We’ve long thought of the Spurs as the Borg of the National Basketball Association. The Borg are that icy alien race of cybernetic drones that caused so much havoc for Starfleet in the Star Trek universe. The hivemind the Borg uses to assimilate conquered races ironically reminds us of the variegated threats a typical Spurs squad will employ.
Sure, back in the early aughts it was all about pounding it inside to Timmy and letting the Big Fundamental go to work, but these days opponents don’t know if Kawhi Leonard is gonna twist and turn for a score in isolation, or if LaMarcus Aldridge will work a high-low with Duncan, or pick and pop with Patty for a mid-range jumper; Tony Parker might leave a defender lunging at air on a high pick, or Boris Diaw could manhandle some scrawny forward on the low block. There are just so many options for them now on the offensive end.
And yet they all remain quintessentially Spurs-ian. Like their equally as inscrutable leader, there’s something very robotic about the way they go about their business of dominating an opponent. It was similar to Tony Parker in the third quarter of Tuesday night’s Spurs win over the Pistons.
Tony was a perfect 7-of-7 from the field for 14 of his season-high 31 points during the 12-minute stretch after the half, so you would think he might as least crack a smile as he was ripping nylon. You would be wrong.
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You see the lazy way he blinks? It’s almost like the Frenchman is contemplating a nap as he awaits Detroit’s counter. That’s the “Spurs Face” we mention in the headline. It’s a look of intense concentration, disguised as utter boredom and contempt for the whole process. It’s as if the look is saying “Do we really have to go through another regular season? Lets just skip to late April because none of these teams can come close to us.”
TP added nine points in the final quarter to help lead San Antonio to their ninth consecutive win, keeping pace with their only real challengers in the NBA these days. But Parker’s top-scoring game of the season also reminded NBA fans of San Antonio’s robotic efficiency and disdain for their opponents. How could the Spurs empathize or feel any emotion about something they haven’t experienced on a grand scale since 1998? Losing.
