After winning a warm-up game against the Guangzhou Loong-Lions, the San Antonio Spurs will face their first NBA competition of the preseason in a matchup against the Miami Heat. The Spurs are likely to get
back Devin Vassell in Miami, but there is a host of players still listed as questionable on the injury report, including Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and Jeremy Sochan. The Heat will be without their All-Star, Tyler Herro, who is recovering from ankle surgery.
Miami is coming off a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in a game that didn’t include Giannis Antetokounmpo. This will be an intriguing matchup for the Spurs, as Miami is one of the few teams in the league that has the size and lineup versatility to matchup with the Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet duo.
San Antonio Spurs (1-0) vs. Miami Heat (0-1)
October 8th, 2025 | 6:30 PM CT
Watch: NBA TV | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: De’Aaron Fox – Out (hamstring), Dylan Harper – Questionable (thumb), Kelly Olynyk – Questionable (heel), Devin Vassell – Probable (ankle), Stephon Castle – Questionable (knee), Jeremy Sochan – Questionable (calf), Jordan McLaughlin – Questionable (undisclosed)
Heat Injuries: Kasparas Jakucionis – Questionable (wrist), Pelle Larsson – Questionable (quad), Simone Fontecchio – Questionable (leg), Terry Rozier – Questionable (hamstring), Davion Mitchell – Questionable (calf), Tyler Herro – Out (ankle)
What to watch for:
Wemby and Kornet
The biggest takeaway from Monday’s victor over the Loong-Lions was how effective the Wembanyama-Kornet minutes were. Both players shot perfect from the field, and connected several times for easy looks around the rim. Wembanyama’s passing in particular opened up a lot for the Spurs, as he finished with 7 assists. Miami will play two bigs at once with Bam Adebayo and Kel’El Ware, who are both good defenders. This is the perfect game for Mitch Johnson to learn just how effective his new big man duo is.
Devin Vassell’s preseason debut
Vassell will be back in action after missing the Spurs first preseason game. He should have plenty of opportunities to play with the ball in his hands, with Castle, Fox and Harper potentially sitting. What is more interesting, is how Vassell plays off the ball. That will likely be his primary role this season with the influx of ball-handlers on the roster. Wednesday night’s game may not be indicative of his use in the regular season, but it’ll be interesting to see how he fits into Johnson’s game plan nonetheless.
Carter Bryant builds off a good performance
Monday night had to be a good confidence booster for the rookie. Bryant looked good in his preseason debut, posting 15 points on 6-11 shooting, with 2 steals. The Arizona wing struggled to shoot the ball again, knocking down 1 of his 5 three-point attempts. Still, he attacked the basket well, didn’t force anything offensively, and played good defense. Continuing to do those things consistently could earn him NBA minutes as soon as this season. Another solid preseason game, this time against NBA competition, could help him earn a role this upcoming season.
