Grades: San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves – Game #6
The San Antonio Spurs improved to 4-2 after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves by a final score of 121-111. The Timberwolves were short-handed so it was somewhat disappointing that it took the Spurs a while to put Minnesota away — but no one should be complaining too loudly after the Halloween victory increased San Antonio’s winning streak to four games.
Stats: Spurs vs. Timberwolves
Spurs vs. Timberwolves – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama was uber aggressive and the results were positive. He shot 34 times from the field on his way to a season-high 43 points in 34 minutes. He hit half of his shots, including 3-of-8 from downtown. I thought his decision-making was fine and he passed it decently well. He might have been a tad too aggressive — but I don’t mind that. Defensively, Wembanyama was a beast. He had only four defensive rebounds but he made a big difference by blocking six shots and changing countless others. The superstar Frenchman is good at basketball, folks.
Grade: A
Dylan Harper
Some good stuff from Harper tonight. He led the humans with 25 points and shot 7-for-12 on twos, 2-for-5 on threes and 5-for-6 on freebies. He also added seven rebounds, six assists and quality defense. His passing and decision-making were better than we’ve witnessed in recent games. When Harper just plays and doesn’t overthink things, he’s a beast. We saw that tonight versus Minnesota.
Grade: A-
De’Aaron Fox
Dang, yeah, if Fox plays like this, he’s worth every penny. He poured in 22 points on 8-for-10 shooting from the field and 6-for-7 shooting at the line. He also pulled down eight rebounds and dished off seven assists. Fox had a team-high four turnovers but otherwise I thought he was really good. He played hard on defense, stepped up when the Spurs needed him and undeniably played a winning brand of basketball.
Grade: A
Devin Vassell
It was a somewhat quiet night for Vassell. He attempted only six shots in 34 minutes — including just one three-pointer. But Vassell found other ways to impact the proceedings. He was 5-for-6 from the line and totaled five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. Vassell’s defense was good, he ran the court with purpose and kept playing hard even when he wasn’t too involved offensively.
Grade: B-
Stephon Castle
Castle was listed as questionable coming into this game due to a migraine. After going scoreless in just 22 minutes, it was clear that there was something not right with Castle. That said, I commend him for battling. Castle played good defense, hustled relentlessly and his pick-and-roll with Wembanyama was deadly. He couldn’t hit a shot and there were some ugly turnovers … but, hey, he played when he had a good excuse to sit out.
Grade: C
Julian Champagnie
All seven of Champagnie’s shots were from three-point range and he sank three of the triples. He also got fouled on another three-pointer and hit all three free throws. While he had five fouls in 27 minutes, I thought he played pretty well. His defense was average-ish, he didn’t force much on offense and his aggressive shooting palpably improves the spacing when he’s on the hardwood.
Grade: B+
Keldon Johnson
Johnson was only 1-for-3 from the field in 25 minutes. That one made shot was a difficult layup in transition. Otherwise, he could be found either pulling down one of his three offensive rebounds or one of his three defensive rebounds. His defense wasn’t that amazing but the effort was there on both ends.
Grade: C+
Luke Kornet
Hey, let’s give Kornet credit for showing signs of life. Sure, the Spurs were still outscored when he was on the court but he wasn’t a pushover against the Timberwolves. In just 14 minutes, Kornet tied for the team lead with eight rebounds. One of his rebounds ended in an athletic follow dunk. Let’s hope the backup center can defrost and become a positive asset at some point soon.
Grade: B-
Carter Bryant
Bryant had been struggling to shoot — both in terms of percentages and passing up open looks. So it was great to see the second year forward hit 2-of-3 three-pointers. Both of his makes looked pristine. His defense wasn’t anything special and he didn’t grab a rebound — but let’s call this a step in the right direction.
Grade: B
Mitch Johnson
I like this nine-man rotation Coach Mitch has been using. Carter instead of Barnes is something I highly agree with. Getting the ball to Wembanyama early and often is also something I can’t argue with.
Grade: B
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