Spurs forward proving historic scoring eruption was just the beginning

San Antonio may have stumbled onto something that quite frankly, they should have tripped over a long time ago. Sandro Mamukelashvili has been getting consistent minutes and he's shown the team what he can do when you trust him on the court.

It wasn't that long ago when Mamu had his 34-point explosion, going 13/14 from the field and 7/7 from three. That performance opened fans' eyes to the potential of the New York-born big man. Nobody expects him to play with generational efficiency, but a player who has a game like that can contribute on the offensive end with some reliability.

Spurs should keep investing in Mamukelashvili

In Mamu's last 10 games, he's averaging 10.4 points, and 5.2 rebounds in just under 17 minutes per outing. San Antonio can use an offensive weapon off the bench who can provide that kind of punch. His three-point shooting is a premium skill that will never go out of style, and the energy he plays with gives the Silver and Black an extra boost that all good teams need.

His defense leaves something to be desired, and that's one of the facets of his game that's kept him on the bench. Mitch Johnson addressed this a few weeks ago when asked what Mamu had to show the team in order to get more consistent minutes in the rotation to which Mitch replied, "Defense, rebounding, and consistent shotmaking." Fair enough.

We, as fans, can't let our affinity for Mamu affect how we watch the games. It's obvious to see his shortcomings as a defender. His rebounding has improved some, and it's hard to make shots with regularity when you don't play enough. However, since his minutes have elevated, so has his efficiency.

He's shooting 50.7% FG and 43.9% 3PT recently over this recent stretch. Those are welcome numbers that make Sandro invaluable if he can continue to improve his defense. He'll turn himself into one of the best bench players in the league if he can do that and the Spurs need to be the beneficiaries of that development.

The 6'10" power forward is under contract for $2 million this season. He'll be an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of this campaign, but he's expressed his love for San Antonio repeatedly. The front office should make sure they bring Mamu back to the team. He's a great locker room presence, a good person, has immense potential as a reliable contributor, and at least for now, he's cheap.

After checking all of these boxes, it would be irresponsible to let this man walk. So, hopefully, they won't allow it.