Spurs must keep valuable gem after stumbling onto perfect team fit

San Antonio has been missing a key ingredient all season. Well, they've rotated their missing ingredients due to injuries and health issues for Coach Pop, but a consistent issue has been their need for a backup center they can rely on to spell Victor Wembanyama when he needs a blow. They've found that in Bismack Biyombo.

He's a smart veteran who knows where to be on the defensive side with little coaching. Defense has been the calling card of the Congolese player for his entire career. Spurs fans with an elephant's memory may remember a January game 10 years ago against the Hornets when the Silver and Black won the game, but Biyombo did everything he could to stop them, ending up with five blocks.

It's memorable because of the recklessness with which San Antonio attacked the athletic rim protector and the hilarious comments from Coach Popovich afterward.

Biyombo should have been a Spurs player long ago

The 13-year vet plays with a philosophy that fits perfectly with the Silver and Black. Protect the basket. The Spurs have always been about defense, and Biyombo has always been a team-first guy who will put his body in harm's way to do his job. He even admitted to Jeff McDonald that he has wanted to be a part of this organization since his rookie year.

That's not surprising considering the history this franchise has with international players. I imagine there are quite a few of them who would appreciate playing in San Antonio. Players born overseas continue to evolve their games, elevating more and more of them into elite territory so that reputation will only help the team.

Biyombo also revealed that he and SA had conversations in the past couple of offseasons, so he's worked hard to get himself to Alamo City. Now that he's here, you have to wonder why they couldn't come to an arrangement in the past. He's fit seamlessly into their scheme, and he's still adjusting to his teammates and getting his conditioning back.

The former Hornet is built like a rock, but he wasn't on an NBA team prior to joining the Spurs. You can't recreate game speed on your own; you have to play the games, so he played fewer than 20 minutes in his first two games. In his last two, he's played 23 and 30 minutes, really allowing him to show his value, and I'm sold.

Biyombo scored 10 points in consecutive games on top of grabbing 10 and 12. He didn't block a shot last night, but he went after shot attempts, impacting the game without showing up in the stat sheet. He blocked four shots in the previous game, though.

When Wembanyama returns, the Spurs will need someone who can score on sensible opportunities, occasionally picking their spots, but that person also needs to be able to defend the basket. Opponents usually turn the lane into a highway when Wemby sits on the bench That won't happen if B-Mack sticks on this roster. San Antonio should convert his 10-day contract into a standard deal ASAP.