What we learned from the Austin Spurs loss to the Raptors 905

A nail-biter almost went into overtime.

As previously mentioned, the Austin Spurs made their 4th annual trip down I-35 to San Antonio. In this edition of the AT&T Center trip, the Austin Spurs took on their 2018 G-League Championship rivals the Raptors 905, whom the Spurs vanquished in two games last spring.

This night was not to work out for them as easily as the Spurs had a rough start and played catch up for much of the game. The down-by-a-dozen-to-comeback-and-tie-it-up game of cat and mouse continued throughout the game.

For those who could not attend, here is a condensed version of the game:

Takeaways:

The G-League is where players are looking to shine. For some, like Lonnie Walker IV, Drew Eubanks, and Chimezie Metu, this is where the Spurs system continues and gives them valuable playing time in a concerted effort to ready them for the big league. For players like Amida Brimah, Josh Huestis, and Ben Moore, G-League can serve as a platform for other NBA teams to visualize their play and consider them for upward mobility. And for some, this is a piece of their career path that keeps them stateside. Getting to know each player’s skill can be much more telling than wins and losses.
Drew Eubanks is showing more signs of being NBA ready. His rebounding is top-notch. Marrying that with his hook shot makes him a threat in the paint. Banks has the Spurs mentality and posture. After the game he accepted the loss with grace and credited his team with keeping the game close down the stretch. As he exited the post game conversation and Lonnie Walker IV entered, their camaraderie was palpable.
After a slow 4-point first half, Walker IV scored 18 in the second half including some clutch 3s in crunch time. His recognition is paramount and his strength lies in that recognition. Lonnie Walker IV has the ability to fire up. Fine-tuning the rough patches is essential to his growth, and he’s dedicated to putting the work in.
Travis Trice II has some Derrick White-like agility. He was looking for the pass and set a couple of great alley-oops to Amida Brimah. Keep your eye on him as teams look for back-up point guards.
Travis Bader did not play a lot, but when he did he looked to be the corner three go-to. Perhaps developing himself into a Steve Kerr style player in hopes of coming off the bench as 3-point threat.
DeJuan Blair did not play. There doesn’t seem to be anything medically wrong, so I’m not sure if he’s giving some younger players time, or what.