Spurs flipped the script on biggest weakness and NBA is paying the price

The juggernaut is stirring in San Antonio. Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul were the perfect pairing, and they are leading the team toward a new reputation. Previously, you could get physical with the Spurs, and they would turn the ball over left and right, but that hasn't been the case lately.

The Silver and Black seemed to have finally grasped the notion of ball security and integrated the concept into their gameplay. The results have been more wins for the once turnover-prone group.

Spurs are 11th in turnovers over the last ten games

This is a major turnaround fans have been clamoring for for years. Of course, the players wanted to take care of the ball, but for some reason, they couldn't. It was difficult to watch them fumble passes, get the ball stolen, or just throw it out of bounds. It made you want to turn the television off entirely, as the product on the floor looked nothing like professional basketball at times.

They even started this year's campaign on the same track before their recently upgraded sense of security. San Antonio averaged 16.8 turnovers (26th) over the first eight games of the season. It was a little confusing because you expected that the addition of Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes would help the team calm that down.

It was presumptuous to assume it wouldn't take regular season game experience and more time. But things have changed for the third-youngest squad in the league now.

The Spurs are 7-3 in their last ten games, and over that span, they lowered their number of lost possessions to 13.9. Better still, that number is still coming down. San Antonio is down to 12.8 turnovers per game during their four-game win streak. That's tied for fourth in the league with the Lakers—whom SA plays tonight—and OKC.

Credit to acting head coach Mitch Johnson for his stewardship during this time. He's been doing a great job of getting the players to hear his message. Taking care of the ball is paramount for a team that still averages fewer shots than their opponent on a nightly basis. They couldn't keep affording to sacrifice the few possessions they've been getting.

Reducing live-ball turnovers, in particular, is allowing them more opportunities to set up their half-court defense—that's their strength. The Spurs have a 107.5 defensive rating during their four-game run of victories—fifth in the NBA. It's a small sample size, but they showed strong defensive capabilities at the beginning of the season, too.

Their offense had yet to catch up, mainly because Wembanyama was rusty, but the light has come on for the reigning Rookie of the Year. The guys are playing together, and the Spurs have depth reminiscent of the old days. They're still growing, and that's going to be a problem for the league, but it's a treasure for the fans.