THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: All this transforming, so Zags can float in March

The plan was to turn these new Zags from caterpillars into gorgeous butterflies.

Mark Few told us several times that it might be a slow process, and the most brutal non-conference schedule he’d ever put together might call for patience along the way.

Few felt fierce competition would be the most practical route for this year’s Zags to learn a new identity — without Andrew Nembhard or Chet Holmgren, among other issues that had to be addressed.

So …

As long as we’re using the handy butterfly analogy, National Geographic magazine notes that the transformation from egg to caterpillar to discarding a chrysalis and ultimately flying into the world isn’t actually easy for these creatures.

“It’s difficult and painful,” noted a story on the life cycle of a butterfly. “There has to be a complete change of cellular structure in each stage.”

I’m guessing that Zags fans can identify with that right now.

Gonzaga has lost three games by the first week in December, and that unusual total actually could have been FIVE – considering a tough four-point win over Xavier, and then that scary survival act against Kent State on Monday night.

THIS CHANGE of cellular structure has, yes, been “difficult and painful” at times for a team that was ranked No. 2 in the AP’s preseason poll.

Anyone who follows Gonzaga hoops realized that ranking was based solely on reputation, but what we did NOT know was how this new-look team would come together, nor how successful it would be against that gauntlet of rugged opponents early in the year.

Answer …

Not very.

Getting absolutely worked over by Tennessee (in an exhibition), and then at Texas showed that the Zags were miles away from playing solid defense — as the Vols and Horns found open 3-point shots just for the fun of it.

Another thrashing by Purdue and 7-foot-4 Zach Edey exposed problems trying to double-team the post and still defend talented players on the perimeter.

To be fair, now, Purdue and Texas are among the nation’s top five teams, and Tennessee worked over defending national champ Kansas — so looking back, those were tests the Zags would have needed miracles to handle at this time of year.

It's worth noting that Few admitted that he, too, could have used some lessons in handling his remade team.

When point guard Nolan Hickman turned the ball over twice in the final minute, and then the Zags had no coherent offensive plan while blowing a seven-point lead in that 64-63 loss to Baylor, Few basically conceded that his guys had needed a timeout to get organized.

“That one was on me,” he said.

The coach is working to find a plan for close games (which, really, the Zags haven’t played very often in recent seasons).

When a cool, savvy Kent State team grabbed a 66-62 lead with 3:41 to play on Monday — and The Kennel feeling a kind of collective terror — Few decided the Zags needed some damn stops.

For the first time with a game on the line (not to mention that 68-game home winning streak and, most likely, the 118-week streak of being ranked), Few used Malachi Smith and Hunter Sallis together to close things out.

The two guards couldn’t have more different skills, but they are excellent defenders and tough-minded characters.

Sallis promptly drew his second and third offensive fouls to gain extra possessions, and Smith made a slick pass to Julian Strawther for a 3-pointer.

Smith then grabbed a missed Drew Timme free throw that Strawther tipped, followed it up and in, and got fouled in the process.

Malachi’s ensuing free throw gave the Zags a five-point lead — and they cruised home from there to win 73-66, finishing with an 11-0 run created almost entirely by defense and hustle.

YOU CAN be fooled by a box score, sometimes.

Timme clearly dominated that Kent State thriller, pouring in 29 points to go with 17 rebounds.

Drew’s work, though, would not have been rewarded with a win if it weren’t for all that fierce play by his mates in the final three minutes.

Sallis and Smith each had just one bucket in the game, but their presence was the difference.

It will be interesting to see how Few deploys his troops going forward.

They’ll get another lesson Friday night with Washington (7-2) and its sticky 2-3 zone coming to town.

Look, this Gonzaga team — unlike many of its predecessors — doesn’t have all that much room for error.

These Zags are going to get pushed, in and out of WCC play.

There are several key players who have obvious strengths, but also some weaknesses.

Anton Watson is not athletic enough to wiggle around defenders; Hickman hasn’t shown he can get to the rim successfully when he tries to drive; Strawther still cannot put the ball on the floor smoothly and with confidence.

And so on.

Teams with powerful post players will give Gonzaga headaches, because you don’t want Timme guarding anyone in the post.

Few uses Watson, and has tried Ben Gregg, who is a bull (but often appears to have found himself in a china shop).

After nine games, the Zags assist-to-turnover ratio is almost exactly even, and that just won’t do.

They handled the ball like a live grenade against Baylor, and it cost them the game.

In other words, there’s still work to be done if Few is going to discover this team’s ceiling.

Late February to early March would be a good time for everything to come together for these Zags.

Butterflies, you see, only live about a month.

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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”