The San Antonio Spurs picked up their fifth win of the season in a 116-96 blowout over the Sacramento Kings, improving their record to 5-6 and showing they could be a competitive Playoff team in the West this season.
Victor Wembanyama is turning the corner after his slow start to the season, dominating this contest with 34 points (13-22 FG, 6-12 3PT), 14 rebounds, six assists, and three blocks. Chris Paul turned back the clock for an impressive double-double with 12 points (5-8 FG) and 11 assists. Four other Spurs players cracked double-digits as Julian Champagnie (13 PTS), Devin Vassell (12 PTS), Keldon Johnson (11 PTS), and Harrison Barnes (10 PTS) all contributed.
The Kings’ rotation failed to answer the call behind three 20-point performances courtesy of their big three. De’Aaron Fox led the Kings in scoring with 24 points (9-19 FG) while Domantas Sabonis contributed 23 points (11-19 FG) and 12 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points (8-15 FG) with eight rebounds and six assists, but no other Kings player cracked double-digits in scoring.
Here are three major takeaways from this convincing Spurs win.
Victor Wembanyama Is Finding His Stroke
Victor Wembanyama came into this game shooting 28% from three, much to everybody’s chagrin. The 7’5″ center is expected to dominate in the post, but Wemby remained undeterred and has kept shooting. He has reaped the rewards of his willing jumper in the Spurs’ last two contests.
He’s averaging 19.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks so far this season, shooting 44.6% from the field and 31.3% from three boosted by tonight’s 6-12 showing from beyond the arc. The Spurs’ last game was a 110-111 loss to the Utah Jazz where Wembanyama also made six threes on nine attempts.
Teams have better defensive schemes planned to stop Wembanyama on the inside, especially with physical 7-footers like Dereck Lively II, who Wemby struggled against on opening night. In a matchup against Sabonis, Wemby was able to trust his post-play as well as his jumper. When both his offensive skills mesh with the guaranteed defensive impact, the Spurs can be impossible to stop.
The Kings Roster Is Built Awkwardly
The Kings have fallen to .500 with this loss and hold a 5-5 record after a summer where they made a big splash to acquire DeMar DeRozan to help the franchise return to the Playoffs after losing in the Play-in Tournament last season. While DeRozan has been as good as advertised, averaging 24.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists so far this season, fitting him into the lineup has created awkwardness within the Kings play-style.
They’re playing slightly faster basketball, improving their pace to 99.59 from 98.83 last season, but it’s not the same as their electric play in 2022-23 which took them to the No. 3 seed in the West. DeRozan is a phenomenal scorer but his lack of consistent three-point shooting alongside Fox and Sabonis having the same weakness has contracted the floor majorly for the trio this season.
Keegan Murray (5 PTS, 2-7 FG, -21) has been ice-cold to start the season, losing a lot of touches to accommodate DeRozan. He was one of their best shooters last season but is struggling to find his place within a Kings starting five loaded with offensive weapons that aren’t necessarily complementary.
Their lack of spacing hurt them majorly today, with the team shooting 10-38 from three. A trade to better round out the roster with a 3-and-D player might be unavoidable for the Kings if they want to contend in the West.
San Antonio’s Depth Is Paying Off
The Spurs made a concerted effort to add players who can contribute to potential winning moves, as indicated by their signing of Chris Paul and trade acquisition of Harrison Barnes from the Kings over the summer. In addition, they drafted a defense-first guard like Stephon Castle who has proven he can be an immediate contributor to the franchise through the first 10 games of the season.
Despite heavy trade rumors, the Spurs kept Keldon Johnson and pivoted him to a sixth-man role while also developing Julian Champagnie and being bolstered by Devin Vassell’s return from injury. They have a competent rotation that currently lacks players like Jeremy Sochan who is out injured but was clearly taking a major leap in production this season.
The Spurs didn’t prematurely go for an All-Star level co-star for Wembanyama after his historic rookie season, instead going for veterans and other players who can round out the roster past Wembanyama. Paul’s 11 assists tonight saw him connect with Wembanyama multiple times, Barnes has added a scoring spark to the wing, and Castle is taking POA defensive assignments in Sochan’s absence.
Even with Gregg Popovich sidelined indefinitely due to a medical issue, it seems the philosophy behind building this roster behind Wembanyama is working perfectly for the franchise.
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