Keldon Johnson helped the Spurs stay undefeated (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs improved to 3-0 on the season after a topsy-turvy victory over the Brooklyn Nets, 118-107. The Spurs blew a 26-point lead but were able to grab the momentum back from the Nets in the fourth quarter before it was too late. San Antonio locked in on both ends of the court and finished the contest on a 10-0 run in the final 2:47 to remain undefeated.
Stats: Spurs vs. Nets
spurs nets grades
Spurs vs. Nets – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama got off to a slow start. He went without a field goal in the first quarter and started 1-for-5 before heating up. While he never found a sustained rhythm, he finished with 31 points by hitting half of his six three-point attempts and going to the line 15 times. Wembanyama’s assertiveness on offense continues to be very impressive. Against the Nets, he also passed the ball well and ran the court hard. Defensively, Wembanyama blocked six more shots, dominated the glass and even molested shots out on the perimeter. Even though this was mostly a herky-jerky affair for the Frenchman, he was still damn good and amazingly productive.
Grade: A-
Devin Vassell
Vassell seems to be settling into his role nicely. He’s spacing the court with his three-point shot, attacking the basketball when given the opportunity and playing with intensity on the defensive end. Vassell isn’t the best passer and his defense comes and goes … but he’s beginning to understand how to play winning basketball, it seems.
Grade: A-
Stephon Castle
Can Castle play point guard in the NBA? It hasn’t looked like it in the last two games, in which he racked up 15 turnovers and has struggled to run the offense. He makes good passes when relying on his natural instincts but when trying to do point guard things, he too often rushes or tries to skip steps. On Sunday afternoon, Castle’s scoring production was decent enough but his defense was nothing to write home about and his point guard play left a lot to be desired.
Grade: D+
Harrison Barnes
Barnes was frigid in the preseason and hasn’t yet defrosted in the regular season. He was 0-for-5 from deep on his way to only four points in 25 minutes. Barnes also failed to grab a defensive rebound and his defense was only average. If he doesn’t get it going soon, the veteran could see his minutes start evaporating.
Grade: D+
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie played his role well. He stayed in the corners and made Brooklyn pay whenever they forgot about him. He hustled on defense and crashed the boards. Champagnie also limited his mistakes and kept his motor running. All in all, it was a good night at the office for the designated sniper.
Grade: B+
Dylan Harper
Wow. In his third ever game, Harper was the biggest difference-maker on the court. Yes, even counting Victor Wembanyama. When he wasn’t on the court, the Spurs looked like they were stuck in the mud. But once Harper hit the hardwood, everything started clicking. His finishing was spectacular, he made the right passes at the right times and his poise for a teenager is jaw-dropping. The Spurs leaned on their rookie in big moments and Harper delivered. In 29 minutes, not only did he have 20 points, eight assists and six rebounds, he also had no turnovers and played really good defense. It’s early but Harper definitely looks like a star in the making.
Grade: A+
Keldon Johnson
Johnson played great in the preseason and he did fantastic work against the Nets. Through effort, enthusiasm and physicality, he finished with 19 points and six loud rebounds. Johnson also played solid D and was very efficient on the offensive end. Hopefully he keeps playing like this because he’s a very valuable basketball player right now.
Grade: A
Bismack Biyombo
With Luke Kornet sidelined with an ankle sprain, Biyombo got minutes. Yeah, no, no, that was bad. Biyombo was anemic on the glass, didn’t protect the rim much and mostly just got in the way offensively. Kornet can’t get healthy soon enough.
Grade: D-
Jordan McLaughlin
McLaughlin wasn’t too impressive on this night. He was getting blown by defensively and his contributions offensively were minimal.
Grade: C
Carter Bryant
Bryant almost authored a spectacular dunk for his first NBA points but had to settle for a pair of free throws instead.
Grade: B
Mitch Johnson
Good stuff from the head coach. He’s showing confidence in Harper and the Spurs lose this game without his production. I like that he’s holding a player like Castle accountable for poor play. His rotation mostly made sense but, in hindsight, he should have found a way to not play Biyombo.
Grade: A-