NBA Playoffs 2017: 5 things we learned from the Spurs beating the Rockets

The Spurs blew out the Rockets on the road without Kawhi Leonard in Game 6. They earned a series win with the victory.

Jonathon Simmons stepped into Kawhi Leonard’s role during the decisive victory, scoring 18 points while holding James Harden to ten points. LaMarcus Aldridge stepped up as well, scoring a season-high 34 points on 16-of-26 shooting and grabbing 12 rebounds. The Spurs proved that they could succeed without Leonard and it was an impressive performance to build off of headed into the Western Conference Finals.

There was one point in time where it looked like Houston was primed for an upset. They defeated the Spurs 126-99 on the road during Game 1 and sent a statement. James Harden rolled despite the Spurs’ wing defense, and the supporting cast looked strong. They lost Games 2-3 but took Game 4 in a similar result to Game 1 and tied the series through four games. But then they lost Game 5 in overtime and failed to respond in Game 6. A strong Rockets season came to an end tonight.

There were lessons learned about both of these teams over the course of this series. Certain players responded to the challenge of the playoffs, while others faltered. Some team flaws were exploited by both sides. But these are the five biggest things that we learned from this series:

5. Jonathon Simmons made a lot of money this series

The Spurs have a tradition of unearthing and developing little known prospects. There are examples on every Spurs roster from Bruce Bowen through George Hill, and on to their current roster. GM R.C. Buford has proven to be a great evaluater of talent, and then the organization has a proven track record with development. Shot coach Chip Engelland is considered one of the best in the business and Gregg Popovich puts his players in position to succeed. There may not be a better example of San Antonio unearthing hidden gems than the rise of Jonathon Simmons.

Simmons took a long path to the NBA. The Houston native went to a JUCO out of high school, and then transferred to Midland College, and then the University of Houston. Simmons went undrafted out of college and played a season in the now defunct American Basketball League. He attended an open tryout for the Spurs D-League team in 2013 and managed to make the Austin Toros. There were two seasons there before making the Spurs roster prior to the 2015-2016 season.

The now 27-year-old Simmons has steadily made the jump from the end of the bench to key reserve for the Spurs. The 6-foot-6 wing uses his standout athleticism to be a quality defender, and sometimes to deliver highlight plays on offense as well.  Simmons isn’t a plus shooter in his role, but has steadily improved in that area and proven to be a good backup for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. His efforts were especially important during this series, where he succeeded in slowing MVP candidate James Harden and filled in capably for Leonard in Game 6. In a market where Solomon Hill got $48 million in free agency, Simmons is about to get paid during his impending free agency this summer.