Spurs can buck history with rare but nonnegotiable mentality for young teams

We're a couple of short days away from the Spurs' first postseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers. Neither team has much playoff experience as a group, but that won't stop either group from putting their heads down and getting after it with everything they have. For San Antonio, part of that needs to involve understanding the need to evolve quickly.

The Silver and Black have the talent to sweep the incoming seventh seed and go on a deep run, but they're new to this tournament. The impact of their inexperience can vary depending on whether they can quickly brush off inconvenience, the consistent physicality they'll face, and the borderline dirty plays veteran guys will try to take advantage of.

They say that young teams need to lose together in the postseason before they win. What they're not saying in that statement is the reason why youth loses in the playoffs. Fortunately, the Spurs are uniquely suited to resist those pitfalls.

Mitch Johnson has prepared the Spurs to face "unfair" treatment

The first-year head coach caught a considerable amount of flak for how he interacted with referees during the regular season. Fans thought he didn't challenge enough calls and didn't rip into them enough. I know from attending games in person that Mitch Johnson definitely gets on the zebras' cases when they're missing calls. He just does it his way.

His way is more composed, with a willingness to let the game play out. Don't get me wrong, he'll get fired up on the sidelines and do his fair share of ripping into the refs. But generally, he's going to stay level-headed, and as a result, the team has done the same.

San Antonio has dealt with an elevated level of physicality all season. It bothered them at first, but they never really focused on the referees. You have guys telling the officials that they missed a call, but they don't sit there and argue while the game is taking place on the other end of the floor.

This isn't a team that racks up technical fouls or draws ire from their fans for slacking due to excessive complaining. It's one of the refreshing things about watching the team. They've played ethical ball in every sense of the word all season, and they'll need to lean on that mindset in the postseason.

So, while it may have been difficult to see Coach Johnson's vision during the season, it's become crystal clear now. There will be times when things go awry in the playoffs in one form or another. The guys may be surprised by how many questionable acts the refs let go. Don't expect them to look for help, though. They'll more likely put their heads down and go harder. That's what wins championships.

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