There are two reasons that the Spurs should be doubly incentivized to win tonight's game against the Suns. Phoenix is the only team to beat San Antonio by double digits this season, winning by 12 points in their first matchup a few weeks back. Secondly, Dillon Brooks will be in the lineup. He missed the last game, and while he's not a star, by any means, he's annoying. Nobody wants to lose to the annoying guy.
The Canadian shooting guard has a defense-first mindset, but he's also an irritant. Think Lance Stephenson. A troll who brings less skill than you'd like but plays physically and tries to get into his opponents' heads. His weapons of choice are dirty plays and relentless trash talk. It doesn't take a lot of talent, but it's effective against the right players. That can't be our guys tomorrow.
Spurs Nation may or may not remember his comments in the Court of Gold documentary, covering the Paris Olympics. Brooks played for Canada's National Team, and when asked about how [Victor Wembanyama reacts to taking contact](https://airalamo.com/dillon-brooks-quote-new-netflix-doc-annoy-spurs-fans-again), he responded by saying, "You tell me. Withers, weathers, falls over." You have to do everything in your power to avoid letting that person beat you.
The Spurs will have serious adjustments to make to beat the Suns
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Dillon didn't play in the first game, and neither did Jalen Green. Both players were acquired in the offseason and were the biggest additions to their roster. They beat San Antonio anyway and did it by deploying one of the most frustrating defensive game plans Wemby has had to deal with all season. The Spurs were down a few players of their own, including De'Aaron Fox, but that's not an excuse.
The loss would have been easier to swallow had the Silver and Black not looked completely confused by what they were seeing, but they need those struggles to happen early. They'll learn how to counter them as they go, and by the time the postseason rolls around, hopefully, they're ready for the majority of the concepts they'll have thrown at them.
Unfortunately, without Wemby, they can't really see if their fixes will work against this team. But it's a regular-season game in November, so the stakes aren't dire. Still, the focus has to be on getting the win against a team that has gone 8-2 over its last 10 contests. They struggled out of the blocks, but Phoenix has regained its footing, playing much better than anyone thought they would after trading away Kevin Durant.
This was the first team to hand San Antonio a loss this season after their historic 5-0 start. They may not have the franchise superstar in the lineup, but they [have to even the score anyway.](https://airalamo.com/secret-recipe-to-spurs-raging-success-is-better-than-you-think) There's no way these guys want to go down 0-2 to the Suns—a storied rival—and their smug "enforcer." I know I don't.