Grades: San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets – Game #17
Malaki Branham and the Spurs couldn’t beat the champs (Photo via Twitter)
The San Antonio Spurs lost their 12th straight game, a 132-120 defeat to the Denver Nuggets. The loss dropped the Spurs to 3-14, while the win improved the defending NBA champions to 11-6.
San Antonio played Denver tight for the first quarter and a small part of the second quarter. Unfortunately, the Nuggets were able to grab a 12-point lead at halftime, 72-60. The second half wasn’t especially competitive. The Spurs were able to go on a run late to make the final score look respectable but the Nuggets were never truly in danger.
Overall, the good guys put up a decent fight at times but it’s a real struggle for them string together good quarters right now — much less win a game.
Stats: Spurs at Nuggets
Spurs at Nuggets – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
On a per minute basis, Wembanyama might have had his most productive game of his career. In only 25 minutes, he totaled 22 points, 11 rebounds, six steals, four blocks and two assists. Offensively, I liked his aggressiveness and assertiveness. He could have gone up stronger at times and he was still too loose with the ball — but there were a lot more positives than negatives. Defensively, Wembanyama was a beast. He was shutting down passing lanes while also protecting the rim. The rookie’s rotations weren’t perfect but his near limitless potential on D was obvious to anyone who watched the game.
Grade: A
Keldon Johnson
Johnson was much too passive against Denver. He didn’t attempt a shot in nine first quarter minutes. By the end of the third, he only had three field goal attempts. While Johnson is becoming a more well-rounded player, he has to be an offensive threat to have a positive impact on an NBA game. When he’s not looking to score or even make plays for teammates, his minutes are better used elsewhere.
Grade: D
Jeremy Sochan
Sochan ended up leaving this game due to knee soreness. Before he left, he wasn’t doing a whole lot of good. Four turnovers in 21 minutes isn’t what you want to see from a starting point guard. He dribbled a lot while once again struggling with seeing the court. Sochan had a few positive moments on defense but, all in all, is was a forgettable evening.
Grade: D+
Zach Collins
Nikola Jokic finished with 39 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists so Collins can’t be too thrilled with those numbers. Then again, Jokic is so good he can produce even if Collins is playing perfect defense. That said, San Antonio’s starting center could have done a lot better. His work on the glass was underwhelming, he finished with more turnovers than assists, he didn’t go to the free throw line, he fouled a lot and he didn’t shoot it straight. Collins had some slick passes and the effort was there but there was more bad than good.
Grade: D+
Malaki Branham
Getting another start, Branham actually did pretty good. He played with more confidence than usual on his way to 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the field. The most notable aspect of his shooting display was his 3-for-5 shooting from deep, especially because his three-point shooting has been poor this season. Playmaking-wise and defense-wise, Branham was better than usual. Let’s hope this is the beginning of a strong stretch of games for the guard.
Grade: B+
Devin Vassell
In an attempt to limit his minutes as he returns from injury, Vassell came off the bench again. He did well. Offensively, he wasn’t shy. Vassell came out firing and the results were great. His three-point stroke looks as good as ever, he’s driving with muscle to the paint and his passing is steadily improving. His defense wasn’t anything to write home about but Vassell’s shot-making made him a valuable asset against the Nuggets whenever he was on the hardwood.
Grade: A-
Tre Jones
This was a classic Tre Jones game. He took smart shots, pushed the pace, made the right reads passing-wise and helped make sure the offense ran smoothly. On defense, his hustle stood out and he was reliably in the right spots. Perhaps most importantly, Jones kept his mistakes to a minimum on both ends of the court. When he plays like this, he’s at the very least a high-end backup point guard.
Grade: A-
Julian Champagnie
Another silver lining against the Nuggets was Champagnie’s play. He’s been mired in a season-long shooting slump so it was great to see him pour in 13 points in 17 minutes while hitting half of his eight field goal attempts and half of his four three-point tries. If Champagnie can start shooting straight, he could spark the bench unit going forward.
Grade: A-
Cedi Osman
The good: Osman passed the ball well, hit all four of his free throws and tried hard on defense. His play in transition was also a plus. The bad: Osman was only 1-for-5 from the field and had three turnovers in only six minutes. Sloppiness and poor shooting is difficult for a player like him to overcome.
Grade: D
Charles Bassey
Bassey’s numbers look healthy. In 15 minutes, he had nine points, six rebounds and two assists. He shot well from the field and only turned it over once. That said, Bassey wasn’t as good as those statistics suggest. He wasn’t sturdy enough in the post, which made him look undersized when he was under the basket — which doesn’t happen very often to Bassey. He has to play with more physicality. Overall, Bassey did wasn’t bad but he could have done better.
Grade: B-
Doug McDermott
It’s difficult to pinpoint any good McDermott did during his 12 minutes on the court. He didn’t score and his defense looked extra slow against Denver’s lively squad. Truth be told, the coaches should have had a quicker hook.
Grade: D
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Mamukelashvili didn’t get in until garbage time but his nonstop movement seemed to nudge the needle in the positive direction.
Grade: Inc.
Devonte’ Graham
Graham ran the offense pretty well in the depths of garbage time.
Grade: Inc.
Pop
Pop did well to get Wembanyama involved early and often. I still don’t like Vassell coming off the bench. Hopefully we see him in the starting lineup soon. Pop needs to help find a way to get this team back on track and back in the win column. There’s no way a long losing streak like this is good for developmental purposes.
Grade: C-