Spurs 4th quarter display is tip of iceberg with one important caveat

It was nice to see the Spurs bounce back with a win after a couple of heartbreaking losses. They didn't cover the 11.5-point spread, but a victory by double-digits will do... sorta. There's a lot to be happy about after watching that game. San Antonio's offense has been one of the most inconsistent parts of their season, so you'll always take 131 points, but allowing 121 to the Wizards can't be ignored.

Victor Wembanyama scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, and De'Aaron Fox added 12 to outpace Washington, securing the win. It's exactly what you want to see from your two best players to close a ball game. But NFL legend Shannon Sharpe once shared some special advice he received long ago that applies here: "Never accept something in a win that you wouldn't in a loss."

The Spurs defense has lost its edge

It would be nice to look at the acquisition of De'Aaron Fox as the catalyst of poor defensive play because if that was the case, there would be a simple explanation for the ineptitude. You could rationalize optimism more easily with the expectation that they'd improve again once they gain more chemistry.

Unfortunately, the team's struggles to contain their opponents have been going on for a while now. They've completely cratered after spending the first two months of the season as a top-13 defensive team. San Antonio is 27th in defensive rating over their past 15 games, and despite beating the Wizards, it's becoming increasingly frustrating to watch.

The Spurs got out to a 16-point lead in the first quarter after a barrage of threes from Wemby. He had 14 points on seven shots right out of the gate, and when you add in the 10 from Fox, the lead should have expanded, yet it was barely a 10-point game by the end of the period.

The Silver and Black let a two-way player who had only played in 12 NBA games this season drop 10 points of his own on 4-5 FG. Jordan Poole was 4-22 in this game. He is their best player, and they were so shorthanded they needed Tristan Vukcevic to play 20 minutes and in that span, he scored 18 points on 7-10 shooting. That's unacceptable.

Lately, San Antonio has had a habit of allowing low-end role players or flat-out nobodies to give them work. There's no backbone to the defense lately, and it's directly led to some of the embarrassing losses they've suffered recently. Sure, they beat the Wizards, but it took 131 points to do it. They only led by four points going into the fourth quarter.

Washington's other center, Richaun Holmes, averages five points a game. But for some reason, he morphed into a Hall of Fame player with the Spurs standing in front of him because he scored 17 points on 8-9 shots. It's a good thing they didn't keep feeding him; he was unstoppable.

They should be embarrassed by the effort, and if they truly want to go on a run with a real chance to make the play-in, San Antonio must re-focus their energy on the defensive end. They won't be playing an injured Washington squad every night.