By Vince Carter
Life Without Wemby: San Antonio’s First Real Infrastructure Check
Subhead: A 22-year-old putting up MVP math is on the shelf. A +6.7 net rating, a Fox-led offense, and a slow, mean defense are about to get stress-tested for a full month.
What is at Stake?
San Antonio woke up 9–4, 5th in the West, with a +6.7 net rating (4th in the NBA), a top-seven offense, and a top-four defense. That’s not “fun league-pass team” territory, that’s “this might actually be real” territory.
Then Victor Wembanyama grabbed his left calf, and all Spur fans held their collective breathes!
We’re talking about a 22-year-old averaging 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.6 blocks in 34.7 minutes, on .502 FG, .609 TS, 30.7 usage, 21.5 TRB%, 9.9 BLK%. That’s not just a franchise player; that’s the kind of stat line front offices whisper about in hallways. When Wembanyama is in the game the paint area is a “No Shot Zone”, for real!
San Antonio’s profile with him: 118.5 offensive rating (7th), 111.8 defensive rating (4th), 5.03 SRS (7th), all while playing at the 23rd-ranked pace (99.5). Slow, deliberate, efficient, and already special. Now their sun is in street clothes, and seven of the next eight are on the road. Luke Kornett needs to plenty of rest, the assault on the rim is going to be treacherous. Kornett’s defensive chops will be put to the fire.
This isn’t “young team heat check.” Those numbers say “contender skeleton” at 22 years old.
Key Receipts: The Hard Numbers Behind the Panic
Record / profile: 9–4, 5th in the West, 4th in net rating (+6.7).
Offense: 118.5 ORtg (7th), 118.8 PTS/G (14th) at a slow 99.5 pace (23rd). Efficient, not just fast.
Defense: 111.8 DRtg (4th), 112.1 Opp PTS/G (3rd). That’s a real defense, not early-season noise.
Wemby’s box: 26.2 / 12.9 / 4.0 / 3.6 blocks, .502 FG, .345 from three on 4.8 attempts.
Wemby’s advanced: 25.7 PER, .609 TS, 30.7 usage, 21.5 TRB%, 9.9 BLK%, .205 WS/48, 6.2 BPM.
Fox in five games: 22.0 PPG, 6.8 APG, .512 FG, .375 from three, .923 FT, 17.6 PER, .613 TS, 31.4 AST%, 27.2 usage.
Castle as engine: 17.3 PPG, 7.5 APG, .497 FG, .585 TS, 33.7 AST%, FTr .548.
Keldon on efficiency: 11.1 PPG in 23.2 minutes on .558 FG, .624 TS, 12.5 ORB%, 15.3 TRB%.
Harrison Barnes spacer: 12.1 PPG on .542 FG, .485 from three, absurd .740 TS.
Read that back: Wemby + Fox + real spacing + multiple efficient role guys. That’s why this hurts.
On-Court Takeaways: What Changes Without Wemby
With Wemby, the Spurs’ identity is clear: slow pace, elite efficiency, elite protection. Top-seven offense at the 23rd pace means they’re scoring because they’re good, not because they’re sprinting.
Defensively, 111.8 DRtg (4th) and 3rd in Opp PTS/G are built on that 9.9 BLK% and 21.5 TRB%. Teams weren’t just missing shots; they were changing decisions. You don’t drive the same way when a guy with a .205 WS/48 and 6.2 BPM is waiting at the rim.
Now, without him:
The rim becomes attackable. Luke Kornet has been incredible in his role, 10.2 PPG on .806 FG, .802 TS, 16.7 ORB%, 16.3 TRB%, 21.9 PER, .261 WS/48, 3.9 BPM, but he’s built for spot work, not 34.7 Wemby minutes.
The offense becomes Fox-first. He’s giving them 22-7 on .613 TS with 31.4 AST% and 27.2 usage in 34.2 minutes. That’s true primary engine stuff, but you can’t ask him to be heliocentric and also soak every late-game possession for a month without some cost.
