Spurs flipped the script on the NBA's scouting report in a disrespectful way

I get a good laugh when I think back to the first couple of months of the season, when the game plan to stop San Antonio was pretty clear. Opponents were clogging the lane and getting as physical as possible, trying to bully the Spurs. That no longer works, and honestly, I'm not very certain it was truly working back then. It's not like they were going to go undefeated. Sometimes you just lose.

Regardless of that paradox, the Silver and Black have obliterated both of those strategies. They are now the aggressors you fear and the shooters you pray don't get hot because they'll absolutely bury you. Their performance in March has never made that more clear. San Antonio is beating teams by an average margin of 20 points per game this month.

The San Antonio Spurs have turned the tables on the NBA

This isn't a soft team. They play with intensity, energy, and a chip on their shoulder. The guys on this team are tired of losing, and they embody the tough-minded approach of their head coach. Spurs fans are fortunate to have Mitch Johnson leading the charge because players take the personality of their leader. That's always been the case across multiple sports.

When do you ever see Coach Johnson lose control, look out of his depth, or seem uncertain? Never. He doesn't challenge a lot of bad play calls, and, without asking him directly, I believe that's because he doesn't want the team relying on the referees. He'd prefer they figure it out on the floor and take the outcome into their own hands.

Whatever the reason, his methods have been effective this season. The team responds to him, and when he's speaking in the huddle, they're locked into every word. This is a bunch who self-scouts before attacking their weaknesses. They don't just work on their strengths, and that's why we've seen an uptick in shooting percentages from the young guys.

Nothing seems to work because the Spurs are built too complete

They get physical with other teams. Stephon Castle is a hammer, and Keldon Johnson is a bulldozer. Dylan Harper is a drill, and Victor Wembanyama is a blowtorch. When you try to outphysical them, they just play harder. Next thing you know, they're getting deflections and turning them into highlight reels with their freakish athleticism on the fast break.

You cut off the paint, and they start swinging the ball to open shooters. Those guys are knocking them down. San Antonio has been one of the best three-point shooting teams in the NBA for nearly two months now. Their 38% clip since February 1 is the third-highest in the league during that stretch.

That was supposed to be their weakness. Physicality was supposed to be their weakness. But they're not. So, what do you do now? They have finishers, shooters, midrange specialists, defenders, and fastbreak starters who can also end them; they play smart, they play fast, they're physical, and they're relentless.

There's just so much for opponents to contend with. So, again, I ask, what do you do now? Well, you lose. That's what you do.