Week in Review: Spurs split the results against in-state foes in opening week
A loss at Dallas and win at home against the Rockets is pretty much what was expected of opening week.
Welcome to the 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 0: N/A
Week 1: 1-1 (1-1, 10th in West)
109-120 loss @ Dallas Mavericks
Recap: In repeat from last season, the Spurs opened the season in Dallas, this time with the Mavs being the defending Western Conference champions and having added even more offensive firepower in the offseason via former Splash Bro Klay Thompson. While the Spurs looked very good defensively for one half despite an off night from Victor Wembanyama, the Mavs caught fire in the second half to turn what had been a small Spurs lead into a blowout loss (that the third string made look a bit more respectable).
109-106 win vs. Houston Rockets
Recap: Also in repeat from last season, the Spurs had their home opener against the Rockets in an increasingly chippy rivalry game, and just like last season, the Spurs won it in a nailbiter. It shouldn’t have been that close as they had gotten out to a 23-point lead during a Wemby bounce back game while the Rockets looked tired on the second night of a back-to-back, but Houston still stormed back in the fourth quarter to make it a one-point deficit before the Spurs sealed the deal with some clutch free throws.
In case you missed it
The Spurs should improve but might struggle to meet lofty expectations
The PtR staff discusses whether the Spurs will reach the somewhat lofty expectations Vegas has set with a 36.5 over/under win total, if Victor Wembanyama will win Defensive Player of the Year, and who will win each conference this season.
Survey: Spurs fans believe they’ll compete for the play-in
Even if the staff is a little skeptical, the fans are more optimistic based on how you answered some survey questions on that, as well as potential breakout players. (News flash: contenders Stephon Castle and Jeremy Sochan look pretty good so far.)
Lawsuit: The Clippers were tampering with Kawhi Leonard while he was still with the Spurs
Well, well, well, you don’t say. I know Spurs fans want to move on from this ordeal, but if a former trainer and friend of Leonard dating back to college, who was hired by the Clippers before being let go in 2023, is to be believed, then the Clippers were allegedly trying to illegally access information about Leonard’s health status while he was still with the Spurs, which could lead to tampering charges if the league investigates. It wouldn’t change anything now, but there’s nothing wrong with a little redemption where you can get it.
Power Rankings
John Schuhmann, NBA.com — 21 (last week: 23)
OffRtg: 108.5 (19) DefRtg: 113.6 (18) NetRtg: -5.1 (21) Pace: 100.0 (21)
The Spurs split games against the Mavs and Rockets, giving them as many wins against the other Texas teams as they had all of last season (1-7).
Three takeaways
1. Only 14 (40%) of Victor Wembanyama’s 35 shots have come in the paint, though he’s 13-for-14 at the line, with that free-throw rate (40 attempts per 100 shots from the field) up from 31 per 100 last season. The Spurs have still outscored both of their opponents in the paint and at the free-throw line.
2. Over their two games, the Spurs have had 25 fewer shooting opportunities than their opponents, with the average (-12.5 per game) being the worst discrepancy in the league by a wide margin. They’ve committed 15 more turnovers than their opponents, with three of their starters — Wembanyama, Julian Champagnie and Jeremy Sochan — having registered almost twice as many turnovers (19) as assists (10).
3. The Spurs have been outscored by 26 points (22 per 100 possessions) in Chris Paul’s 55 minutes, though the 39-year-old has registered 11.1 assists per 36 minutes, what would be the second-highest rate of his 20-year career.
The Spurs will host the Rockets again on Monday, then travel to Oklahoma City, where they lost two games by a total of 74 points last season.
Brett Siegel, Clutch Points — 19 (last week: 21)
While it is true that the San Antonio Spurs are looking to build an identity, one may have emerged in the first week of the season. This is a scrappy group that Gregg Popovich has, especially when it comes to playing tough on the interior. The additions of Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes have steered the Spurs in the right direction from a winning mentality standpoint, and it is clear to see that this group is a lot more confident in their abilities than they were a season ago. If Victor Wembanyama can get more help defensively, the Spurs will quietly start moving up the NBA power rankings.
Coming up: Mon. 10/28 vs. Houston Rockets; Wed. 10/20 @ Oklahoma City Thunder; Thurs. 10/31 @ Utah Jazz; Sat. 11/2 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Prediction: 2-2 — This might be a little lenient at this point since we haven’t seen much consistency with these Spurs yet, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. While the Rockets may be out for revenge tonight, and the game against the Jazz is on the second night of a back-to-back with travel, those are still very winnable games. On the other hand, both the OKC and Minnesota games will be tough outings against teams that will likely finish the season comfortably in the top 6, if not higher.
