Four Observations from Spurs NBA Summer League Loss vs. Warriors
LAS VEGAS — The San Antonio Spurs (0-2) fell short in their 86-85 loss to the Golden State Warriors (1-1) in part of the NBA Summer League on Sunday.
James Wiseman made his return to NBA action for the first time since April 2021 after recovering from a torn meniscus. Moses Moody sat out for the Warriors due to rest, but they did have Jonathan Kuminga in the lineup.
“I think he got a great ovation going back into the locker room because, as players, they know the journey he’s been on,” Warriors Summer League coach Jama Mahlalela said. “And for him to be able to come out and play in a Summer League game like today with kind of good composure and playing at the rim, blocking some shots, like he just he looked like a real good basketball player.”
As for the Spurs, Jeremy Sochan remained sidelined as he works his conditioning back after COVID-19. San Antonio did have 2020 lottery pick Joshua Primo available in addition to their two other first-round selections in this year's NBA Draft: Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley.
The Spurs led by as many as 17 points at one point in the game, but the Warriors gradually chipped away to the point of the outcome being decided by the final moments of regulation. San Antonio turned it over on their final possession with a chance to win.
Here are four observations from the Spurs' Summer League loss to the Warriors:
1. Darius Days Stepped Up
A standout performer for the Spurs was Darius Days, who finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds in 23 minutes. He made it a point to bring energy to both ends of the floor and provide leadership. Against a tougher matchup, it was needed.
“My energy on the glass, talking on defense, just holding other guys accountable,” Days said, via SB Nation. “Breaking out huddles, being a locker room guy, that’s what I really do, and I can shoot the ball a little bit.”
2. Branham & Primo Sorely Struggled
Two of the Summer Spurs' top players, Malaki Branham and Joshua Primo, sorely struggled to execute offensively against the Warriors. Primo finished with 10 points on 2-15 from the floor and 1-5 from deep with almost as many turnovers (three) as assists (four). For an NBA Summer League veteran, the execution was rough.
“Shots didn’t fall, he had some tough points, but he continued to stay in it,” Johnson said. “I would be much more mad if [Primo] was 2-for-5, as crazy as that sounds. I’m glad he took 15 shots.”
Branham totaled just six points on 1-6 from the floor in nearly 27 minutes of action. He finished with the second-lowest usage rate (12.3 percent) of any Summer Spur to log a single second of playing time.
“I think part of it probably is Branham is an unselfish kid just trying to play the right way,” Johnson said. “There’s a couple of times where I’m yelling at him to shoot it. so it’ll come.”
3. Defense Improved
With Wiseman making his Summer League debut, the Spurs knew they had to be physical in the paint. The combination of size, strength, and explosiveness that Kuminga brings on the wing required a full effort to contain, too. The Warriors shot 42.7 percent from the floor, 14.8 percent on 3s, and logged 16 turnovers.
“I think the defense took a step ahead today, which is a good thing for the most part,” Johnson said. “You give them credit. They’re big, strong, and athletic. Wiseman and Kuminga are monsters, especially at this level.”
4. The Blake Wesley Experience
The Spurs saw both why they should be intrigued by the potential that Blake Wesley has as a player, and also, why he still has work to do in his development. He finished with 22 points and five rebounds but shot 7-20 from the floor with three turnovers. When taking away his 4-7 shooting from deep, he went 3-13 on 2-point field goals.
One of the concerns with Wesley as a prospect was highly inefficient finishing execution around the basket despite being such an elite athlete. There were numerous instances of him either getting blocked or just simply the outlook of the shot attempt could be described as 'hopeless.'
“You work on it, you show them film, go through reads, walk and talk stuff,” Johnson said. “The game slows down for guys with experience. You see patterns, and when you see patterns over time, you recognize patterns earlier. And when you get really good, you can manipulate those things.”
You can follow Grant Afseth on Twitter at @GrantAfseth.
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