r/NBASpurs • u/W3MBYY_F4N • 6h ago
News [Guzman] Mitch Johnson was very unhappy with the lack of effort so far this season, so much so that he possibly benched Wembanyama early in the 2nd quarter against the Mavericks due to it
Harrison Barnes subbed in for Victor Wembanyama with 11:07 remaining in the second quarter of the San Antonio Spurs'road win over the Dallas Mavericks. Wembanyama had played just 53 seconds of the period, missing his only field goal attempt.
While Wembanyama was out, the Mavericks embarked on a 12-4 run that prompted Johnson to reinsert his star with 7:12 remaining. Within the next three minutes, Wembanyama logged seven points, one block, one rebound and one assist. He looked motivated.
Wembanyama and Mitch Johnson had different stories of the interaction when asked about the peculiar change to the rotation. The Frenchman blamed a sideline miscommunication.
"I pointed at Mitch intensely," Wembanyama began, "because I was wondering what kind of defense we were in. And I think he understood that (as) I wanted a sub."
Johnson, who spoke first, didn't have a chance to address Wembanyama's explanation. His own account, however, suggested the substitution may have been more deliberate.
"I mean, it was a second night of back-to-back," Johnson said, "so, there was a little bit of mindful minutes ... (but) we've just all got to be better. We've got to make sure we're putting our energy into the right stuff ... we've got to play like our hair's on fire."
Whether Johnson intended to send Wembanyama a message remains unclear — he likely won't be asked about it again. But what isn't disputed is how the 7-foot-4 center responded after returning to the floor. That exemplified Johnson's broader intent on Saturday.
The Spurs earned their first win of the season over the depleted Mavericks, 122-106. Inside the visiting locker room at American Airlines Center, you wouldn't have known.
"If you were in there, you would have thought we lost the game," De'Aaron Fox said.
Finding chemistry takes time. Johnson understands that. But some of San Antonio's early struggles have extended beyond unfamiliar rotations and offensive execution.
"Our floor right now is way too low," Johnson said.
The coach wasn't particularly interested in sugarcoating his assessment, either.
"Effort goes a long way," Johnson explained. "As simple as it sounds and as talented as these guys are, consistent effort with just a little bit of togetherness and execution can really be something to grow and build upon ... we just have not been consistent enough."
Full article is here: https://www.si.com/nba/spurs/onsi/way-too-low-after-3-games-mitch-johnson-wants-san-antonio-spurs-to-play-with-hair-on-fire
