Five for Friday: Keldon's angry scoring outburst, the Bassey defensive funnel, and the return of a caged Pop

It was just one win, but the Spurs found a ton of positive takeaways from their slump-busting performance against the Rockets -- like winning a game for the first time in nearly a month.

With a little less than three minutes remaining in the first quarter, Keldon Johnson collected a drop-off pass from a driving Isaiah Roby and angrily dunked the ball, looking like he wanted to tear down the rim and taking out what must’ve felt like a lifetime of frustration in the process.

It had been a very long month for the Spurs, whose 118-109 win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday ended a painful, arduous, draining 11-game losing streak that sent them spiraling to the bottom of the Western Conference. Injuries had ravaged the roster, guys had been asked to play above their heads in roles greater than the ones they’d signed up to fill, and across-the-board consistency had suffered.

But against Houston, San Antonio looked like a team that had just taken advantage of three full days off and extra practice time, and it all started with Johnson’s 32 points. The Spurs have found a way to get Keldon untracked recently by pulling him in from the perimeter and putting him in extra pick-and-roll situations, post-ups and angle isolations, and most importantly, giving him all the chances in the world to attack the basket in the open floor.

Over the last two games, 69 percent of Johnson’s shot attempts have come at the rim or in the short mid-range, and he’s connected on 21 of 32 from inside of 16 feet. He’s playing like he’s pissed off, with a high motor and an extra level of aggression; and despite the current uncertainty from the outside, he’s got all the confidence in the world when he can get to the areas of the floor where he can utilize his touch and physicality.

“I just started inside-out, I got downhill, had some good post-ups and jump hooks, and I just let the game come to me. I got in the spots where I work every day and I just built it out from there,” he said. “I gotta hit my free throws, but I’m just building it out. I did a good job of it tonight, I made some good plays, but I still feel like without my teammates … tonight wouldn’t be possible.”

That might be the most critical element in all of this for the Spurs right now, as they continue to deal with a bevy of injuries. When Johnson is playing this brand of basketball, his teammate feed off of it. Suddenly, perimeter shots are more open, driving lanes are more easily cleared, and the system just starts to flow more efficiently.

While figuring out what’s going on with Keldon’s perimeter shot is important — despite the 3-for-6 performance from deep, that rainbow arc is still very much there — San Antonio needs him to be an effective scorer first and foremost. He has to put up points efficiently no matter where they’re coming from on the court, because without them, the rest of the Spurs’ offense goes in the tank.

“You could tell by his demeanor early on the type of game he was gonna have. He came out super aggressive, he was getting downhill, getting to the hoop, and just being a presence in the paint for us,” Tre Jones said. “When he’s getting downhill like that and being aggressive, he’s tough to stop. But it also helps everybody else. He’s one of the leaders on this team, so guys see him be aggressive like that, seeing him be really vocal, other guys are going to follow that lead.”

The Bassey funnel

Charles Bassey arrived in San Antonio in a precarious position, parachuting in without any knowledge of the system or what the Spurs were trying to do on either end of the floor. That’s just how it goes when you’re not part of a team’s training camp or preseason.

But things might finally be starting to click after the extra practice time over the last several days. Bassey was decisive and assertive in the pick-and-roll against Houston, setting screens and rolling hard, ducking in when the opportunities presented themselves, and properly spacing when he didn’t receive the ball or when a teammate drove to the basket.

This is all good news for San Antonio, but it was once again the defensive side of the ball where Bassey impressed the most. The guy is an absolute shot-eraser, and much like the team is trying to smooth out the integration process with him offensively, his teammates are starting to figure out how to leverage his skill set on defense.

“The thing about it is when we get good ball pressure, when we get them sped up and they go downhill, that is when Charles it at his best. We just bring 'em right to him, and he sends 'em right away,” Johnson said. “He’s an amazing shot-blocker … he has great instincts and great timing. So if we can help out by leading them down there and speeding them up a little bit, it’s a great combination.”

What’s been a bit puzzling about the Spurs defensively this season is they basically have three of these guys who do a good-to-great job protecting the rim — though neither Jakob Poeltl nor Zach Collins can move and jump the way Bassey can. The scenario Johnson described makes perfect sense: If they pressure the ball on the perimeter and funnel dribble-penetration to their shot-blockers, they’re probably going to be in good shape. Not only does it make life difficult on the ball-handler, but it allows perimeter defenders to stay at home on their men without being forced to help.

Players and coaches have continued to bring up the “energy” and “effort” buzzwords, and that a huge part of defense — especially when guarding the ball — is simply those two things. It is difficult to crank up the enthusiasm when you’re getting your ass kicked on a nightly basis, but for a team that loves to “have fun” on offense, perhaps its defensive performance against the Rockets can serve as a reminder that if they’re locked in on that side of the ball and taking advantage in transition, good things can happen on the other end.

Dougie and J-Rich

There was still no Poeltl or Jeremy Sochan on Thursday, and Devin Vassell and Keita Bates-Diop were fresh additions to an already crowded injury report, but the returns of Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson were sorely needed bandages for a cut-and-bruised Spurs roster.

You’ll probably see these guys’ names brought up more often in transaction-based discussions than you will in actual basketball talk as trade-speculation season descends upon us, and when you watch them play the way they did Thursday it’s easy to understand why.

