The Silver and Black are returning home to face the Grizzlies on Tuesday after a four-game road trip. They went 2-2 and had some ups and downs, but continue to survive without Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama.
We’ve covered the games extensively as well as all the pressing news, but there’s more Spurs-related goodness to enjoy.
Wembanyama, Castle progressing, but still no timetable for return
The injury report for the Memphis game came out, and there were no changes. Jordan McLaughlin, Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama are all listed as out, which is not surprising. The good news is that Mitch Johnson said they are all progressing and doing on-court work already.
While that’s an undeniably good update, there is no return date in place. And considering how careful San Antonio’s medical staff has traditionally been and how that has only gotten more pronounced this season, they might miss the Emirates NBA Cup game against the Lakers on Dec. 10. They haven’t been ruled out, mind you, so there’s always a chance at least one of them, if not both, are back. But we’ll likely not know until closer to the date.
Wemby and De’Aaron Fox have hilarious Q&A while playing Jenga
The Spurs’ social media team, with help from the NBA, set up a Jenga match between the two Spurs stars that had a twist: some of the blocks had questions about teammates that the two had to answer. It was a good battle, but more than anything, a fun way for fans to get to know the personalities of the players better. Before you watch, who do you think won?
Some of the answers were not surprising, but Harrison Barnes talking the most in the group chat was not something I saw coming. The video also confirmed that Victor Wembanyama is a certified nerd, but we all knew that already.
The Spurs know they have to defend the 3-point line better
San Antonio got demolished from beyond the arc by the Timberwolves in Sunday’s loss. It was arguably the main reason why Minnesota won. But it wasn’t just a one-time thing for the Spurs. They have struggled with chasing opponents of the arc all season and have not been lucky with misses on good shots.
Luckily, they are aware that’s an area of improvement, as SAEN’s Jeff McDonald details in an article with interesting quotes from players and Mitch Johnson, like this one:
The entire article is worth a read, and it shows that the Spurs know they have to get better at preventing and contesting threes, which is reassuring.
Dylan Harper is better at getting to the rim than you think
Rookie Dylan Harper was displaying a lot of promise before missing time with an injury. Since his return, he has only shown more of his talent and validated the Spurs’ decision to select him with the second overall pick of the 2025 draft.
The main reason why he’s been impressive is his ability to get to the paint at will, collapsing the defense to find open teammates or finishing at the rim. But as Tim Cato of DDLS Sports explains in his excellent power rankings, he hasn’t been just good but elite at getting to the bucket:
Harper’s driving ability was one of the reasons he stood out as a prospect, and he’s proving he can still get to his spots at will. The rook has star potential.
The Austin Spurs are on a tear in the G League
The San Antonio Spurs have been one of the best teams in the league this season, in part because they had a tremendous start, going 5-0. They slowed down a bit after suffering some injuries, but they are still a very solid 13-6.
The Austin version of the Spurs looks at those numbers and laughs. The G League affiliate has absolutely dominated the South so far in the Tip-Off Tournament, posting a 9-1 record after starting 5-0, losing one game, then winning the next four in a row.
Some familiar faces, like two-way player Riley Minix, have been at the center of it, but there have been fantastic performances from less well-known guys, like Jayden Nunn, who dropped a career-high 32 points in the last win and is shooting over 50 percent from beyond the arc this season.
The Spurs are a deep team that is surviving big injuries with grace, but it’s always good to know there’s talent waiting back in Austin.