The margin for error shrinks. You’re removing a player who hoovers 34.6% of available defensive rebounds when he’s on the floor. One-shot possessions now turn into “everybody has to hit the glass.”
That 4th-ranked defense is built on an alien life form that erased practically everything at the rim. The cheat is offline now.
Off-Court / Business: The Fox Trade, Revisited
The Fox move looks even louder through this lens. You traded for a guard who, in a tiny sample, is:
22.0 PPG, 6.8 APG, .512 FG, .583 eFG, .613 TS
17.6 PER, 27.2 usage, 31.4 AST%
That’s exactly the profile of the guy you trust to navigate a brutal road stretch while your franchise’s long-term investment sits. This is where you find out:
Did you trade for De’Aaron Fox the closer, or De’Aaron Fox the Wemby au pair?
Is this about using his prime to build Wemby’s playoff reps, or about letting him be a co-pilot?
The other layer: you cannot be reckless with a 22-year-old posting .609 TS and 30.7 usage at his size. A “2–3 week re-evaluation” timeline almost always smells like a month-plus, and that’s how you should treat it. No “rush him because net rating is pretty” energy allowed. Rely on the depth and astute drafting over the last 4 seasons!
You don’t chase November wins at the expense of a .205 WS/48 alien.
Analytics & Trends: The Supporting Cast Under the Microscope
This next month is a film session and a spreadsheet test for the “others.”
Stephon Castle – The Rim Pressure Guard
17.3 PPG, 7.5 APG, .497 FG, .585 TS
33.7 AST%, 5.8 ORB%, 10.5 TRB%, FTr .548
That’s a guard who lives in the paint and the line. Without Wemby drawing two at the level, we find out if he can still create efficient looks, or if his numbers were boosted by alien gravity. Castle needs to get shots up after practice and make a minor weakness a marginal strength.
Keldon Johnson – The Undersized Glass Cleaner
11.1 PPG in 23.2 minutes, .558 FG, .624 TS
12.5 ORB%, 17.9 DRB%, 15.3 TRB%, 18.5 PER, .194 WS/48, 1.6 OBPM, 1.6 BPM
That’s a bench forward doing starter-level impact in limited minutes. If he scales up cleanly, you’ve got a real playoff piece, not just a “culture guy.” Johnson abilities of deflections and scrapping for rebounds amongst the trees become uber important.
Harrison Barnes & Julian Champagnie – The Spacers
Barnes: 12.1 PPG, .542 FG, .485 3P on 5.1 attempts, .740 TS, 13.5 PER.
Champagnie: 9.8 PPG, .375 from three on 5.5 attempts, .595 TS, 11.1 PER.
Those two are why the offense sits at 118.5 ORtg with a slow pace. They’re the reason Fox and Castle have lanes in the first place. These two long distance volume must increase without efficiency drop off!
The Worry Spot – Devin Vassell
13.8 PPG, .406 FG, .340 from three, .529 TS, 10.2 PER, -2.8 BPM.
This is the one you circle. If he pops over the next month, the wing room feels loaded. If he stays at .529 TS with negative BPM, he becomes the “do we pay this number?” discussion in every front-office meeting.
The next stretch might quietly be about Vassell almost as much as it is about Wemby.
Contrarian Read: Why This Might Age Well
It feels like nuclear winter now, but the contrarian take is simple: this is the cleanest way to learn what you actually have.
Kornet’s 21.9 PER and .802 TS in 23.0 minutes? You see how that looks at 28 minutes versus Jokic, Gobert, and real size.
Castle’s .585 TS with a .548 free-throw rate? You see if that rim pressure holds when Wemby isn’t clearing the weakside.
Fox’s .613 TS and near-30 usage? You see if that’s sustainable when defenses load up and dare others to beat them.
