We are so back… kind of.
The San Antonio Spurs will take to the hardwood for their first preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks. It’s the first time we’ll see the Silver and Black since they lost game five of the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks. They’ll face off against one of the teams trying to dethrone the Knicks as the best team in the East.
In past years, the Spurs have taken a cautious approach to the preseason. It was rare to see all five starters play together for the majority of the game.
However, San Antonio has plenty of lineup questions coming into the season, and the preseason could give them a chance to experiment. Game one could give fans a hint at who the starters will be coming into the season, or it could be a chance for head coach Mitch Johnson to try a unique lineup against the smaller Hawks.
Atlanta will come into the game with a few players resting. CJ McCollum, Aaron Wiggins, and Lu Dort all sat out Monday’s preseason opener against the Memphis Grizzlies. It’s likely that both of these teams will limit the playing time of their regular rotation players as they ease into the regular season.
San Antonio Spurs (0-0) vs. Atlanta Hawks (0-1)
October 7th, 2026 | 7 PM CT
Watch: DAZN | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Jayden Quaintance – Out (knee), Tobias Harris – Out (calf), David Jones-Garcia – Questionable (ankle)
Hawks Injuries: Aaron Wiggins – Questionable (lip), Luguentz Dort – Questionable (knee), CJ McCollum – Questionable (nose), Henri Veesaar – Out (knee), Mouhamed Gueye – Questionable (foot)
What to watch for:
Three-guard lineup
The talk of Spurs training camp was the coaching staff finding a way to play De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper together. San Antonio played those three together sparingly last season. All involved parties have said they see the trio playing together more this season. We’ll see how often the Spurs go to this lineup on Monday, and its general effectiveness against a team with many long, agile perimeter defenders in the Hawks.
Wembanyama’s go-to move
We’ll all be watching to see if Victor Wembanyama can establish a go-to move this season. The basketball world has been clamoring for the big man to develop a signature, dominant scoring move. Something he can use at any time and that’s a nightmare for the defense to stop. We’ll likely not know what that move is in a preseason opener, but keep an eye out for any new tricks the fourth-year big man has against Atlanta.
The rookies
The real excitement of the preseason is the chance to see young players suit up for the first time. San Antonio will likely give Tarris Reed Jr. plenty of run in the preseason, with second-round picks Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Maliq Brown playing more in garbage time. Reports out of training camp are that Reed Jr. is making his presence felt, especially on the glass. He’ll have a chance to prove that against real NBA competition on Thursday.
