SAS NEWS & NOTES (3/13)
FT. Rookies & 10th Place!?
Rookie Report -- A small contrast from previous years, the Spurs haven't really featured its crop of rookies. Whether an international import, 1st/2nd round pick or undrafted gem, Coach Pop always seems to mix in a first-year - and they produce accordingly.
With the season winding down & searching for answers in the lineup, Coach Pop inserted Brandon Paul & Derrick White in the primary rotation last night @ HOU.
B. Paul played a season-high 32! minutes, while D. White became the final Spur to lead the team in scoring this season: finished w/ 14! & 4 boards off the bench (just 19 minutes). Though Paul struggled, look for more PT for both of them moving forward.
10th Place -- Spring of '97: Many teams are gearing up for the NBA Playoffs...the San Antonio Spurs not included.
21 years of incredible consistency is now on the line for Coach Pop & co. - with their latest defeat, the Spurs are now in 10th place.
Or if you're an optimist/realist?, they're tied for 7th*.
Let's be honest, we shouldn't count out the possibility of them jumping back up to 4th (in a couple weeks) - just 2 GB OKC. But at the same time, it's almost impossible to move the needle if you're not consistently winning out West - hard to gain ground when your comp. is either A) beating you or B) winning despite your losses.
2-8 in the last 10, San Antonio needs quick fortune to turn things around.
*.02 percentage pts behind LAC, so technically they're 8th...I guess