If the Spurs can stay even close to league-average in net rating without Wemby, Brian Wright walks into every meeting with the same line: “We have a real program. The alien just makes it unfair.”
Contenders get built on ugly sample sizes that scared everyone but the data people.
Predictions & Scenarios: Where This Probably Goes
Net rating dips — dropping out of the top five is almost guaranteed without Wemby’s .205 WS/48 and 9.9 BLK%.
Offense stays competent — Fox + Castle + Barnes + Champagnie + Keldon is too much efficient shooting and rim pressure to completely crater.
Defense regresses the hardest — watch Opp PTS/G and DRtg; if they hold top-10 without Wemby, that’s a screaming neon sign that the scheme is legit.
Vassell becomes the swing piece — if he climbs from .529 TS and negative BPM into “just solid,” it changes how scary this team looks at full health. Are you foundational piece or not???
The stat I’m staring at: does that 4th-ranked DRtg stay in the top 10 or free-fall?
Closing & CTA
So the calendar turns mean, the alien is in sweats, and the 4th-ranked defense with a 22-year-old posting 25.7 PER and 6.2 BPM has to survive on scheme, guards, and grown-man boards.
The right move is boring and correct: air on the longer side of that “2–3 weeks” timeline, let Fox live in this primary role, and make the rest of the roster prove they’re more than Wemby’s extras. If they can stay around .500, keep the net rating out of the basement, and keep the defensive habits intact, the real season starts when 26.2 / 12.9 / 4.0 / 3.6 walks back through that tunnel.
Why it matters: How they look without a .609 TS, 30.7-usage alien tells us if this is a Wemby show or a Spurs era.
Watch list: DRtg rank, Fox’s TS%, Vassell’s efficiency, and whether Kornet’s .802 TS survives starter-sized responsibility.
Mailbag Setup: Your Panic Meter, with Numbers Please
PorVida fam, Spurs fans, this is the assignment:
Your panic meter without Wemby: 1–10.
Who do you trust most to step up — and why, using actual stats?
Is it Fox’s .613 TS and late-game bag? Keldon’s 12.5 ORB%? Castle’s .548 free-throw rate? Kornet’s .802 TS in 23 minutes?
Hit @FrontrunnerPC on X(Twitter) or email FRPCVince@gmail.com. Give us lineups, matchups, usage ideas. If it’s sharp, it makes the pod. If it’s mid, it’s going where bad plus-minus goes.
You want to be part of the show? Bring something better than “we’ll be fine.
Let the Kids Drive: Philly’s New Era Is Better Than One More “Process” Remix
Subhead: Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and a gym full of hungry wings are outplaying the nostalgia of injured vets and faded star names.
Intrusive Thoughts From South Philly
I’ve had an intrusive basketball thought I can’t shake:
With the way Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe have been hooping, do the Sixers actually need Paul George… or just the idea of Paul George?
Right now, Philly is 8–5, 6th in the East, with a top-10 offense (118.0 ORtg, 10th) and a +2.6 net rating while basically living in youth ministry. The vibes aren’t “Trust the Process” grim; they’re loud, fast, and very clearly Maxey’s team.
Maxey is dropping 32.5 points and 7.7 assists in 40.4 minutes, on .599 TS, 30.8 usage, 23.5 PER, 6.2 BPM, that’s not “cute breakout,” that’s “we accidentally built around a superstar.” Edgecombe, at 15.5 / 5.7 / 4.3 in 37.3 minutes with a .375 three-ball and .511 TS, looks like a real two-way hit as a rookie. Oh by the way, Jared McCain is just coming back from injury. Allow the youth movement to wash over entire Philly area like wave!
This version of the Sixers feels less like a “save Embiid’s legs for April” project and more like Year 1 of a Maxey-first era. Which is why a 35-year-old Paul George, coming off knee surgery and a 16 PPG, 43/35 declining year, is more of a philosophical question than a basketball no-brainer.
The fun part? The kids already moved the conversation from “What’s left of Joel?” to “What’s next after Maxey?”
