Brutal Cavs loss exposes underlying issue Spurs hoped to avoid

The Spurs dropped their second straight game on Monday night, falling to the Cavaliers just 48 hours after an ugly loss to Utah. You're going to lose games over an 82-game season, but this particular back-to-back stumble cut deeper because it was mostly due to a flaw the organization was hoping would improve naturally. After two months of mostly winning, the issue has arrived front and center.

Spurs' shooting has officially cooled to a concerning level

This isn't a panic-button moment. San Antonio has earned too much good faith over the first third of the season to suggest anything that dramatic, especially considering how strong their defense and rim pressure have been. But what the Cavs loss exposed was something the front office likely hoped to avoid: a stretch where the shots stop falling, the paint collapses, and the offense gets stuck, similarly to past years' struggles.

The numbers over the past 10 games paint the picture. Harrison Barnes has been shooting 33% from deep. Julian Champagnie is supposed to be the next Danny Green, but he's only hitting 30%. Devin Vassell—who overall has been stellar this year—is down to 33% during this stretch.

Teams are closing out harder on San Antonio's shooters. They've made a decision not to allow the Silver and Black to beat them in the paint and at the three-point line. That's no excuse, though, as there have been plenty of great looks generated.

That's been the problem in both Spurs' losses

Between the two games, they turned the ball over too much in one but not in the other. Or they had more points in the paint than their opponent in one but not in the other. Those didn't necessarily swing the game. Shooting 23% from three did.

San Antonio entered the season knowing the perimeter shooting was the question mark. The organization didn't make a splashy offseason addition, opting instead to trust internal improvement and early-season chemistry. That has looked like the right call when you consider their record, but the last two weeks have brought the regression that scouts warned about.

Fortunately for the Spurs, Keldon Johnson and De'Aaron Fox are shooting well. Jonson is having one of his most efficient seasons as a catch-and-shoot threat, and Fox's off-the-dribble jumper has been cash money. Their combined shotmaking has been a major reason San Antonio has won as many games as it has during the cold stretch from the main shooters.

Still, they need to get back to consistent production for this team to keep up their winning pace. San Antonio is still good enough to win games through disciplined defense. They're also very explosive at the point of attack, and their guards put unbelievable pressure on opponents. However, if they continue to struggle, maybe the front office should look elsewhere for help.