Dylan Harper and the Spurs lost a heartbreaker (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs dropped to 0-2 on the season after losing in Austin against the Houston Rockets by a final score of 114-110. Victor Wembanyama had a chance to tie the game late but got blocked at the rim. The Spurs are back in action tonight and will try to defeat the Dallas Mavericks to notch their first victory of the season.
Stats: Spurs vs. Rockets
Spurs vs. Rockets – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
This was, obviously, a step forward from the season opener. After Wembanyama went 1-for-13 against OKC, the superstar Frenchman went for 25 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in outing No. 2. Efficiency was still lacking, however. Wembanyama was only 7-for-15 on twos, 2-for-6 on threes and 5-for-8 at the line. His most noteworthy miss was, of course, the potential game-tying shot that got blocked at the end. More power or more patience would have changed that result. All in all, Wembanyama’s defense was okay-ish but has been better and his offense needs tightening.
Grade: C-
Dylan Harper
This was a step forward efficiency-wise for Harper. He scored 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting. That said, it still feels like he’s not yet comfortable. He’s second-guessing decisions, missing shots he usually makes and disappearing for stretches. But, yeah, Harper’s talent is still jaw-dropping. Defensively, I was pretty impressed. He’s shouldering a bigger role on that end and he looks good doing so.
Grade: B
Devin Vassell
I liked the effort but the results were lacking. Vassell hit 2-of-5 three-point attempts but everything else left a lot to be desired. He had five turnovers, shot 1-for-3 from two-point range and his decision-making was iffy throughout the evening. Vassell tried on defense but, overall, his inconsistencies in terms of processing the game and making the right decisions are making things more difficult for the team.
Grade: D+
De’Aaron Fox
The good: Fox scored 19 points with strong efficiency. He was 4-for-6 on twos, 2-for-5 on threes and 5-for-5 at the line. He led the team with nine assists and was clearly the team’s best playmaker. He played with toughness defensively and remained mentally engaged. The bad: Fox turned it over five times, one of his threes was a lucky bank and I didn’t think he was aggressive enough in the fourth quarter.
Grade: B
Stephon Castle
Fifteen points on 15 shots isn’t good enough — especially when the Rockets were barely even guarding Castle. Instead, they typically stuck their worst defenders on him and he struggled to take advantage. He was 3-for-9 on threes but needs to do more from deep if left unguarded. What’s making matters worse is he’s not getting to the line. Even in preseason, Castle was living at the charity stripe. He defended well, authored some slick passes and played his heart out — but the lack of free throws and the inability to make teams pay for ignoring him is cratering his value right now.
Grade: C-
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie did good things. He was 2-for-5 on threes, swiped three steals in 25 minutes and moved his feet well on defense. However, the Spurs could use him to be a bit more aggressive offensively and on the boards. For someone who rebounded so well last season, going board-less against a physical team like the Rockets wasn’t helping matters.
Grade: B-
Keldon Johnson
The decisions weren’t always sound and he missed open teammates a couple times but Johnson was tenacious on his way to eight points and six rebounds in 19 minutes. He missed his only three-pointer but he was 4-for-6 inside of the arc. Johnson getting to the line would have been helpful and being a little more locked in defensively also would have aided the cause.
Grade: B-
Luke Kornet
I thought Kornet played quite a bit better than he did in the opener — but the Spurs still struggled to stay afloat with Wembanyama on the bench. Kornet had a lob, an athletic driving dunk and three free throws. He was okay-ish on the boards but his post defense and help defense were both sub par. Kornet still has room to get better.
Grade: C+
Harrison Barnes
Barnes missed a couple of open three-pointers in his five minutes. Outside of that he did … not much. It’s looking like he’s a whole lot less athletic than he was last season. Hopefully he’s just defrosting.
Grade: C-
Carter Bryant
Bryant picked up a foul in his four minutes — and that was just about the extent of his contributions. We’re still waiting for him to get comfortable in his sophomore campaign.
Grade: C-
Mitch Johnson
Coach Mitch was okay-ish. The defensive strategies against Sengun didn’t work. The rotation feels random. Giving Barnes minutes is questionable, even with Tobias Harris out. The playcall at the end to get Wembanyama the ball in that position was good, though.
Grade: C