The Case for Letting the Youth Be Served
Maxey: This Is What a Franchise Guard Looks Like
32.5 PPG, 7.7 APG, 4.9 RPG
40.4 minutes, 23.6 FGA, 9.3 threes a night at 41.3%
.599 TS, 23.5 PER, 30.8 usage, 31.9 AST%, 6.2 BPM
That’s an All-NBA engine in his mid-20s, not a placeholder until the vets get healthy. His recent 28-for-74 stretch is the red flag and the proof: the workload is insane, he’s clearly tired, and he’s still dragging this team to a top-10 offense.
You don’t bring in Paul George to take the wheel from that. If he’s coming back, it should be to protect Maxey’s legs, not to turn him into an expensive floor spacer.
VJ Edgecombe: The New Energy on the Wing
15.5 points, 5.7 boards, 4.3 assists in 37.3 minutes
.412 FG, .375 from three (5.5 attempts), .511 TS
16.3 AST%, 8.4 TRB%, 11.7 PER as a 20-year-old rookie
Edgecombe isn’t a finished product. That’s the whole point. These are “first-stage development” numbers with real on-ball responsibility and defensive equity. He’s already giving them two-way size and secondary creation on a team that used to live and die with whatever version of Tobias Harris showed up. Too soon 76ers fans?
And we still haven’t seen the full Jared McCain season, last year was 32 games of “oh, he might really be a thing,” not a finished sample.
The old Process Sixers were about surviving the kids’ mistakes. These Sixers are about feeding their ceiling.
The Paul George Question: Need vs Idea
On paper, 35-year-old Paul George checks every box:
Big wing
Secondary creator
Contested shot maker
Theoretical jumbo-guard defender
Fills the Oubre LCL hole at the three, gives Nick Nurse a 6'8”–6'9” chess piece
And yes, in theory, he helps Maxey. A slower, more deliberate possession here and there; a vet who can run side pick-and-roll, hit pull-ups, and keep Maxey from driving into a brick wall 25 times a night. In a vacuum, that’s useful.
But last year’s tape was rough: 16 PPG, 43% from the field, 35% from three, low rim pressure, jumper-heavy, slow legs. That’s the profile of a high-salary connector, not a co-star. And he’s coming off knee surgery into a team whose best versions have looked like Maxey + VJ + wings sprinting in the open floor.
So the real question isn’t, “Do the Sixers need Paul George?” It’s:
Can you add Paul George without closing the developmental runway for Maxey, Edgecombe, and McCain?
Because once you start cutting Edgecombe from 37 minutes to 29, or turning McCain into a “break glass in case of back-to-back” guard, you’re not just adding a vet — you’re re-centering your franchise around yesterday.
Vet help is great. Vet help that eats the kids’ minutes is how you get stuck in the middle again.
Old Process vs New Sixers: What’s Actually More Fun?
The “Trust the Process” years were about losses and lottery odds. Necessary evil, but miserable basketball. Even the peak “Embiid + aging co-star” versions often felt like waiting room TV — slow, mismatch hunting, every possession about preserving a center’s health.
These Sixers?
118.0 ORtg (10th) with Maxey pushing tempo just enough at 99.7 pace (19th).
Three perimeter guys at 15+ PPG: Maxey (32.5), Edgecombe (15.5), Quentin Grimes (16.8 PPG on .639 TS, .400 from three).
Role wings like Justin Edwards (6.1 PPG at .617 TS) and Trendon Watford (8.9 PPG at .607 TS, 24.9 AST%) giving plus-efficiency, plus-passing minutes.
An actual safety net in Andre Drummond: 8.5 PPG, 9.6 RPG in 22.8 minutes on .658 TS, 23.1 TRB%, 19.3 PER, .201 WS/48.
