San Antonio Spurs vs. Charlotte Hornets: 3 Matchups to Watch
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The San Antonio Spurs open up the 2022-23 regular season against the Charlotte Hornets at the AT&T Center Wednesday in the first of two meetings between the teams this season.
The Hornets will be without some major star power, as Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball -- their two leading scorers from a season ago -- will be absent. Bridges, a restricted free agent as of now, is technically off Charlotte’s roster as he continues to go through the legal process after being arrested and charged in June for domestic violence.
Ball will be sidelined as he recovers from a sprained left ankle he suffered in the preseason. He was Charlotte's second-leading scorer last season (20.1) and led the team in assists (7.6) and steals (1.6) per game while also being its third-leading rebounder (6.7).
The Hornets will be lacking some major firepower, but still possess impressive talent that could give the Spurs some trouble. Let's look at three matchups to keep an eye on.
Tre Jones vs. Terry Rozier
While it's not official just yet, Jones is projected to get the starting nod to begin the season in wake of the departure of Dejounte Murray. He proved last season he's capable of being the glue that keeps the offense together, but this year brings on a whole new beast.
A quick-twitch guard like Jones will get a chance to prove why he's deserving of the starting role against one of the more underrated guards in the league, as Terry Rozier will look to be the undoubted leader for Charlotte on Wednesday.
Rozier possess elite ball-handling and one-on-one scoring ability, which will be hard for any Spur to keep up with. But Jones could have the advantage when he's in possession of the rock against Rozier, as he's shown he can be a sound and confident decision-maker for San Antonio.
In the final seven regular-season games last year,, Jones never played less than 17 minutes and even had five-straight games of 30 minutes or more. And still, he only committed five total turnovers in that span and had zero turnovers in five of those contests.
He also scored in double figures in the final six games of the regular season and proved he can do it at an efficient rate. Jones led all qualified Spurs guards in field-goal percentage (49 percent). This efficiency will certainly take a dip as Jones' usage increases, but if he's able to show he can go head-to-head with Rozier, the rest of the season looks quite promising for his growth.
Keldon Johnson vs. PJ Washington
Former teammates at Kentucky, Johnson and Washington will be an interesting frontcourt matchup to watch on both ends of the floor Wednesday. Both are capable of playing inside and out, with Washington having the slight advantage as an interior scorer and defender against the much leaner Johnson.
While coach Gregg Popovich has admitted that Johnson will more of a perimeter presence this season -- something he showed during the preseason -- it's still hard to see him shying away from pursuing contact on tough drives in the paint against the likes of Washington and Mason Plumlee.
Johnson and Washington could end up being the two scoring leaders on Wednesday based on the offensive versatility they bring. They likely won't be defending one another all night long, but the occasional bout between the two teammates in definitely an intriguing watch.
Jeremy Sochan vs. anybody
The Spurs drafted Sochan for many reasons, but it's obvious his strength lies in the defensive versatility he brings.
Projected to get the start, all eyes will be on Sochan as he'll likely serve as switchable defender that could be faced with the tall task of guarding Rozier out on the perimeter if the flow of the game calls for it.
Simultaneously, he'll be able to show his disruptive length on the interior against the aforementioned Washington, who presents a tough matchup due to his stretch-big ability.
Regardless of who he's defending, Sochan will be a player to watch due to the hype that's been building over the last few months.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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