No desire to simply give up for rest of season

SALT LAKE CITY — As Zach Collins sees it, the Spurs have two choices when it comes to how they can comport themselves in the final weeks of the season.

“We can phone it in and focus on next year or we can build for next year,” the sixth-year center said.

Judging by how they bounced back from the humiliating 25-point loss to Phoenix on Saturday to stun the Suns 104-102 in Monday’s rematch, the Spurs are resisting the temptation to just go through the motions before going on vacation.

“We are trying to improve,” Collins said. “We have to get better. We can’t get used to losing this much.”

While individual development is a goal, the Spurs also want to avoid finishing with the worst record in franchise history. They took the court against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night with a 16-56 mark, meaning they needed five more wins in the remaining 10 games to finish a win better than the 1996-97 team that went 20-62.

The Spurs finished last season 22-60.

“It’s been a tough season,” forward Jeremy Sochan said. “No one likes this. We all came from the top colleges in the nation where we had been winning. So going into situations like this, it’s never going to be easy. We are not trying to be in this situation. But at the end of the day, we are hungry, we are working hard.”

Throughout the season, the Spurs have received reports from the coaching staff after every five games or so detailing where they rank in the NBA in several key categories.

“Pick and roll, pickand-roll defense, just all the main categories,” Collins said. “We all take a look at that.”

Those updates give the players something to shoot for from a team perspective, but each player also has individual goals they hope to achieve.

For Sochan, it’s improving his 3-point stroke, a project he has worked on all season with first-year shooting coach Jimmy Baron.

“He is helping so much,” said the secondyear player from Baylor, who took the court against the Jazz shooting 30.9% on 3.1 attempts per game from beyond the arc after connecting on 24.6% on 2.4 attempts as a rookie last season.

Sochan’s hard work paid off Monday night, when he sank a 3 with about 30 seconds left that provided the margin of victory for the Spurs. He was 0-for-6 from distance for the game when he let it fly, which underscored the confidence he’s gained from putting in all the practice with Baron.

“Every day we are doing something, on the court, film, just talking, going for dinner,” Sochan said of relationship with Baron. “He is one of those guys I appreciate a lot because I know he has time for me and believes in me. That means a lot.”

One of Baron’s best traits is he preaches patience, Sochan said.

“Sometimes he tells me to relax because sometimes I get frustrated because I want results now,” Sochan said. “But I believe in him, and he believes in me. But it takes time.”

Sochan’s attitude toward achieving his goal to become better at stretching the floor is what Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and his staff want from all the players as the season winds down.

“We’re going to play hard and try to learn and do the best we can in a lot of different areas and develop,” Popovich said.

Among his best students is the Spurs’ best player: rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama, who often studies video with Popovich.

“He’s a wonderful listener … a really good learner,” Popovich said. “And secondly, he wants to be great. He spends the time, whether it’s before practice, after practice, before the game. He never gets tired of it.”

The players are grateful they have a coach who continues to push them to improve at this late stage of the season.

“You’ve got to keep getting better,” said the team’s oldest player, Devonte’ Graham, 29. “You’ve got to keep being professional. Pop and the coaches make sure we still realize all these games matter. We can’t be focused on the end because it’s not about this year. It’s about the upcoming year. Each game, each possession matters. He definitely stays on us about that.”

And it’s paying off. Graham pointed to second-year guard Blake Wesley’s improved 3point shooting as an example.

“The other day, Blake sees two 3s go in,” Graham said of Wesley’s 2for-2 outing on Saturday against the Suns. “With that confidence, tonight he might shoot another two or shoot another three. That rolls over all the time.”

And if the Spurs bag a few more wins while developing as individuals?

“It’s good,” Collins said. “No one wants to lose this much, so any win we get now is really sweet. But we have a good opportunity right now to build great habits going into next year, and that is what we are focused on.”