Pregaming: Spurs vs. Blazers

Tonight, after 63 games since Christmas, the Spurs play their final home game of the regular season. It’s been a long time coming and tough for all involved to keep up. After Thursday, when the Spurs play their final game of the regular season, the real fun begins.
- The Spurs had picture day today. There were several snaps taken, including the team it’s front office personnel and other staffers in the organization. Cory Joseph made a visit down from Austin for the occasion. Joseph is now headed back to the state capital to practice with the Toros, who face the Los Angeles D-Fenders (Lakers affiliate) in the D-League Championship.
- Following the team picture, the Spurs had a compressed (isn’t everything this season?) shootaround to get ready for the game. This gave me a chance to get a look at several of the Spurs who are normally warming up when I’m not able to watch their pregame work, like James Anderson and Kawhi Leonard.
- Speaking of Leonard, I really like the form on his jumpshot. It’s really great fundamentally. No negative motion, he doesn’t have a hitch in his shot, it’s very good. He puts a lot of spin on the ball when he shoots, which I would guess is because of his large hands. I’ve always hated the argument that players with big hands can’t shoot the ball, it’s never made sense to me. I’m glad to see that it’s not entirely true. If he is able to speed up his release in the coming years without compromising his form, he could be an excellent knockdown shooter for years to come.
- DeJuan Blair might be in the best shape I’ve seen him in since he entered the NBA? He’s really slimmed down since last season. Admittedly, he probably hasn’t had a lot of time to gain weight with the schedule afforded to him, but it’s good to see.