the race?
After one of the Spurs’ most impressive victories of the season against the Lakers, columnist Mike Finger and beat writers Jeff McDonald and Tom Orsborn discuss Stephon Castle’s progress, Chris Paul’s impact, and whether Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio will be able to remain in playoff contention even through a rugged upcoming schedule.
Suggested reading:
Under difficult circumstances, Chris Paul continues to lead young Spurs:
Three takeaways from Spurs’ romp over Lakers
As Spurs fight human nature, Victor Wembanyama learns to get mean
\
Here is the transcript of the podcast:
Mike Finger: From a highly secure network of top secret locations across North America, this is the Spurs Insider. I’m Mike Finger, joined as always by our Express-News panel of Spurs beat writers, Jeff McDonald and Tom Orsborn. It’s been an unusual week. Tom has been in the middle of it. We had two games since the last time we met; we expected to have three. Tom spent four nights, I believe, on the West Coast with the local cagers. And I just want to start with you and just get your impressions of, first of all, everything that led into a pretty huge, impressive victory for the Spurs at the Lakers last night. But just tell me what that’s been like at in a situation where we all back in San Antonio are thinking of the people involved in the Los Angeles area fires. It’s a tough situation, but what was the basketball situation like?
Tom Orsborn: You know, I gotta start off by saying I thought Mitch did a wonderful job. He, you know, Chris Paul chimed in yesterday when I asked him about it. He hit all the right notes from the first time I had a daily availability with him Saturday. He pointed out that no matter what challenges they faced, the uncertainty of whether they were going to play Monday night, the logistical issues they faced, changing hotels, Chris Paul going through what he went through with his family being forced to evacuate from their home. You know, as Mitch said, it paled in comparison with what so many people were experiencing in the LA area. So I thought he set the right tone right from the start. And then getting them on the practice court Saturday and Sunday to get their minds off of it and also to do some really good work. They had two really good practices and a lengthy film session. And I think that played a part in them ironing out some of the wrinkles they experienced during the losing streak. So, you know, I just thought and then, you know, Mitch had a really heartfelt statement before the game last night. You could tell it was coming from him; it wasn’t written by the PR staff or anything. He went to school at Stanford, his mom lives in Santa Barbara; she, thank goodness, was okay, no fires in that area. But he’s got, you know, an affinity for California also, and he just hit all the right notes. Did a great job, I thought.
Mike Finger: The game itself was one where you almost forgot that the Spurs were at the end of a three-game losing streak. They went from last Wednesday at Milwaukee, Jeff covered, to this Monday. As Tom sort of alluded to there, there was a bit of a reset where you get back to the practice court. You know, does this team have momentum now? Is all right with the world after a… Tom, you mentioned that Mitch had said it was the best game they played all year, something along those lines.
Tom Orsborn: Especially offensively. They flipped the script. I mean, they had struggled of late, late in games. They were outstanding in the second half, scored 70-plus points, outscored the Lakers 37-13 in the fourth. So, yeah, I mean that, you know, who knows if that carries over, but it certainly was the case that night, and it’s pretty impressive. That starting lineup played great. Keldon was great off the bench. Stephon Castle, you know, you just you’re seeing him show once again what will come for him in the coming years. So, yeah.
Jeff McDonald: I was struck watching that game from home about the team that just completely fell apart for about a five-minute stretch and it was the veteran laden Los Angeles Lakers. I mean, they just it was a turnover frenzy. And the Spurs were there to take advantage of it. So, 19 and 19, 500 again. Seems like every time we meet, no matter what, the Spurs are 500 heading into what could be a tougher part of the schedule. I saw an analysis of the remaining NBA schedules this morning. The Spurs are up there top five in terms of the advanced stats, the advanced power of schedule strength. So, and most of the Western Conference teams are on the top of that, most of the Eastern Conference teams are on the bottom. But the point is, it’s no guarantee; it’s not going to be easy to stay 500 the rest of the way. But after a week like this, tough one in Milwaukee, Jeff, we can get into that, to bounce back against the Lakers the way they did is what they needed to do. But if we want to rewind and go back to Milwaukee, Jeff, that was another expected Victor Wembanyama, Giannis showdown, and Giannis got the best of this one.
