Devin Vassell helped the Spurs win again (Photo via X)
Playing a home game in Austin at the Moody Center, the San Antonio Spurs came away with a relatively easy victory over the Phoenix Suns. The Spurs led by 12 points at halftime before outscoring the Suns 37-22 in the third quarter to put the game to bed. With their 121-94 win, the good guys improved their record on the season to 39-16.
Stats: Spurs vs. Suns
spurs suns grades
Spurs vs. Suns – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama played well after stealing the show during All-Star weekend. While he didn’t shoot the straightest (7-for-15 from the floor, 1-for-4 from three-point range), he dominated with 11 rebounds, five blocks and four assists in 25 minutes. He only had one turnover and one foul while playing with extreme effort on both ends. Wembanyama will try to prove to the world in the stretch run of the season that he’s the most dominant force in the sport of basketball. This was a good start.
Grade: B+
De’Aaron Fox
It was a solid performance by Fox. In less than 22 minutes, he totaled 15 points and eight rebounds while turning it over only once. While he was only 4-for-9 from the field, he was 5-for-6 at the free throw line and helped keep the offense humming by pushing the pace and staying in attack mode. Fox was also a plus on the defensive end.
Grade: B+
Stephon Castle
Castle was the best all-around player on the floor for long stretches against the Suns. Phoenix wasn’t respecting him much on the offensive end and the second-year guard made them pay. He finished 2-for-4 from three-point land, 6-for-7 from two-point land and he hit both of his freebies. Castle was also great as a perimeter defender, as he played with a palpable amount of ruggedness and smarts. The only downside to his evening was the fact that his playmaking was a little bit lacking.
Grade: A-
Devin Vassell
Vassell’s job is being the team’s tough-shot maker — and he played that role well. He was 2-for-5 from deep, 2-for-4 on twos. Most importantly, his shot selection was good and he played above average defense. When Vassell is playing like this, he’s a valuable piece to the puzzle.
Grade: B+
Julian Champagnie
Although Champagnie had a quiet affair, there can’t be any complaints about his efficiency. He shot only three times but he had eight points, six rebounds and no turnovers. Champagnie added to his value by playing commendable defense. All that said, he needs to do more to continue starting for this team.
Grade: B
Dylan Harper
We can now hopefully state that the rookie wall is in Harper’s rearview mirror. In 26 minutes, the rookie had 17 points on 5-for-6 shooting from two-point territory, 2-for-5 from three-point land and 1-for-2 at the line. His isolation scoring was smooth, his three-point shooting looked natural and he was finding lanes to the cup. Harper’s defense was a positive attribute. His playmaking, though, was lacking. Three turnovers and one assist is definitely substandard production on that front.
Grade: B+
Harrison Barnes
Barnes played a louder brand of basketball than usual. While he’s still struggling from deep (1-for-4 versus Phoenix), he attacked the basket, played with more aggression on the boards and led the bench unit with four assists. Hopefully Barnes straightens out his shot at some point but at least his effort couldn’t be questioned on this night.
Grade: B
Keldon Johnson
Johnson didn’t do much in his 20 minutes. He had only six points and two rebounds while shooting 2-for-6 from the floor. Johnson played okay-ish defense and he shared the ball well but the Spurs have become accustomed to more production than this from their star sixth man.
Grade: C-
Luke Kornet
Kornet stuffed the stat sheet in his 16 minutes. He had ten points, nine rebounds, two assists and a block. Most impressively, the team’s backup center was 5-for-5 from the field. That offensive shotmaking was good to see from Kornet because he had been slumping a bit prior to the All-Star break. In the eight games before the break, he had made only 13 field goals. Let’s hope he’s now back on track after getting some rest.
Grade: A-
Carter Bryant
The good: Bryant was 2-for-4 on three-pointers, as he continues to shoot it well from deep as of late. He also had six rebounds in less than 16 minutes of action. His defensive play was also a bright spot. The bad: Bryant looked painfully uncoordinated on his drives to the basket. He could also be found trying to do too much too often in this game.
Grade: B
Mitch Johnson
Johnson deserves credit for making sure his troops were ready to return to the hardwood after the break. I like how he got extended rest for just about everyone on the roster.
Grade: B+