San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Return of sports could be a distraction or a disaster.
With postseason spot a long shot, focus to be on player growth
So it looks like we’re doing this. Despite a coronavirus uptick that has transformed Central Florida into the COVID-iest place on the Earth, the NBA appears set to reboot its season late next month at the Disney World complex.
There are reasons for commissioner Adam Silver to hope — perhaps against hope — that conditions inside the league’s so-called “bubble” will remain safe enough through the end of a revamped NBA Finals in October.
Even as conditions worsen around the Magic Kingdom, there doesn’t seem to be a point in which the NBA will pre-emptively abandon its plan to at least give these bubble games a go.
That means come July 31, when the Spurs are scheduled to face Sacramento in Orlando for their first game in 142 days, the club’s monumental playoff streak officially goes on the clock.
The Spurs will face a difficult climb if they hope to qualify for the postseason for an NBA-record 23rd consecutive season.
They will arrive in Orlando with a record of 27-36, 12th in the Western Conference.
From that disadvantaged spot, there are two ways for the Spurs to sneak into the playoffs: They can get
hot and pass Sacramento, Portland, New Orleans and Memphis to claim the eighth spot.
Or, more doable, they can close the half-game gap between themselves and the Kings, Trail Blazers and Pelicans, move into ninth place, then beat the No. 8 Grizzlies twice in a play-in series.
Either way, the Spurs’ playoff push at Disney might turn out to be something out of Fantasyland.
In an interview with reporters earlier this month, Spurs general manager Brian Wright made clear the team would like to do what it can to extend its playoff streak.
“We want to go and perform well,” Wright said. “We want to continue to grow as a team.”
But …
“Guys haven’t been playing basketball for more than three months,” Wright said. “There is going to be a focus on making sure we’re keeping our guys healthy and how we best do that. We want to go compete and finish the season strong. We’re also going to keep in mind the health and safety of our players and everybody as we return.”
Reading between the lines, coach Gregg Popovich could be less apt to lean to heavily on veterans such as DeMar DeRozan and Rudy Gay for big minutes in this unusual playoff chase.
Many other teams likely will adopt a similar approach.
With that in mind, the growth and development of younger players will be high on the Spurs’ priority list once they arrive in Orlando.
Think of it as a modified
Summer League, except with established veterans taking up a slice of minutes and the games counting in the standings.
“I think you’ll see that growth and development from a lot of our young guys,” Wright said. “The games are important for us to evaluate and for them to continue to grow. Obviously Coach Pop controls the minutes and he controls the game. But it’s a great chance for them to continue the development process.”
Here is a glance at a handful of Spurs who could help themselves with a solid run in Orlando:
Dejounte Murray: It has been a career of fits and starts for the Spurs’ 23-year-old point guard. He missed the entire 2018-19 season recovering from a torn knee ligament, and at last appeared poised to find his footing before COVID-19 shut down the league in March. Perhaps no player on the Spurs’ roster could use an uninterrupted burst of playing time for learning purposes than Murray, who signed a four-year extension with the club in October. If all goes to plan, he should get a minimum of eight games in Florida.
Lonnie Walker IV: A Spurs fan favorite, Walker will debut a new hairdo when the NBA restarts its season. We could see a more confident Walker as well. The wildly athletic 21-yearold had claimed a regular rotation spot before the coronavirus crisis hijacked the campaign. The eight games in Orlando might be a prime opportunity for Walker to demonstrate his growth.
Keldon Johnson: The rookie guard is another Spurs player who seemed on the verge of showing something just as the league ground to a halt.
The 20-year-old out of Kentucky spent the bulk of his first pro season in G League. He appeared in nine NBA games, but four of them were in March. Spurs coaches already are impressed with Johnson’s toughness and willingness to play defense. The rebooted NBA season, however brief, will afford Johnson a chance to build on that reputation.
Drew Eubanks: Having spent his second season split between the Spurs and G League on a two-way contract, the 23-year-old power forward is in a sense playing for his next deal. With LaMarcus Aldridge scratched from the Orlando schedule while recovering from shoulder surgery, the Spurs stand to be shorthanded in the frontcourt. Eubanks served as an injury fill-in at times during the pre-COVID portion of the season. It would not be surprising to see him grab additional minutes at Disney.
Chimezie Metu: Much like Eubanks, Metu could see his role expanded in Orlando in light of the Spurs’ lack of frontcourt depth. The team’s secondround draft choice in 2018, Metu hasn’t made much of an impact in 45 NBA appearances. He will be a free agent at season’s end if the Spurs don’t pick up the nonguaranteed third year of his rookie contract. Maybe eight games of potential spot duty in Orlando won’t be enough for Metu to change his future with the Spurs. But playing well if given the opportunity can only help, not hurt.