Thursday NBA Roundup: Spurs Will Be Fine Whether or Not They Steal No. 1 Seed
The San Antonio Spurs are going to be just fine.
An outing against the (previously) struggling Oklahoma City Thunder could've been an opportunity for them to further close the gap on the Western Conference-leading Golden State Warriors. But head coach Gregg Popovich made it clear during the team's 102-92 loss that rest takes precedence over eking out one additional victory.
Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili didn't suit up Thursday night. Kawhi Leonard retreated to the locker room after an impressive 26 minutes, and he wasn't seen from again. Seriously, he never emerged from the tunnel after taking a blow to the face, per ESPN.com's Royce Young, as the trainer thought he should sit down the stretch.
Beyond that, Popovich used some fairly nontraditional rotations against the Thunder, deploying Bryn Forbes for lengthy stretches and mixing it up with some new lineups. He was testing things out, not treating this like a playoff contest.
And it's exactly what he should be doing.
Some, like The Vertical's Michael Lee, may disagree:
But despite this loss, the Spurs don't need to fear a first-round matchup with Oklahoma City.
When they're operating at full strength, they're even deadlier than this limited version. The Thunder also can't rely on a stellar triple-double from Russell Westbrook coinciding with the new additions (Doug McDermott and Taj Gibson) making positive contributions every time they take to the court. And lest we forget, the Spurs were the victorious outfit in the teams' first meeting this season.
San Antonio simply doesn't need to worry about the remainder of this campaign's first 82 games. It doesn't have to pursue Golden State for the No. 1 seed, even if this weekend's marquee matchup between the two juggernauts could trim the margin between them. It doesn't have to avoid any of the possible first-round opponents. It doesn't even need to concern itself with earning home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
This might seem strange to say in the wake of a double-digit loss, but the Spurs are legitimate contenders who have flown under the radar all season. While Westbrook and James Harden rack up triple-doubles, while the Cleveland Cavaliers and Warriors draw headlines with every ebb and flow, while breakout sensations such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic draw hype, they've steadily plodded along, establishing themselves as a team without any discernible weaknesses.
Think that's hyperbolic? It's not.
San Antonio has posted an above-average score in each of the Four Factors on offense—a claim only it and the Toronto Raptors can make. It also has positive marks in each of the corresponding defensive factors, which it has in common with just...well, no one.
Since 1974, when we can first start looking at the Four Factors (representing shooting, turnovers, free throws and rebounding with singular numbers, as explained here), only two teams have finished a season with above-average marks in all eight categories, per my databases: the 1979-80 Boston Celtics (61-21) and 1998-99 Portland Trail Blazers (35-15 during the lockout-shortened season).
But the full-strength Spurs' impervious nature isn't just due to all-around excellence.
The construction of the roster makes them potent against any opponent, with a bona fide superstar (Leonard) leading the charge, while a veritable horde of bench contributors swarms every other second unit. Not only do the San Antonio starters rank No. 2 in net rating (7.8), but the bench sits at No. 1 (10.8). Even more impressively, its net rating is almost double that of the No. 2 Golden State Warriors' reserves (5.8).
And though Thursday night's loss to the Thunder came on the road, that stands out as an aberration. The Spurs' net rating at home (10.0) is only marginally better than their work away from the AT&T Center (9.6).
When you're perfectly comfortable operating in front of hostile crowds, losing out on home-court advantage takes on less importance than health and improved chemistry between rarely used contributors.
So would San Antonio prefer to play at home in the seemingly inevitable Western Conference Finals showdown with the Dubs? Sure. Would it like to avoid the possibility of a Russell Westbrook explosion coming at its expense in the opening round? Probably. Would it enjoy the prestige of finishing with the NBA's best record? Of course.
But those desires aren't all-consuming, and they won't sway Popovich. The NBA's best coach still knows what he's doing, and he'll never ask his troops to chase anything that doesn't have the best chances of improving their title odds.
Clippers Bench Shines
Blake Griffin (14 PTS, 12 REB and 8 AST) was perhaps the most impactful member of the Los Angeles Clippers during Thursday night's 114-98 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, but that shouldn't come as a surprise. Most nights, LAC only thrives when he, Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan are rolling.
The bench, however, can often be problematic.
For years, Los Angeles has, to no avail, attempted to fix its second unit. With the vast majority of its cap space tied up in three aforementioned studs and precious few draft picks at its disposal, it's had to get creative and rely on lesser players. Even this year, with an improved bunch, the Clippers have been outscored by 4.1 points per 100 possessions without their starters.
