No wet blanket on Primo debut, just a dry one

It was only one preseason game against a shorthanded Utah Jazz team, but it can't be ignored that Josh Primo stole the show

Over the course of the NBA media’s stay in Las Vegas for the league’s annual summer league, our primary professional requirements when in attendance include, but are not limited to: being boots on the ground to cover the newest flock of basketball-playing kids, being irrationally excited by what generally amounts to bad basketball, networking (a.k.a. eating, drinking and gambling too much with industry friends and league folks), and offering wet-blanket turndown service to stem the hoops arousal over your team’s newest rookie.

It’s just summer league. Take everything with a grain of salt. The only important thing is whether or not players look like they actually belong at this level. Other than that, don’t take too much from this.

Well, the hospitality department is back for your preseason convenience — only this time with a much drier blanket.

The NBA’s league year is essentially a series of stepping stones. At the front end, players get to roll the ball out in Vegas and just go play within the construct of a “system” they learned, in a lot of cases, the day before. Now, we’ve arrived at the preseason stone, and the Spurs have made the first step count with Josh Primo squarely in tow.

Surrounded by actual NBA players and playing within Gregg Popovich’s system, the Spurs’ first-round pick didn’t just look like he belonged, he looked downright comfortable. I can stand here with damp blanket in hand, reminding fans that this is only the first preseason game against a very shorthanded Utah Jazz team, but there’s more than enough reason to be excited by what you saw from Primo on Monday night.

In 18 minutes of action late in the Spurs’ 111-85 throttling of the Jazz, the 12th overall pick effortlessly dropped 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting and put on display the talent and maturity San Antonio had been eyeing for months prior to the NBA Draft. He let the ball fly confidently in spot-up situations, patiently and smoothly navigated the pick-and-roll, attacked the basket when given the opportunities and flashed the defensive upside that’s wrapped in his 6’6 long-armed frame.

In basketball, hot nights will be there just as cold ones will be. Still, even understanding there will be many tough outings ahead for the 18-year-old, Primo made his first game as a professional look pretty damn easy.

“He didn’t look phased. As a rookie, first game, preseason or not, you have a little jitters,” Dejounte Murray said of after the game. “He looked comfortable and he looked smooth, so [he continues] to grow, and the work ethic and learning is huge for him.”

But Murray reiterated the fact that this is just one game, and now it’s time to get back to work, get back in the gym, watch the film — all the things you expect a team leader to say while in lockstep with his coach.

“Did you want him to jump up and down when he made a shot, or do the Carmelo thing (three to the dome)?” Popovich said. “He was fine. He’s a mature young kid, and he made shots. Ya know?”

(It should be noted: I’m pretty sure the last Spur to roll with this celebration was Austin Daye back in 2014 after the first made 3-pointer of his San Antonio tenure. Pop can be seen leaning over to Kawhi Leonard right after the fact, appearing to ask him something, then jumping up and immediately pulling Daye from the game. There is video of this somewhere (I guess I could go all the way back through game archives, but… meh), though it’s likely it has been scrubbed from the Internet at the request of Pop due to excessive and suggestive celebration. But I digress…)

Pop’s analysis here is exactly what we’ve come to expect from him over the years when talking about players’ performances very early in their careers, especially when it’s the preseason. And frankly, he’s spot on. It’s really not much more than that. He looked comfortable, played smart, and hit shots.

But we’re not here solely for the businesslike approach. In a vacuum, Pop’s response is objectively and unequivocally the correct one. But outside of that vacuum exists the hope of a fanbase, a narrative surrounding the Spurs’ controversial pick, and millions of eyes homed in on No. 11 in silver and black. It is the entertainment industry, after all.

As for this writer, I always tend to exist somewhere in the middle, perpetually avoiding the fate of the cynic or fanatic. Living on a level in the sports world may sound about as exciting as buying a new car because of its comfort and fuel economy, but hey I’m on this road trip for the long haul.

How you choose to view the initial Primo experience is up to you, obviously, but I’d suggest the balanced approach. I realize the lack of spiciness in my takes over the years and into the present won’t land me behind a debate desk, but generally speaking, I’m pretty OK with that. I unintentionally make myself look like a buffoon often enough as it is; doing so intentionally would be irresponsible.

This is just the opening placement in a 10,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. Enjoy its colors in the moment and appreciate the start of a journey, but understand that 9,999 pieces still lie in wait. The process could go smoothly on a path to triumph, or it may have you feeling the urge to burn your own house down simply because the puzzle exists on a living room table inside of it. We don’t know the outcome, but staying calm in the present may prevent arson in the future.

Primo looked the part on Monday. He flashed the skill set on both offense and defense that had the Spurs excited to draft him in what they felt was anything but a reach. But bigger challenges lie ahead, and perspective is important here when dealing with the anticipation of what’s to come.

The Spurs’ backcourt is a crowded one, representing a young core made up of guys who figure to be valuable pieces of the team’s future, whether that’s as players or assets. Primo will eventually get his chance, but how soon we legitimately get a chance to watch it remains to be seen. There may be nights away in Austin with the G-League Spurs, and there may be “DNP - coach’s decisions” on the horizon. Only time will tell, but for now there’s a lot of reason for optimism, even in a tiny little sample.

Fire up the hype train if you’d like, but understand it’s going to be on a slow roll from station to station before it hits the open track.