Spurs Focused on Cleaning Up 'Mental Errors' After California Classic Loss

In college, Bryant came off the bench. His final stat line in Game 1 of the Classic came close to matching his year-long average, only this time, he was in the Summer Spurs' starting lineup against a different demographic of players. That helped explain, but not justify, some of his errors.

"It's going to be tough," he said. "First time out playing against grown men. Guys are going to be smarter, faster, stronger than you. For me, everything was a learning experience. A lot of the mistakes I made were just mental errors."

As a unit, San Antonio was outshot and out-assisted by Miami; it committed nearly double the fouls and gave up six more turnovers.

Noyes hoped his squad could make up for the discrepancies with shooting, but despite executing the game plan, the Spurs weren't getting lucky.

"They just didn't fall tonight," Noyes said. "We will shoot better, and we will shoot with confidence."

That was something Bryant lacked none of his first time out.

"To have Spurs across my chest," he said, "and to ... represent one of the most storied franchises in NBA history, I was ready to go out and compete."

On offense, San Antonio will continue to encourage his shooting. His form already looks polished, and his movement without the ball helps him get to desirable spots on the court. But where Bryant has the ability to shine most comes on the defensive end.

That's why Noyes and his staff have pre-determined Bryant's summer assignment: defending the other team’s best player.

"We've got the utmost confidence in him," Noyes said. "He will continue getting better over the course of Summer League."

As far as Bryant is concerned, such a job is both a welcome challenge and a preview of what he can expect from Noyes as a development coach come the regular season. That much only adds to the excitement of San Antonio.

"I love coach," Bryant said. "He's intense. He's fiery ... that's all you can ask for from a coach — someone who wants to win as much as you."

Noyes kept his composure, but he acknowledged the areas where his team came up short. Moving forward, it'll look to cut back on mental errors with a four-game stint in Las Vegas still ahead. And Bryant will continue acclimating.

He's got 10 fouls a night to use, after all.