Spurs must activate emergency offensive option to stave off elimination

We all know the Tony Brothers referee group was awful in Game 4, but the Spurs didn't help themselves. They played right into OKC's hands offensively by either going all the way to the rim or shooting threes, missing out on easier looks. Analytics have taken the midrange game away from too many players, but Devin Vassell is not one of them, so San Antonio needs to lean on him on Thursday night.

Spurs need to put the ball in Vassell's hands

After a 2-9 outing from the sixth-year guard from Georgia, it may seem illogical to feed him more, but the offense could benefit from changing his shot diet. During the 2023-24 season, Vassell averaged 19.5 points per game on 47% FG and 37% 3PT. He took almost 16 shots a night, and while the Spurs didn't win many games that year, that wasn't his fault. The team's structure is completely different now.

Dev can run the pick-and-roll and put pressure on the Thunder's defense to step up to stop his potent pull-up jump shot. Right now, when Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and De'Aaron Fox run these actions, OKC is going under the screen. They're giving San Antonio open looks in the middle of the floor, but the ball handlers won't take them.

Stephon Castle has improved his middy, but he's not confident enough in it to shoot that shot consistently. Harper has taken that shot several times this series without much success. Fox is injured. I refuse to slander a man out there battling for his team through an extremely uncomfortable and painful ankle sprain.

That means Mitch Johnson needs to shake things up. It wouldn't be as if Vassell hasn't had experience as one of the primary options, so you're not throwing a guy into a position he's never been in. If he can knock down a few of those mid-range opportunities, it could open up space for a few more lobs to Wemby, and Devin has been great at throwing those all season in limited opportunities.

It's gut-check time for the Spurs

San Antonio didn't bring their A game two nights ago. Let's call it what it is. They didn't even bring their B game. The energy was poor, the execution was worse, and Wembanyama didn't impose his will as he did in the previous meeting. A combination of those factors, piled on top of one of the worst refereeing jobs you'll see in a big game, led to a loss in the most important game of the year.

Now, the game is the most important one, and they're at risk of being eliminated by a rival they've barked at all season. If they're going to lose, it needs to be while they're playing Spurs basketball. Make adjustments, play with energy, and take advantage of the other team's mistakes while reducing yours.

It sounds simple, and it's not, but the Silver and Black didn't sign up for "easy." The Western Conference Finals are supposed to be difficult, and Vassell just got through telling us that "experience doesn't matter." So man up or don't, but they'll have to live with the results either way because one of those options will leave a horrible taste in their mouths all summer.

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