San Antonio Spurs: Trust the system
The San Antonio Spurs have had a long line of injuries this season. They have shown it is vital to trust the system.
The Philadelphia 76ers had a long rebuild that most NBA fans would know as “Trust the Process.” This season, the San Antonio Spurs have been required to “Trust the System.”
It seems that every game there are a number of different players out because of various injuries. Some are long-term such as the quad injury to team star Kawhi Leonard. Others are for a game here or a week there.
It all adds up to a team that has been unsettled all season. Does their record reflect this? With a 35-24 record, it is safe to say no. They have the third-best record in the Western Conference, fifth-best in the entire league.
The only way the Spurs have been able to achieve this is through player buy-in and trusting the system. One of the best ways of seeing this in effect is the fact that the Spurs have had 12 different players lead the team in scoring in a single game this season.
This is not a mistake; 80 percent of their roster has led the team in scoring in at least one game. It is not just the veterans who are stepping up, it is their rookies and second-year players as well.
Who has stepped up
Of the top-tier players, obviously LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol have led the team for more than one game. Even Leonard, in his nine total games for the season, has led the team.
Of the second-tier players, it is no surprise either that Patty Mills, Danny Green and Rudy Gay have topped the team’s stat sheets at one point or another.
It is a little surprising that Manu Ginobili and Kyle Anderson have led the team on one occasion or another. Anderson is a bits-and-pieces type of player. Ginobili has turned into a gifted and talented role player at his age, but not a player who would normally lead the team in scoring..
Dejounte Murray stepped up at the start of the season. His play showed the Spurs brass that the point guard of the future is already here. Even Bryn Forbes, a deep rotation player, has led the team twice.
The real surprises
However, where the Spurs have the jump on the rest of the league is recognizing talent that fits their system. Brandon Paul has been playing in Europe since his college days until this season. The Spurs needed a player to replace Jonathon Simmons and Paul appears to be the solution. In fact, in the first month of the season, Paul led the team in scoring.
The most surprising performance for the Spurs was that of Joffrey Lauvernge. The Frenchman had to step up in the absence of Aldridge and produced 26 points on 12-of-15 shooting in a game against the Denver Nuggets. He also collected a season-high 11 rebounds in his first double-double with the Spurs.
Unfortunately, the Nuggets were too good that night, but it shows that Gregg Popovich’s coaching and talent recognition is second to none. His ability to find players who fit into the system is going to be legendary long after he is gone.
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The 76ers had their Process. Time will tell if it was worth sitting through all those losing seasons. The San Antonio Spurs have their system, the one which keeps them winning, even without their top personnel.