The San Antonio Spurs are changing and Bryn Forbes is taking it in stride
By Dylan Carter
This isn’t the same San Antonio Spurs team that played 63 games before the hiatus and shooting guard Bryn Forbes is rolling with the punches.
After playing the third-most minutes on the team thus far in the NBA season, San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Bryn Forbes is taking a backseat to some of his younger cohorts. Most players would moan and groan, fighting back and asserting themselves to take their role back. That’s not the case with Forbes, who has fought tirelessly to reach this point that he’s never going to stray from his morals.
During media availability at today’s practice, Bryn spoke candidly about what this Orlando restart has looked like in the wake of injuries and unrest. It’s not an easy situation to deal with, as getting shifted to the bench can be a punch to the ego, but he doesn’t see it that way himself.
“With everything that’s happened with the injuries — with LA, with Trey (Lyles); Patty (Mills) — certain guys that aren’t playing, it’s a whole new look,” Forbes said. “To try things and see what works is important and I think we’ll find the right thing. Hopefully, it’ll lead to wins.”
Forbes looked as confident as ever in 22 minutes against the Brooklyn Nets in their previous scrimmage. He poured on 15 points off the bench, hitting half of his six shots from deep range. Unfortunately, Forbes continued to showcase the downside that Spurs fans have become quite accustomed to at the same time, committing four turnovers and struggling to keep up on defense.
FORB3S! pic.twitter.com/sF76vhsM9B
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) July 25, 2020
That’s the plight that Bryn Forbes faces every time he steps on the court. Teams with taller lineups and good scouts are always going to attack him as a defender. With that being the case, Forbes isn’t a viable long-term option as a starter in this league. Putting him alongside Keldon Johnson in the second-unit hides some of his deficiencies and verifies that Forbes could fit off the bench if the Spurs bring him back on a new deal this offseason.
Coming off the bench would make some players scoff and others ask for a trade; but not Forbes. It’s just a matter of readjusting for him.
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“It’s a different feel for me but also, it’s something I can do,” Forbes said. “I pride myself on being able to shoot in any circumstance and that’s how I still feel.”
He’s not wrong about that one — the one thing you can always depend on Forbes to do is shoot the ball. Whether its falling or not is a different story but most of the time, it is! San Antonio’s coaching staff is priming itself for a new rotation with familiar faces in different places. We’ll see some guys starting who we never believed would this season and others who aren’t even playing.
Forbes acknowledged that Patty Mills isn’t playing so far through these scrimmages. Mills was seen on the sidelines not dressed to play, holding a clipboard and watching over the game. If this is a sign that Patty is being groomed for an assistant coaching position, Spurs fans would be elated. Mills is already an on-court floor general who instills great values in the team and teaches them how to win. He’d make for an excellent assistant while alleviating some of the fear that the coaching staff has of playing him and Forbes next to each other off the bench.
Say what you want about Forbes’ play, but you have to respect his commitment to both the team and his own ability.