McDermott (12 points) hit two 3-pointers on consecutive possessions late in the third quarter to push an eight-point lead to 14 points in a game San Antonio had been controlling but couldn’t quite break open to that point; and while Richardson was clearly shaking off some rust from his six-game absence (12 points on 4-for-12 shooting) due to a sprained ankle suffered in practice a couple of weeks ago, it’s the ‘culture guy’ element of his game that epitomizes what the Spurs value in veteran players, especially given the team’s overall youth. His leadership, the reliability, the steadiness, the critical good vibes — all of it matters.

“It’s nice having some guys back. Finally. (Richardson) and his energy is the thing that sticks out to me the most,” Jones said. “Obviously he’s a high-level player who can score and defend at a high level, and we missed that for sure. But the energy that he brings in the locker room, in our pre-game huddles, on the bench, on the court, everything — you can feel it. That’s the biggest thing I think we’ve been missing.”

Then there’s McDermott, whose growth and increased familiarity with the system, along with his role as sixth (or seventh) man, have created that offensive spark plug off the bench that has been part of the Spurs’ identity for the last 20 years. The 42-percent shooting from the 3-point line speaks for itself, but his constant movement and lack of conscience from the perimeter allows for those scoring bursts this team often desperately needs.

“With Doug, it’s the way he can spread the court and he can score the ball. He gives us those little runs we can go on for 30 seconds, one minute, two minutes, where he just gets it going,” Jones said. “It could be six points, it could be 15 points, it happens quick.”

There’s a significant amount of uncertainty surrounding the future of these two players with the trade deadline now only a couple of months away, but for at least the time being they provide a balance San Antonio values tremendously, and one it badly missed.

Tre Jones the every-down player

The Spurs’ starting point guard has essentially been the face of the team’s grunt-work-themed season thus far. He’s sort of a living cliché: gritty former second-round pick who worked his ass off to exceed expectations in a rise toward a prominent role as leader. He’s been one of San Antonio’s engines offensively, arguably its best perimeter defender, and a guy who’s been a barometer for team success all season.

And everyone loves him for it.

“He's a competitive young man. He plays to win every down. He is very special in that regard. He will do whatever it takes to win,” Gregg Popovich said. “He sticks his nose in, he takes no prisoners, he’s getting more confidence in his 3-point shot — but he plays the game like winners play the game.”

Jones scored a career high 26 points in Thursday’s win, relentlessly pushing the ball off defensive stops and getting out in transition for easy scores. Good things typically happen when the Spurs can create those opportunities on the break, too, especially when Jones is in the game. Despite all of their offensive struggles this season, San Antonio’s 1.13 points per possession in transition ranks solidly in the 63rd percentile of the league, per Synergy data, and Jones has been their best facilitator in those situations, averaging 1.73 points per possession plus assists in the open floor.

“I’m always looking for my teammates in transition. I know it’s tough to guard these athletes running at you in transition like that, so when I’m able to put pressure on them and just get a little attention, I can get those guys the ball and they can make easy plays,” he said. “It’s an easy way to score in this game, and it means we’re playing good defense if we’re able to get in transition.”

It’s difficult to say who will and won’t be around by the end of this team’s rebuild, but Jones has developed into a starting-caliber guard regardless of context. He’d never planned on being the only real point guard on this roster, but all things considered — injuries to teammates, lack of depth, off-court issues involving a former contemporary — he’s handled it remarkably well, and he’s clearly paved his way to a long future in the NBA, whether that’s in San Antonio or elsewhere.

Pop returns with list of demands

Three days off, two days of practice, and a coach who had just been forced to watch two disappointing performances from his couch at home turned out to be the ingredients of a recipe for success. Temporarily, at least.

Wednesday’s practice was said to be an eventful one. Even the rent-a-refs brought in to officiate the team’s scrimmage left the court looking exhausted and questioning why they’d signed up for this. But for the team, the focus was all on the defense. Players said Pop even brought a new coverage or two back to the court with him.

“The last couple of days we spent working on just that. And I think that the message got across and it showed that it carried over from two days of practice to the game,” he said. “And I think losing helps you gain that focus probably.”

Getting dragged around by your ankles for 11 games can trigger a fight-or-flight response, and the Spurs mercifully exhibited they were ready for the former. It was only one game, but it’s difficult to overstate how important it is just to get a “meaningless” win after a stretch like that. Just to clear the cobwebs. Just to stop the bleeding. Just to reset and refocus.

“I don’t think any of us has lost that many games in a row in our whole careers. It was definitely challenging at times mentally, but it is just one of those things where you gotta stay positive, continue to push forward every single day, continue to watch film and get better,” Jones said. “We knew that if we were able to keep controlling what we can control, we’d be able to get out of the slump sooner or later.”

There has been a call for more physicality and focus for weeks now, a greater effort defensively from a group with plenty to give on that side of the ball. At least in theory. Offensive struggles are one thing for a team that doesn’t possess high level scoring talent, but the Spurs are not lacking good individual defenders. Perhaps all it took was a previously caged Pop returning from a minor medical procedure to give them the appropriate boost.

“We felt that. The way we’ve been practicing, the point of emphasis on defense that we’ve had these past few days in practice has carried over,” Jones said. “(Thursday), we were a lot more physical from start to finish. In the stretches where we weren’t, we were able to snap out of it quick and get back to what we wanted to do.”

With a quick turnaround Saturday in Miami, we’ll see if the roots of that carryover extend deep enough to maintain the level of competitiveness the Spurs have been trying like hell to rekindle.