NBA: Roby learning the ropes with the Spurs

Even in his fourth year in the NBA, Dixon native Isaiah Roby is still experiencing new things this season.

After a strong second half of last season as a main component with a young Oklahoma City Thunder team in 2021-22, Roby was placed on waivers in the offseason as the team continued its rebuild.

But the 6-foot-8 forward didn’t have to wait long to find out his next destination: the San Antonio Spurs claimed him almost immediately, and Roby found himself in the middle of another rebuild.

Things have been different this season in San Antonio. After starting 28 games last season with the Thunder and making 34 starts in 2020-21, and averaging more than 20 minutes per game in each of those seasons, Roby has found himself in a reserve role coming off the bench this season with the Spurs.

“It’s tough. It’s a new skill,” Roby said last Monday before the Spurs took on the Bulls at the United Center. “Obviously when you start the game, you get to feel out the pace of the game, you get to kind of set the tone. When you come off the bench, you might come in and guys are already going, and it takes a few times up and down the court to get going. It’s definitely a new skill I’m working on, and it’s a valuable skill for a lot of teams around the league, to be able to be called upon at any time and know the game plan and execute it.”

After getting used to his teammates and environment in Oklahoma City, Roby again finds himself as the new guy in San Antonio, and has worked hard to try and earn the respect of his new coaches and teammates, while learning how to excel in his new role.

“Every year in the NBA has been different, with different lessons I’ve learned,” Roby said. “Obviously my first couple of years, I was the new guy in the league, the new guy on the team, and just trying to learn my way in the NBA. Learning how to operate, trying to learn my day-to-day routine and how to stay ready for games. Now I’m kind of in a role where I’m coming off the bench more, and it’s kind of not as defined, so I’m still working, just trying to stay ready whenever my number is called.”

His hard work is getting noticed. Legendary coach Gregg Popovich, the winningest coach in NBA history and three-time NBA Coach of the Year, talked briefly after the Spurs’ game against the 76ers on Feb. 3 about the growth he’s seen from Roby over the last few months.

“Well, he didn’t get many minutes. It’s hard to evaluate that. He’s a great teammate because he comes out the next day, if he didn’t play that night, and he works his butt off to stay in shape and hopes that he gets a chance,” Popovich said. “He didn’t play that many minutes tonight, but while he is out there, I think he’s just happy to be there to get into shape [and] play in shape, because you don’t really have to do that at the practice facility as much as you might work. He’s just happy to be out there getting a chance. I thought he was aggressive. He shot the ball, he didn’t hesitate [and] he drove the basketball. So, I thought he took advantage of the minutes he had.”

Roby had four points, a rebound, an assist and a steal in 10 minutes in that game, and took advantage of a little more playing time three days later in Chicago. He posted eight points, four rebounds and an assist in 15 minutes against the Bulls, doubling his season averages of 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.

He said he has loved the experience of playing for Popovich and a franchise that has had so much success over the last three decades.

“It’s amazing. He’s a legend,” Roby said. “Coming from Oklahoma City, obviously I made a lot of good friends there, had a lot of good teammates. … But I’ve looked forward to being here in San Antonio. Obviously outside of that, playing for a legendary coach, legendary organization, it’s first-class. I was definitely grateful they were able to pick me up off waivers, and it’s been good.”

The biggest difference he’s noticed this season is the attitude and expectations for playing for a traditional winner. While the Spurs have struggled the last couple of seasons, they had 22 consecutive winning seasons after Popovich took over in 1996, and won NBA titles in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.

Even with less success on the court recently, Popovich still expects his players to do things the right way and perform their best.

“For me, the thing on this team that’s been tough is doing the little things perfect. There are certain things that Coach Pop will not negotiate on with certain guys. Obviously the young guys, they’ve got to learn the hard way, play through mistakes. As a more veteran player, there are certain things that he just won’t accept,” Roby said. “So for me on this team – it’s different on every team – but on this team, I’ve been trying to learn that and just every time I go out there, just make sure I don’t do those things. That’s kind of my role right now, trying to not necessarily play perfect, but do the little things – like knowing our defensive assignments, knowing the plays, that type of stuff is what I’ve been trying to focus on.”

Roby is familiar with many of the guys in the locker room. He played against a few of them in the Big Ten while at Nebraska, and was recruited in high school by teammate Doug McDermott’s father, Greg, to play at Creighton.

But there are also players from places like Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Gonzaga, Baylor and Notre Dame, and Roby said it helps him keep his edge by playing against guys from higher-profile teams than the Cornhuskers.

