Rob Gray-Imagn Images A lesson in overreactions. I love the internet. Sure, sometimes I wish to escape all the madness and takes, throw my electronics in a river, and seclude myself in the wilderness. But if I did that, where would I read (and write) about basketball and know that the sky is falling on the San Antonio Spurs? The overwhelming sentiment after the Spurs’ back-to-back losses to the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder was that this team stinks, Gregg Popovich is washed, Victor Wembanyama is a bust, and they are flat-out tanking. I’m being hyperbolic, but the vibes were not good! Under the mountains of Salt Lake City, the Spurs silenced their critics. Wembanyama had another 5x5 game (25 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals, 5 blocks,) Popovich made some smart rotations changes and ran good sets to get his star the ball, and the Spurs got a 106-88 win. The Utah Jazz aren’t world-beaters by any means, but San Antonio looked strong in a game they were supposed to win. It’s only been five games; maybe it’s time to chill out on the quick reactions, even to this game. San Antonio looked much better, but they’ll still need to figure out how to win against the best teams in the league. Getting back Devin Vassell and Tre Jones will be a huge boost for the Spurs. It’s funny how many have judged their season when they’ve been without their second-best player. With those two slated to come back soon and an impressive win over the Jazz, Spurs fans can rest their hot takes and relax (until the next disappointing performance.) Takeaways: Wembanyama looked more comfortable on Thursday. He took a career-high 13 threes against the Jazz, which Popovich said is something the staff wants him to do. The Spurs did a better job of running plays that involved him as a screener or as a receiver of screens. He got open from deep frequently and mixed it up with some drives and rolls to the hoop, which opened a lot of opportunities for San Antonio in the half-court. His biggest impact came on the defensive end, where he tallied 10 stocks (steals and blocks.) Utah really struggled to find good looks when he was out there, and it ended up being the biggest difference-maker in the game. Pop has still got it. The Spurs head coach has finally found his footing after some injuries impacted the rotation. He swapped out Blake Wesley, who was not being guarded at all on the perimeter, with Sandro Mamukelashvili, who had 10 points on 4-5 shooting off the bench. The added playmaking, size, and shooting greatly helped the Spurs’ struggling second unit. He staggered Jeremy Sochan and Wembanyama’s minutes more in the second half, which helped them both thrive individually in their lineups. This may become a rotational trend as the season continues. Popovich also ran some awesome sets, like this elbow 45 set that got Harrison Barnes a few buckets in the third quarter. Popovich turns to this Zipper - Elbow - 45 Get set piece to get the Spurs going.Suddenly San Antonio goes from lifeless to ahead by a couple of possessions. pic.twitter.com/vihPnBbTpB— Noah Magaro-George (@N_Magaro) November 1, 2024 The Spurs pick-and-roll action was enhanced by the aggressive play of Chris Paul. The veteran guard was attacking more than usual in his 19 point, 10 assist performance. His chemistry with Wembanyama in the pick and roll is clearly improving. Paul provides an off-the-dribble scoring threat that San Antonio hasn’t previously had at the lead guard position. When he’s in attack mode it opens up their offense tremendously. Whether it was by mandate or by choice, his performance against the Jazz led San Antonio to victory. Sochan continued his improved play against Utah. Eventually we will need to just accept this is the norm for the third-year forward. He is one of the Spurs most impactful defenders, and is constantly improving as a driver, cutter and finisher in the half court. He had 11 points and 5 rebounds in the win. San Antonio’s defense is shaping up to be one of their biggest strengths. They created 26 turnovers on Thursday night, aided by Wembanyama’s big game. The Spurs 11th in the NBA in defensive rating. They have improved defensive personnel and it’s obvious the team has bought in on that end. We’ll see if this defensive fortitude persists against the high-powered offenses of the rest of the NBA. Stephon Castle has struggled to find his offensive role in the NBA regular season, but his defense has been up-to-standards. He swarmed the Jazz, creating issues for their ball-handlers and wings. His jump shot is clearly still a work in progress, but the Spurs have to feel good about the foundation he is building upon.