Jeff McDonald: I think like the Spurs, we all just want to forget that game ever existed. I don’t even remember being in Milwaukee.
Tom Orsborn: I was in Milwaukee?
Jeff McDonald: I think we were. I don’t remember that.
Mike Finger: I think it was sort of cold.
Tom Orsborn: Yeah, it was alright. We were just right across the street from the arena, so it was okay.
Mike Finger: Yeah, it was a Wembanyama… like that if you really want to rehash it. I mean, going into that game, especially the all the talk around Milwaukee, if you read the local newspapers…
Jeff McDonald: Uh-huh.
Mike Finger: They were flashing back to the only other time Wembanyama and Giannis had ever met, which was at the AT&T Center, or the Frost Bank Center, excuse me, last January, last season. They only had one meeting last season. Wembanyama did not play in his trip to Milwaukee as a rookie. And that game was like a back-and-forth. Like Giannis had 44, I think, but Wembanyama, it was a big coming-out thing for Wembanyama to go toe-to-toe with Giannis; he had 30 something in that game.
Jeff McDonald: It was a TNT game, too.
Mike Finger: There was a TNT game. There was the big moment that everyone remembers where Giannis tried to bully Wembanyama for a basket, and Wembanyama just rejected him. And it really was one of those nights, even though the Spurs lost, even though statistically Giannis outplayed Wembanyama that night, it really was one of those moments from Victor’s rookie season where you had to stand up and take note and say, and say like, he’s right there. He’s right there with a lot of the greats in the league right now, and he’s only at the time 20 years old. So you flash forward to this year; everyone was everyone in Milwaukee was looking forward to the rematch, and it was it was kind of a dud. And the reason it was a dud is because Giannis made sure it was a dud. He just dominated. And Wembanyama was just kind of kind of average, just kind of average. Had a good good start but didn’t, you know, didn’t didn’t finish really. And the Spurs got blown out, and it kind of did not live up to billing that game and made us all wonder what the heck we were doing in Milwaukee.
Mike Finger: What were the not to delve too deeply into the distant past, but at that at that time, Jeff, the Spurs had lost three in a row, had blown that lead to the Bulls a couple nights earlier in Chicago. What were the list of what was the list of concerns for that team for the for the local cagers heading to Los Angeles? Was that a point in the season? Is this still a point in the season where you feel like there are are weaknesses that need to be addressed if they want to stay in this play-in playoff race?
Jeff McDonald: I mean, if that’s important and you want to look at the Spurs now, like they uh, you know, the Milwaukee game’s not a good example, but in both in both of the previous games, there was that phenomenon where like the Spurs are doing great every time Victor’s on the floor, but as soon as he leaves, like boy howdy, it’s a it’s a like a free run to the to the rim for the opposing team, and the opposing bigs are going crazy. So if you’re looking for like some kind of like minor upgrades, they could they could use some help at the backup five. They’re not getting much a whole lot of production there at this point in time. Now I don’t know if they’ll really go out and do something because as we talked before, I don’t think this is like a Katie bar the door we have to make the playoffs kind of season for them. But I think if there’s a way to upgrade there, they they would be remiss not to look at it. So if that’s what you’re talking about, that’s that’s my answer to that question.
Mike Finger: You always you always go straight to like the the the click-happy like trade stuff. I was just talking about stuff they need to shore up.
Jeff McDonald: I don’t know. I’m not a coach. Right, somebody? I’m not a coach. You’re going to have to coach better. What do they have to do better? I mean, they have to get better. They have to hold the fort better when Wembanyama’s off the floor.
Mike Finger: Okay.
Jeff McDonald: So that’s one thing. Um, you know, a lot of the uh, we kind of talked about it a lot of this last time, when you get a lead, hold on to it. Don’t don’t don’t think that if you blow the lead, you can get it back. The Milwaukee game was sort of an outlier from all of that because it was just a complete butt-kicking, as Mitch Johnson pointed out after that game. And also pointed out like we haven’t we as the been in the Spurs haven’t got our butts kicked a lot lately. Like that was the first one in a long time, and he was right about that, too. So I’m willing to throw that one out there as an anomaly. Um, ran into a just a better team that night and probably a better team overall. I think injuries have had a lot to do with it, but Milwaukee has definitely underachieved this year. Like on paper, they should be a team that’s probably not as good as the Celtics but is up there at the top of the East, um, fighting for, you know, at least a shot a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals, and they they were right around 500 when they faced the Spurs. Got off to a bad start. But I think we always talk about you are what your record says you are, but I think at this point in time, Milwaukee was playing better than their record said they were. And it’s a better team than that. And Spurs ran into that and just got just got manhandled.
