As the team that had beaten the defending champions, the San Antonio Spurs were natural favorites heading into the Finals. After two well-deserved home losses, however, the narrative has shifted. This isn’t due to a lack of talent, but rather to inexperience on basketball’s biggest stage.
With ten seconds left on the clock, the San Antonio Spurs had everything in their own hands. After contesting Brunson’s mid-range attempt, Victor Wembanyama immediately grabbed the rebound. But instead of driving the ball forward himself, he looked to pass it to the sprinting Stephon Castle. The problem: The point guard had long since set his sights on the opponent’s basket. Consequently, the ball bounced off his back. Knicks guard Brunson reacted quickest, drew a foul, and won the game at the free-throw line.
Ultimately, it was the one play that will stick in people’s minds the most from the Spurs’ loss in Game 2. At the same time, however, Wemby’s slip-up was just one of San Antonio’s 16 total turnovers. All three key players (Wembanyama, Fox, and Castle) were each responsible for four of them.
It is widely known that the Spurs lack experience. Their outstanding playoff run to date, along with all the euphoria surrounding it, had occasionally masked this fact, however. The excitement over the truly miraculous rise of a team that was the third-worst in the West just last season was simply too great.
Wemby admits: “I need more composure”
This fact becomes particularly clear against the Knicks, who may be on par with the Spurs in terms of current athletic ability but carry a heavier load of experience. “It’s still very blurry for me. That’s the big problem,” Wembanyama admitted after the loss in Game 2. “I need more composure and more control over the game.”
The Frenchman was naturally the focus of media coverage after his mistake at the end of the game. Yet the relatively minor contact with Brunson didn’t necessarily have to result in the game-deciding free throws. Even before Brunson’s missed mid-range shot, Castle unnecessarily committed the last available foul. Had they not used that foul, Wemby’s contact would have been penalized with nothing more than a throw-in from the sideline. But placing the blame solely on second-year pro Castle is likely too simplistic. After all, head coach Mitch Johnson is in the Finals (and even the playoffs) for the first time in his NBA coaching career.
Spurs: The road to the title is rocky for everyone
And that was evident: The Spurs once again made mistakes at moments when they actually had the upper hand. Sometimes it was an uncontrolled drive by Stephon Castle or a pass from De’Aaron Fox that was too easy to read. Wemby’s blunder was just the icing on the cake. That has been the difference in this series so far. New York is playing its game with ruthless efficiency, has an experienced closer in Brunson, and proven role players who have accumulated years of playoff experience. The Spurs completely lack this level-headedness—and that’s not surprising.
There are reasons why quite a few people doubted the Spurs before the playoffs. No team becomes a champion overnight; it usually takes lessons and bitter experiences before you can climb to the top. The last champions had to go through all of that as well. The Denver Nuggets took years, and the Boston Celtics only made it on their umpteenth try. Even the OKC Thunder were taught a lesson by the Dallas Mavericks. The situation is similar for the Knicks, who failed twice as favorites against the Indiana Pacers.
The series isn’t over yet, and San Antonio is capable of snagging a win in New York as well, but much suggests that this year isn’t their time yet.
