An Ode to Spurs Faithful: 2018-19 Season Preview
Dec 8, 2018 4:12:25 GMT
Ian Noble, James Kay, and 2 more like this
Post by George Gervin on Dec 8, 2018 4:12:25 GMT
Our amazing Spurs fans,
To put it mildly, our last nine months as an organization have been nothing short of a maelstrom; as I sit and scribe to you, our adoring collection of rabid fans, the number of transactions on our ledger since the retirement of the great JR Wiles, is staggering. As fans, I imagine the pace of the transactions came as a surprise; to put our movement in context, in just nine months, we had:
Now, I would not blame any of you if you felt a wavering sense of loyalty to our organization. We made wholesale changes that shifted our focus from putting a product that, while winning games on the floor, ultimately felt it was too far away from reaching the pinnacle we aspire to and, frankly, you deserve through your continuous support. However, we do not intend to mire in the doldrums for long; for us to rise again like a Phoenix from the ashes, we needed a young star or two to take us there.
We could not be more effusive in our belief that Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will prove to be two pieces worthy of that mantle one day— maybe very soon. We have begun to surround them— as well as Moritz Wagner and Keita Bates-Diop— with the kind of culture setting veterans who can help their ascendancy. Veterans, like Vince Carter, Udonis Haslem, and Danny Green, who have a wealth of experience to impart on our new generation.
Additionally, their growth on the court is as much in your hands as it is ours, because you, the fans, are what makes our organization what it is. Words like reliable, principled, gritty, proud— these are what San Antonians embody, and what we as an organization through our roster construction hope to convey and make you all proud to cheer us on.
I cannot promise, as your GM, that this year will be an easy one. There will be nights where the score will be hard to stomach, and a Spurs team that would normally always be in a game may be hard to watch as a fan. There may be times you wish you were anywhere but the arena, wondering “what am I paying for?” as you watch your team struggle, or those moments when, in aimless wandering, you wonder why your spouse is checking out Parsons on the bench, or Doncic’s mom in the stands. Unfortunately, to build something grand requires the difficult choice to start over and establish a strong foundation — without one, those words that make us San Antonians— reliable, principle, gritty, and proud — cannot shine through in their full glory.
We ask, on the eve of the 2018-19 season, that you continue the support you have provided over the years. That support isn’t just being present in the arena, cheering on our team, but in pouring your time, hard earned money, and energy into being the best fan base we could ever ask for. Most of all, in this first season of rebirth, we ask for your patience— we will return better, stronger, faster, and make you the fans — and our retired GM — proud of what we’ve become.
Stay strong, and stay steadfast, Spurs faithful.
— G.G.
To put it mildly, our last nine months as an organization have been nothing short of a maelstrom; as I sit and scribe to you, our adoring collection of rabid fans, the number of transactions on our ledger since the retirement of the great JR Wiles, is staggering. As fans, I imagine the pace of the transactions came as a surprise; to put our movement in context, in just nine months, we had:
- Eight trades, where some of the featured faces of our franchise— like stoic Al Horford and fan favorite IT4 — were shipped out for forward looking pieces, such as draft picks and players will more amenable contracts on our cap sheet
- Eleven players came through our organizations doors; some, like Arron Afflalo, were just passing through, where others, like Chandler “Fancy Boy” Parsons, are here to stay
- Seven draft picks came into our possession, with five being used to set the foundation of what we hope is the next generation of Spurs stars, with three of those picks — Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Moritz Wagner — foreign born players that you, as fans, have embraced throughout our storied history that has resembled, at times, a UN Council meeting than a basketball squad. The other two picks, including our own 2019 1st rounder coming home, will add to our young core in next year’s draft.
Now, I would not blame any of you if you felt a wavering sense of loyalty to our organization. We made wholesale changes that shifted our focus from putting a product that, while winning games on the floor, ultimately felt it was too far away from reaching the pinnacle we aspire to and, frankly, you deserve through your continuous support. However, we do not intend to mire in the doldrums for long; for us to rise again like a Phoenix from the ashes, we needed a young star or two to take us there.
We could not be more effusive in our belief that Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will prove to be two pieces worthy of that mantle one day— maybe very soon. We have begun to surround them— as well as Moritz Wagner and Keita Bates-Diop— with the kind of culture setting veterans who can help their ascendancy. Veterans, like Vince Carter, Udonis Haslem, and Danny Green, who have a wealth of experience to impart on our new generation.
Additionally, their growth on the court is as much in your hands as it is ours, because you, the fans, are what makes our organization what it is. Words like reliable, principled, gritty, proud— these are what San Antonians embody, and what we as an organization through our roster construction hope to convey and make you all proud to cheer us on.
I cannot promise, as your GM, that this year will be an easy one. There will be nights where the score will be hard to stomach, and a Spurs team that would normally always be in a game may be hard to watch as a fan. There may be times you wish you were anywhere but the arena, wondering “what am I paying for?” as you watch your team struggle, or those moments when, in aimless wandering, you wonder why your spouse is checking out Parsons on the bench, or Doncic’s mom in the stands. Unfortunately, to build something grand requires the difficult choice to start over and establish a strong foundation — without one, those words that make us San Antonians— reliable, principle, gritty, and proud — cannot shine through in their full glory.
We ask, on the eve of the 2018-19 season, that you continue the support you have provided over the years. That support isn’t just being present in the arena, cheering on our team, but in pouring your time, hard earned money, and energy into being the best fan base we could ever ask for. Most of all, in this first season of rebirth, we ask for your patience— we will return better, stronger, faster, and make you the fans — and our retired GM — proud of what we’ve become.
Stay strong, and stay steadfast, Spurs faithful.
— G.G.