Welcome to the Week in Evaluate: a Monday function that appears again on the week that was for the San Antonio Spurs, takes a take a look at the week forward, and extra. Get pleasure from!
Week 17: Victor Wembanyama’s historic triple-double was the spotlight of the week forward of the All-Star Break.
Week 18: 0-3 (11-47, fifteenth in West) — 122-127 L @ Sacramento Kings; 118-123 L @ Los Angeles Lakers; 109-128 L @ Utah Jazz
The Spurs got here out of the All-Star break with out something to play for when it comes to aspirations for this season (past avoiding a franchise report variety of losses, which at this level would require them to go 9-15 the remainder of the way in which simply to tie 1996-97’s 20-62 report), however they the acknowledged purpose was to indicate enchancment and constructed momentum heading into the offseason. They kinda did that to start out the week, however they ended on a bitter notice.
One factor that wasn’t bitter: Victor Wembanyama, who continued his streak of pulling off huge feats or hitting a brand new milestone with every passing recreation. Whereas the opener in opposition to the Kings wasn’t his best outing from a scoring standpoint, he got here inside an help of his first 5×5 recreation and was the youngest participant to report 5 blocks and 5 steals in a single recreation. Devin Vassell continued his sizzling scoring in that recreation as nicely, and though the Spurs got here up brief and as soon as in opposition to struggled to shut a recreation they led late, it ended up being one among their extra entertaining video games of the season.
The subsequent evening was a go to to the Lakers. (Some would possibly recall their final assembly was the the win that ended the Spurs’ large 18-game shedding streak in December.) This was the primary time the Spurs performed the Lakers with each LeBron James and Anthony Davis out there, and once more they have been merely out-talented in a hard-fought however shedding battle. Nonetheless, Wemby did get his 5×5 recreation this time, turning into the youngest participant to do it and the primary to common such a stat line throughout a number of video games.
Final was their matchup in opposition to a slumping Jazz staff that was on a five-game shedding streak and had misplaced 7 of their final 11. It appeared like an excellent alternative to finish the week on a excessive notice, however as an alternative the Spurs got here out flat and drained, probably impacted by the underrated altitude of Salt Lake Metropolis. With 20 turnovers and a poor evening from the free throw line, the Spurs discovered themselves right down to the Jazz early, and outdoors of fast run to open the fourth quarter, they only couldn’t get out of their very own manner lengthy sufficient to really threaten a comeback. When factoring within the energy of the opponent, it ended up being one among their extra disappointing performances in fairly some time. On the intense facet, Wemby grew to become the primary Spur since David Robinson in 1995 to report 5 blocks in three straight video games, so the milestone streak continued.
Energy Rankings
John Schuhmann, NBA.com — 28 (final week: 28)
OffRtg: 109.1 (27) DefRtg: 117.6 (24) NetRtg: -8.5 (26) Tempo: 102.3 (3)
The Spurs are 1-7 on the rodeo journey, although they performed shut video games in opposition to the Kings and Lakers final week.
Two takeaways
1. It was only a matter of time. One evening after coming one help shy, Victor Wembanyama recorded the primary 5 x 5 recreation in additional than 5 years (since Jusuf Nurkic in Jan. 2019). Now now we have to surprise what number of he’ll have in his profession, with Hakeem Olajuwon (six) and Andrei Kirilenko (three) the one gamers with a number of 5 x 5 video games within the 51 seasons that blocks and steals have been tracked. May he have greater than everyone in NBA historical past mixed (21)? Wembanyama is now averaging 5.79 steals + blocks per 36 minutes, probably the most for any participant who’s performed a minimum of 1,000 minutes within the final 32 seasons (since three guys — David Robinson, Manute Bol and Olajuwon — averaged extra in 1991-92).
2. With these two shut losses final week, the Spurs have misplaced 20 of their final 22 video games that have been inside 5 factors within the final 5 minutes, having scored simply 94.7 factors per 100 clutch possessions over that stretch. At 5-21, they nonetheless don’t have the worst clutch report this season, with a kind of two clutch wins since early November having come in opposition to the staff (Washington) that does.
The rodeo journey ends in Minnesota on Tuesday, with all three conferences between the Spurs and Wolves (together with the opposite clutch Spurs win since early November) having been decided by single digits.
Brett Siegel, Clutch Factors — 27 (final week: 26)
The 2023-24 season for the San Antonio Spurs is all about Victor Wembanyama. What he continues to do is just memorizing, as Wemby lately recorded a 5×5 recreation with 27 factors, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 steals, and 5 blocks in opposition to the Lakers. With this efficiency, Wembamnyama grew to become the youngest participant in league historical past to report such numbers.
LeBron shouted out the Spurs rookie after this efficiency, merely tweeting: “That child is SPECIAL!!” with the alien emoji.
So long as Wembanyama stays on the courtroom and wholesome shifting ahead, the Spurs shall be a staff on the rise within the NBA Energy Rankings.
Arising: Tues. 2/27 @ Minnesota Timberwolves; Thurs. 2/29 vs. Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder; Solar. 3/3 vs. Indiana Pacers
Prediction: 0-3 — Though the Spurs shall be getting back from the Rodeo Street Journey and can certainly be blissful to be house, this can be a powerful schedule, and their continued struggles make it onerous to count on them to beat playoff-caliber groups (though they did beat Minnesota at house a month in the past). Plus, after I cease believing is normally after they pull out a win.
