Wake Up Call

That phrase is tossed around by people who are paid to fill time on sports radio and television. I don’t blame these people for finding crutch phrases. They are necessary and useful. Sometimes they are just verbal placeholders for more erudite phrases.

I was thinking about this because I saw it being mocked somewhere (I forget where) and happened to be checking out the Spurs schedule. Was our Wake Up Call against Memphis last year? What is that supposed to mean?

I suppose it means “Was the loss in the first round a point where the organization realized that they really and truly could not win a title with their current structure?”

I don’t think so. I don’t think they thought that. They likely think they have a decent enough shot every year and they’d be right. They do have a decent shot compared to the dregs of the league. The Spurs will win more games than the Kings. Probably.

What are we basing that on? Talent? Coaching? The combination thereof?

Yes. We are.

Our strengths were never in youth and athleticism but in execution and tenacity. As you get older and less athletic you have to become even more of an executor and tenacious to make up for it. Look at Boston. They have a bunch of old guys that know all the tricks and won’t be found out of position, and they have just enough youth and athleticism in Rondo to let them win those battles. It is beautiful.

I’m interested to see how we Tiago and Kawhi step up to fill those youth and athleticism roles. Though we can’t duplicate Boston’s HOF executors, we have a few guys that have done it before. Like our favorite drive-time San Antonio sports radio guys says, we just need to make it through these 66-games healthy and anything can happen when we get to the tournament.

There is a small room for error in these Tim Twilight years, no question. Nothing is over, though. I am not ready to give up on this team, however slight those chances may be.

Tonight we play Houston sans some regulars. It will be a good look at the young ‘uns.

NBATV 7:00 pmToyota Center