The San Antonio Spurs showed why they are considered NBA Finals favorites in their first preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks. Despite dropping the game 123-116, San Antonio’s starters shined in a first-half run filled with explosive offense.
Now the Spurs will head to Phoenix for a matchup with the scrappy Suns, who are looking for their first preseason win. It may be the first time we see San Antonio’s full starting lineup featuring De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper all playing
alongside each other. Mitch Johnson announced that those three guards, Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama, would start the first preseason game, before Fox was ruled out in a late-game scratch.
Whether the full starters play or not, game two of the preseason will give the Spurs another opportunity to experiment with lineups and see how this group gels.
San Antonio Spurs (0-1) vs. Phoenix Suns (0-2)
October 10th, 2026 | 9 PM CT
Watch: DAZN/ESPN2 | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Jayden Quaintance – Out (knee), Tobias Harris – Out (calf), Maliq Brown – Questionable (back), De’Aaron Fox – Questionable (soreness), Malik Williams – Questionable (undisclosed)
Suns Injuries: Mark Williams – Out (shoulder), Miles Bridges – Questionable (ankle)
What to watch for:
Small-ball starting five
The Spurs are allegedly starting a smaller group, with Vassell effectively playing the four. That becomes a lot easier when you have a 7-foot-5 center in the middle of the floor. San Antonio did a pretty good job of gang rebounding around Wembanyama in the first preseason game. Saturday’s contest will pose an even bigger challenge, as they will be a smaller lineup, and the Suns are a more physical team.
Backup guards
David Jones-Garcia and Ja’Kobi Gillespie had impressive games in their first preseason contest, scoring 14 and 8 points apiece off the bench. San Antonio is going to need depth at guard if they are starting three of them and planning to stagger their minutes. Jones-Garcia and Gillespie will have a legitimate chance to earn minutes during the dog days of the regular season. More solid play in the preseason could earn them a larger role when the time comes.
Carter Bryant
The Spurs sophomore wing looked more confident in the first preseason game. He had 11 points on 3-for-8 shooting with 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, and 4 turnovers. He still needs to be a bit more patient, but his aggressiveness is a welcome sign after some of his timid play last year. If Bryant makes a big leap in year two, the Spurs could have another versatile three-and-D player they can plug in alongside their three guards and Wembanyama. Watch to see if he can continue improving in the second game of the preseason.