Mike Finger: What’s the interesting part about the transaction possible transaction that you mentioned is if the Spurs want to upgrade at the uh, the backup five, it seems like their most tradeable asset right now is Zach Collins.
Jeff McDonald: Because other teams that are looking to upgrade at backup five might see Zach Collins as an upgrade. It’s a weird dynamic.
Mike Finger: A weird dynamic, that is.
Jeff McDonald: You also might just use Collins as salary and attach a pick.
Mike Finger: Yeah.
Jeff McDonald: You know, like you might be really just buying somebody with picks, and Collins makes the salary work. And again, we’re just spitballing here. We don’t have any, you know, we’re not breaking news.
Mike Finger: Yep. But you asked earlier about about the Lakers game and if it like establishes momentum. I’m like, of course not. This is a young team. Like there’s almost no such thing as momentum. Like just when you think they’ve got a figure it out and boy they look really good, then they go and they have a three-game losing streak where they’re blowing leads in Chicago and getting blown out in Milwaukee. And then the sched the immediate schedule coming up is not lending itself to any kind of momentum, too. Like you got to play Memphis twice this week at home. And then you go on the road to Miami, which maybe that’s a winnable game, I suppose. It could be the return of Jimmy Butler, although probably not.
Jeff McDonald: Probably, yeah.
Mike Finger: And I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing for the Spurs. I know. Um, and then you go to to Paris, and I don’t know what what I mean, we don’t need to preview all that right now, but I don’t know what to make of those games. Like is is the distraction factor for a young team going to be high, and it’s going to be hard to win those games against the Pacers, or are they going to have the entire country of France on their side and it plays like home games, and they ride that wave? I don’t know.
Jeff McDonald: The answer the answer to that last part is yes. Those are going to be two home games, but they’re not home games in their home arena. It’ll be uh, it’ll be like Austin games. I hope the I hope the Pacers are getting paid a lot of money to play a home game with a hostile crowd.
Mike Finger: Because one of those games is one of those games counts as a home game for Indiana.
Jeff McDonald: Yes, it does.
Mike Finger: But they get a trip to Paris out of it. I’m sure they’ll have a lovely time. And when they miss the playoffs by one game, what a what a what a what a trade, what a deal. They can win a Cooper flag as their consolation. When they miss the playoffs by one game.
Jeff McDonald: Just a ray of sunshine.
Mike Finger: No, the uh, the thing that I wanted to get into from the Lakers game is that uh, young rookie named Stephon Castle started that game, Tom. And is it just me, but he seems to fare better in the starting lineup than he does coming off the bench. And I wanted to get your take on that.
Tom Orsborn: Yeah, I think you’re exactly right. He, you know, he he was very aggressive that third quarter, 14 points. Um, he said he was just kind of doing what he does, just just trying to stay aggressive. It wasn’t a case of the defense, you know, the Lakers, uh, you know, him finding cracks; he just he just was aggressive. And I think he gets into a better rhythm when he starts.
Jeff McDonald: He’s also playing alongside Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama; that probably helps, too.
Tom Orsborn: Does. And when when Devin’s playing like he did last night, that’s something to look forward to. Look, you know, speaking of momentum, if he can just duplicate, you know, or even come close to just doing that consistently, it’s a pretty pretty impressive deal.
Jeff McDonald: My theory is when you start and play starter minutes, you have longer leash. Like you how you can you can mess up and and play through it, whereas if you’re playing coming off the bench, it’s easier to like if you have a bad four-minute stretch, the coach goes to somebody else next time. Or or if you have a couple of bad four-minute stretches, the coach goes to somebody else next time. I got a lot of it to me a lot of it to me with Steph coming off the bench versus starting is just a a a natural downtick in minutes and an opportunity. And I think when you see him start, he’s you know, he’s he’s got more leash to kind of make those mistakes that he’s going to make game to game and still play through them and stay on the floor and have a chance to redeem himself, whereas coming off the bench, he doesn’t always have that opportunity.
