Welcome to the Week in Assessment: a Monday function that appears again on the week that was for the San Antonio Spurs, takes a have a look at the week forward, and extra. Get pleasure from!
Week 9: Two video games with out Victor Wembanyama, plus the worst recreation of his profession when he did play, added as much as a fairly awful, winless week.
Week 10: 1-3 (5-27, fifteenth in West) — 118-130 L vs. Utah Jazz; 118-105 W @ Portland Path Blazers; 128-134 L @ Portland Path Blazers; 101-134 L vs. Boston Celtics
One thing lastly clicked final week that made Gregg Popovich determine he’d seen sufficient. After two months of “experimentation”, taking part in gamers out of place, and usually attempting to make them work out their very own struggles on the courtroom, possibly he was finished seeing double-digit leads blown (particularly at dwelling), or possibly he’d seen sufficient of his gamers’ incapacity to seek out their open 7’4” star rookie, however Pop introduced after Tuesday’s loss to the Jazz that he was going to start out demanding consistency holding gamers accountable. It was a welcome revelation from followers who’re used to the HOF fame coach’s extra hardnosed aspect.
They responded of their subsequent recreation — the primary of a back-to-back miniseries towards a equally struggling Path Blazers group — by making a famous effort to seek out Wemby early and sometimes. The outcome was an early 26-point lead that they held onto the remainder of the best way, even after Portland made a push to make it a single-digit recreation, all whereas Wemby put up a historic rookie stat line of 30/6/6/7, solely ever matched by a rookie David Robinson, and likewise the primary teenager to do it and the primary participant to ever do it in underneath 25 minutes.
Sadly, the Spurs weren’t capable of duplicate that success the following evening with out Wemby (who, in line with Pop, will stay on a minutes restriction and never taking part in in back-to-backs till his ankle is re-imaged in a few weeks), and they might later lose Zach Collins to what was reported as a light-weight ankle sprain. (If there was any luck, they dodged a bullet after Tre Jones additionally turned his ankle however returned.) Nonetheless after a listless first half-hour, they made an admirable comeback try from 28 all the way down to inside 5 due to Devin Vassell and newly-minted sixth man Keldon Johnson, nevertheless it was too late.
After a comparatively tame stretch of schedule, the Spurs returned dwelling to the discover the league-leading Boston Celtics ready for them. Already down Collins (for 2-4 weeks) and now Keldon Johnson, who has taken some arduous spills recently and was a late scratch with again spasms, they actually stood no probability towards a bunch that has been collectively for a number of years and is vying for its first championship. The Spurs fought arduous however have been unsurprisingly outmatched, though Wemby not less than received the Alien vs. Unicorn battle with Kristaps Porzingis.
It was a tough finish to a tough 2023, and whereas it didn’t convey the basketball we needed to see, it did convey the dream participant. Whereas 2024 will seemingly stay tough earlier than it will get higher, right here’s prime hoping it additionally brings an eventual turning factors, the place all of it begins coming collectively. Joyful New Years, Pounders!
Energy Rankings
John Schuhmann, NBA.com — N/A (final week: 29)
N/A
Brett Siegel, Clutch Factors — 29 (final week: 28)
Victor Wembanyama is nineteen years outdated and having some sensational performances. Nonetheless, a current freak damage has the Spurs being additional cautious about Wemby’s well being. It seems to be like he won’t play back-to-backs transferring ahead for some time.
Outdoors of Wemby, there may be not a lot to love about Gregg Popovich’s squad. Of their final recreation of 2023, they misplaced by 33 factors at dwelling to Boston.
The Spurs have 5 wins this season. By the top of January, they could add one or two wins to this complete. Many didn’t suppose it was doable, however the Spurs have truly turn into a worse group over the course of their multi-year rebuild.
Developing: Tues. 1/2 @ Memphis Grizzles; Thurs. 1/4 vs. Milwaukee Bucks; Solar. 1/7 @ Cleveland Cavaliers
Prediction: 1-2 — I want to suppose the Spurs can be revenge-minded after they head to Memphis, because the Grizzlies in all probability handed them their most pathetic lack of the season (blowing a 19-point lead at dwelling towards a group lacking seven rotation gamers), however Ja Morant is again. (Though they’ve misplaced their final three after successful their first 4 following his return). Then we’ll hopefully get that coveted Wemby vs. Giannis matchup that was lacking a few weeks in the past, adopted by the Cavs, who appear beatable however are quietly having a stable season.
