Dylan Harper and the Spurs came up short in Minnesota (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs saw their two-game road winning streak come to an end in Minnesota against the Timberwolves. The Spurs actually led the game at the end of each of the first three quarters but the Timberwolves blew the game open with a 14-2 run in the final period to sprint to a 125-112 victory.
Stats: Spurs at Timberwolves
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Spurs at Timberwolves – Final Grades
De’Aaron Fox
The Spurs were winning at halftime in large part due to Fox’s ability to shred Minnesota’s defense. In the first two quarters, he had 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, including 2-for-4 from deep. Fox also had no turnovers in the first half, as he was able to routinely find open space. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as swimmingly after halftime. The Timberwolves threw longer defenders at Fox and that played a part in him slowing down. His playmaking never got going. To Fox’s credit, I thought his defense remained relatively tenacious throughout. All in all, it was a disappointing second half but the Spurs would have been in a world of hurt without him.
Grade: B
Devin Vassell
Right now, it seems like Vassell is automatic from the midrange — no matter how difficult the attempt. Sadly, that marksmanship didn’t extend beyond the three-point line in Minnesota. While he hit 9-of-11 two-pointers, he was only 1-for-9 from downtown. Honestly, though, better shot-selection from three-point range would have helped Vassell. Otherwise, he gave effort on defense and ran the court with determination.
Grade: B
Harrison Barnes
Barnes never got going — from any distance. He was 1-for-4 from three-point range and 1-for-5 inside the arc. His shot-selection was fine … he just struggled to convert. His defense was average, although Barnes did better than usual on the glass. Overall, the Spurs needed more than five points in 25 minutes from Barnes on this night.
Grade: C
Julian Champagnie
Much like Barnes, Champagnie was firing blanks. He was 1-for-6 from three-point territory and didn’t even attempt a two-pointer. He was much too one-dimensional against the Timberwolves. Champagnie also reverted to the bad habit of letting his defensive intensity fade after missing shots on the other end.
Grade: D
Luke Kornet
It wasn’t the most fruitful night at the office for Kornet. Offensively, he struggled to find open spaces and he was sloppy with the ball a couple times. He had a couple slick passes but that was about the extent of his positives on that end. Defensively, Kornet wasn’t a whole lot better. His rebounding left a lot to be desired and he wasn’t defending the rim as stubbornly as normal.
Grade: C-
Keldon Johnson
A silver lining was Johnson’s play. He hit half of his four three-pointers and was a bulldozer-with-touch going to the rim. Johnson led the team with five free throw attempts and he was also a beast on the boards once again. His 22 points in 26 minutes allowed San Antonio to keep it close for a majority of the ballgame. In the second half, particularly, giving the ball to Johnson was the Spurs best option.
Grade: A-
Dylan Harper
Harper was advertised as a great driver and finisher. He was even better than advertised against the Timberwolves. The strength and craft he exhibited going to the rim was marvelous and his finishing at the rim was stupendous. The 19-year-old rookie makes it look easy — it’s truly a sight to behold. In this outing, though, Harper didn’t show much depth to his game. He scored very well but his playmaking didn’t stand out. Part of that was Minnesota’s strategy but the rookie could have tiptoed the line a little cleaner. Harper’s defense was good on the ball but he didn’t do much in other areas.
Grade: B+
Carter Bryant
Bryant’s tangible production was minimal during his 15 minutes on the court — but he was actually a lot more impactful than the numbers would suggest. The rookie’s activity on defense made positive things happen for the good guys. Offensively, Bryant played with purpose and forced Minnesota to account for him. The youngster is passing the eye-test right now … let’s hope that the tangible production comes along sooner than later.
Grade: B
Kelly Olynyk
Olynyk did well during his 14 minutes of court time. Minnesota was giving him space and the big man took advantage by looking at the rim early and often. Olynyk also did good work on the boards and played a smart brand of basketball on both ends. Things ran more smoothly when he was on the court; he probably should have played more in retrospect.
Grade: B+
Jeremy Sochan
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Sochan struggle this much. Defensively, he was pretty darn bad. His rotations were wrong a number of times, which left good shooters wide open. To make matters worse, Sochan wasn’t rebounding or being physical in the paint. Offensively, he’s being dared to shoot but he isn’t letting it fly. It goes without saying that Sochan needs to find a rhythm or else he’ll see his minutes disappear.
Grade: D-
Lindy Waters III
Waters didn’t especially hurt or help the squad while he was on the court. His defense was adequate and he went scoreless in his eight minutes but he did have a couple of good passes.
Grade: B-
Mitch Johnson
Johnson has coached well in fourth quarters this season but he struggled in Minnesota. His offensive playcalling was ineffective in the fourth and the defensive schemes were exposed. Defending the three-point line was an issue all night. Rotation-wise, pulling the plug on Sochan earlier would have been better, especially because this was a golden opportunity to give Bryant more run.
Grade: C