Dylan Harper continued his great start to his rookie season (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs are following a pattern this season: get a big lead, blow the big lead, regroup in the fourth quarter and win the game. Against the Miami Heat, the Spurs did just that to improve to 5-0 on the season — the first time in franchise history that San Antonio has five consecutive victories to begin a campaign.
Stats: Spurs vs. Heat
spurs heat grades
Spurs vs. Heat – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
This was another impressive outing for Wembanyama. His dominance on the defensive end of the court was impossible to miss. Even though he played 40 minutes, Wembanyama got better and better on the defensive end as the game went along. When it mattered most, he was nearly perfect on that end — from switches, to protecting the rim to rebounding, he couldn’t have been much better. Offensively, Wembanyama passed the ball really well and I liked his shot-selection. While his shooting was sub par, his aggression created space and quality shots for the good guys all night long.
Grade: B+
Devin Vassell
The good: Vassell hit some momentous shots, including the three-pointer that gave the Spurs the lead for good in the fourth quarter. Defensively, this was probably his best game of the season. Vassell remained mentally engaged, hustled relentlessly and grabbed eight defensive boards. The bad: His shooting was less accurate than ideal. Vassell showed flashes of passing ability but the ball still sticks in his hands more than anyone else on the team.
Grade: B
Stephon Castle
This was definitely a big step in the right direction for Castle. First of all, he limited his mistakes — something he hadn’t been able to do in the season’s first four games. Offensively, Castle ran the team very well, took great shots, hit from the perimeter and looked really good in a playmaking role. His ability to pressure the hoop and get to the line is very valuable. Defensively, Castle was great. He was disruptive from the opening tip and made life difficult for the Heat during all 35 of his minutes on the court.
Grade: A-
Harrison Barnes
Barnes had a substandard outing. He didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, he was more loose with the ball than usual and he was mostly a liability on defense. While his teammates were flying around the court, Barnes was typically a step slow. To his credit, though, the vet had some key plays in important moments of the game.
Grade: C
Julian Champagnie
I can’t say that Champagnie had a good game because he was 1-for-6 from the field and 0-for-4 from three-point range — but he was better than those numbers suggest. Defensively, Champagnie is really locked in right now. He’s being physical and he’s using his size well. Even though Champagnie wasn’t shooting straight, he kept the intensity up on the defensive end. That intensity allowed his overall impact to be positive.
Grade: C+
Dylan Harper
Harper continues to show scary good potential. His ability to get into the lane and finish is unbelievably good for his age. Against the Heat, he hit a couple threes to illustrate his perimeter touch. Perhaps best of all, Harper’s passing and understanding of the game are spectacular. He picked apart the Heat’s defense without breaking a sweat. Oh, and yeah, the rookie’s defense is much better than advertised. Miami had trouble getting anything going when he was in the area.
Grade: A-
Keldon Johnson
Johnson is sticking to the basics and he’s producing at a high level. He’s limiting miscues while concentrating on his strengths of driving to the cup, finishing with physicality and shooting open threes. He had a couple of defensive errors against the Heat but it wasn’t for a lack of energy.
Grade: B
Jordan McLaughlin
I thought this was McLaughlin’s best outing of the season. He hit a pair of threes, he looked faster with the ball than usual and he was actually able to bend the defense at times. Defensively, McLaughlin held up surprisingly well in some tough situations.
Grade: B+
Bismack Biyombo
I mean, Biyombo still can’t rebound or protect the rim or do anything on offense … but he was actually better in this game than he was in previous outings. He was in the right spots, which is a notable improvement for him.
Grade: C
Mitch Johnson
Johnson is pushing the right buttons late in games. He’s also doing a good job of getting his troops back on track after blowing big leads. I’m not sure I want Wembanyama playing 40 minutes consistently but it was a winning formula on this night. I liked Johnson’s playcalling throughout the affair and his rotation was mostly good. I’d rather see Carter Bryant than Biyombo with the big picture in mind, though, to be honest.
Grade: B