In the late 2000s, after decades of dominating the fast-food industry without incident, McDonald’s golden-arched empire was finally subjected to public scrutiny. Finally, as the company began to lose market share due to (very reasonable) accusations of unhealthy menus and questionable food-related practices, executives encouraged employees to explore and share healthy solutions that could keep their brand from sliding further.
This decree from then-CEO Donald Thompson would eventually result in corporate kitchen experiments. The most famous outcome of these experiments has to be McDonald’s own bubblegum-flavored broccoli.
Why was this one of my first thoughts while watching the San Antonio Spurs play the Cleveland Cavaliers? It was not. My first thought was how much better the offense looked 
.
With Tre Jones starting in place of Malachi Branham over the last two games (and despite a minutes restriction for the constantly improving Victor Wembanyama), the Spurs have pushed two Eastern Conference playoff teams to the brink of elimination, with Devin Vassell’s recent slump ending coincidentally during the same span.
It’s only been two games, but Jones is averaging 18/5/3 on a 50/67/100 shooting split, and the Spurs have ranked 17th in scoring (previously 26th), 14th in offensive rating (previously 29th), and 18th in net rating (previously 30th) during that time.
As it turns out, having an actual point guard running the point is important, even if it only raises the floor, not the ceiling.
The effect has been visible, with Devin Vassell shooting with renewed confidence, Victor Wembanyama delivering one consistent offensive performance after another, and Jeremy Sochan looking like his old self, happily wreaking havoc on defense and serving as a link between his still-improving vision and intuition.
The Spurs appear to have broken their deflating habit of coming out flat in the second half, winning the third quarter in consecutive games for the first time this season.
Aside from the losses, things appear to be improving for the Silver and Black, with renewed effort and excitement as players feel more at ease settling into and excelling in their roles. Even Keldon Johnson appears to have adjusted to his new role as a bench player, leading the second unit in both attitude and scoring, and appearing capable of being even more recklessly energetic off the bench in a way that is vaguely reminiscent and sentimental.
Donald Thompson eventually admitted to the public that his experiment had failed. The kids they had served that sweetened produce had been thoroughly confused by the flavor profile, their sense of reality subverted in an unenjoyable way, with Thompson even admitting that the saccharine broccolini “wasn’t all that”.
He no longer works for the company after his attempts to improve the chain’s health failed miserably (as evidenced by a 4.1 percent decline in customer traffic), but he does serve on the board of Beyond Meat, a vegan alternative meat company. And, against all odds, McDonald’s has become the world’s leading salad seller.
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