That’s a rotation that feels like a program, not a one-star hostage situation. The entertainment value is simple:
Maxey playing 40 minutes like he’s remixing an Allen Iverson tour
Edgecombe learning on the job in real minutes, not garbage time
Grimes bombing away with .639 TS efficiency
Oubre (when healthy) flying around as chaos energy on the wing
This is a youth-first team with structure, not a treadmill squad praying for Embiid’s knee and a star name to magically turn back the clock.
The old Process asked you to squint at the future. This team is the future, right now, on League Pass.
How Paul George Should Be Used (If You’re Serious About the Kids)
If PG comes back and looks like 80–85% of Clippers Paul George for 30 games, Daryl Morey has two options:
Treat him as a luxury stabilizer
24–28 minutes
Second-side creator
Takes the hardest wing matchups so VJ doesn’t wear down
Buys Maxey pockets of rest and off-ball possessions
Treat him as a live trade asset
If he pops back to near-star form, he becomes the expensive vet other teams talk themselves into at the deadline.
With Maxey / Edgecombe / McCain as a foundation, Philly doesn’t have to cling to every aging star name to feel relevant.
What he cannot be, if you care about the Maxey era, is the gravitational center of the offense again. That’s how you stunt Edgecombe’s reps, turn Maxey into a spacer, and end up back in “we owe our entire identity to one older dude’s knees” territory.
You’re building a Maxey-first era, not chasing one more poster of an aging co-star. Don’t be fooled by vapors of Eastern Conference contention!
The Cultural Shift: “I Believe the Children Are Our Future” Hoops Version
There’s a reason that Whitney line fits. Philly’s real pivot isn’t just basketball; it’s cultural.
Maxey already called out Embiid in a players-only meeting last year for not leading by example.
He’s now playing like a legit No. 1 - 32.5 and 7.7 on near-.600 TS doesn’t wait for anybody to get healthy.
Edgecombe and McCain represent a timeline where the Sixers aren’t emotionally hostage to how long Embiid or George can stay upright.
Paul George can absolutely add value here, teaching VJ off-ball reads, pacing, how to live in a star market like Philly. But if he’s miscast as the savior, or treated like “Clippers 2023 PG” in name only, this all tips back into old habits.
The line for this franchise is simple:
You’re building around Maxey’s timeline, not babysitting the tail end of someone else’s.
One Last Question for Philly
So, Sixers fans:
If Paul George comes back and looks like 75–85% of his prime, is he part of the future…
…or is he a February trade chip so the kids can keep the keys?
Hit @FrontrunnerPC on X and tell us where you land — and while you’re at it, rank your real Philly cheesesteak spot, because if you’re arguing Maxey vs PG and still saying the wrong sandwich, we gotta talk about all your decision-making.
The Expendables: Clippers Edition
The NBA’s oldest team leaned into “one last run” with Beal, Paul, and Lopez. The box office returns look more straight-to-streaming than blockbuster. You ever notice how every offseason TV segment about the Clippers sounds the same?
“Love what they did. Veteran poise. Playoff experience. Beal as a scorer, Chris Paul as a stabilizer, Brook Lopez as a stretch five. If they ever get healthy…”
At some point, that stops being analysis and starts being denial.
Right now the 2025–26 Clippers are 4–10, 12th in the West, with:
26th in scoring (111.7 PTS/G)
23rd in offense (114.4 ORtg)
23rd in defense (119.0 DRtg)
23rd in net rating (-4.7)
29th in pace (96.2)
That’s not a sleeping giant. That’s a slow-motion rerun. This isn’t a contender; this is The Expendables 4: Still Loading.
Every July show loved this roster like it was 2016 again, not 2025.
The Old-Guy Avengers Everyone Talked Themselves Into
The summer pitch was simple:
Bradley Beal (32) – “Still a bucket.”
Chris Paul (40) – “Table-setter, culture guy.”
Brook Lopez (37) – “Elite rim protection, stretch shooting.”
On TV, it sounded like an “old-guy Avengers” reboot. In real life:
Chris Paul (40): 2.3 PPG in 12.7 minutes.
