December Preview: How Can San Antonio Spurs Bounce Back After Horrific Month?
NOV. 2 — Victor Wembanyama stands inside Footprint Center for the second straight game.
His San Antonio Spurs had just finished a monumental comeback two nights prior. That game, the Phoenix Suns — only 14 seconds into the second half — were up by 20 and all signs pointed to a continued blowout. Except, that didn't happen
Wembanyama took over in the fourth quarter and made sure that his team was going to come away victorious. Even with the myriad of pressure he was feeling to do so — he's still a 19-year old rookie, for a month, anyway — he stepped up in the way he's going to have to for his team countless times down the road.
It worked for the Spurs that Tuesday night. The Spurs knocked off the Suns after mounting a comeback, and 48 minutes of game action later, they did it again, fending off a comeback instead of the other way around. San Antonio improved to 3-2 on the season, and the immediate future looked bright.
If only it played out that way. The Spurs' second victory in Phoenix ended up being their last of November. San Antonio hasn't won in a month, and is currently on a franchise second-worst 14-game losing streak.
So, how can it bounce back? Let's get into it.
Nov 20, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) is introduced before the game against the LA Clippers at the Frost Bank Center.
© Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
Start Fast, Finish Strong
If 14 losses wasn't enough to accurately gauge the Spurs' woes, nothing will be.
Luckily for San Antonio, its recent losing streak has revealed plenty of what's gone wrong so far this season. And sitting at the top of that list is consistency.
Gregg Popovich said it best: The Spurs simply don't have an All-Star caliber player to perform night in and night out. Not yet, at least. But with as much talent as the young roster has, finding that in the near future isn't far-fetched. In fact, it's almost expected.
Still, the Spurs need to find an answer for their level of consistency. They've played close games against numerous opponents, but because of turnovers, poor shooting, letting up a scoring run or even just running out of gas, they've fallen short. San Antonio gave up a 20+ point lead to the Raptors, lost on the last possession against the Mavs and been outplayed on In-Season Tournament night against the Minnesota Timberwolves That's something they'll need to clean up.
Starting fast is one thing. Finishing strong is a completely different thing.
And the Spurs need both. Night in and night out.
Win Winnable Games
If San Antonio had come away victorious in every game it played close down the stretch, it'd be sitting at double-digit wins. The Spurs — especially when coached by a veteran like Gregg Popovich — won't play the "What If?" game, but it's hard to avoid looking at the differences between two very drastic records.
Obviously, youth has been a large part of the Spurs' inability to play competitively. Retaining a lead is a skill that not even experienced teams fully have the hang of, so it's not surprising that San Antonio has struggled in that regard.
But youth can only be an excuse for so long.
As San Antonio gets its first taste of the league, facing new opponents in almost every game in the early stages of its campaign, it'll have to learn from the games it loses. Blowouts against the Clippers are helpful to watch a truly veteran squad take control of game at its most crucial points. Blowing leads to the Raptors and going toe-to-toe with the Kings are good games to take note of playing better down the stretch.
Wembanyama has that one figured out, but the rest of the roster? Not exactly.
That being said, a lot of the Spurs' December will come down to how well they can pull through in winnable games, both on paper and when the game is ongoing.
So, what games are those?
The Schedule
The Spurs are playing 13 games in December. Seven on the road, six at home.
The lineup is as follows:
Wed. 12/6 @ Minnesota
Fri. 12/8 vs. Chicago
Mon. 12/11 @ Houston
Wed. 12/13 vs. LA Lakers
Fri. 12/15 vs. LA Lakers
Sun. 12/17 vs. New Orleans
Tue. 12/19 @ Milwaukee
Thurs. 12/21 @ Chicago
Sat. 12/23 @ Dallas
Tue. 12/26 vs. Utah
Thurs. 12/28 @ Portland
Fri. 12/29 @ Portland
Sun. 12/31 vs. Boston
If San Antonio is lucky, it can grab wins against half of those teams. That's already a stretch, given the Spurs are on a 14-game losing streak dating back to this time last month, but it's not totally out of the question.
Chicago has extremely talented players, but it's been in a decline lately, especially with players likely on their way out in a cleaning-house scenario. Facing the Bulls twice poses two strong opportunities for the Spurs to pull out a win, both at home and on the road. Facing both the Trailblazers and Lakers in back-to-back matchups in the same environment also gives San Antonio a chance to strike first, or learn and adapt.
Doing so in a similar lineup against the Clippers saw the Spurs nearly come through on their third and final but with LA, but they couldn't get it done. Snatching one from LeBron James and the aspiring Lakers would be a good get for San Antonio, and strong experience in the process.
Other games like one-offs against the Pelicans — who are still rallying behind a healthy Zion — and Boston, which will likely top the East when all said and done, are going to be more difficult.
Facing strong opponents has been an issue for San Antonio — then again, facing any opponents have proven to be a challenge — but if the Spurs hope to start a win streak instead of continuing their losing one, one-offs against some of the more talented teams in the league aren't great places to start.
Getting Chicago and a young Houston squad is a better place to begin.
San Antonio could very well find itself with six or seven wins in December, especially if it can play its cards right and truly adapt from the abysmal November it's coming out of. But nothing is for certain. The Spurs are going to take it game by game.
Staying Focused
Rallying behind a 7-4 generational rookie makes it difficult to avoid constant media attention, but the Spurs have done a good job of it.
Between reiterating the patient approach they’re taking despite the string of losses, no matter how many times they’re asked, or keeping their heads up and not letting anger show through on the court.
The Spurs might be young, but they’re embracing it instead of hiding behind it. And with every new arena they enter, or every new opponent they welcome, they’re proving that.
San Antonio has officially entered December. Now, its goal is to bounce back and set the record straight.
