By Joël Pütz | Sports journalist
Not spared from injuries this season, San Antonio has however discovered some great resources to overcome them. Proof of this is this new ultra-lethal formation concocted by interim coach Mitch Johnson and which once again worked wonders last night, during the authoritarian victory of the Texans against the Jazz.
Who would have thought that the Spurs would be in the Top 10 of the Western Conference as we almost reach the quarter of the 2024-25 season? The franchise had certainly strengthened itself this summer by injecting experience into its squad, but the joint arrivals of Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes were not enough to make them obvious contenders for the playoffs after a previous campaign with 22 victories for 60 defeats.
Especially since the start was quite chaotic for the Texans, between a Victor Wembanyama in training in attack and senior members of the squad in the infirmary like Devin Vassell or Jeremy Sochan, the latter still being absent. And yet, here they are with a record of 10 wins for eight defeats and above all, a series of four consecutive victories, having notably beaten the Thunder and the Warriors.
This night against the Jazz, Mitch Johnson's men once again did the job, especially in attack. With 128 points scored, they had fun against the Mormons even though offense is not exactly their strong point this season. Certainly Top 5 in the league in defensive rating and Top 10 in rebounds and assists, they are however only 21st in offensive rating with 110.8 units registered on average every evening.
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Spurs' new ultra-efficient formation
In addition to that, the squad of Wemby and others had to once again do without Devin Vassell this night… obviously, this was not a problem since San Antonio discovered a new five of death, as had revealed journalist Evan Sidery a few hours before kickoff of the match against Utah:
The Spurs have the best five in the NBA that outscore their opponents by 30 points per 100 possessions: Chris Paul, Stephon Castle, Julien Champagnie, Harrison Barnes and Victor Wembanyama. San Antonio has won seven of its last nine games and has quietly moved above 50% in wins at 9-8. (10-8 after tonight's match, editor's note).
As a reminder, Barnes has just been voted best player of the week in a Western conference that is nevertheless packed with talent. For his part, the rookie Castle has only gained momentum in recent days, well supported by Chris Paul who is doing wonders in the organization of the game. While waiting to recover a full squad, this is particularly good news. reassuring for Éperons supporters.
The Spurs cannot count on some of their starters, but that doesn't matter: they have developed a new death five in order to beat the competition. The Texans have not only gained in depth, but also in squad quality.