Shooting 25.9% from the field, 30.0% from three, 10.1 PER, negative BPM.
Brook Lopez (37): 6.6 PPG in 15.2 minutes.
42.3% FG, 35.2% from three, 10.6 PER, .561 TS, negative BPM.
Bradley Beal (32): 8.2 PPG in 20.2 minutes on 37.5% shooting… and now out for the season with a hip fracture.
These weren’t ring-chasing glue guys added to a healthy core. They were supposed to be structural pieces. The structure is creaking. My query here is... Did the Clippers Brass see the shit show that was Phoenix and who was in. the middle of it (Beal)! I am always amazed but not surprised by front offices telling themselves that they are the geniuses that can fix what terminally broken!
The league sold “veteran savvy.” The stats say “limited minutes, limited juice, unlimited nostalgia.
Kawhi, Harden, and the Ghost of Trades Past
To be fair, Kawhi Leonard when he actually plays is still a monster:
24.3 PPG on 50.5% FG, 40% 3P, .625 TS,
25.3 PER, .173 WS/48, 5.1 BPM in 33.5 minutes.
But he’s only played 6 of 14 games, and they’re 1–6 without him. The press release script never changes: “ramping up… no firm timetable.” It’s basically the Fast & Furious franchise now — same plot, different location, car still flying off the same cliff.
James Harden, to his credit, is hooping:
26.2 PPG, 8.7 APG, .624 TS, 23.3 PER, 6.1 OBPM in 36.2 minutes.
And it still doesn’t matter because the infrastructure around him is a retirement home. You cannot be the oldest team in the NBA, dead last in pace, and survive losing your only real under-30 two-way wing.
Derrick Jones Jr. (28):
10.5 PPG on 53.3% shooting, .652 TS, 14.8 PER, .105 WS/48, guarding the toughest assignment nightly…
Now out at least six weeks with an MCL sprain.
When your best under-30 wing is out and the answer is “more 40-year-old CP3,” that’s the movie.
Meanwhile in OKC: The Thunder Still Own the End Credits
The funniest part - and by “funny” I mean “nightmare fuel for Clipper fans”, is whose name is on the 2026 first-round pick.
Oklahoma City owns the Clippers’ 2026 first.
So this 4–10 start with a -4.7 net rating isn’t just pain, it’s a potential gift-wrapped top pick for a Thunder team that already has:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Jalen Williams
Chet Holmgren
Role guys stacked four-deep at every position
If that pick even sniffs the top three, it’s going to feel like the sequel to the Paul George trade. Sam Presti turned PG into SGA, a boatload of picks, and possibly another blue-chip prospect while the Clippers ended up as the NBA version of an aging action cast still doing their own stunts.
OKC doesn’t need a top-three pick. That’s what makes the Clippers’ record so hilarious and dangerous.
Title Window Verdict: From “If They Ever Get Healthy” to “Tough Out at Best”
Let’s be grown about it:
4–10 record
Offense 23rd, defense 23rd, net rating 23rd
Oldest team in the league
Franchise player still on the same mystery-timetable loop
Best young wing on crutches
Future first in 2026 already spoken for by a contender
That’s not a “just wait until April” profile. That’s a “maybe they’re a nasty play-in matchup” profile. The window isn’t creaking, it’s basically painted shut.
So what should Lawrence Frank and Steve Ballmer do? Honestly:
Let these contracts run out.
Stop chasing the ghost of 2019 Kawhi, 2019 PG, and Lob City version of Chris Paul!
Use that Intuit Dome money to go buy yourself a real reset: younger free agents, actual developmental runway, modern athletes.
You already took your medicine on the Paul George trade. OKC won. Everybody knows it. The only thing worse than losing the trade is pretending you didn’t and giving yourself another five years of “if they ever get healthy” segments on TV.
At some point, it’s not bad luck. It’s who you built around and how long you refused to pivot.
