The Best part of the Spurs' preseason debut happened just minutes in

It's official—the San Antonio Spurs are playing basketball again. The Silver and Black got a chance to match up vs. the rival Oklahoma City Thunder as both teams look to get ready for a long season. The big guys weren't in uniform, but that doesn't mean the players wouldn't compete. They came out and played hard, despite being so shorthanded.

Entering this game without Victor Wembanyama, Chris Paul and Devin Vassell pretty much guaranteed a victory for the Thunder, but winning preseason games is just as important as the food coloring inserted in a red velvet chocolate cake. But that doesn't mean there weren't any important developments during the game, and the best one came early.

Chris Paul is taking every opportunity to teach the players

If Spurs fans had a penny for every time they've heard about how young the team is, they would have enough money for a one-month subscription to every streaming service on the market. Everyone knew the team desperately needed veterans who could provide direction on the court. But CP3 is taking advantage of opportunities off the court as well.

Wemby and Vassell are the Spurs' best players—nothing will go the way it's supposed to if those guys aren't on the same page. Paul's experience with not just elevating the team but the best players, in particular, is paramount to the success everyone expects to continue after he's gone.

Devin Booker and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander both took massive leaps after their time with the Point God. When you watch both players, you can see the methodical way they navigate screens, attack the paint and get their teammates involved. Because of his similar skillset to those guys, Vassell stands to gain a ton from this relationship, and it's important that he do so.

The Oklahoma City Thunder were the number one seed in the Western Conference last season, so they're a perfect team to use for a live film session. There's a lot the Spurs can learn from them, from their spacing to their defensive consistency, among other things.

Eventually, they'll get on the court and start working on these things when everything is live, but for now, it's nice to see Chris Paul not taking any moments for granted. San Antonio has four preseason games remaining, so they'll have plenty of time to play together because when they do, the real work begins.