The San Antonio Spurs were one of the joys of the NBA bubble. They didn't make the Finals like the Heat, make history like the Nuggets, surge into the playoffs like the Blazers or go undefeated like the Suns, but they did something significant: They changed.
The Bubble Spurs pushed the pace. They played small, with DeMar DeRozan playing "power forward" and, often, three guards next to him. Derrick White bombed away, Keldon Johnson came out of nowhere and San Antonio had a strikingly more modern, more athletic and more exciting feel.
This season, all of that will continue, even with LaMarcus Aldridge back in the fold. Gregg Popovich made that clear in his first media availability of the season. "The strategy, the philosophy, the way we play is going to stay the same, and everybody's going to have to adjust to that because the guys did a great job, they enjoyed it," he said. Aldridge took 10 3s in the Spurs' first preseason game. Guard Lonnie Walker IV replaced big man Jakob Poeltl in the starting lineup in the two games that followed.
Aldridge and DeRozan are on expiring contracts. So are Patty Mills and Rudy Gay. Even if all of them finish the season in San Antonio, you can expect the front office to reorient the roster around its younger players next summer. Ever since the Kawhi Leonard trade, the Spurs have been stuck in between eras, but the transition to the next one didn't start in earnest until they got to Orlando. Whatever happens in 2020-21, it is only a hint of what's to come.
Taking the temperature
Spurs believer: From the signings and extensions to the fiesta uniforms, the Spurs are doing everything right. It's about time, too, because I was getting a bit antsy with how things were going.
Watching their new approach in the bubble, I was almost completely certain that it was the start of something. It has been nice to see that confirmed. If I had to pick one thing I'm most looking forward to, it's Dejounte Murray, another season removed from his ACL injury, returning to his All-Defense form. But I could list a dozen things.
Spurs skeptic: And I could list a dozen concerns, but let's start with the fundamental one: This is still awkward! Aldridge is 35 and can't defend the way he used to. DeRozan is 31 and needs the ball in his hands to be effective. Even without Bryn Forbes and Marco Belinelli, there's a glut of guards here, and the only real 3-and-D guy is a rookie.
The Bubble Spurs were fun, but it's not like they were awesome. I'm not really sure how this is supposed to work.
Spurs believer: It didn't seem awkward for DeRozan -- or anybody else, for that matter -- in the bubble. And don't forget that Aldridge changed his game before the team did collectively. He started launching 3s just before the new year, and that's what opened everything up for DeRozan, who had the most efficient season of his career.
It seems like Aldridge might increase the volume even more this time around. That will benefit everybody. Essentially, this is going to be a blend of what we saw at the beginning of the calendar year and what we saw in Orlando. Which is exactly what I wanted.
Spurs skeptic: What I wanted -- not just this past offseason, but for a while -- was the front office to actually trade somebody. All of the vets are on expiring contracts now, but this team never makes in-season trades. I'm not that high on this iteration of the team, and I'm not that optimistic that we'll get a new iteration before the trade deadline.
Spurs believer: Can we see how this looks before we go trading everybody? I know the Spurs didn't make headlines this summer, but I feel like people have forgotten how different they were in the bubble already. This is a genuinely interesting mix, and the front office should get a ton of credit for the offseason it had.
Poeltl re-signed for a great value. Devin Vassell, the 3-and-D guy you referenced, seems like a classic Spurs steal. Drew Eubanks was an absolute bargain based on how he performed the last time we saw him. And then they topped it off by locking up White on a rookie-scale extension -- he might be the most underrated player in the entire league, provided that the high-volume 3-point shooting is sustainable. What more did they have to do?
Spurs skeptic: A lot! This is the West. The Spurs seem like a pretty good team, but there will be a number of pretty good teams that miss the playoffs. That seems like the likely outcome here.
The defense could be pretty rough if Aldridge remains the starting center. And for a team that is going to play "small" so often, I'm not sold on the shooting.
Spurs believer: Seriously? This team is stacked with good defenders, and I'm not sure why you're assuming anything about the starting lineup. White didn't even play in the preseason! If we know anything about the Spurs, it's that they will find a way to generate good looks. The shooting should be fine.
I get that you think this roster is "awkward," but to me, it's weird in a good way. And if there's a coach I trust to figure out the rotation, it's Popovich.
Eye on: Devin Vassell
Ideally, he'll be the new version of Danny Green, with a side of playmaking. He's built similarly, but I wouldn't make the comparison if he didn't also have excellent defensive instincts, on the ball and as a help defender. Vassell is smart enough to be in the rotation from Day 1.
Popovich has already commended Vassell for taking pride in playing both ends of the floor and understanding the game at a high level. That is not empty praise.