The Walking Wounded at the Top of the East
The wild part about all this: Detroit is 12–2 and sitting 1st in the Eastern Conference… looking like an infirmary.
Injuries right now:
Cade Cunningham – out (hip)
Jaden Ivey – knee, still out
Ausar Thompson – out (ankle)
Tobias Harris – out (ankle)
Marcus Sasser – out (hip)
Bobi Klintman – out (ankle)
And even with all that, the profile is nasty:
Record: 12–2 (1st in East)
Offense: 117.0 ORtg (14th), 118.8 PTS/G (12th)
Defense: 110.5 DRtg (2nd), Opp 112.1 PTS/G (4th)
Net Rating: +6.5 (5th)
Pace: 100.8 (14th) modern tempo, not wild pickup-ball
That’s JB Bickerstaff, the same dude Cleveland treated like a problem instead of a grown-up stabilizer, walking into Detroit and helping Trajan Langdon turn a “young chaos” roster into a top-5 net rating team with half the rotation in street clothes.
You don’t post 2nd in defense with this many injuries by accident. Somebody is teaching, drilling, and holding dudes accountable. Was it Bickerstaff or was it Jarrett Allen? We will find out this season!
Shoutout Roll Call: JB & Trajan
Let’s give the adults in the room their flowers:
JB Bickerstaff (12–2) – Took the “he’s just a regular season coach” narrative personally and is now coordinating a defense that sits 2nd in DRtg with kids, role guys, and a center who’s still not old enough to rent a car.
Trajan Langdon – Quietly building a real program:
Cade as primary
Duren as vertical hub
Ausar as defensive disruptor wing
Holland as developing slasher
Daniss Jenkins as actual table-setter, not a summer league story
Duncan Robinson as the grown floor spacer with .622 TS and 3.0 threes a night at .416
This isn’t vibes. This is roster construction + a coach who’s not scared to let young guards make mistakes on the ball and learn. This team 2 years ago lost 68 contests!!!
Daniss Jenkins: This Is What “We Actually Watch the Games” Looks Like
We didn’t just see “26 points, 8 assists” on the ticker and get excited. We sat with that 127–112 win over Indiana, rewound possessions, and watched Jenkins own the flow. FRPC’s homage to Ryen Russillo’s Tales From The Couch!
His line vs IND (from your notes):
26 points on >50% shooting
1-of-5 from three
3-of-4 from the line
8 assists, 4 turnovers
4 fouls, +23
Season profile so far:
11.6 PPG, 4.1 APG in 21.0 minutes
.482 FG, .480 from three (2.8 attempts), .553 eFG, .570 TS
17.4 PER, .134 WS/48
28.7 AST% with 22.9 usage
That is real backup point guard equity, on a contender-level team, in under 22 minutes a night.
What popped on film
High pick-and-roll chemistry with Jalen Duren
Empty side high PnR over and over: second quarter and fourth-quarter bread and butter.
9:47 Q2: lob to Duren that almost shook the building, plus the and-one.
9:25 Q2: another find for a reverse dunk.
Fourth quarter: two perfect pocket passes to Duren (5:41 and 4:44) for easy dunks.
You can’t fake that timing. That’s not “ran the play.” That’s feel.
Paint pressure with purpose
Straight-line drives at 8:36 Q2, 8:05 pull-up, all created off high screens and cross matches.
Floaters and short pull-ups:
13-footer at 2:32 Q2
8-foot fade at 11:02 Q3
Floater at 8:36 Q4
10-foot fade with 6:06 left, plus the finger-roll finish
He lives in that 6–15 foot band with real touch. That’s second-unit offense gold.
Early offense & hit-ahead mindset
5:17 Q1: fast-break layup after a steal he helped generate.
4:30 Q3: hit-ahead to Green for a runway layup.
He’s not out there trying to show the handle mixtape; he’s trying to turn live-ball stops into points. That’s grown-guard basketball.
