The injury bug has infested the San Antonio Spurs early and often this season. After finally getting De’Aaron Fox back from injury, the Spurs have now lost Victor Wembanyama to a calf strain for the next
few weeks at least. On top of that, Stephon Castle will miss time with “hip soreness,” and Dylan Harper is still recovering from his calf strain. The Spurs will be down three key contributors in their matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Grizz are dealing with their own injury issues. Nearly all of their ball-handlers are out for this game, including star guard Ja Morant. Memphis has struggled to get off to a good start. They are 4-10 and have lost four straight. The offense is ranked 27th in the NBA, and their defense is 2oth. Still, the Grizzlies are a big team with talented players who can catch an unsuspecting team on a bad night. The Spurs will need to be ready.
San Antonio will be looking to Fox to drive the offense while they are shorthanded. He stepped up in their win against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. He’ll look to continue that momentum in front of the home crowd on Tuesday night.
San Antonio Spurs (9-4) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (4-10)
November 18th, 2025 | 7 PM CT
Watch: Peacock and FanDuel SW | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Dylan Harper – Out (calf), Stephon Castle – Out (hip), David Jones Garcia – Questionable (G League), Jordan McLaughlin – Out (hamstring), Riley Minix – Questionable (G League), Victor Wembanyama –º Out (calf)
Grizzlies Injuries: Brandon Clarke – Out (knee), Ty Jerome – Out (calf), Ja Morant – Out (calf), Scotty Pippen Jr. – Out (toe), Javon Small – Out (toe)
What to watch for:
The battle inside
The Grizzlies haven’t been a great interior team this season, but they haven’t had their giant center, Zach Edey, until last Saturday. Edey and Jaren Jackson Jr. are a formidable duo inside. Without Wembanyama, the Spurs will rely on Luke Kornet, Kelly Olynyk, and Jeremy Sochan to battle them in the paint. We haven’t seen a lot of two big lineups that don’t involve Wembanyama, but the Spurs may need one against the Grizzlies. With no Morant, the Grizzlies’ offense is likely to go through JJJ and Edey, so San Antonio will need to be ready to slow them down.
Fox stays hot
The Spurs’ star guard is starting to get his groove back. He looked excellent on Sunday against the Kings. He shot the ball well and was the go-to guy down the stretch. Without Castle and Wembanyama, he’ll once again act as the offensive engine for San Antonio. He’ll likely be faced with some bigger, longer defenders on Tuesday, like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cedric Coward, and Jaylen Wells. Edey and JJJ pose a challenge on the interior as well. Fox will have to overcome this challenge to keep up his solid play.
A deeper bench
With all of the injuries, the Spurs will have to go deeper into their bench to get contributions. That means we’ll likely see Carter Bryant get more minutes. Lindy Waters and Olynyk will be in line for more run than they typically see. Notably, Harrison Ingram is not on the injury report and will suit up for the big league squad. The results with the Spurs’ end-of-the-bench players have been mixed. Bryant has looked lost at times, Waters has shot the ball well, and Olynyk can score but isn’t a rim protector. San Antonio will rely on these players to contribute not just on Tuesday, but over the next few games as they wait for players to return. The depth of the Spurs’ bench has become extremely important.
