What We Learned from the Spurs win over the Hawks

Yesterday at 01:43 PM

New look Spurs set the tone.

If nothing else, this is going to be fun. Of course, we can't project everything that's going to happen in the De'Aaron Fox era based on a single night against Atlanta. There will be plenty of bumps and snags and twists ahead, and if the past week of NBA news is any indication, it will all unfold at a totally calm, chill, and not at all insane pace. However, if there's one thing we can say with absolute certainty from this first night, it's that having De'Aaron Fox play basketball for the Spurs is going to be fun.

It felt different right away. Within moments of tip-off, the team had a palpable sense of energy that seemed to be missing recently. Could this be attributed to the excitement of a new addition? Sure, but that doesn't explain everything. The team moved differently—more fluidly, more dynamically. There was no slow, deliberate buildup like we've become accustomed to this season. Instead, it seemed like every time our guys got the ball, they were ready to explode up the court.

Fox has bounce. When he moves, it's as if little springs inside his shoes keep him bobbing up and down. He can't seem to sit still for even a moment, because that might be the exact moment he needs to be somewhere else. He shifts wildly—forward and back, left and right—with or without the ball. He's always in motion, always forcing the defense to reckon with him. That's the game-changer. Over the past season and a half, the Spurs have played with a very specific, very tall, and very French center of gravity. Last night? A new planet entered the solar system.

Victor didn't have his best game last night. It was one of those B-grade double-doubles where you can tell he's not fully in control of his powers, yet he still puts up an impressive 23 points and 12 rebounds. Even with our giant Frenchman operating at less than 100%, it was fascinating to watch him and Fox feel each other out on the court. Their pick-and-roll game was like two people on a first date—awkward at times, but with flashes of chemistry. You could already see the makings of a pretty special partnership. They're both so dynamic that it feels like only a matter of time before their rhythms sync up.

More than anything, though, you could see the spacing on the court look different for the Spurs than it has in a long time. Devin Vassell was getting open looks he hasn't had in a while. Stephon Castle was finding pockets of space that didn't exist before. The way teams had been defending the Spurs recently seemed to shift, and suddenly, our guys had more breathing room.

Again, I'm not going to sit here and say we can kick back and enjoy a playoff run based on 48 minutes of basketball. If anything, the second half showed just how easily this team's weaknesses can be exploited when they take their eyes off the road. But this was a fun preview of what could be. It showed a way the team could play with a significantly higher ceiling than what they were doing before.

De'Aaron Fox isn't going to be the final piece of the Spurs puzzle, but he's undoubtedly a much-needed shot in the arm for this process. I'm thrilled to finally take my head out of the Trade Deadline Extended Universe and see what these guys are truly capable of on the court. Like I said, I don't know much yet. I just know last night was fun.

I'm ready to lean into fun.

Takeaways

• Okay, so I've watched De'Aaron Fox play plenty of basketball over the years as a casual NBA fan. I wouldn't say I've watched every Kings game, but I've seen my fair share. I was familiar enough with his game to feel excited about the prospect of this trade and what having him on the roster could do for this team. What I hadn't seen much of was De'Aaron Fox's personality. In fact, before this week, I don't think I had ever really heard him talk. So, like many of you, I was pretty much going in blind about what the De'Aaron Fox experience would be like. Early returns? Boy is he impressive. That same bouncy energy he brings to the court seems to spill over into his personality every time he speaks. It's electric. He also carries himself with a level of authority I wasn't prepared for. I'm so used to our young guys giving interviews in a measured, humble, deferential way—basically, very Spursy. Fox, on the other hand, is coming in ready to roll. He's been in the league for seven years now, and while this might be his first Rodeo Road Trip, it's certainly not his first rodeo.
• I was fascinated to see what Chris Paul looks like in this new version of the Spurs. He's been methodically building the team into a respectable unit all year. They needed structure, someone to direct traffic. Given what he had to work with physically, that meant slowing things down, getting the team into sets, and making sure everyone was where they needed to be. So what happens when you drop a Mentos like De'Aaron Fox into that proverbial bottle of Coke? Unsurprisingly, CP3 was awesome at incorporating this new element into the mix. Right from the start, he seemed to turn everyone loose a little quicker, getting the ball out and running. The Spurs pulled back less and just got going. Chris didn't demand to bring the ball up, instead often flipping it out to Fox and letting him race ahead. He's been around long enough to trust Fox to handle it, allowing him to do his thing instead of forcing him into something else. Again, it's early days, so we won't throw up the Mission Accomplished banner just yet, but it's going to be exciting to watch this new version of the offense unfold, and I'm excited to see Chris facilitate it.
• Our boy Stephon Castle had some real rookie moments last night. There were some plays that highlighted he's not quite a finished product and that everyone should calm down. But he also did some incredibly cool things that I refuse to calm down about. That two-handed dunk in traffic made me stand up from my couch and howl at the moon. All three of his assists displayed veteran savvy that belied his true nature as a rookie still figuring things out. I won't stop talking about that cross-court pass to Julian Champagnie for three until the next game, when Castle inevitably does something equally cool. Calming down is for suckers.

WWL Post Game Press Conference

- This trade deadline really was kind of bananas, yes?

- As #bananas of a trade deadline that I can remember.

- Probably going to feel a little silly when the Finals matchup is just Celtics Vs. Thunder.

- Extremely silly. I'm just glad we spent all week talking about things like Kevin Durant not wanting to play for the Warriors instead of the Super Bowl.

- There's a Super Bowl this week?

- Allegedly.