A significant reason why I haven’t written much about basketball in recent years is simply because I enjoy being a fan so much. I love being exaggeratory, bombastic, and reactionary. I love hating on teams and being as biased as Stu Scott (Rest in Peace to the legend). The shear competition is a big reason I love sport, and it helps me have fun as a fan to jump on either side of the fence and join the fray.
With that being said, I have planted myself securely on the San Antonio Spurs bandwagon for what I had hoped would be the best NBA playoffs series in years. I love the squad that Oklahoma City has built, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a superstar that I enjoy. I haven’t fallen victim to the SGA hate, though he has gotten a kind and constant whistle this year. But if you hopped in my mind while watching these five games thus far, you might have thought I was watching a UNC-Duke game. This is most accurate for Game 5, which had me handwriting notes in a pad about how annoyed I was with Mitch Johnson’s coaching and Victor Wembanyama’s positioning.
A quick side note: I don’t pretend to know much about the game of basketball. A lot of actions and advanced methods are beyond me. Listen to the Zach Lowe Show or something for a proper breakdown. I’m a fan who happens to be a writer 🙂
Something happened by the end of this matchup, though. My frustration lessened and my critique grew. I realized the primary aspect of why I mood was shifting was out of hoenst respect for the Thunder. Even the parts of their game that annoy me as I’m writing this piece are growing on me. Because they are champions trying to act like champions. A lot of it will annoy you if you’re rooting against them, but what I’m trying to do here is dissect whatever difference between their annoying tactics and winning basketball.
Before we dig too deep into that, let’s take a moment to highlight SGA. Because the obvious story coming out of the matchup was Wemby’s underwhelming display, but this game was won and lost in the backcourt. Shai, according to himself, was horrible in the first quarter. The thing that really separates superstars from champions is how they perform during these off nights. This was illuminated two-fold during game 5. Wemby was pulled out of position, he looked exhausted, and it just seemed like ‘one of those games’ for him. Compare this to how the back-to-back MVP responded to a shaky start and a relatively inefficient series.
Shai controlled the game and the tempo when he was out on the floor. He simply wouldn’t let the Spurs guards get comfortable. He knew his shot wasn’t where he wanted it, but that didn’t change how aggressive he was. The shots he forced were off-the-dribble and in the paint. He kept getting to the free-throw stripe, and that’ a superpower in the playoffs. People can keep complaining about the whistle, but the Thunder players are creating their own luck. If you’re carving space in the paint and driving the lane, you’re going to get to the line. This type of momentum is essential in a seven-game series. The Spurs have tried to make Shai’s life hell, and it worked in Game 4. But these free throws kept the Thunder scoring, and more importantly it kept their MVP active in the game. There is a very clear reason why SGA only took three shots from beyond the arc, even though he hit two of them. Again, if you swing that back to the other side – Victor Wembanyama was 0/5 from deep and took only 8 formal shots in paint. That’s just baffling.
The battle of the guards was a muddy but decisive one for the Thunder. De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle were outclassed in Game 5. Harper is the hardest to judge. He’s fighting through an injury like a lot of players in this series. He’s also a rookie and it’s shocking to see how good he has played in these playoffs. But now the standard of operation is there, and he was terrible in Game 5. I thought Castle was good in the second half, but he needed to be after he also was out of sorts in the first two quarters. I know Fox is working on an injured ankle injury as well, but lordy was he terrible shooting the ball. Mind you, he often seems to be the only guard that can take care of the ball for the Spurs. But his forced shots and weak finishing have tanked San Antonio at points. He offers some experience, but it’s obvious he’s never played on this stage either. Why he was tied for most shot attempts on the team is beyond me.
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Alright, let’s talk about Alex Caruso. I wish I didn’t have to hate watching this guy. If he played for my team he would without a doubt be one of my favorite players of all-time. He already has a major strike on his record by helping the Lakers win another championship – and boy did I hate that team. And now he’s leading the charge for the most hated team in the league (a reminder that I don’t hate OKC, I would still be rooting for them in the Finals oddly enough).
Here’s the problem with hating Alex Caruso – he just does everything right. As someone rooting against him it’s amazing and revolting. He makes the right pass, his defense is always full of effort, he hits his open threes, and he is just simply relentless when he’s on the court. When he fouls, he fouls hard. He talks junk at the right points. He is a pest and gets under your skin. But it’s smart, heady play. He knows how to pick at you and use his body, but it’s not always illegal. He’s not just getting away with things when the referee isn’t looking (though he knows the dark arts as well). The guy has studied the game and knows exactly how to manipulate the flow of the opponent.
In my opinion a couple things are happening behind his hate. First, everyone hates a winner, we know this. People act like the Thunder have sat on the throne for a decade. Get over it, please! The more significant issue is the second: Caruso is guilty by association. Because there are multiple players on this OKC team with his energy – Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams, Lu Dort – but they don’t possess his control or skill. Hartenstein was pulling and grabbing everyone and everything in Game 2, including Stephon Castle’s hair. During Game 5, JayWill got away with a couple of the most egregious flops I’ve seen this postseason. He is also the first to any potential scrap. Dort is infamous dirty plays and pride in being the bully. These players are also essential to winning, and I honestly have to applaud OKC for having such a physically assertive team. That and their ridiculous depth is helping to swing this series at the moment. But I think each of them also deserves the ire of the league and fans. Does that matter? Not really. But it does to us fans, daggum it. Caruso has become their ringleader, but in my view, he is without a doubt one of the most consummate professionals in basketball. I’m glad I only have to hate his play for one or two more games.
I could talk a lot more about the things we already know. Wemby needs to be more aggressive and seize the moment. I might do a whole piece on De’Aaron Fox’s (lack of) fit on this Spurs roster. The Thunder’s depth and bench scoring deserves so much attention. But honestly, I just needed a space to rant very specifically in a very minorly nuanced way. Though I am disappointed in the series thus far other than Game 1, I am still completely strapped in my seat for the conclusion of the story. I can’t help but admit that I will continue to cheer for the Spurs, but I am thankful that the Thunder have won my affection.