Mike Finger: That is fun psychology, Jeff McDonald. There might be something to it.
Jeff McDonald: Oh, shut up. I don’t want to hear from you.
Mike Finger: I’m going to try to increase the podcast ratings here with some conflict and say it it has ever it has 99% to do with getting to play with Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama.
Jeff McDonald: Well, yeah.
Mike Finger: Play alongside those guys.
Jeff McDonald: Well, yeah, it was giving just another reason, dufus.
Mike Finger: Okay, one one percent of it is because of what Jeff said, 99% of it.
Jeff McDonald: But you act like when he comes off the bench, he never plays with Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul. He does.
Mike Finger: He doesn’t play with that group. With that group.
Jeff McDonald: Sure.
Mike Finger: Yep. Yep. Sure. And uh, you know, I I think that moving forward, it’s an interesting question to ponder as to like, and I’m not trying to start any trade rumors here, but Stephon Castle and Jeremy Sochan right now sort of fit into the same spot with that starting group, with your top group. I don’t see a scenario right now where those two guys who are very important pieces to the San Antonio Spurs short and long-term future fit into the same lineup. Um, and if we want to get into like a debate here, like what what does that mean to you? Is that a problem?
Jeff McDonald: Well, yeah, they can’t both play in the same lineup, so one of them has to come off the bench. Like in in perpetuity, probably. Unless unless one…
Mike Finger: So is that a problem? Unless two your top guys can’t play together.
Jeff McDonald: Unless one of them, and probably at this point, I would put my money on Stephon Castle, develops a jump shot.
Mike Finger: Yeah. That would change that would change things. Is that a problem?
Jeff McDonald: Um, could be. Could be not this season, but as you build this thing out, could be. I don’t mind having them both on the roster as long as one of them can come off the bench, and you can fill out the uh, starting lineup in another way, but um, you know, I could see where you have two guys that are redundant, and you look to move one.
Mike Finger: And to be clear, you you they don’t both fit into this starting lineup with Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes. Maybe if you add uh, different kinds of players at those other two positions, um, maybe they they both can fit better except for Stephon Castle develops the three-point shot.
Jeff McDonald: That’s that’s the key. I’m I I I think you can get by in this day and age playing one guy, you don’t have to guard at the three-point line, but you can’t play two. That’s the issue. That’s the biggest issue.
Mike Finger: So, um, and and it makes we’re not we’re not a uh, a Jeremy Sochan hating podcast. I’ve I’ve said many times; there’s been times this season when he’s been if not their best player, their second-best player. Like he’s had a really good season when he’s been healthy. But lately, he hasn’t been healthy. And uh…
Jeff McDonald: Do you know their record when he is on the bench?
Mike Finger: It’s better. Well, their record whenever he is sidelined plays is worse than when he does not play. Which is kind of a I mean, that cherry-picked type deal, but…
Jeff McDonald: It is, true. It is.
Mike Finger: And I just think that the reason for that is that you get a better Stephon Castle when Jeremy Sochan doesn’t play. So, it’s something to watch. And I I don’t know what the answer is. I think that the Spurs are really happy having both those guys on the team because they they do important stuff. Both of them guard like crazy. Uh, both of them pass, rebound, all that type of stuff. Um…
Jeff McDonald: Yeah, the answer is Castle’s going to become better as a three-point shooter. I think it’s going to happen.
Mike Finger: Well, probably needs to. Do you see um, Stephon Castle as a long-term uh, let’s just say 2027, is he playing point guard, or is he playing small forward?
Jeff McDonald: What? The the the audience is stunned.
Mike Finger: Like I don’t know.
Jeff McDonald: Point guard.
Mike Finger: Probably. Wants to do it, has the skills to do it, will get better at it, just like the shooting.
