Welcome to Week in Review: a Monday feature that looks back at the week that was for the San Antonio Spurs, takes a look at the week ahead, and more. Enjoy!
Week 1: 1-2 (1-2, 9th in West)
104-116 loss vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
It wasn’t the season opener the Spurs had hoped for. With the Thunder out for revenge for the Western Conference Finals and red hot from three in the first half, the lethargic Spurs went ice cold in the second quarter to fall behind by 26 points and, despite an admirable effort in the second half, couldn’t
rally all the way back.
On a side note, keep Jaylen Williams in your thoughts after he suffered a brutal looking leg injury last night (I don’t recommend making the same mistake as me and watching it). Assuming it’s as bad as it looks, he’s more than likely out for the season and faces an even harder road back.
110-114 loss vs. Houston Rockets (in Austin)
The Spurs looked better in their second game as they continued to shake off the rust and find some rhythm, but it still wasn’t enough against a healthy Rockets squad that finally has a true point guard. Alperen Sengun was unstoppable down low no matter who guarded him, and Amen Thompson blocked Victor Wembanyama’s game tying attempt for the heart-breaking loss.
106-122 win at Dallas Mavericks
The Spurs finally got their first win of the season against a depleted Mavs team that was missing Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving, among others. While nothing special, the Spurs’ starters did their jobs and put the opponent away with a few timely runs, and we even got to see what Tarris Reed could bring to the table in rotation minutes.
Power Rankings
John Schuhmann, NBA.com — 6 (last week: 1)
OffRtg: 110.5 (14) DefRtg: 111.3 (14) NetRtg: -0.7 (14)
A season with big expectations got off to a rough start for Victor Wembanyama (1-for-13 against the Thunder) and the Spurs. After losing to Oklahoma City and Houston, they trailed the shorthanded Mavs (no Kyrie Irving or Cooper Flagg) late in the third quarter on Saturday before pulling away in the final 13 minutes.
Two takeaways
1. The Spurs’ new starting lineup played limited minutes (just 9.4 per game) and the results were mixed. It outscored the Thunder by 10 points on Tuesday, but scored an anemic 30 points on 45 offensive possessions (67 per 100) against the Rockets and Mavs over the weekend. The offense was at its best with last season’s starter (Julian Champagnie) on the floor.
2. Victor Wembanyama has struggled with his jump shot. Combining preseason and Week 1, he’s shot 2-for-11 from mid-range and 5-for-28 from beyond the arc. But the Spurs have allowed less than a point per possession with him on the floor, while allowing 133 per 100 with him on the bench.
Coming up: The Spurs’ win in Dallas over the weekend was the start of what seems like a pretty soft, 12-game stretch of schedule that should have them at or near the top of the West in mid-November. Minnesota is the toughest opponent on that stretch, but the Spurs will have a rest advantage when they host the Wolves on Saturday.
Law Murray, The Athletic — 12 (last week: 5)
Opening week question: Do De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle complement one another well enough?
Defensively, the trio has been fine — it helps to have Victor Wembanyama back there. But these three are only starting together because that’s the team Mitch Johnson has to manage this year. Last year, Johnson could bring the second pick of the draft (Harper) off the bench, have Fox minimize his touches and play primarily through Castle while Wembanyama enjoyed his ascent to MVP finalist. This year, the Spurs are letting their guard trio dominate the ball. San Antonio is shooting only 41.5 percent from the field and 28.1 percent from 3.
Kurt Helin, NBC Sports — 8 (last week: 2)
Through three games, the jury is still out on starting the three guards together — De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper — with the group posting a +1.4 net rating when on the court together. With that trio, the defense has been spectacular, but the offense has struggled (granted, on an exceedingly small sample). One issue with starting the three-guard lineup is that the Spurs now lack the bench punch Harper brought last season. It’s wild to say it, but the bigger problem for the Spurs — especially against the Thunder on opening night — was Victor Wembanyama. Against OKC, he held the ball too long, which disrupted the three-guard offense’s flow. Wemby shot 1-of-13 in the opener, partly because the Thunder are an elite defensive team, collapsed on him, and have three seven-footers to throw at him. In the Spurs’ second game against Houston, Wemby had a much better first half but struggled after halftime, then against Dallas he looked more like himself. The Spurs need that version of Wemby.
Coming up
- Tues. 10/27 vs. Sacramento Kings (7:00 PM CT)
- Wed. 10/28 at Utah Jazz (8:00 PM CT)
- Sat. 10/31 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (7:00 PM CT)
