2 immeasurable things fans should look for in Spurs final two preseason games

As the San Antonio Spurs head into their final two preseason games—tonight against the Miami Heat and Thursday against the Houston Rockets—fans should keep in mind that while these games technically "don’t count," they still provide crucial insight for the coaching staff and the viewers if you know what to look for.

Players are battling for minutes, and the coaching staff is finalizing strategies for the regular season. Though we've seen flashes of brilliance already, the next two games will provide a closer look at some intangible, yet vital, aspects of this team's readiness. Though numbers are great, the things that will matter the most can't be measured with a simple metric.

An 82-game season means Spurs must stack good performances

The first thing to watch for is consistency. So far, guys like Julian Champagnie have made a case for more minutes with his sharp outside shooting, proving to be an efficient, quick trigger in Devin Vassell's absence. He's been shooting at such a high clip (49%) that Coach Gregg Popovich will be hard-pressed not to continue giving him substantial minutes as the season begins.

Once Vassell comes back, a popular belief held that Harrison Barnes would play the three, but Champagnie may have something to say about that.

The playmaking and defensive efforts of Tre Jones, Blake Wesley, and Stephon Castle have been strong as well, providing San Antonio with multiple playmakers who can run the offense and lock down on the perimeter.

The final two preseason games will be about maintaining that high level of play. Once the regular season begins, they'll be up against more formidable lineups, and their reliability will be tested again.

Spurs must bring physicality and determination every night

Heart is the second, immeasurable quality to look out for. San Antonio's roster is one of the youngest in the league, and while talent is essential, it needs to be paired with effort and grit.

You can track metrics like closeouts on shooters or rebounding percentages, but there’s no way to measure the physicality and desire players show on the court. Spurs fans should be looking for a team that plays the full 48 minutes with the same intensity, whether they’re up 10 or down 10.

This means low turnovers, attention to detail, strong defensive rotations, and, most importantly, an unwavering commitment to hustling on both ends of the floor.

We’ve heard Coach Popovich say that the time for rookie mistakes is over, so expect that level of accountability to show up in these last two games. The goal is to finish the preseason by stringing together back-to-back complete games, something the Spurs struggled to do last season.

Though the numbers don’t count, the heart and consistency displayed in these final tune-ups can help to set the tone for the regular season, which will be key as San Antonio looks to surprise the league this year.