Despite the defeat, a good test before the playoffs for Spurs?

« When you expect to win, obviously, it makes more sense when you don’t. » In a few words, Keldon Johnson sums up the paradigm shift underway at the Spurs. He, who is the oldest on the team, since his draft in 2019, has only experienced seasons in which the losses outweighed the wins.

This dynamic has changed this year, and especially in recent days, where San Antonio has shown a good face on the NBA Cup stage. The Texans couldn’t go all the way, losing to the Knicksbut many will remember this unexpected victory as they eliminated the defending champions, Thunder, in the previous round.

« I would say it’s uncomfortable when you had expectations to win and you don’t win, the way you react to that is different, because we didn’t have that expectation to win in previous years. It was different from what it is now », developed by Keldon Johnson.

Spurs did not win the trophy, but a lot of experience. A word that appears almost a dozen times in Mitch Johnson’s mouth. This NBA Cup was “ playing really competitive games against really, really good, experienced teams that have been in similar situations before. But being able to be in the moment during these matches is a valuable experience », delivered by the coach.

With these meetings, Texans understand a little better how important it is to be diligent and down to the smallest detail. “ And when the moment comes when the game seems to get away from us, then sometimes we have to stand up. Sometimes it’s a fundamental action that has nothing to do with basketball. »

Only the second match with a full team

A way to undoubtedly underline that his team lost the battle of commitment, the famous “50-50 balls” that fell into the hands of the Knicks more often than not.

Mitch Johnson also reminds that this was only the second match with a fully available squad. And yes, despite the frustration of defeat, “ After 25 games, I think we showed signs that we can be a really solid team. We also showed that we have many areas for improvement. This is where we were today and hopefully we can continue to improve a little bit more tomorrow. »

« The potential is unlimited. There is nothing to react to. We won a lot of close matches, either in the Cup or in the season. Being on this side is definitely a good learning experience. This teaches us a lot about ourselves, and it’s good that we still have a lot of room for improvement “, adds Dylan Harper.

All with a view that is now clearly displayed: participation in the playoffs, for the first time with this generation of players. This NBA Cup therefore served as a test – all in all – for the Spurs, currently 4th in the West (18 wins – 7 losses).

During his brief appearance in front of the pressVictor Wembanyama says nothing else: “ I guess that’s the best preparation for the big games, because of course our attention is already focused on the playoffs and that’s where everything is at stake. The playoffs will be the key moment of the year. So I guess it’s good that we had this experience too. »