Read-based passing, not “scripted” passing
7:59 Q1: drive-and-kick to Stewart for three — purposeful paint touch, simple read.
7:43 Q2: short-roll dump to Stewart for a layup, calm in traffic.
9:54 Q3: lob to Ron Holland II, perfect touch.
4:00-ish Q4: backcut dime to Green for a dunk; sees the cutter early.
These are connector plays. He’s not just hunting assists; he’s playing in rhythm with the offense.
The mentality: dog with a notebook
Game started rough:
Technical at 7:00 Q1
0-for-3 start
Early foul trouble
A lot of young guards disappear in that spot. Jenkins recalibrated: stopped chucking threes, ramped up paint touches, got Duren involved, and then started scoring once the defense tilted.
Fourth quarter: after some turnovers and a foul stretch, he answered the Pacers’ push with:
Floater at 8:36
Free throws at 8:24
Big three at 3:52 after an 0–for-from-deep night
That’s not “perfect decision-maker” yet — you still see the sloppy backcourt violation (9:07 Q2), the live-ball turnover vs pressure (11:16 Q4), the offensive foul that triggered Bickerstaff’s tech (9:03 Q4).
But that’s why this matters: Detroit is winning games while letting a young guard play through that stuff on the ball.
This is the grind we talk about. You don’t get a real backup point guard if he never gets to fail in structure.
Jalen Duren: Put the All-Star Reserve Stamp on It Now
We said it on the pod and I’m saying it again here: Jalen Duren is tracking like an All-Star this year.
That Pacers game:
31 points in 28:34
12-of-13 from the field
11 free-throw attempts
15 rebounds (5 offensive)
3 assists
+20
Season numbers are filthy:
20.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG in 28.9 minutes
7.4-of-11.0 FG (67.4%)
5.5 FTs made on 7.0 attempts (.786 FT)
28.1 PER, .722 TS
17.0 ORB%, 27.9 DRB%, 22.5 TRB%
4.5 OWS, 0.7 DWS, 5.0 BPM, .288 WS/48
That’s star-level efficiency, elite rebounding, and a statistical profile you usually only see from guys we talk about in All-NBA conversations, not “nice young big” categories.
On film:
Vertical spacing – every high PnR with Jenkins looked like a lob threat stress test.
Short-roll passing – several kickouts to shooters, hitting guys in rhythm, in the shooting pocket.
Screening – heavy, physical, clean. He’s legitimately freeing guards, not just going through the motions.
And this is with Cade out, Ivey out, Ausar nicked up. Duren is putting up 20 and 12 on .722 TS in a context where every team knows he’s the primary rim threat.
These aren’t empty numbers. This is an anchor center on the No. 2 defense doing grown-man work every night. Also, an All Star loading!!!
Why This Matters: Youth, Structure, and the “We Be Grindin’” Ethos
Detroit is the opposite of the “one last ride, old heads only” build you see with someone like the Clippers.
Here, the formula is:
Youth first, structure always
Let Cade be high-usage when healthy
Let Jenkins run real offense as a backup and spot starter
Let Duren grow from lob finisher into interior hub
Give Ausar, Holland, Lanier, and the rest of the kids real, rotational minutes in a top-2 defense
And the thing I want the audience to feel:
None of this is accident. This is film work, teaching, and trust.
We’re clocking empty-side actions, pocket-pass windows, defensive rotations, and composure swings because that’s how you can tell the difference between “hot start” and “foundation.”
Detroit, right now, looks like a foundation. Injured vets, walking wounded roster, still 1st in the East, 2nd in defense, +6.5 net rating… and the kids are the reason.
So yeah, we be grindin’ out here. League Pass nights, timestamps, rewinds, notebook full of Daniss Jenkins possessions and Jalen Duren rebounding percentages.
Because if you’re not watching this Detroit group right now?
You’re missing one of the best “youth is served” stories in the league.