Jeff McDonald: If he’s if he’s doing that and he’s making three-pointers at like, let’s say a 35% clip, then that’s probably really good for the Spurs. Because then you can play Sochan at three or four. I I I actually you’d want to play Sochan at four. And uh, and in 2027 have acquired some type of wing player, preferably a shooter, to play alongside Devin Vassell, and then you got you got a group. Then you got a soup going, as a wise man once said. Um…
Jeff McDonald: But where does where does 44-year-old Chris Paul fit into all this?
Mike Finger: What do you think about uh, I’ve I’ve mentioned it on here before, but if if they don’t pull off a big trade, if you don’t if you don’t draft they uh, help you now point guard in in the in the this in June, like I I I’m not ruling out a return of 41-year-old Chris Paul next year.
Jeff McDonald: I mean, if he’s willing to come back for $10 million again under that under those circumstances, sure.
Mike Finger: Tom, I don’t know if you you weren’t watching the TV broadcast, and I can’t remember which end of the of the Staples Center or the Crypto.com Arena you were sitting on, but that pass to Devin Vassell in the corner last night was just an all-time Chris Paul assist. Did you get a good view of that or did you appreciate that this the whip whip across?
Tom Orsborn: Yes. Yes. Uh, yes. Chris Paul, um, you know, he he wanted to be more aggressive offensively, but it’s still the passing that 10 assists last night. Um, yeah, he was, you know, it was a tough week for him, too. He was pretty emotional after the game, um, talking mainly about giving his jersey to JJ Redick’s sons him and Wembanyama, and his voice choked up. It was a tough week for him, you know, but he uh…
Mike Finger: Yeah.
Tom Orsborn: Yeah.
Mike Finger: Well you talk about him wanting to be aggres like Chris Paul, aggression does not mean taking shots. He would be a he can aggressively take over a game without taking a shot. And and all the shots that he makes, which he’s made a bunch of big ones for the Spurs this year, are kind of gravy. But um, you know, I was watching the our our friends Jacob Tobey and Sean Elliot call that game last night, and they do a great job. And then someone posted online the uh, the Lakers version of that Chris Paul to Devin Vassell assist, and you hear the Lakers announcers talking right before that happens uh, about how Chris Paul is in complete control of this game because the Spurs are on a run. Chris Paul is getting the ball exactly where it needed to be and just like clockwork, just right on cue as as the Lakers announcers make that observation, he makes that pass to Devin. And it’s just like when when he talks about wanting to be aggressive, I know that he’s talking somewhat about his shot, but when he gets into the lane like he did on that play, when he kind of dices defenses apart and then can make the pass that leads to a shot for somebody else, that is a version of aggression, too. And that’s when the Spurs are really at their best. You know, they had three 20-point scorers last night; Chris Paul was not one of them. You had Wembanyama and a really we need to probably talk more about Devin Vassell, a great Devin Vassell game, and Stephon Castle. All three of them were above 20. But Chris Paul definitely put his imprint on that game on on like Tom said a tough trip to his home city.
Jeff McDonald: The thing with Chris Paul, and this isn’t breaking news either, is he knows where the pass is supposed to go.
Mike Finger: Yep.
Jeff McDonald: Like the player referencing that was really that was really a pick-and-roll with Wembanyama, and maybe a younger point guard would be kind of laser in on Wembanyama. Like he’s the roll man, he’s seven three. Um, but uh, I don’t know which defender it was, but the guy that was supposed to be uh, you know, on Devin in the corner was cheating over to help on the Wembanyama roll. And that’s what Chris read like a quarterback. So the ball goes to the corner, not to the roll into traffic. And then you know, Stephon Castle runs that; he might try to throw that lob to Wembanyama, and maybe it works out, but probably it doesn’t. Chris Chris’s skill right now at 39 years old is really just knowing where the ball is supposed to be and probably seeing that better than than anybody on the floor even now.
Mike Finger: He does. He can see the game. Uh, and that has been again, this is not a trenchant observation, but that has been just so huge in turning this into a a playoff contending team. Talking about playoff contention, like the things are starting to get even more jumbled up there in the play-in race. The the Kings are not dead yet. We spent part of last week’s podcast talking about a possible trade for De’Aaron Fox. Like that’s looking last week it was not likely; it’s looking way less likely now that the the Kings are in the middle of this again. Doug Christie has apparently been doing wonders there. The the Kings are in it; the Suns are not dead yet. Uh, there’s there’s going to be a bit of a fight there for that 10th spot. And then all the way up to seventh, sixth, fifth. Uh, just we’re kind of nearing a halfway point. They’re about to play their they’ll play I think they’ll play their 40th game before we meet again, maybe the 41st, before we meet again that’ll be the halfway point. Do you still see the Spurs staying in this all the way to the end or is there going to be a fade at some point when these uh, when these games start getting more difficult, the road games start piling up?
