Grades: San Antonio Spurs vs. Dallas Mavericks – Game #69
Tre Jones and the Spurs couldn’t quite get a win (Photo via Twitter)
The San Antonio Spurs kept it close but couldn’t overcome the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night at the Frost Bank Center. The Mavs improved to 40-29, while the Spurs dropped to a record of 15-54.
Dallas held a 38-30 lead after the first quarter. However, it only took a few minutes for the Spurs to battle back in the second quarter. That pattern continued for the rest of the game — the Mavs threatening to pull away and the Spurs clawing their way back in.
With 4:10 remaining in regulation, the Spurs had a one-point lead. Unfortunately, the Mavs responded with a 9-2 run to end the drama.
All in all, the good guys fought well. Ultimately, the Spurs didn’t have enough players performing at a high level to get a win against a team in the running to make the playoffs.
Stats: Spurs vs. Mavericks
Spurs vs. Mavericks – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
This has to be classified as an off game for Wembanyama. He was only 3-for-13 from the field, including 0-for-4 from deep. He also found himself in early foul trouble and turned it over five times. For the game, Wembanyama simply wasn’t aggressive or assertive enough. To the rookie’s credit, he was still able to impact the game in a positive manner during his 32 minutes. He got to the free throw line seven times, he was strong on the boards and he defended the rim to the tune of six blocks. In addition to more aggression on offense, Wembanyama’s perimeter defense could have been a lot better and his passing decisions could have been crisper. The big picture, though, is that the rookie is still pretty good even when he’s struggling.
Grade: C-
Devin Vassell
The good: Vassell was 9-for-15 from two-point range. He gave good effort on the glass and he had a few heady passes. Vassell got off to a good start, which helped keep the Spurs from falling into a deep early hole. The bad: Vassell missed all three of his three-pointers and only got to the line once. Add three turnovers to the mix and his offensive efficiency was suspect. Playmaking-wise, Vassell wasn’t consistent enough. The Spurs went to him to create offense and there were too many rough patches. Defensively, Vassell had some decent moments but there was nothing much to write home about.
Grade: C
Jeremy Sochan
The Mavs were sagging off of Sochan and trying to force him to take on a larger role offensively. The strategy worked. Sochan was okay-ish from three-point range (3-for-9) but was a disaster inside of the arc (1-for-6). His passing was smarter than usual but he needed to shoot better to make the Mavericks pay. Sochan scoring 13 points on 15 shots when he was left unguarded much of the evening isn’t going to cut it. Defensively, he was solid. He moved his feet well out on the perimeter, he was disciplined and he rebounded well. But, yeah, Sochan can’t be such a liability on offense and still be a net positive player.
Grade: C-
Tre Jones
Jones did really well against the Mavs. He shot it straight from deep (4-for-5) and he also finished well at the basket. When he’s being forceful on offense, it opens up things for everyone else. Jones’ passing was excellent, he pushed the pace effectively and he kept his mistakes to a minimum. Defensively, his effort was there — particularly in loose ball situations — but his impact was minimal.
Grade: A-
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie was mostly fine. He defended better than usual and did a good job of staying aware. Offensively, I liked his shot-selection. He was still a bit too one-dimensional but at least he wasn’t hurting the offense by forcing shots. Champagnie’s main job is to spread the floor — and he did that well enough on Tuesday night.
Grade: B
Keldon Johnson
While his defense could have certainly been better, Johnson was stout on the offensive end. He knocked down 3-of-6 threes while also mixing in drives. (It is a bit troubling that Johnson’s free throw rate has plummeted after the All-Star break.) His decision-making on offense was good and he rebounded well. But, again, Johnson’s defense was iffy enough that the coaches surely thought twice before giving him extended minutes.
Grade: B-
Malaki Branham
Well, okay, I’ll count this as a step in the right direction for Branham. After missing 17 consecutive three-pointers, Branham finally hit a three. He also added a few strong forays to the hoop and his defense was better. Branham always seems to have fragile confidence so let’s hope his improved play tonight leads him to another run of impressive outings. The Spurs could definitely use his scoring if he’s hitting on all cylinders.
Grade: B-
Dominick Barlow
Barlow’s developing basketball IQ was on full display against Dallas. The backup center, who was filling in for an injured Zach Collins, finished with five assists in 16 minutes as a result of wise, well-timed passes. Barlow is blossoming into a mobile, multi-faceted big man prospect. His defense and rebounding could have been better versus the Mavs but there were promising moments when he rotated quickly and processed the game rapidly enough to get a half-step ahead of the competition.
Grade: B
Blake Wesley
Wesley battled on defense but he was a nothing on offense. No assists and no made field goals in 13 minutes isn’t the best way for him to make an argument that he should be San Antonio’s backup point guard. Wesley provided some energy but the Spurs were in desperate need of something more tangible.
Grade: C-
Cedi Osman
Osman did well. He had two emphatic blocks and his vivacity on both ends could be felt throughout the building. Osman single-handedly made sure things didn’t go stale when he was on the court. Honestly, I thought it was pretty clear that he should have played more minutes.
Grade: B+
Pop
The defensive game plan was good. Offensively, I can’t say the coaching was good when Sochan had more shot attempts than Wembanyama. Figuring out a way to make the Mavs pay for ignoring Sochan or figuring out a way to get Wembanyama more shots would have been helpful. Rotations-wise, more minutes for Osman would have made sense. Riding Jones longer also could have made a difference.
Grade: C