Mitch Johnson has a checklist of issues to fix for Spurs to topple Knicks

The Spurs have reached the pinnacle of basketball competition, and their opponent just reminded them of that. San Antonio played with the right amount of energy early and even got out to a 14-point lead in the second half. However, despite their lead, things never felt or looked right, and it eventually caught up with them. Much of that falls in Mitch Johnson's lap.

If Jeremy Lin had the time to list the number of mistakes San Antonio made during his conversation with Scott Van Pelt, he would have been there all night. Victor Wembanyama's heavy isolation diet late in the game was only one of several issues, albeit a significant one. It's also one that Coach Johnson addressed during his postgame press conference.

Mitch is a sharp guy. San Antonio's success didn't occur by happenstance. But some of these adjustments need to happen in real time. The Spurs have routinely left meat on the bone in this postseason run, and Game One in the NBA Finals was just another example.

The Spurs made several head-scratching decisions

De'Aaron Fox recently told the media his message to the young guys was to continue doing the things that got them there. "There's a reason that we're in the Finals. There's a reason that we won 60 games... So we don't want to get to this place and then start changing the way we play," Swipa explained. That advice applies to the coaching staff, too.

Keldon Johnson is the Sixth Man of the Year, and he only played eight minutes in the game. In a second half that saw their lead and momentum slip away, the Spurs could have used an influx of energy. That's what Johnson is known for. Instead, Harrison Barnes played 12 minutes, and the starters carried most of the load.

Those 12 minutes were the most of any bench player not named Dylan Harper, who played 27 minutes total but only got three in the fourth quarter when Fox was playing some of the worst basketball he's played all through the playoffs. Harper, on the other hand, had a tremendous first half, scoring 12 points on 4/5 FG. He should have been on the floor at the end of the game.

That didn't happen. Fox got the nod. San Antonio's lead guard only took two shots in the 11 minutes he spent on the floor in the final period. He missed them both, turned the ball over twice, and racked up three fouls.

Mitch Johnson can't fall into the Wemby-or-bust trap

Victor Wembanyama played 21:08 of a possible 24 minutes in the second half. Coach Johnson just got through telling everyone how fortunate it was that Wemby got a fifth foul in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals because it forced him to give the Alien a rest, and that helped Wemby close the game strong.

So, watching the Spurs go into the very next game and fall back into the same trap is frustrating, to say the least. The Silver and Black's superpower has been in the sum of their parts all season. They must continue to lean into that. Tiring guys out won't get the job done, and New York already knows that.

Jalen Brunson was the only player Mike Brown played over 35 minutes, and he still rested for about five minutes in the fourth quarter. That ensured he'd have the energy necessary to seal the deal. The Spurs played three guys over that threshold, and Stephon Castle was only 33 seconds beneath it.

Wembanyama is only 22 years old, and he's playing in his first deep playoff run with an abnormally large body. Stealing rest for him at every opportunity should be a priority, especially considering how hard he plays on both ends of the floor. That's why GM Brian Wright added Luke Kornet. The ex-Celtic champion can give the team more than the 10 minutes he was allotted. Let him.

These are still just a few decisions that don't make sense to me. We didn't even get into the defensive strategies that led to easy Knicks opportunities throughout the game. Mitch Johnson has plenty to clean up, and Spurs fans should not doubt that he will. Johnson was a Coach of the Year finalist for a reason, and this team has made strong responses to losses a habit.

Expect them to do the same in Game Two tomorrow night.

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