Jeff McDonald: Yeah, I’m always the negative Nelly, I guess, but I’m banking on a fade a little bit for the reasons you mentioned; the schedule is tough. You’re right there at 500 right now. Um, February’s going to be rough, man. Like just in terms of travel, and I think uh, going into uh, I think it was um, this last road trip, this last that was supposed to be a four-gamer but was a three-gamer. I think the stat I saw was over the next 50 days, the Spurs were getting five home games in 50 days. And if I’m not mistaken, two…
Mike Finger: Five games at the five games at the Frost Bank Center or five games…
Jeff McDonald: And now well you didn’t let me finish. And if I’m not mistaken, I believe that two of those include games in Austin. So they’re not spending a lot of time on their home floor, and asking a young team to hold the fort through that kind of thing is uh, that’s a tall ask. Like if they do it, it’ll be something…
Mike Finger: I don’t think that’s accurate though, Jeff, because I’m looking at it now, and I think…
Jeff McDonald: Alright, shut up.
Mike Finger: I think they weren’t counting the Indiana game at Paris, and they weren’t counting the Austin games. There are there are two five two Okay. So you’re saying five games on their home floor in 50. Oh, never mind. Yeah, they’re going to make the playoffs.
Jeff McDonald: And then you got to squeeze in the makeup game out here.
Mike Finger: Yep. Makeup game against the Lakers.
Jeff McDonald: There are only like two possible spots that it fits into the two-team schedule. It’s going to be it’s going to add another just lost day of rest there where there aren’t many days of rest.
Mike Finger: Yeah. Hardly any days at the in their home beds. It’s going to get tough.
Jeff McDonald: If if they can if they can survive the rest of January and February and still be in in it, then maybe they have a chance because it’s a lot of home games in March.
Mike Finger: March you really get the the the good part of it. A lot of home games in March. So if they can just tread water, hold on to the rope, whatever cliché you want to use, then then they they have a chance. If they’re like seven games out of it when they get out of the Rodeo trip, then, you know…
Mike Finger: The hopeful part of the the hopeful part of it, if you’re looking for the Spurs to continue to compete for playoffs, is that brutal February Rodeo trip, most of it is in the Eastern Conference, which is preferable to the alternative. And then when you uh, uh, come back after those Austin games and go back on the road, you get two against the Pelicans, which is the absolute bottom of the Western Conference. So at least, yes you’re on the road for a month, at least you’re not playing, you know, Minnesota and Oklahoma City and and Denver and the the cream of the crop in the West. You know, there’s some Bostons in there, like there’s good teams in the in the East. But uh, you do have some opportunities to to not completely drown on the road.
Jeff McDonald: Yeah, your your the Rodeo trip part with Memphis and Orlando and Boston and Houston…
Mike Finger: Yeah.
Jeff McDonald: Might might be a problem. But maybe maybe you can pick off some of the other ones.
Mike Finger: You got some at Washington’s.
Jeff McDonald: Yeah, don’t lose at Washington. Charlotte’s better, but don’t lose at Charlotte. Go beat Atlanta.
Mike Finger: Uh, yeah, it’s it’s uh, that’s going to be a telltale month for the Spurs. Before we get there, we have a week including, as Jeff alluded to, two home games against the Memphis Grizzlies, who inexplicably to me, uh, continue to be at the top of the West. No, I mean Ja Morant isn’t, and no one’s talking about him in the MVP race; he’s not having an MVP season. He’s their star. Jaren Jackson Jr. has played really well, but like this isn’t the team that sticks out at you when you think about NBA Finals contenders. And uh, uh, really doesn’t stick out to you when you talk about powerhouses in the NBA, but they’ve been a really really good team. And having them at the Frost Bank Center for two games, I think you’re just hoping to get one. And then you go to Miami. Uh, I think that is the date when the Jimmy Butler suspension ends. Will he return to the court that day? Who knows what a mess is going on in Miami. That’s that’s wild. But uh, those are the three games that the Spurs will play before we meet again. Tom Orsborn, need a prediction.
