Praise be to God (or Pop, or Buford, or whoever is responsible)! The Spurs have recalled James "Flight" White (aka "His Flightness") from the NBDL. He is supposed to be with the team for the Laker game on Sunday.
Here are his stats while playing with the Austin Toros:
15 G
34.4 MPG
16.3 PPG
47.7% FG
33.3% 3P
75.3% FT (5.67 FTAPG)
1.33 / 2.67 / 4.00 RPG
3.1 APG
1.67 SPG
0.53 BPG
3.00 TOPG
The question now is "why?" Do they have any intentions on actually playing him? (This Rodeo Road Trip (RRT) involves a segababa against PHX this Thursday.) Do they want him to experience the circle-jerk bonding that traditionally occurs during the RRT? Is Bowen's worrisome back the reasoning?
Earlier this week Pop, in an a fit of insanity topped with pride, declared no important trades would be made this season.
This, in my (admittedly cynical) eyes, makes James White all the more important to the Spurs title hopes. Because the rotation, as it's currently configured, isn't good enough to beat both PHX and DAL (with both of them having home court) in the playoffs.
Pop repeatedly reminds the media that the Spurs were one bone-headed Manu foul from beating DAL last year. I hope someone on his staff has the gumption to remind him that the Spurs probably would have lost in six if Jason Terry doesn't punch Finley in the balls. Or that the Spurs would probably have lost to DET in 2005 if Robert Horry doesn't (nearly) single-handedly beat the Pistons in game 5.
Sometimes I think Pop believes that Tim Duncan and a team-wide cult-like commitment to defense and solid decision-making is all you need to win a title. That the Spurs are repeatedly losing big leads because they aren't focused, instead of considering the possibility their age and lack of athleticism might prevent them from maintaining a high level of play for 48 minutes.
Pop is a wine afficionado. He collects, he reads, he studies, he owns part of a vineyard, he immerses himself in the details. It doesn't take a sommelier to know that a huge part of loving wine is enjoying the subtleties. And the subtleties, the small cracks in the Spurs facade, are what Pop is seemingly ignoring.
Help us James White, you may be our only hope.