A rough day for the Spurs in a number of areas on offense vs the Knicks’ defense:
Just 9 made 3s
26% 3PT FG%
Just 38 paint pts
Just 16 FTM (73% FT%)
Just 32 made shots (ties season low)
22 TOs (new season high)
89 total pts (new season low)
One thing the Plumlee signing will allow more of in theory is the Wemby-Kornet lineups, something Mitch Johnson has said often he’d like to play more but just can’t considering one almost exclusively rotates with the other.
He’ll for sure slot in there more in the coming years, but size-wise he’s more of a wing than the type of 4 you want going body to body with a KAT, Randle, etc…
Since arriving in Atlanta at the trade deadline, Jonathan Kuminga has been unleashed as a primary scoring option in a way we didn’t consistently see in Golden State.
That matters for Spurs fans because San Antonio owns draft picks and swaps tied to Atlanta, so the Hawks’
Victor Wembanyama after the Spurs’ loss to the Knicks
"I think they did put some physicality, but not even the most that we’ve seen… For some reason, we were somewhat hesitant… I was especially hesitant on three’s… I was holding the ball too much… We gave them life.
Charles Barkley says the Spurs and the Heat are the best when it comes to developing young talent.
But even the best development programs understand that not every project turns into a cornerstone. At some point, you have to make hard decisions and let some players go.
Victor Wembanyama was surprised. His San Antonio Spurs, who were untouchable in February, were unsteady to start March as the Knicks snapped their 11-game winning streak.