The San Antonio Spurs defeated the New York Knicks 120-105, leading them from start to finish in a fairly one-sided game. Chris Paul got the party started, but Sandro Mamukelashvili turned it up to Project X levels of insanity. Fans should have known that something was up when Flavor Flav showed up in San Antonio to watch the game, but really, nobody could know that Mamu was on demon time.

The New York-born forward was ready to take on his hometown team tonight, and Mitch Johnson’s minute inconsistency was not going to stop him. Sandro didn’t play a lick in the first quarter but scored 13 points in the eight minutes he got in the second quarter. He then didn’t get in the game in the third quarter but dropped 21 points when he was called upon in the fourth.

That’s staying ready if I’ve ever seen it. The impressive performance was enough to make his teammates go crazy on the sidelines and in the postgame. That’s more than appropriate when you really put Mamu’s night into perspective.

Mamu could be San Antonio’s new version of Matt Bonner

Don’t get me wrong, because I loved Matt Bonner, but he didn’t move the needle in a major way. The Red Mamba wasn’t known for his versatile playstyle or his aggressive defense. He was a liability when being attacked by opponents, and he could only shoot threes. He was a spectacular shooter, but that was the only true skill he possessed.

Regardless of his shortcomings, he stayed on San Antonio’s roster for 10 years, lasting from the 2007 championship through the 2014 title and beyond. Bonner stuck around because he was he possessed a great skill, he was a great guy, and he was cheap. He only averaged more than 20 minutes per game three out of the 10 years, and that was just fine.

Mamu has more versatility offensively than Matt did. He just put it on display in the most exciting way possible. Yet I have no faith that he’d consistently get minutes next season when everyone is healthy. He’s come in and played well over several stretches in his short career thus far, but he never sticks in the lineup. He’s not a great defender, but it’s not like he’s the only one who fits that description.

Regardless of playing time, Mamu shouldn’t go anywhere. He’s fun to watch when he gets in the game, his teammates seem to love him, and like Bonner, he’s cheap. As Jacob Tobey mentioned on tonight’s broadcast, Sandro loves being a member of the Spurs. Hopefully, the front office returns that affection by extending him in the offseason.