There’s a billboard in San Antonio that categorizes this year’s Finals as a matchup of “built vs. bought.” Perched in the air overlooking a highway, it perfectly captures the way the Texans feel about their team and their opponents, the Miami Heat. But, regardless of the way each squad came together, both sides have to admit the other is a more than deserving participant.
True, Miami has the planet’s best player in LeBron James, but you can’t beat a team as good as San Antonio with only one man, even a seemingly superhuman one. James gets credit for being a willing passer, but the rest of the Heat don’t get the credit they deserve for sharing the rock. San Antonio, on the other hand, has long been known for its ball movement. And rightfully so: In the past four seasons—from 2010-11 to 2013-14—the Spurs have finished the regular season ranked eighth, fourth, first and first, respectively, league-wide in assists.
It was no surprise, then, to see that trademark ball movement on display in Game 3. The Spurs jumped out to a big lead thanks to terrific shooting, cashing 86.7 percent of their looks in the first quarter, but that sparkling efficiency was set up by unselfish play. After Game 2, my colleague Michael Grange wrote that these finals are as good as any in years past. Having watched many of the matchups he cited, I wholeheartedly agree.
The reason why? True team play.
San Antonio, in particular, utilize both the new-age game, where everything seems dependent on some sort of scree-and-roll, as well as the old-school, tried-and-true style of moving without the ball and passing it to get the defense shifting. In this day and age, when every player seems to have to bounce the ball to check it for air (I always think of Gary Payton’s line from a Nike commercial: “You ain’t even letting the ground touch the ball!”), the Spurs regularly resemble the old guys at the Y on Saturday morning that beat the young jump and jam teenagers and leave the kids wondering how they lost so convincingly.
“It starts with the voice, it’s Pop [head coach Gregg Popovich],” remarked Spurs assistant coach and shooting guru Chip Engelland. “Then it comes down to the players coaching themselves because they know what Pop wants.
“He teaches every day, the same message: it’s simple team basketball, aggressive basketball. It’s a great selling point. If you want to play here, there is no choice. We win as a group and Pop preaches that.”
On the players’ side, it starts with Tim Duncan, who has been San Antonio’s cornerstone for years. But the other players, some of whom were cast-offs or minor parts from other teams—Boris Diaw cut from Charlotte, Danny Green released both in San Antonio and Cleveland, Patty Mills, Matt Bonner, Marco Belinelli—all understand that the Spurs need to play their way to win.
“The players accept the coaching every day,” said Engelland.
Third-year reserve point guard and Canadian national team player Cory Joseph agreed: “Pop is great coach and great at developing players. He gives them the time and, somewhat, space that they need.”
It can be tough for NBA teams to find practice time, but Popovich is committed to implementing the Spurs’ system through constant repetition—producing an on-court product that rarely wilts under pressure. Many of his players point to the video work that Popovich does as a key learning component.
“It’s knowing what to do when the play breaks down,” said Joseph. “It’s something you learn so you understand the reads. He shows you mistakes—both yours and other people’s—especially if you’re someone who is not playing a lot.”
The value of the Spurs’ style of play also resonates with one of the Heat’s elder statesman.
“They move the ball pretty well,” observed Ray Allen. “You make the defence shift and you move the ball and when the defence shifts, you attack the shift.”
Young players should watch closely and try to take a page from the throwback part of the Spurs’ playbook. Move without the ball and pass to move the defence. If enough youngsters start to understand that part of the game, with additional emphasis on individual skill development, it will ultimately pay dividends for them and their team.
As the man says, “it’s never easy busting a kid who hasn’t learned that passing is fun. You just hope it turns them around.”