“I have a little bit of a connection with some of these guys, but it’s definitely one of those things where I still carry that chip on my shoulder,” Roby said. “Being from a small town, being from a college that’s not known for producing basketball players … we’ve got a lot of blue-bloods on this team, so I love being that underdog and carrying that chip on my shoulder.”

That attitude, along with a strong work ethic and a constant desire to improve, have helped Roby strive for success ever since he was a freshman with the Dixon Dukes.

But he admits that he’s already surpassed the basketball dreams he had growing up – and he’s still learning what it takes to keep it going.

“I think the average career is 4 years, and I’m there, I made it, and that surpassed my goals I had as a kid, that I had as a college player even,” he said. “But when you get to that level, you kind of have to reevaluate your goals, so for me, this season has been about, ‘How can I get to Year 8? How can I get to Year 9, 10 in the NBA?’ When I first got to the NBA, it was, ‘How can I get to Year 4?’ And I made it, so I’m kind of trying to reevaluate that and show that I belong.”

He’ll be a free agent after this season, as his four-year rookie contract will expire in a few months. So as much as he’s focused on staying in the moment as he’s learned his new role with his new team, Roby has also had one eye on his future.

“For sure, there’s always that looking ahead a little bit. This is the last year of my deal, so not only am I playing to help the Spurs this season, I’m kind of playing for the future, too,” he said. “Every time you go out there, you’re playing for something. But in a contract year, you’re playing for a little bit more incentive. I’m definitely trying to not only show the Spurs, but show teams around the league that I belong in the NBA long-term.”

Statistically this season hasn’t been on par with the last two. Roby has played in 41 games and made just two starts, and has 172 points, 107 rebounds, 38 assists, 18 steals and seven blocked shots in 468 minutes. He is 67 for 155 from the field – including 18 for 60 from 3-point range – and 20 for 41 from the free-throw line. He has season highs of 25 minutes, 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks, with the points and rebounds both coming against the Clippers on Jan. 26.

But he feels he has increased his value as a player going forward, showing the ability to accept a role coming off the bench to help his team. After learning to be a leader for his teammates with the Thunder as one of the more veteran guys on the roster, he’s relishing the opportunity to learn from some veteran teammates in San Antonio.

“I think as a fourth-year guy, it’s my job to continue to help the young guys play the right style of basketball, play winning basketball, even though we’re in a rebuild. But here we have a lot of great vets here, so for sure, being able to help the younger guys but also still learn from the older guys has been great,” Roby said. “But it’s a weird spot, because it’s not like you can do one, then the other; you’re trying to do both of those things at the same time.

“But it’s been fun. Obviously I haven’t played as much as I want this year, and I haven’t had the performance that I envisioned myself having, but there’s a lot of games left, and I’ve been able to just watch and work everyday to continue to stay ready. I have full trust in the coaching staff, they have a plan for me, and I’m looking forward to playing the rest of the season out.”

He’s seen an increased role since the Spurs traded away starters Jakob Poeltl and Josh Richardson at the trade deadline for younger players and future draft picks. But he suffered an ankle injury in the first half Monday night against the Cavaliers, and did not play in the second half. He is listed as day-to-day in the Spurs’ injury report.

That comes a week after got a little treat at the United Center on Feb. 6. He had his own cheering section, as the Dixon Park District sponsored a bus trip for residents from his hometown to see him play. Roby spent quite a bit of time before the game greeting people who made the trip to see him, and they made some noise when he entered the game for the second time in the third quarter: chants of “Ro-by, Ro-by!” could be heard from the area behind the Spurs bench.

“It’s special. It’s one of those things where you say it – ‘They’re here to watch me’ – and it’s just so surreal. It’s amazing,” Roby said about the hometown support. “When I was growing up, I would’ve been on that bus. I would’ve love to come and see a guy from my hometown play in the NBA. I think it gives you a certain level of amazement; for kids, obviously just coming to the game would be so great, to be at the United Center for it, but seeing somebody that grew up where you’re from, it kind of makes it a little bit more real. Maybe you think, ‘He did it, maybe I can do it too.’

“Honestly, it’s really weird for me. It’s very humbling. I see a lot of faces that I knew from growing up in Dixon, and a lot of new faces. People will come up to me and say, ‘We’re from Dixon too,’ and I think, ‘Dang, I’ve never met you before, but you’re here supporting me, and I love that.’ It’s definitely a blessing, and I would never take it for granted. That’s why I love being from a small town.”

• Spurs beat writer Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News contributed to this story.