The San Antonio Spurs had been again in motion for the preseason Friday night, as they hosted the Miami Warmth in San Antonio. The Spurs had been with out Keldon Johnson, Zach Collins, and Doug McDermott.
The Warmth in the meantime had been with out nearly their whole common season rotation, with 10 gamers out for the sport. When the ultimate buzzer sounded, the Spurs walked off the ground with a cushty 16-point win to convey their preseason file to 1-1.
Right here had been some observations from the sport.
Wemby Spectacular in Second Preseason Recreation
Victor Wembanyama continues to impress in his preseason play. In 23 minutes (3 quarters as soon as extra), Wembanyama completed with a staff excessive 23 factors on 10-of-15 taking pictures, together with 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 turnovers, and three blocks.
On offense, Wembanyama continued to point out the big variety of how he can rating the basketball, in addition to how he can draw consideration from the protection to seek out his teammates.
Wembanyama displayed turn-around fadeaways, side-step dribbles into pull-ups, spot-up taking pictures, and naturally, dunking even when defenders had been in his approach.
Wembanyama scored 8 factors off dunks with out lacking close to the rim, as he used a eurostep on the break to dunk with 1-hand, completed with a 2-handed dunk when his defender fell down, and he obtained an alley-oop dunk off a cross from Tre Jones.
One among Wembanyam’s spotlight dunks was when he had the ball close to the rim, Thomas Bryant was in entrance of the rim, and Wemabanyama stretched out his arm and completed over Bryant with a left-handed dunk.
All through the sport the Spurs allowed Wembanyama to convey the ball up the ground a number of occasions like some extent guard, and on a couple of of his scoring possessions, he was initiating within the halcourt because the pick-and-roll ball handler, as gamers like Charles Bassey and Cedi Osman set screens for him.
Defensively, the Spurs had Wembanyama play each inside and out of doors. In some lineups, he performed the 4, the place he was exterior on the wing guarding gamers like Haywood Highsmith whereas Bassey performed the 5.
In different lineups, Wembanyama performed the 5 alongside Sochan on the 4, the place he was matched up guarding Bryant or Orlando Robinson (a middle) in these lineups.
Wembanyama blocked three pictures within the recreation, the place opponents had been nearly altering the arc of their shot to get the ball over Wembanyama’s arms, however even nonetheless, he blocked three of these makes an attempt.
Vassell on Fireplace From Three
Devin Vassell caught fireplace from three, after he completed with 21 factors on 6-of-9 taking pictures, together with going 6-of-7 from exterior. All 6 of Vassell’s threes had been from the arc three. He not solely made his open makes an attempt, however he additionally needed to make some pull-up contested makes an attempt as effectively.
A few of Wembanyama’s assists had been from Vassell’s threes, with Wembanyama drawing the eye of the protection, he then threw the ball out to Vassell for made triples.
Sochan the Level Guard?
Jeremy Sochan returned to the lineup and began on the level guard place. Tre Jones got here off the bench because the backup level guard, however, this exhibits that the beginning lineup is way from settled earlier than opening evening, other than Vassell beginning on the 2, Wembanyama on the 4, and Collins on the 5.
Sochan didn’t play the purpose all evening, in some lineups when Wembanyama was on the 5, he logged minutes at his most important place from final season, on the 4.
In his return, Sochan completed with 10 factors (4-of-10 taking pictures), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 turnover in 25 minutes.
An 8-Man Rotation
With some rotation gamers out, Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich primarily caught with an 8-man rotation of starters Sochan, Vassell, Cedi Osman, Wembanyama, and Charles Bassey, after which off the bench, Jones, Julian Champagnie, and Malaki Branham obtained many of the minutes for the primary three quarters.
With Sochan and Jones getting many of the level guard minutes, Blake Wesley didn’t see the ground till later within the third quarter and the fourth. Ought to the Spurs stick to the Sochan/Jones level guard rotation, it could be tough for Wesley to earn minutes.
Within the fourth, Wesley, Dominick Barlow, Sidy Cissoko, Devonte’ Graham, and Sandro Mamukelashvili performed many of the minutes.
Charles Bediako, Khem Birch, and Sir’Jabari Rice all didn’t play within the recreation. For Birch, he has but to play in a San Antonio uniform since being acquired by way of commerce final season.
As for when the Spurs’ full rotation or beginning lineup shall be out there, that’s robust to inform proper now, with Keldon Johnson at the moment coping with a hamstring damage.
