What we learned from the Spurs Summer League loss to the Warriors

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – JULY 5: Maliq Brown #15 of the San Antonio Spurs drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors during the California Classic Game on July 5, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Every year, Summer League teaches us the same lessons. Without high-level NBA talent on the floor, defense typically has the advantage. The more physical and aggressive team can completely stifle an opposing offense that hasn’t played much together and doesn’t have the offensive weapons to counter the defensive force. The San Antonio Spurs Summer League squad learned that the hard way on Sunday in a 69-98 loss to the Golden State Warriors Gold squad.

From tip-off, it was clear that the summer Spurs were outmatched by Golden State. The Warriors were pressuring the ball on the perimeter, not allowing San Antonio to get into an easy offensive flow. When the Spurs did manage to get to the paint, the Warriors had the rim protectors to stop them from scoring. Overall, Golden State looked like the more physical and mature team. That played out on the stat sheet as well, as the Spurs had 19 turnovers, shot just 38% from the field, and were outrebounded 47-30.

Without Tarris Reed Jr. and Carter Bryant, the summer Spurs were missing two key contributors who could have brought some offensive firepower. Through two games, it’s clear that San Antonio’s summer team was designed for Bryant to be a key offensive force, as there aren’t many offensive creators on the roster. When he comes back in San Antonio’s first Las Vegas Summer League game, we should see more of what this team was designed to do.

Takeaways:

The standout performer on Sunday was Emmanuel Miller, who has one of the Spurs’ two-way roster spots. He had 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals, and knocked down two three-pointers. Miller is an awesome athlete who can get downhill quickly in transition. Defensively, he’s disruptive in the passing lanes and has enough size and strength on the wings to make things tough on his opponents. He can often get out of control in half-court settings, driving into a collapsing defense with nowhere to go. But his combination of size, athleticism, and shooting is intriguing. He’s a player to watch for the rest of the summer.
I’ve loved Maliq Brown’s defense. With Reed Jr. missing the game for a non-injury reason, Brown slotted in as the team’s starting center. He has shone as a help defender both on the wing and at center in his two Summer League games. He always seems to be in the right spot and has great hands, allowing him to disrupt passes or block shots at the rim. He needs to find an offensive niche if he wants to develop into an NBA rotation player, but his defense is already one of the top skills of any player on San Antonio’s summer roster.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie continued to miss shots in his second game, but he is doing a great job getting open. Gillespie had 9 points on 4-12 shooting from the field on Sunday. He’s running a lot of the offense and getting a whole lot of usage, but isn’t seeing the ball go through the hoop. He’s looked really good getting downhill on ball screens and getting into a mid-range pull-up, but the shots just aren’t falling right now. We’ll see if he can find his rhythm as the summer goes on.
Hyunjung Lee can shoot. He went 4-7 from the field on the way to 11 points off the bench, including a pair of impressive triples. His defense has not been great despite his size, and he isn’t really a threat to create his own shot. San Antonio’s Summer League coach, Corliss Williamson, has been encouraging Lee to shoot more. Expect to see Lee continue to let it fly as the Spurs head to Vegas.