Chemistry among Spurs’ young players off the charts – San Antonio Express-News
Derrick White had a bit of a beef with Keldon Johnson after learning his teammate didn’t invite him to cheer on the Lanier Voks at a high school football game last week at Alamo Stadium.
“Keldon went and he didn’t even text me,” White said. “It’s like he lost my number.”
One could assume White was joking, but was he? These young Spurs, after all, enjoy each other’s company, something guard Lonnie Walker IV emphasized after shootaround Monday morning.
“We all love each other,” he said.
Indeed, as the Spurs prepare for a season in which their young core will take center stage after the offseason departures of veterans DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills and Rudy Gay, team chemistry is considered one of the club’s strengths.
“These guys enjoy each other, and it’s exciting to me,” coach Gregg Popovich said.
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From hanging out in Austin to hitting balls at Topgolf to visiting Mission San Jose to attending local sporting events and other community events, the youngsters seem to be everywhere at once.
“Now that we are all similar in age, it’s a lot easier than it was in the past,” forward/center Drew Eubanks said. “There are only a few guys who have kids and other responsibilities outside of here, so it makes it easier to hang out with one another.
“It’s been great,” added Eubanks, 24. “We have all been close, and (offseason acquisitions) Doug (McDermott) and Jock (Landale) and (draft picks Josh) Primo and Joe (Wieskamp) have fit in seamlessly.”
Those newcomers range in age from 18 (Primo) to 29 (McDermott).
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But Walker said the reason for the team’s robust chemistry isn’t limited to its large collection of millenials and Generation Zers.
“The Spurs do a great job of picking people who have great personalities off the court,” said Walker, 22.
It remains to be seen whether all the good times away from the court will help make for memorable, fun moments on it, but Walker is optimistic.
“We all hang out every other day, going out to eat, doing something as a team,” he said. “As we continue to build that trust, it starts to lead onto the court, knowing what each other can do, knowing what each other can’t do, what we should be better at. Even if we are not playing so well, we have all gotten to that point where we can all talk to each other and better each other.”
White, 27, believes chemistry is one of the building blocks needed for the Spurs to return to the playoffs after a two-year absence.
“It’s important that everybody gets along and everybody wants the best for each other,” he said. “That will go a long way during the year, especially during tough times. We’ve got a bunch of great people here. Everybody gets along and enjoys each other and has fun with each other.”
It’s also clear they love San Antonio, which flies in the face of the conventional belief that the city doesn’t have much to offer young players. While that may be true when it comes to nightlife, it helps that clubbing isn’t a big priority with this group.
“We are not big party guys,” said Johnson, who turns 22 on Oct. 11. San Antonio just seems to be a fun place for a bunch of guys who fit in well with the city’s laid-back style.
“Man, where do I start with San Antonio?” Walker said. “When it comes to the fans, the food, the community, I am all in. This is like a second home. And the way this community has embraced me is like no other. The way the community has embraced the team is like no other.
“I am loving the community. I am loving the fans. I am loving everyone that is here.”
Walker pointed out that it helps that so many Spurs greats have made the city their home, a long list headed by Hall of Famers’ George Gervin, David Robinson and Tim Duncan and that also includes future Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili, “Memorial Day Miracle” maker Sean Elliott and many others.
“They have created a road map for us,” Walker said.
Gervin has long been involved in the franchise’s community outreach. Robinson has an ownership stake in the team and regularly attends games. Duncan spent the 2019-20 season as an assistant coach and continues to work out with the team. Elliott is an Emmy-winning color analyst for the team’s TV broadcasts.
Ginobili returned to the franchise this summer in a front-office role that calls for him to focus on the development of players on and off the court.
“Oh, man, it’s probably one of the dopest things in the world,” Walker said of having so many former stars involved in the franchise. “You are talking about some legends, and the fact that they came back and are still doing their thing, it just shows how the Spurs family works, how this organization is, how close-knit it is.”
Close-knit and fiercely competitive, Johnson said.
“We are all on the same page and we have each other’s backs,” he said of the members of the young core. “We are going to go out there and give it our all every single night, give it everything we’ve got.”
torsborn@express-news.net
Twitter: @tom_orsborn