But everything clicked against the Grizzlies.
Brandon Bass and Wesley Johnson contributed during their limited minutes. Marreese Speights chipped in with eight points. Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford combined for an efficient 25 points.
And Austin Rivers was the true standout.
The much-maligned backup point guard exploded for 20 points, five rebounds and four assists on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, showing what he could do when he's focused on getting to the basket and finishing. In many ways, it was the culmination of everything he's been working toward during a season in which he's often flashed improvement.
Los Angeles will always be dangerous when the Big Three is healthy. But when the bench is also potent, it looks like a legitimate contender.
Welcome Back, JR Smith
The good news: JR Smith made his first appearance for the Cleveland Cavaliers since suffering a broken right thumb against the Milwaukee Bucks on Dec. 20.
Though the mercurial 2-guard isn't the most consistent player, he's an important piece for the defending champions. His willingness to accept defensive responsibilities and the ability to catch fire and start throwing flames both give the Cavs a new edge, making his return to form of paramount importance during a season in which the team has gone through conspicuously rough patches.
The bad news: Smith was awful in a 106-101 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Cleveland was outscored by a miserable 28 points while he was on the floor, and it was readily apparent that he was trying to shake off the rust by letting it fly. Though his one bucket was quintessential Smith, it couldn't negate his eight misses from the field and distinct lack of impact in other areas.
LeBron James recorded a triple-double, complete with a bevy of thunderous dunks. Kyrie Irving made Detroit dance multiple times, winding up with 27 points of his own. But the Cavaliers stars couldn't overcome a bench that failed to find any positive production from players other than Channing Frye.
Smith will rebound, and kudos to the Pistons for keeping him in check while still finding time to thrive with balanced offensive contributions. But even though this was a rough debut, don't overlook his importance during the stretch run.
Line of the Year Candidate
The Portland Trail Blazers couldn't possibly have imagined Jusuf Nurkic would become this good, this fast. The midseason acquisition has thrived throughout his brief tenure with Rip City, but he took his game to that proverbial next level in an overtime victory against the Philadelphia 76ers.
As Sports Illustrated's Rob Mahoney pointed out, he's fitting into a LaMarcus Aldridge mold. Not because of his playing style, but because of how a new location has allowed him to showcase new parts of his game:
Nurkic dominated from the get-go Thursday night, blocking multiple shots in the first few minutes and controlling the interior on both ends. By the time the game reached its overtime conclusion, he'd earned career highs in points, rebounds, assists and blocks.
But that's not all.
By recording 28 points, 20 rebounds, eight dimes, two steals and six rejections, he posted a line literally no one has matched since the start of the 1983-84 season. Even if we take his thievery out of the equation, only Charles Barkley joins the club with a performance from 1986.
Is this sustainable? Of course not. But Nurkic continues to prove he was a flat-out steal on the trade market, breaking out as soon as he was put in a situation that would allow him to thrive like he couldn't while blocked from the Denver Nuggets' starting five by Nikola Jokic.
D'Angelo Russell Rolling
D'Angelo Russell has arrived.
The Los Angeles Lakers point guard has thrived ever since returning from the All-Star break, averaging 20.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists and shooting 46.3 percent from the field prior to Thursday night's 122-110 victory over the Phoenix Suns. And while he may not have posted the play of the game—that belonged to Brandon Ingram, as you can see below—he was the clear standout.
Six different Lakers finished in double figures, but none were more impactful than Russell, who exploded for 28 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals while shooting 10-of-20 from the field and 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. He drilled multiple clutch buckets during the second half, showed no compunction when firing away in traffic and looked in complete control of the offensive proceedings.
This is the Russell the Lakers have been dying to see since he was drafted at No. 2 in 2015. And he's been showing up more frequently during the second half of the season, becoming a legitimate offensive stud who's learning how to hold his own on defense.
Ingram could be a future star. Larry Nance Jr. has proved he can function as a fantastic defensive presence. Julius Randle is capable of posting triple-doubles and taking over games.
But thus far, Russell is proving he may have the highest ceiling of the bunch.
Thursday's Final Scores
- Detroit Pistons 106, Cleveland Cavaliers 101
- Oklahoma City Thunder 102, San Antonio Spurs 92
- Los Angeles Clippers 114, Memphis Grizzlies 98
- Portland Trail Blazers 114, Philadelphia 76ers 108
- Los Angeles Lakers 122, Phoenix Suns 110
Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @fromal09.
Unless otherwise indicated, all stats from Basketball-Reference.com, NBA.com or NBA Math and accurate heading into games Thursday, March 9.
