Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets – Preseason Game #1
Jeremy Sochan and the San Antonio Spurs begin preseason action on Sunday (Photo via Twitter)
The San Antonio Spurs face the Houston Rockets on Sunday night in a contest that will be the first preseason game of the 2022-23 season for both teams. The Spurs and Rockets are expected to be two of the worst teams in the league once the regular season rolls around. However, despite the gloomy predictions, this preseason game promises to showcase a lot of exciting youngsters.
Specifically, the Spurs and the Rockets had a combined five first round picks in the 2022 NBA Draft. The Spurs drafted Jeremy Sochan with the ninth pick, Malaki Branham with the 20th pick and Blake Wesley with the 25th pick, while the Rockets selected Jabari Smith Jr. with the second pick and Tari Eason with the 17th pick. All five rookies are expected to play on Sunday night.
San Antonio Spurs Injury Update
While it appears that their three first rounders will be healthy enough to play, the Spurs will be without Keldon Johnson and Joshua Primo when they tip off their preseason schedule. Both Johnson and Primo were injured in the days leading up to training camp. Johnson suffered a dislocated shoulder, while Primo suffered a sprained MCL.
The good news for the Spurs is that both Johnson and Primo are expected to be ready when the regular season begins on Oct. 19th against the Charlotte Hornets.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
The most likely starting lineup when the regular season kicks off is Tre Jones at point guard, Devin Vassell at shooting guard, Keldon Johnson at small forward, Doug McDermott at power forward and Jakob Poeltl at center. With Johnson on the sidelines for the preseason opener against Houston, it’s difficult to guess who will take his spot in the starting lineup.
If Primo were healthy, he’d be a leading candidate. With Primo also out, Popovich could turn to rookie Jeremy Sochan. Another possible option is Keita Bates-Diop, who started 14 games last season and is entering his third season with the Spurs.
There’s also a chance that McDermott isn’t a starter for this Spurs team, especially if the coaching staff prioritizes minutes for the younger players. On Sunday, we’ll begin to get an idea of what the coaches are thinking regarding San Antonio’s starting lineup.
Houston Rockets Starting Lineup
The Rockets are expected to start Kevin Porter Jr. at point guard, Jalen Green at shooting guard, Eric Gordon at small forward, Jabari Smith Jr. at power forward and Alperen Sengun at center. The Rockets, like the Spurs, are entering a full-blown youth movement. Outside of Gordon (33), all four of the other players are 22 years old or younger.
Spurs vs. Rockets Prediction
The Rockets are favored in this game by 4.5 points. Expect the Rockets to cover. First of all, being in front of their home fans, Houston’s youngsters will be extra motivated to start their preseason out on the right foot. Secondly, since the Rockets rotation is relatively set, it’d make sense if their starters play more minutes than the Spurs starters. Last but not least, with Johnson and Primo sidelined, the Spurs are missing a lot of firepower.