The San Antonio Spurs answered the call to one of their biggest tests of the season. Against a Hornets team that still has so much to prove, it would have been easy to overlook a clearly inferior opponent. That kind of thinking usually leads to a lack of focus, effort, and intensity on the court, but the Spurs knew better.
Victor Wembanyama rallied the troops and kept everyone locked in until the end, never letting up on either end of the floor. It was a good thing, too, since the Hornets have been one of the hottest teams in the league since January. Led by LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel, they have turned a 4-14 start into a 34-33 record, successfully proving themselves as a playoff threat in the East.
Today had all the makings of a typical “trap” game for the Spurs, but they kept a steady hand and countered the Hornets when it mattered to secure the 115-102 win at home. Still, not every performance had equal weight, and some players clearly came out better than others.
Victor Wembanyama: A
Game Stats: 29 PTS, 12 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, 3 BLK, 2 TO, 12-22 FG, 4-8 3PT, 1-2 FT, 29 MIN
Victor was doing his usual thing today: blocking shots, scoring points, and just leaving his mark all over the game. He was doing it all for the Spurs, finishing with a clean 29 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and three blocks in 29 minutes, including a burst in the first half where he poured 16 points in 12 minutes. When he started making turnaround jumpers over Kon Knueppel, you knew it was going to be one of those dominant nights for him.
Victor arguably made his biggest impact on the boards. He finished with 12 rebounds, successfully winning loose balls and granting his team extra possessions. In the end, the Spurs totaled 52 rebounds as a team (compared to Charlotte’s 39), largely due to Victor’s constant activity and pressure under the rim, which also helped contain their offense to just 102 points.
Stephon Castle: B+
Game Stats: 15 PTS, 7 REB, 10 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 6 TO, 5-11 FG, 1-3 3PT, 4-4 FT, 29 MIN
The Spurs played through Victor as much as they could (and rightfully so), but when the ball wasn’t in his hands, it was in Castle’s. Besides finishing a couple of high-flying dunks, he ran the floor with timely passes that kept the whole team in a steady rhythm. In total, he finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, and a team-high 10 assists on 5-11 shooting from the field. He just needs to cut down on the turnovers.
In a more subtle takeaway, Castle went 1-3 from the arc today, holding up an active trend where he’s gone 40% over his last 15 games. If he can continue to show more consistency from range and become a more confident shooter, it could be the final element to making this Spurs team truly unbeatable. For now, just having his interior scoring and playmaking is enough to make a massive difference.
De’Aaron Fox: B
Game Stats: 17 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO, 6-16 FG, 1-4 3PT, 4-5 FT, 35 MIN
De’Aaron Fox has the talent to be a major piece of this Spurs team, but consistency has been a frequent problem for him. Today, he continued that trend with a performance that was hardly worthy of his four-year, $229 million contract. With 17 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block on 6-16 shooting, Fox gave just enough to give his team the edge they needed, but you can’t help but feel that he’s capable of more.
Going forward, the Spurs will need a smarter version of Fox to maximize their playoff odds. If he can learn how to play more within the flow of the game while still maintaining that aggression, it will help him avoid the ill-advised shots that so often ice out the offense. Fortunately, he made up for it somewhat in the passing lanes with two steals that helped get key possessions.
Luke Kornet: B
Game Stats: 10 PTS, 8 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 4-4 FG, 0-0 3PT, 2-2 FT, 20 MIN
Luke Kornet has struggled to find a consistent role this season, but we know he’s capable of going off in the right conditions. For whatever reason, everything lined up for him today, and it resulted in arguably his best game of the season. While 10 points is well above his season-average, it’s the efficiency that really jumps out. He didn’t miss a shot, including at the free-throw line, where he went a perfect 4-4.
That kind of quick, efficient scoring helped the Spurs stay in front and eased pressure off the starters to account for every point. These nights don’t have to be a rarity for Kornet if he can play with this degree of confidence, patience, and focus in every game. We shouldn’t expect it, but it’s another positive sign for a team that already has so many weapons.
Keldon Johnson: C+
Game Stats: 13 PTS, 5 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 6-9 FG, 1-2 3PT, 0-0 FT, 21 MIN
Keldon Johnson’s box score doesn’t particularly stand out, but he carried the bench unit with 13 points and five rebounds on 6-9 shooting. He kept the aggression up all game long, playing unselfish basketball to build up a flow in the offense that provided a consistent source of scoring.
Best of all, he took care of business defensively, showing the kind of effort and focus that every coach wants to see. While his play was far from perfect, Johnson played his role, and he didn’t overstep. In the end, it was more than enough for the Spurs, 47% from the field as a team (33% from three).
Julian Champagnie: C
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 4-11 FG, 1-6 3PT, 0-0 FT, 33 MIN
It was a modest game for the young swingman. He struggled from three but was solid from the field overall with nine points on 4-11 shooting. He wasn’t looking for the ball a whole lot and had a relatively quiet game, given what we know that he’s capable of. Still, he answered when called and gave enough support on the wing for the Spurs to maintain a consistent offensive spark.
The important thing for Champagnie is that he played to win, not to earn bigger opportunities. His unselfish playstyle is why he’s earned the trust of Mitch Johnson and why he fits so well on such a stacked starting lineup. He does all the little things you need to win, and doesn’t ask for more in the process. Still, his presence didn’t swing the game one way or the other, and it’s hard to say this one will stick out when he looks back on this season.
Carter Bryant: C-
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 3-8 FG, 1-4 3PT, 1-2 FT, 16 MIN
You can’t judge a rookie too harshly, especially when he’s good enough to crack the rotation for a team that’s second in the Western Conference. While he showed some flashes of his upside, some of his mistakes did cost them in the game, as he was a team-low -3 in 16 minutes. With just eight points, four rebounds, and one assist, he still managed to make an impact, even if it was relatively minor.
For Carter, the confidence is good to see, but he has yet to gain consistency from beyond the arc. Those struggles showed tonight, as he went 1-4 in the limited opportunities he had. Still, he was active and engaged throughout the game, an obvious sign that he might deserve a bigger place in the rotation. Before he can take that role, however, he’ll need to show some more consistency with his shooting.
Devin Vassell: C-
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 2-6 FG, 1-3 3PT, 4-4 FT, 34 MIN
With averages of 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game this season, Devin Vassell is the kind of player who can unlock the peak version of this Spurs team. Behind Wembanyama, he played the second-most minutes tonight, and it makes sense as one of their best two-way athletes. While his defense was good enough in this game, his shooting was completely off the mark.
With just nine points on 2-6 shooting (1-3 from three), Devin’s struggles nearly dragged the whole team down, but he found other ways to contribute. With his perimeter defense, rebounding effort, and selfless passing, he did enough to ensure he wasn’t a total liability. Still, this was a forgettable night for him and a very frustrating one after chasing LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel around all game.
Harrison Barnes
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 3 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 0-3 FG, 0-1 3PT, 2-2 FT, 22 MIN
At 33 years old, Harrison Barnes is not what he used to be, and that was abundantly clear in this showdown. They came off the bench to provide a spark for his team, but he was pretty much invisible the whole way through. By the end, he finished with a measly stat line of two points, three rebounds, zero assists, zero blocks, and one turnover in 22 minutes.
At this point, Barnes doesn’t have that same shooting stroke he used to. Defenders are leaving him open, and he’s struggling to find ways to adapt. This was not his finest showing, and he’ll want to avoid more of these to keep his job safe in the future.
