You Do Not Have To Hand It To Oklahoma City, And Bit "It" I Mean The Basketball | Defector

The Spurs had a ball-security problem that produced 21 turnovers in Game 1, leading to 28 points for the Thunder, including 16 fast-break points. In Game 2, the Spurs turned the ball over another 21 times and allowed 27 points off turnovers in 10 fewer minutes, as Oklahoma City won 122-113 to even the series. De'Aaron Fox was an important ball-handler missing from the first two games, and his absence forced more initiation and playmaking onto Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle. Harper is skilled but his drives take more zig-zag routes that expose him to Oklahoma City’s long arms, and he is not yet a Fox-level passer. Castle is strong and explosive but commits more ball-handling sloppiness, making consecutive clean offense difficult against a physical defense.

"The Spurs have a ball-security problem. It was possible to overlook it in Game 1, because of Victor Wembanyama, and because Dylan Harper had a breakthrough performance, and because they won, but it was there: The Spurs turned the ball over 21 times in the victory, and the Thunder scored a whopping 28 points off of those turnovers, including 16 fast-break points. The Spurs were even looser with the ball Wednesday night in Game 2, turning it over another 21 times and allowing another 27 points off turnovers, but in 10 fewer minutes of basketball. Wembanyama was less amazing, Harper looked more like the rookie that he is, and the Thunder evened the series with a 122-113 victory."

"San Antonio was down an important ball-handler in the first two games of this series. De'Aaron Fox can be a bit zany as a lead guard, but he enjoys game-breaking athletic advantages over many of the only people remotely qualified to guard him, and he is in fact not really a big turnover guy. Would it fuck you up pretty good, would it singe your ear hairs to be told that Fox has averaged fewer turnovers per game in his career (2.7) than John Stockton did in his (2.8), and while using a lot more of his team's possessions (28 percent usage to 18.9)?"

"Without Fox to really scramble Oklahoma City's point-of-attack defense, the Spurs have had to shift more of their initiation and playmaking duties over to Harper and Stephon Castle. Harper is a tremendously skilled ball-handler and an incredible layup artist, but his routes to the cup tend to be more zig-zagging, exposing him to more of Oklahoma City's long swiping arms, and he is not yet a Fox-level passer. Castle is unbelievably strong and explosive, but he's a bit of a slob with the ball. Both of these guys will refine their floor games in the years to come, but for now it's a lot to ask them to run clean offense for consecutive games against these mauling Thunder."

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