Spurs fans' biggest fear reared ugly head in disappointing loss to Suns

Right out of the gate, let's be clear: this is to be considered a blip until a trend develops—and hopefully, it doesn't. San Antonio had begun to look like a real playoff contender, but they took a step back from that perception against Phoenix.

What fans want the most from their team when the roster is filled with young players is growth. The worst thing a team can do is revert to old habits that earn them a high draft pick, and the Spurs did that tonight. It was the first night of the season that the team had the majority of their best players on the floor at the same time, but the energy didn't match the night's significance.

If the Spurs want to reach the goal they claim they want, they'll have to be more intentional, and I'll tell you what I mean.

The Spurs lacked direction for much of the game

You can't afford to be a one-trick pony when you're still growing as a team. The players on this roster are not good enough shooters to jack up 3-pointers relentlessly when it's clear the long ball isn't in the cards. Some of the best moments of the night came when they attacked the paint, but there wasn't enough of that. That wasn't the worst part, though.

There were too many times when the Spurs played like every player was equal. Guys are taking shots they shouldn't be based on who the next player in the passing rotation is and the 'good to great' mentality San Antonio has made famous. There were more than several examples of head-scratching decisions that didn't emulate a culture that's been well-established.

Keldon Johnson takes a step back three early in the shot clock, Julian takes a semi-contested three when Devin Vassell is wide-open a pass away, Sochan goes up for a vertical slam over Mason Plumlee when Wemby is open in the short corner, etc. There were too many instances of selfish and silly basketball.

Victor Wembanyama had a zero-point first half. At the start of the third quarter, he came out on fire, attacking the paint and punishing the Suns' defense for 12 quick points in the first four minutes of the period. He didn't score another point for the rest of the quarter, and it's because the Spurs reverted to jacking up 3-pointers and playing without intention.

Vic is the best player, and nobody should need a reminder of that fact. Feeding him the ball when he gets rolling should be obvious. He'll make the right pass when it's time, but the offense needs to run through him when he starts to show his extraterrestrial capabilities.

Devin Vassell had 25 points because he went on a heater at the end of the game, but they should have been feeding him more all night. He's still working his way back from injury, but he played 27 minutes. When he's on the floor, he needs to be featured like the star player everyone knows he can be.

They had 14 turnovers, and most of them were unforced, mental mistakes that were preventable by taking their time and thinking through the situation.

It was just like last season—poor shooting being compounded by constant mental errors. It was something fans hoped would disappear entirely after another year of growth and the addition of Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes. For the most part, it has, but last night was a stark reminder that they aren't that far removed from that brand of basketball.

They'll need to be intentional to make sure they are reinforcing the good habits that led them to a record over .500 and distancing themselves from the ones that got them a lottery pick in the 2024 draft. They'll get a chance to right the ship back home on Thursday, December 5, against Chicago.