Grades: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors – Game #64
Dominick Barlow led the Spurs over the Warriors (Photo via Twitter)
No Victor Wembanyama. No Devin Vassell. No problem for the San Antonio Spurs against the Golden State Warriors. Even though the Warriors were playing without Stephen Curry, San Antonio’s 126-113 was both unexpected and impressive.
With the coaching staff experimenting with different lineups, the Spurs passed this test with flying colors. The good guys grabbed a 32-27 lead at the end of the first quarter. By halftime, their advantage had ballooned to 62-43. The Warriors had a few runs in the second half but the Spurs always had a response and were never truly threatened.
This was a very good win for the Spurs. The role players were able to spread the wings and it was great to see them get rewarded for playing a tough-minded brand of basketball and for playing together.
Stats: Spurs at Warriors
Spurs at Warriors – Final Grades
Jeremy Sochan
Sochan played a major role in getting the Spurs started on the right foot. He had 16 first half points and his aggressiveness on offense was contagious. It undoubtedly helped that he knocked down a three-point a minute into the game to get his confidence flowing. The second half was more of a struggle for Sochan. He got into foul trouble and never truly rediscovered his offensive rhythm. That said, he kept his energy level high, tried hard on defense and at the very least remained a threat on offense.
Grade: A-
Zach Collins
Like Sochan, Collins did most of his work in the first half. He was 4-for-5 from the court in the opening two quarters. Collins knocked down another three-pointer and was rugged in the paint on offense. In the second half, he too found himself in foul trouble and he only played eight listless minutes after intermission. Defensively, Collins had some positive moments but his rebounding was lackluster and his rim protection was iffy.
Grade: B-
Tre Jones
Jones continues on his apparent mission to be an all-pass, no-shoot point guard. He handed out 11 assists in 31 minutes and only turned it over once. His playmaking and decision-making were very good. Defensively, I had no complaints. He competed and was typically the first player to a 50/50 ball. Scoring-wise, Jones was only 1-for-5 from the field. He was, however, 5-for-6 from the charity stripe. Eventually, to be an even more valuable player, Jones is going to have to be more of a scoring threat.
Grade: B
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie was ready, willing and able to pick up the slack against the Warriors. He played a game-high 34 minutes and responded with a season-high 17 points. As one would expect, Champagnie did most of his damage from beyond the three-point line. He shot with self-assuredness from deep and finished 5-for-8 from distance. That wasn’t all he did on this night, however. Champagnie moved well without the ball, which played a role in him tallying five assists on the night. He was also more athletic on defense than usual and did good work on the boards.
Grade: A-
Malaki Branham
The emergence of Branham continues. In his last ten games, he’s averaging 15.4 points in 23.8 minutes, while shooting 50.9% from the field, 56.5% from three-point range and 94.7% from the free throw line. He looks really, really good right now. First of all, his three-point shot is suddenly super smooth. Secondly, he’s attacking the hoop with a palpable amount of swagger. Add in above average passing and a lot more effort on defense and Branham couldn’t be looking much better. Pop’s trust in him is paying dividends. Versus Golden State, there were stretches where it was Branham who was San Antonio’s go-to player — and he held up well.
Grade: A-
Keldon Johnson
Even though the Spurs were short-handed, Johnson remained in his bench role — and he excelled. He poured in 22 points in 32 minutes, while hitting 5-of-9 two-pointers and 4-of-9 three-pointers. Johnson is another player whose three-point shot is looking excellent right now. Against the Warriors, he picked his spots very well. The result was an efficient 22 points while only turning it over once. Defensively, Johnson was more locked in than normal. His hustle on both ends can be seen in his rebounding numbers. The only negative thing I can say about Johnson’s play was that he didn’t make it to the free throw line.
Grade: A-
Dominick Barlow
Wow, Barlow looked fantastic versus Golden State. Defensively, his individual defense and his help defense were both outstanding. He moved quickly, wisely positioned himself and was uber aggressive. Offensively, he was very helpful. He moved to the right spots, played with no hesitation, beasted on the boards and exhibited a surprising amount of court vision. Overall, Barlow is showing a lot of promise. He’s a very good athlete, he plays tough, he has good instincts and he’s blessed with a healthy basketball IQ.
Grade: A
Blake Wesley
Wesley is another youngster who is oozing with promise. On defense, he’s a terror. He can pressure the ball very well, interfere with passing lanes and even use his athleticism to alter shots. Offensively, Wesley is a work in progress but there’s definitely something there. Against the Warriors, his playmaking and passing were on point. He totaled nine assists in 20 minutes while turning it over only once. For being such a raw basketball player, Wesley sure does read the court well. Scoring-wise, he didn’t do much in San Francisco. He was bending the defense with his speed but he preferred to pass rather than shoot.
Grade: A-
Devonte’ Graham
Considering that Graham has been mothballed this season, he was stunningly sharp against the Warriors. He got early minutes and there wasn’t a perceptible amount of rust in his game. Graham knocked down both of his three-pointers, made sharp passes and was even making plays on the defensive end. While it’s highly unlikely that he’ll enter San Antonio’s rotation any time soon, Graham showed that his NBA career could have a few more years to it.
Grade: A-
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Mamukelashvili got six minutes. He didn’t really move the needle one way or the other, though. He played with a hefty amount of courage, which is always good to see from a seldom used bench player.
Grade: B-
Pop
Getting a win without Wembanyama and Vassell was impressive. This has to go down as one of Pop’s better coached games of the season. He got creative with his rotation and ended up pushing a lot of correct buttons. Extended play for Barlow and Wesley was the right call. Keeping Johnson on the bench worked out. Leaning on Champagnie paid off. Playcalling-wise, Pop really tried to ride Branham — and that also worked out well.
Grade: A