Grades: San Antonio Spurs at Chicago Bulls – Game #12

The future of San Antonio’s winning streak looked in doubt when the Chicago Bulls built a 22-point lead. Thankfully, the Spurs woke up and turned the tables in a big way — eventually leading by as many as 15 points. While the Spurs making a big run always felt like the most likely outcome, it was reassuring to see them take care of business to extend their winning streak to ten games.

Stats: Spurs at Bulls

Spurs at Bulls – Final Grades

Victor Wembanyama

It was another hyper efficient night at the office for Wembanyama. He scored 32 on only 18 field goal attempts and turned the ball over just once. The icing on the cake came in the form of nine rebounds, five blocks and two steals. Wembanyama played really good defense, took the reins on offense when the Spurs were sputtering and seemed to get better as the game progressed. There were a few lapses in effort early but he cleaned that up by the second half.

Grade: A

Dylan Harper

Harper managed only 18 points on 18 shots but he made up for his iffy scoring efficiency in other areas. Most notably, the sophomore registered a season-high ten assists without turning the ball over. Harper also had six rebounds, four steals and a block. While he missed a few shots he usually makes, his passing was really good, his defense was stout and he played with sufficient electricity throughout.

Grade: B+

Julian Champagnie

Champagnie hit half of his six three-point attempts along with his only two-point try and only free throw to finish with 12 points. The rest of his game was substandard. He didn’t grab a rebound in nearly 35 minutes, his defense was lackadaisical at times and his shot/pass decisions weren’t as crisp as usual. All in all, though, Champagnie clearly played well enough in Devin Vassell’s absence to hold the fort.

Grade: B-

De’Aaron Fox

Fox’s first half play is one of the biggest reasons why the Spurs were able to stay within striking distance. In 17 first half minutes, he had 17 points and six assists on 7-for-10 shooting from the field, including 2-for-3 from downtown. Fox had his foot on the gas when a lot of his teammates were going through the motions. While he was 0-for-7 in the second half, Fox deserves an above average grade for the way he kept the good guys afloat.

Grade: B

Stephon Castle

It was not an aesthetically pleasing outing for Castle. He was only 5-for-13 from the field and failed to get to the free throw line. He was also 1-for-5 on three-pointers — with the one three he hit being his most awkward attempt of the night. His defensive effort was there but he wasn’t making his typical impact. Truthfully, Castle has struggled for much of the season … let’s hope he figures things out soon.

Grade: C-

Keldon Johnson

This might have been KJ’s most important game of the season. With the Spurs stuck in the mud, it was Johnson who weaponized his enthusiasm to help rally San Antonio. I liked his shot-selection and toughness on offense — but it was his passing that once again stood out the most on that end. Defensively, he was physical and engaged. This version of Johnson is clearly a valuable bench cog.

Grade: B+

Carter Bryant

This has to be classified as Bryant’s best game of the season. He hit a pair of three-pointers, a powerful dunk and a crafty layup to finish with ten points. He was on the court during some of the game’s most important minutes and the sophomore came up big. I liked his defense but it was his offensive aggression that really stood out. Hopefully Bryant can keep trending in the right direction like this.

Grade: B+

Luke Kornet

The good: Kornet was efforting on offense and attempted seven field goal attempts and grabbed four offensive rebounds. He had some smart plays on that end and looked more lively than normal. The bad: Kornet had only one defensive rebound and his rim protection was sub par. Overall: I thought his effort was okay-ish but the Spurs still looked bad when he was on the court.

Grade: C-

Harrison Barnes

Barnes hit a three-pointer in his 13 minutes … and that was about the extent of his contributions. His defense wasn’t notable and he wasn’t doing much in other areas.

Grade: C

Mitch Johnson

Watching the Spurs fall into a deep hole against a bottom feeder wasn’t fun but it was good to see Coach Mitch and his troops dig their way out of trouble. I’m sure Coach Mitch had some choice words and it was a positive sign that the players responded. Good stuff.

Grade: B+

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