Stephon Castle returned following a hip injury (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs nearly let one slip away in New Orleans but the good guys were able to hold on for a 135-132 victory over the Pelicans. The Spurs led by as many as 25 points before blowing the lead in the third quarter. In the fourth period, San Antonio let another lead disappear before clutch buckets by De’Aaron Fox and rookie Dylan Harper saved the day in the closing seconds.
Stats: Spurs at Pelicans
Spurs at Pelicans – Final Grades
De’Aaron Fox
With Castle back in the starting lineup, Fox didn’t look comfortable. Castle was handling a lot of the playmaking duties, which resulted in Fox standing around and watching a lot more than usual. Going forward, the coaching staff needs to help those two strike a better balance. With Fox noticeably out of rhythm, his mistakes increased and he wasn’t creating as much. To his credit, he still found ways to aid the cause. Fox hit a pair of threes and played his best basketball in the fourth quarter. He hit a tough jumper with under a minute left and then made a pair of clutch free throws to give San Antonio their final advantage. All in all, Fox obviously needs to play better but it was a good sign that he battled through rough patches to once again come up big when it mattered most.
Grade: C
Devin Vassell
It was a strange outing for Vassell. The only shot he made in his 27 minutes was a logo three-pointer off the dribble. Why was Vassell so quiet? It’s similar to Fox’s story. With Castle back, Vassell didn’t get as many touches as he has been getting lately. Clearly, a better balance needs to be struck. Unfortunately, Vassell getting fewer touches resulted in less intensity on the defensive end. However, he did a good job of limiting his mistakes and still making the simple passes.
Grade: D+
Stephon Castle
The good: Castle didn’t hesitate to try to make an impact in his return from injury. His aggression led directly to his team-high eight free throw attempts. He also hit a three-pointer, authored a few fantastic passes and bullied his way to the hoop. Defensively, he was applying a lot of pressure. The bad: Castle was only 4-for-13 from two-point range. It goes without saying that his touch was rusty. That same rustiness caused him to be sloppy with his dribbling. Additionally, his passing wasn’t always on target. The overall: Castle was far from pristine on this night but it wasn’t for a lack of effort.
Grade: C
Harrison Barnes
Offensively, Barnes was supplying much-needed firepower. In the first three periods, he had 24 points. Not only was he hitting threes, he was successfully acting as a go-to hub for long stretches. Regrettably, Barnes was far from perfect. First of all, he was scoreless in the fourth quarter. But more importantly, his defense was really bad throughout the contest. His rotations were comically late at times and he wasn’t much better in individual matchups. Barnes didn’t rebound much, either. As helpful as his points were prior to the fourth quarter, the Spurs need Barnes to play a more well-rounded brand of basketball.
Grade: C-
Luke Kornet
Like the other members of the starting five, Kornet struggled against the Pelicans. He rebounded well but the rest of his outing was uncharacteristically clumsy. I don’t know if he was still dealing with the ankle injury that caused him to miss the previous game but something was amiss. Offensively, catching the ball cleanly and finishing easy shots was a chore. Defensively, Kornet wasn’t moving well and he could usually be found stumbling around. Running the court was another area where something just looked off with San Antonio’s starting center.
Grade: C-
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie led the charge for a bench unit that saved the Spurs in New Orleans. He hit five three-pointers, pulled down contested rebounds, made smart passes and played inspired defense. Shooting-wise, Champagnie found success even though he rarely got open looks. He played with confidence on both ends of the court and that confidence was contagious for the rest of the reserves. Well done.
Grade: A-
Dylan Harper
After the first poor outing of his NBA career, Harper bounced back in a big way. In 26 minutes, the rookie poured in 22 points on 10-for-16 shooting from the field. His ability to get into the lane and finish is special. Like really, really special. He made his game-winning layup look easy even though it was anything but. In addition to his scoring prowess, Harper was San Antonio’s best passer. Not only does he have vision, the rookie understands timing and placement. Defensively, he competed. All in all, it was simply a marvelous outing for the rookie and it was great to see him rise to the occasion.
Grade: A
Keldon Johnson
Johnson did what he’s been doing all season. He was a monster on the glass and a battering ram on offense. He kept things simple by not forcing anything while simultaneously playing with a palpable amount of enthusiasm. He also added positive defensive play against the Pelicans. While Johnson didn’t play a ton, he made each of his 17 minutes count.
Grade: A-
Kelly Olynyk
Olynyk got a majority of the backup center minutes behind Kornet and he was highly effective. He hit a pair of three-pointers and his activity on the offensive end made life easier for his teammates. From passing to screening, he found ways to contribute. Defensively, he did a better job of trying to be disruptive. When Olynyk plays like this, he’s easily a rotational quality player in the NBA.
Grade: A-
Carter Bryant
I liked the way Bryant played in New Orleans. He kept his foot on the gas in all situations while also limiting his mistakes. His defense was impactful and his running of the court helped the Spurs escape the doldrums. Bryant once again played with confidence, which will be important for his development.
Grade: A-
Jeremy Sochan
Sochan played less than four minutes. He played decently enough in that time but the coaching staff opted to go with other options.
Grade: Inc.
Mitch Johnson
This was a well coached game by Johnson. He leaned on the bench unit more than usual, which was clearly the right call. He exhibited trust in Harper, which was another warranted and wise decision. Johnson recalibrated his troops after blowing multiple leads, which is not an easy thing to do.
Grade: A-