San Antonio Spurs
The 2021-22 San Antonio Spurs can be defined by the fact that they somehow made the play-in tournament for a second straight year.
What did we learn?
Something we have always known: Where there is a Pop, there is a way!
Pop became the all-time winningest coach in NBA history, passing Don Nelson with his 1,336th win. Pop also appeared to be having a great deal of fun coaching this super-young Spurs team, the fourth-youngest team in the NBA.
The Spurs started slow with a 4-13 record to begin the season, but Pop turned the ship around.
This young Spurs team played the classic Pop way, emphasizing sound team-ball (second in assists per game), limiting turnovers (a top-5 mark), and by not shooting many 3s. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Spurs had the third-lowest percentage of shots that were 3s this season, and the third-highest percentage of shots taken from the mid-range.
Pegged as a rebuilding team without a true star, Dejounte Murray blossomed into that shining star, an outstanding 21-9-8 guy, an injury reserve All-Star, and a top-3 Most Improved Player finalist. Murray has always been a defensive ace, and this season he stepped up his offensive game in a major way while still leading the league in steals.
Dejounte Murray 30-point games:
The first four years of his career = 0
March 2022 = 3
2021-22 season = 8
Some speculated if Keldon Johnson would become the Spurs’ star after playing for Team USA in the Olympics. While this was no doubt Murray’s team, Johnson did basically shoot 40 percent from downtown (39.8%) on 5.2 attempts per game and was one of the best in the league on corner 3s at an immaculate 49 percent, per Cleaning The Glass. In addition to all of his shooting accolades, Johnson was also a Power Dunk City regular. (So was Poeltl but for a different reason.)
Jakob Poeltl got put on many posters, yes, but he also finished in the top-5 for total blocks as San Antonio’s defensive anchor and chief rim protector. Poeltl also averaged career-best numbers on offense. (Save for free throws where he made less than 50 percent for the second time in his career.)
Lonnie Walker had more bursts where we got excited about his game all over again. Sky Walker had eight games of 20 or more points post All-Star, but his 31.4 percent from 3 was the worst mark of his career.
Devin Vassell quietly made a little second-year leap, increasing his scoring to 12.3 points per game from just 5.5 in his rookie season. Vassell’s numbers improved across the board and his defense remained stifling. And Vassell sure as hell showed up in the play-in game, knocking down seven 3s en route to a team-high 23 points.
The Spurs traded Derrick White and Thad Young at the deadline, cashing in some chips for future assets. It seemed like they were waving the white flag on this season, but thanks to an easy end of the season schedule and the Lakers’ epic collapse, San Antonio finished 10th in the West, sneaking into the play-in once again.
They were competitive in the play-in game against the Pelicans, fighting hard until the end just as they did the year before against the Grizzlies.
We don’t know if this will actually have been Pop’s final year yet as some whispers have suggested, but either way, it helps knowing that these young Spurs went out admirably.
Pop wouldn’t have it any other way.
Additional Notes
Doug McDermott had one of the all-time “Surprised to See Ya!” power dunks. (see below)
Guess who actually played basketball this season? Zach Collins! Yes, Zach Collins made it onto the court in his first game-action since the Bubble’s seeding games.
When the Spurs were undermanned at the end of the season, Tre Jones stepped up and contributed in a big way, closing the season with five straight double-digit scoring games. Put Tre Jones on your radar.
Josh Richardson played a lot better in the silver and black Spurs uniform than he did in his short stint wearing the Celtics’ green and white. Richardson shot 44 percent from 3 in 21 games as a Spur.
Josh Primo was heavily mocked as the #12 pick in the draft, and he did spend a chunk of the season in the G League, but Primo was a second half of the season rotation regular, and flashed some definite potential.
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Did our preseason Over/Under prediction hit?
This number feels really low, but it’s not stopping us. Under 29.5 wins.
Spurs 2021-22 record: (34-48)
Nope. We have missed on the Spurs three seasons in a row.
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What’s Next?
The Spurs currently have three first-round draft picks:
#9 (their own)
#20 (from Toronto for Thad Young)
#25 (from Boston for Derrick White)
Figure out what to do with their cap space. According to ESPN’s cap expert Bobby Marks: “San Antonio enters the offseason with $14.5 million in cap space, accounting for Walker's $13.4 million hold. If the Spurs let him walk, that cap space increases to about $27 million.”
Get Pop back in the saddle for another go at it.
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Favorite Spurs Highlights of the 2021-22 Season:
Doug McDermott, SURPRISED TO SEE YA!!!
RIDE THE BULL, BIG BODY.
