Victor Wembanyama must be human after all, and despite losing in the Emirates Cup Final, the San Antonio Spurs can cope, knowing $212,373 is waiting for them for whatever they have in mind. The two-way players get half of the pot, too, but more than the money, the ride is what coach Mitch J ohnson thinks they’ll take most from it.  As a team on the come-up that wasn’t labeled a contender before the season started, the Spurs were playing with the least amount of pressure, and the young guys grew up a bit in these higher-stakes games. When playoff time rolls around, the Spurs will be one of the few who passed their postseason pre-check and will be mentally sharper. Keep in mind that the runner-up in previous years reached the conference finals or the NBA Finals.  Yet, as cool as Las Vegas is, these events would be better without a neutral court because fans are rowdier when they are seeing their team at home. For example, imagine how the Frost Bank Center would have turned into a madhouse if Wembanyama’s third-quarter flurry happened there. Or consider how the Knicks, who haven’t won anything important since 1973, and how Madison Square Garden’s lid would have flown off when OG Anunoby buried a triple to put them up eight in the last two minutes. The third quarter was the most exciting sequence of the game as both squads combined for nine 3-pointers. All I could think about as both sides drained them was Cuba Gooding Jr. yelling, “Show me the money,” in the film, Jerry Maguire. The Spurs have shown a lot of their basketball character through 30 percent of the season. Yet the lesson they can take away from blowing the fourth quarter is what not to do in a playoff game, like giving up the 3-point line and being sped up into tough shots.  Aside from not collecting a bigger check, the real loss for the Spurs is that they can’t practice future celebrations by drinking their preferred liquid refreshment from the Emirates Cup. Takeaways: Jalen Brunson is listed at 6’2, but he’s not a small guard because he’s jacked. His strength and mastery of pull-up shooting make him a nightmare to defend. Take note that he’s logged the most 40-point playoff games since 2019-20 (9) of any player in the league, so holding him to 40.7 percent shooting is not half bad. He won MVP of the tournament, but Anunoby was New York’s top player on Tuesday, since he killed the Spurs inside and out. The Cup finale did nothing for me in this regard, but is it not clear that Stephon Castle is closing in on De’Aaron Fox as a more impactful player, if he hasn’t already? Castle is a rising star on defense (when he isn’t biting on pump fakes) who can guard up and down, while his offensive game is blossoming. Sure, his assist-to-turnover ratio is only 1.68, but it’s good that he has the freedom to take risks because he will eventually grow out of the mistakes. It would be a big surprise if he doesn’t turn into a top 10 player at some point in his career. Eventually, Wembanyama‘s short reign as a devastating sixth man will conclude, but it highlights the need for someone to step up when he returns to the starting unit. The way things are going, why can’t Dylan Harper be the super sub? He’s the real deal as a penetrator and is a good playmaker, which should help activate the others. He gets stronger with every game. Mitchell Robinson turning into Moses Malone on the glass was one of the factors that did the Spurs in. Aside from being a big body, he’s wide and strong, so he can bang with those taller than him. Watching Robinson grab 10 offensive rebounds highlighted the need for Wemby to get stronger, and in some instances, not to chase every shot to block it, because he gave up rebounding position at least once for a putback.  Like in boxing, sometimes your stock can rise in a loss. The Spurs showed through the tournament’s run that they are tougher than a $2 steak. They were even alive late in the final in spite of their second-worst shooting night of the season. Teams won’t always be able to play to their identity, so they have to learn how to get it done by any means. It’s similar to when a fighter, who likes to attack from the outside, has to survive a bar brawl with someone less skilled but dangerous. Despite the loss, the Spurs are getting better at staying in the fight when in a game that doesn’t suit their style. ...read more read less