How the San Antonio Spurs' 1st Preseason Loss Exemplified Their Double-Edged Youth
Five minutes into his first NBA Preseason action, San Antonio Spurs rookie forward Victor Wembanyama had both his arms in an assertive flex, Chet Holmgren on the ground and an entire arena of Oklahoma City Thunder fans in audible disbelief.
It was a sight for sore eyes for Spurs fans — many of which were tuning in from home as their team played its first basketball on the road. Wembanyama, who'd been nationally acclaimed and praised to no avail in the offseason, looked competent.
But not only that. He looked strong. Poised. Good.
"My best games are when I put energy on the court," said Wembanyama, who has prior professional experience in France, if he needed any credibility. "I'm a rookie. What I gotta do is play defense, play hard and just give 100 percent. I gotta be tired when I get subbed out."
Safe to say, Wembanyama was. In just 19 minutes of game action, the 7-4 rookie tallied 20 points, five rebounds, two steals and a block. That's not to mention his 40 percent clip from behind the arc. Or his 61.5 percent clip from the field overall.
The rookie was all over the court Monday, showcasing his heightened awareness from Summer League as well as his defensive recovery time — which he used to record his lone block after Thunder guard Jalen Williams crossed him up.
"Since yesterday, I felt that fire inside of me." Wembanyama said.
But as "on fire" as he was in his limited minutes, the Spurs lost. Wembanyama alone wasn't expected to change that, as he's only going to play one role for San Antonio this season. That leaves the rest up to his teammates. His young teammates.
That's where the Spurs' youth comes into play.
Oct 9, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) warms up before the game Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center.
© Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports
A stadium with a capacity of 18,000 wasn't nearly filled for the Oklahoma City Thunder's preseason home opener against the San Antonio Spurs Monday evening, though it didn't need to be.
Whether fans were tuning in to the NBA's inaugural "Battle of the Bigs" on League Pass, quietly following on social media or simply waiting to give their "hot" takes two minutes into the preseason, the basketball world was watching. Partly for Chet Holmgren, partly for Wembanyama and partly for good old basketball.
Any of the three reasons yielded positive results, especially for Spurs fans in the first half, as their team was up by as many as 19 points. That lead dwindled to seven at halftime, and only decreased throughout the second half, and for one main reason:
San Antonio lacked a floor general.
Without Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan — both of which were ruled out due to "general soreness" — the Spurs were missing two key players who doubled as leaders both on and off the court. But with Wembanyama in the mix, that was less apparent.
The rookie took on the bulk of Oklahoma City's defensive attention when he was on the court — which led to multiple entertaining exchanges between he and Holmgren — and served as a floor spacer. He did everything he should have done, and had he played full minutes, that certainly would have impacted the game much more.
"I told Popovich I could take a lot," Wembanyama said. "I told him 'Go ahead.'"
The rookie's approval was referring to both his game responsibilities and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich's off-court advice, which the rookie says is always trustworthy.
"Every time he talks to me, I know I can trust him," Wembanyama said. "He doesn't try to tell me too much. At first he asked me how I expected the game to be, and I told him I wanted to play hard and with energy.
Wembanyama showed exactly that, but he didn't play full minutes. Neither did Tre Jones or Devin Vassell. And thus, the other side of a double-edged youth sword struck the Spurs.
In the third quarter, San Antonio only managed to add 15 points to its total. Zach Collins was the only Spur to hit more than one shot, which created ample issues down the stretch as the Thunder rallied back to re-take a lead it never gave back.
The Spurs struggled offensively without one true leader making things happen and scoring, too, but with a group of guys still learning, that's to be expected. That's why players like Malaki Branham aren't worried.
"We felt good as a team," Branham said. "We were really locked in. We played a great game ... We should have got the win. But it's preseason. We [were just] seeing the guys and playing with everybody. ... It was [our] first time playing against other teams."
The rising second-year guard out of Ohio State took what he was given and got the most out of it. Building off of an impressive Summer League showing, he tallied 15 points and one each block, steal, rebound and assist — though he did score two 3-pointers on what became a perfect night from behind the arc.
"I'm just doing my job," Branham said. "Putting the ball in the basket. Playing defense. I know what I can do. I was more comfortable about there, so I definitely feel the improvement [from myself]."
Spurs players across the roster also saw action and got shots in. Zach Collins tallied 15 points as the starting big next to Wembanyama, while Tre Jones and Doug McDermott each notched 12. Seven other San Antonio players also scored multiple times in an all-around effort on the road, keeping it close at the end of the games, which Popovich is likely to add to his "positives" list during practice over the next few days.
"There's always positives and negatives," the veteran coach said postgame. "Whether you win or lose, there's a little bit of both. It will be a good film [session] tomorrow. Teaching film, for sure."
The Spurs have depth. Popovich and the players both know it. They showed that Monday — especially in the first half with Wembanyama playing regular minutes — and will continue to do so when Sochan and Johnson return to the lineup.
They aren't worried about where they sit. And they shouldn't be. Their youth is entirely a good thing, even when it shows in a not-so-much way during the preseason.
Besides, as Branham put it, Wembanyama looked mind-blowing. That's a big first step.
"You just shake your head," Branham said with a smile. "We're glad he's on our team."
The Spurs are back in action on Friday when they take on the Miami Heat. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
