It's a learning machine that self replicates the parts in needs. Need a wing defender for 10 minutes? Wilkins. Need a post defender for your fouled out center for a possession with less than a minute to go? Potapenko. Need to occasionally score with something other than a put back or long range jumper? Luke scores a floater in the lane. Need a all around front court effort for an extended period of time to slow down Timmy? Collison. Need Danny Fortson to play basketball without chirping at the refs? Done. Need to compete without fear? Done.
All very good.
Just as a young player is inconsistent I suspect that this young team will be inconsistent until the collective team is more mature. One game isn't enough in the maturation process, but two? Maybe not. If the series ends up tied 2-2 then I think the Spurs turn the fear of repeating last year into wins. Hmmm, this might go 6 games, regardless, it will be worth watching.
What is unique about the playoffs as a learning experience is that what you learn in one game you can apply against the same team a few days later. I do not have a notion one way or another about which team will win the next game yet but I do have a new measuring stick, the fans picked the stick up off the floor when they walked out of Key Arena at the end of last nights game. it had SuperSonic finger prints on one end and silver and black uniform threads on the other, spots of blood, a few hairs. I'm not sure how to explain a one point win as giving the other team a beating but that's what it was last night. Hopefully the fans return on Sunday with the new measuring stick, give it back to the players to use again with even more confidence. I don't know if they will win the game but hopefully they can compete with this new armor. This one game does more for the future than beating the kings and winning the first round series.
What did they learn from this? Hopefully they learned that role players win regular season games by exploiting their proficiency at the skill that has landed them their current role and that in the playoffs proficiency must be proved out to be mastery or you lose. There are two seasons.
supersonicsfan
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