With this setback in Oklahoma City, the Spurs are now on a series of six consecutive losses, for a record of 3 wins for 8 losses. San Antonio thus plunged to 14th place in the West and even if the season is just starting, it is the manner which can be worrying since Victor Wembanyama and his teammates received several spankings…
The Texans thus suffered three of the four worst defeats at the start of the season: -41 against the Pacers, -40 against the Clippers and therefore -36 last night against the Thunder.
If we add the -21 against the Knicks, that gives four beatings out of six trips, but two victories in Phoenix.
The Spurs let go again in the third quarter
At home, even if the record (1 victory – 4 defeats) is less good, the impression is better since the Spurs are generally in the match each time. But away from home, this young team tends to give up, particularly in the third quarter, which was still largely lost last night (33-18).
For the first time in the campaign, we saw an annoyed Gregg Popovich at a press conference…
“I realize it’s a young team but there are two things very clear: first, you have to be tired of getting your ass kicked, and second, you have to understand that it’s a game that lasts 48 minutes. We played a good 22 minutes in the first half. The last two minutes of the first half, we lost the ball three times and we didn’t put anything in place.” thus rails the Texan coach to the journalists.
This end of the first half is indeed symptomatic for the young Spurs. While the two teams were evenly matched until then, the Thunder will return to the locker room following a 13-0 which will give them a ten-point lead (58-48) and momentum before the resumption of hostilities following the break .
A characteristic inconstancy
The ball first slips from the hands of Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan then fails to catch the ball as Victor Wembanyama slips him from the baseline, then Zach Collins misses his pass, too low, for the alley-oop towards the Frenchman . Oklahoma City takes advantage every time and here are the Spurs with a first shot in the foot.
“This inconsistency is problematic and disappointing. We must find solutions. Part of the answer lies in being physical and putting your ass on the floor for 48 minutes.” continues Pop.
The absence of a pure leader in the major five logically does not help this young team, in the midst of experimentation, to keep a cool head in complicated moments. Especially in the absence of Tre Jones. Clumsy (36/93 shooting, or 39% success rate) and expensive (24 ball losses including 5 for “Wemby”), the Spurs are too messy.
“He tries to learn from us, as much as we try to learn from him” replies Victor Wembanyama when asked about Gregg Popovich. “This is a long-term project. We experiment with things but the way I like to play is when we win. So we have a lot of adjustments to make. »