Tom Orsborn: Two and one.
Mike Finger: Two and one.
Tom Orsborn: Yeah.
Mike Finger: Including a win at uh, in Miami, you think?
Tom Orsborn: Yes, I do. I think uh, yeah, they’ll they’ll they’ll… Yeah, I don’t know. I just think from what I saw last night, I know we talked about momentum not carrying over, but I think they they, you know, discovered some stuff out here. Uh, you know, like Devin said it was a vacation nobody wanted, but they they, you know, put in a lot of good work over the weekend. I think they figured some things out. You know, he he certainly, you know, he had one of his best games of the season, not just scoring, but he did a lot of stuff and he seemed comfortable and at ease. And I don’t know, but the big question is, can he continue that?
Mike Finger: We mentioned this on the podcast last week, uh, Jeff, the conversation we had with him in Chicago and how he’s starting to feel more and more like himself and learning how to play alongside this new version of uh, of Victor Wembanyama. And we’ve really started to see that, especially last night. That’s a that’s a cool development for the Spurs.
Jeff McDonald: I looked it up after the Milwaukee game, wrote about it a little bit, but uh, after the Milwaukee game, which is one game ago, he started January 24th of 67.
Mike Finger: Mhm.
Jeff McDonald: So he’s had one game. I don’t want to like throw water on it; maybe there’s some momentum there, but let’s let’s see, you know, that’ll give him some encouragement to stack them up, stack up some good ones. But it was a really probably I I haven’t asked him this, but probably over that period of time, probably the longest shooting slump that he’s ever endured as a professional. So it was good to see him break it, and we’ll see if he can continue it. As for my prediction, um…
Mike Finger: Yep.
Jeff McDonald: Little reason for optimism, like the Spurs are red-hot against the Grizzlies. I don’t know if you know this. They have a they have a one-game winning streak against the Grizzlies.
Mike Finger: Um, at the end of the history of that uh, history of that series, the recent history of that series did not look as rosy before that one-game winning streak.
Jeff McDonald: Yes, they won the final meeting last year at Memphis by a pretty handy margin, and that snapped their 13-game losing skid against the Grizzlies. So…
Mike Finger: That is pretty remarkable. I I want I want to say the Spurs have a one-game winning streak against the Grizzlies, but if you want to be all negative about it and say they’ve lost the last 14, then I guess you that’s also accurate. But uh…
Jeff McDonald: Yeah, I don’t know if they’re going to beat the Grizzlies in uh, in those games. I don’t know. I’m going to give them one and two.
Mike Finger: I’m going to give them one and two. You know, they win one of them either they win one of the Memphis games, or they win in Miami, but I’ll give them one and two.
Mike Finger: That Miami game is like the ultimate look-ahead game.
Jeff McDonald: Yeah.
Mike Finger: Like that could be a real… First of all, I’m not sure the last time they won in Miami either. Like well this this Spurs team is not, let’s just like there there aren’t James Hardens on this Spurs team. And uh, people who know a little bit about James Harden might know what I’m talking about. You don’t necessarily worry about like the Victor Wembanyamas of the world going crazy on South Beach. But South Beach always is an issue for any NBA team when you play there. Uh, you worry about the the next day.
Jeff McDonald: And then you probably… I worry more about the beat writers.
Mike Finger: There you go. Tom will be there. I don’t worry about Tom at all. If that was a Jeff trip, I’d worry about the beat writers, but I think Tom’s just going to have a nice quiet meal. I’m sure Yardley has the places planned, maybe a Cuban restaurant. Um…
Jeff McDonald: But how about Il Gabiano?
Mike Finger: Portoro… Maybe Il Gabiano. Um, but you back to my point, you there’s always the South Beach hangover factor in effect for visiting NBA teams in Miami. And then you throw in the fact that they fly immediately to one of the world’s great cities, Paris, France. Like is there any look ahead to that?