De’Aaron Fox led the Spurs over his former team (Photo via X)
Even though Victor Wembanyama didn’t play (calf) and Stephon Castle left the game at halftime (hip), the San Antonio Spurs still easily sauntered by the Sacramento Kings by a final score of 123-110. The game was never in much doubt as the Spurs improved to a record of 9-4 on the season.
Stats: Spurs vs. Kings
spurs kings grades
Spurs vs. Kings – Final Grades
De’Aaron Fox
After a disappointing outing against the Warriors, Fox bounced back in fine fashion against his former team. With Wembanyama and Castle out, he carried the load — and made it look easy. He finished with 28 points and 11 assists while only turning it over twice. He shot well from the field, made good decisions with the ball and kept the offense humming. I even liked what I saw from Fox on the defensive end. When he plays like this, he’s worth every penny the Spurs have invested in him. There are still areas where Fox can improve (off-ball defense, passing accuracy, etc.) but this was definitely a big step in the right direction.
Grade: A
Stephon Castle
Sadly, Castle was forced to leave the game with a hip injury after only 16 minutes of action. Before checking out for the final time, he had five assists while displaying very good court vision. However, he was only 1-for-4 from the field and had already turned it over three times. Let’s hope Castle can return ASAP because he’s been a huge part of San Antonio’s early season success.
Grade: C
Devin Vassell
Vassell played with enough aggression to let his athleticism shine through. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that he’s actually a really good athlete with a healthy amount of bounce. Against the Kings, Vassell was driving with purpose — and that also opened up passing lanes and allowed him to finish with seven assists. I also thought his defense was a plus on the night. What wasn’t good was his three-point shooting (0-for-4).
Grade: B+
Harrison Barnes
Barnes is shooting with precision again this season. Versus Sacramento, he put up a very efficient 20-point barrage — especially considering he had no turnovers or fouls in his 30 minutes of action. Not only does his stroke look very good right now, Barnes looks spry when taking it to the hole. His defense was also a plus on this night.
Grade: A-
Luke Kornet
Starting in place of Wembanyama, Kornet more than filled his role. He rebounded extremely well, especially early on. He protected the rim while staying out of foul trouble. Offensively, Kornet is finishing everything and he’s seemingly always in an advantageous spot. While his signing went under the radar, he’s been everything the Spurs could have hoped for and more.
Grade: A-
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie has had an itchier trigger finger lately and it’s working out for him and the team. He’s really spacing the court right now while hitting timely shots. I’m also really impressed with his defense. Champagnie isn’t a great athlete but he’s playing with grit on defense and he’s making plays on that end.
Grade: B+
Keldon Johnson
The good: Johnson was 7-for-7 from two-point range. He pulled down 12 rebounds in only 23 minutes. He didn’t turn the ball over, even though he could usually be found attacking with ferocity. The bad: Johnson missed all four of his three-pointers. He’s now 0-for-13 from deep in the last seven games. Johnson’s defense against the Kings was lacking, to put it kindly.
Grade: B+
Jeremy Sochan
I liked what I saw from Sochan versus Sacramento. His shooting stroke looks much improved. His ball-handling is better, as is his passing. Sochan is finishing well and giving very good effort on defense. Even his rebounding looked better against the Kings. Sochan can cut down on his mistakes but it appears as if he may be beginning to find his niche on this team.
Grade: B+
Kelly Olynyk
Olynyk showed why he still has value. First of all, he’s a very good passer for a big — as evidenced by his eight assists in 18 minutes. He reads the court well and knows where the ball needs to be. Secondly, he hit a three-pointer to show that he’s a big who can stretch the floor. Thirdly, Olynyk can rebound his area well. He’s going to struggle defensively and he’s not a rim protector but Olynyk can still give quality minutes.
Grade: A-
Carter Bryant
I mean, I like that Bryant didn’t hesitate to hoist open three-pointers. He missed all three of his attempts but I’m glad he shot them. His defense was good but his rawness on both ends limited his value on this night.
Grade: C
Mitch Johnson
Johnson scared me when he played Biyombo as his first player off the bench. I don’t understand the reasoning but thankfully he only played two minutes. Other than that, I thought Johnson did well. He put Fox in positions to succeed. The gameplan on both ends was smart. The level of overall chemistry was impressive considering these groupings haven’t played together much at all.
Grade: B