Some days you just don’t have it, you know? Watching the Spurs last night, I was reminded of a fateful interview attempt I made many years ago. It was a perfectly normal morning of an otherwise excellent year, and I was decked out in my best. A heavy rain had fallen the night before, and as I darted around puddles on the way to my car, I ran through a variety of scenarios in my head. I had all of the experience and credentials needed for the position, and I felt confident, as my initial phone call had gone well. It was a job I badly wanted, and for a moment, I allowed myself to fantasize about a positive outcome. SPLAT. Certain that I’d made it through the worst of the minefield that was my rock and caliche driveway, I’d failed to notice a particularly slick patch, where the mud and water had congealed over a smooth chunk of stone, and promptly slipped and fell face-first into the mire in my suit. I’m not ashamed to say that I just lay there for a minute, collecting my thoughts. I had mud in my mouth. In my nose. I even found some in one of my ears later. And I can’t lie; I let a little self-pity creep in there. Why me? Things were going so well! What have I done to deserve this? I often wonder if winning teams feel the same way on an off night. It certainly looked like some of the Spurs might have, after playing so many games so close together, with more to come. The usually high-flying Keldon Johnson looked earthbound and sluggish to such an extent that he failed even to attempt a three-point shot. Defensive rotation felt like an oxymoron. Help defense, doubly so. Harrison Barnes persisted in his recent shooting slump. Carter Bryant looked as lost as an Arctic explorer. The usually hard-driving Dylan Harper seemed completely out of gas and otherwise allergic to the rim. And with all due respect to Luke Kornet, there’s no world in which he should be San Antonio’s leading scorer. And yet, it wasn’t a total disaster. In spite of everything, the Spurs nearly pulled it out. It just didn’t feel like it at the time. Perspective is so much easier to attain after the fact. The Spurs are bound to lose some games. They’re definitely going to lose some without Wemby on the court. But here’s the thing, it’s been a great season so far. I have so few complaints about this team that it almost feels like I’m reaching for complaints most of the time. More often than not, the Spurs are going to win. Some days they’re just gonna take a tumble in the mud. There was nothing to be done that day, though. I picked myself up and called to reschedule my appointment. I took my suit in to be cleaned. It remains the first and only time that the owner of a dry-cleaning business came out from the back to give me an in-person service disclaimer. Three weeks later, I interviewed for an even better job, and I got it. Sometimes you’ve just got to move on to the next one. Takeaways I know there’s no such thing as a banner for best contracts in the NBA, but boy howdy could San Antonio’s front office hang one. Bypassing the already deescalating contracts for Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell, both Julian Champagnie and Luke Kornet are providing more bang-for-their-buck than most players in the league. Once considered a near-afterthought, Champagnie continues to make his case for both a raise and a contract extension, and he’s beginning to show more than simple 3-and-D utility, as his mid-range has begun to flourish as well. Prior to the season, he seemed more like a backup/counterpart to Harrison Barnes, but his shooting, rebounding, and defense allow him to sub in for Devin Vassell as well, and just about anywhere on the wing. If he were just 3-4 inches taller, he’d be the perfect power forward for this team. And while I’m pretty sure that I never want to see Luke Kornet’s name so high on the scoring portion of a box-score, what he’s been able to do as a spot starter is nothing short of outstanding. In addition to keeping the Spurs in the game offensively, he almost single-handedly kept the interior from becoming a layup line for Portland, as San Antonio’s perimeter leaked like a pit bull in a dog park full of fire hydrants. There is absolutely no way that the Spurs would own such a great record if they had to keep trotting Bismack Biyombo out there like last year. That being said, I might would have preferred seeing Biyombo out there as opposed to the center-less lineup that Mitch Johnson tried out in the 1st quarter. The Fox – Castle – Harper – Johnson – Bryant grouping got absolutely cooked on defense, and in this writer’s opinion, forfeited San Antonio’s shot at a win. Johnson deserves a lot of praise for how the Spurs have played so far, and especially without Victor, but this is the 2nd time in the last couple of games that bizarre lineup choices have hamstrung the team, and he has to own that too. I understand that playing Biyombo is a bit like selecting Mr. Magoo to helm the Titanic through iceberg-infested waters, but at this point, any excuse not to give Sochan those minutes bears some degree of reflection. That was more jarring than a sandpaper spa day. I’m not sure what to make of Carter Bryant yet. I’ve definitely seen some flashes from him defensively, but he just cannot seem to find any kind of offensive rhythm, and when neither his offensive game nor his defensive game is working (like last night), he feels like a complete waste of minutes, and worse, like his development is potentially being set back. I know people don’t love it when the Spurs send 1st round picks to Austin, but I honestly think that might be the perfect reset for him. There’s talent there, but he may need a lower-pressure environment for now to figure things out. Playing You Out – The Theme Song of the Evening: Running On Empty by Jackson Browne ...read more read less