Grades: San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets – Preseason Game #1
Devin Vassell couldn’t lead the Spurs to victory (Photo via Twitter)
In their first preseason game, the San Antonio Spurs provided a glimpse of what is projected to be a long season to come. Going against another projected cellar dweller, the Spurs were stomped by the Houston Rockets by a final score of 134-96. The Rockets got off to a quick start, the Spurs couldn’t hit a shot early … and the game turned into a laugher by the second quarter.
Despite the carnage, there were a few glimmers of possible silver linings for Spurs fans.
Spurs at Rockets – Final Grades
Devin Vassell
19 minutes, 13 points, 2 rebounds
4-for-13 from the field, 1-for-7 on threes, 4-for-5 at the line
It was clear that the Spurs gameplan called for Vassell to be the team’s first option on offense. Unfortunately, Vassell’s jumper wasn’t falling early on — and that seemed to throw off his rhythm and caused him to rush. The good news is he kept his head up and kept firing away. He also got out and ran the court and was able to produce on the fast break. The bad news is Vassell didn’t show much diversity to his game when his shots weren’t falling.
Grade: C
Jakob Poeltl
17 minutes, 9 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls
4-for-7 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
Poeltl did well, especially considering the chaos orbiting around him. For stretches at a time, he attempted to put the team on his back to carry the squad to respectability. Defensively, he was stout. Offensively, he was more aggressive than usual and even showed off the ability to drain an 18-foot jumper with a surprisingly fluid motion.
Grade: B+
Tre Jones
21 minutes, 7 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds
3-for-9 from the field, 1-for-3 on threes, 0-for-1 at the line
With Keldon Johnson and Joshua Primo sidelined, Jones needed to be the glue to hold the team together. Instead, he was one of the main culprits for the offense being a discombobulated mess. His running of the team was poor; he struggled getting the team into any type of set. Jones was also uncharacteristically sloppy and was holding onto the ball too long. The silver tinge in this dud of a performance is that he took three-pointers and his formed looked okay-ish.
Grade: D
Josh Richardson
16 minutes, 3 points, 3 rebounds
1-for-5 from the field, 0-for-2 on threes, 1-for-2 at the line
Richardson started the game and hit a jumper 14 seconds into the affair … and then did little else. He assumed some of the ball-handling duties but his playmaking attempts weren’t leading to points.
Grade: C-
Keita Bates-Diop
19 minutes, 7 points, 4 rebounds
0-for-5 from the field, 0-for-3 on threes, 7-for-8 at the line
The fifth starter in the preseason opener was Bates-Diop. I was unimpressed with his outing. He missed all five shots he took even though the Rockets weren’t paying him much attention. He had another handful of shots he should have attempted … but didn’t. Bates-Diop was competitive on the boards — but his inability to do anything on offense other than get to the free throw line was making things even more difficult for his teammates.
Grade: D
Blake Wesley
21 minutes, 7 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds
2-for-7 from the field, 0-for-2 on threes, 3-for-6 at the line
Wesley isn’t scared, we can say that, for sure. He was the first rookie off the bench and did a decent job running the team as a backup point guard. His passing was better than advertised and he made a few heady plays. On the other end of the spectrum, a couple of Wesley’s jumpers were way, way off and he had a few possessions where he was totally out of control. All in all, though, he was a ball of energy whose effort level was commendable throughout his preseason debut.
Grade: B
Isaiah Roby
18 minutes, 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 4 fouls
5-for-8 from the field, 2-for-4 on threes, 0-for-1 at the line
In a sea of flotsam, Roby was a shiny object worthy of a closer inspection. To put it simply, he played like a professional basketball player who is coordinated for his size and a sportsman who understands the objectives of the game he plays. His three-point shot is smooth, he can handle the ball well for a big, he can move his feet on the perimeter and seems to have better than adequate court vision. One game into the preseason, it’s safe to say Roby looks deserving of a spot in the rotation.
Grade: B+
Zach Collins
20 minutes, 11 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers, 5 fouls
4-for-10 from the field, 2-for-4 on threes, 1-for-2 at the line
Collins had a night to forget. He got in early foul trouble and then struggled to string together positive possessions. Instead, Collins looked to be dealing with various stages of frustration. His statistical production may look impressive on paper but most of it came after the game had turned into a glorified cardio workout.
Grade: D+
Doug McDermott
14 minutes, 7 points, 2 rebounds
2-for-8 from the field, 1-for-5 on threes, 2-for-2 at the line
McDermott came off the bench and added to the woes by missing open shots. The Spurs really could have used his veteran know-how to right the ship, particularly in the first half, but McDermott fired blanks from the perimeter and struggled to find any angles in the paint.
Grade: C-
Joe Wieskamp
13 minutes, 3 points, 3 rebounds
1-for-5 from the field, 1-for-4 on threes
Wieskamp was one of the first five players off the bench. Like many of his teammates, he’s going to hope that the film of this game is lost forever. The only shot he made was a three-pointer that he accidentally banked in. Wieskamp hustled and was unselfish but he was skittish with the ball in his hands and lacked confidence in most situations.
Grade: D
Jeremy Sochan
17 minutes, 5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls
2-for-4 from the field, 1-for-3 on threes
When Sochan eventually got into the game, it was quickly evident that his potential on the defensive end is very high. His rotations were speedy and he can instantly diagnose what the other team is trying to do. Individually, he can move his feet on the perimeter and isn’t bashful about banging in the post or protecting the rim. Offensively, Sochan hit a three-pointer and had a put-back dunk. There were plenty of ups and downs in his debut but the rookie exhibited potential.
Grade: B-
Malaki Branham
14 minutes, 10 points, 2 turnovers
4-for-5 from the field, 2-for-3 on threes
Branham wasn’t allowed onto the court until well into the third quarter but he wasted little time once given the opportunity. Within seconds, he looked like the most competent offensive player on the entire ballclub. He didn’t hesitate to take open shots and showed his teammates that it’s okay to put the ball inside of the basket. By the end of the game, it was painfully obvious that Branham should have been on the court earlier if the team’s objective was to avoid embarrassment.
Grade: A-
Romeo Langford
14 minutes, 2 points
1-for-4 from the field, 0-for-1 on threes
Langford is odd. For a guy who should be desperately trying to carve out a niche in the league to avoid having to move to China to continue his career, the former lottery pick is shockingly subdued. The word “hustle” doesn’t appear to be in his vocabulary and he doesn’t move more than is absolutely necessary. Hopefully the coaching staff can light a fire under him but at this point it’s difficult to tell if Langford even cares.
Grade: D-
Alize Johnson
13 minutes, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
0-for-1 from the field
The good: Johnson efforted and had more wherewithal with the ball than I was expecting. The bad: Johnson either needs an extra two inches or a heaping spoonful of added skill to stick in the league.
Grade: C+
Jordan Hall
4 minutes
0-for-2 from the field
Hall played some point guard in the dingiest depths of garbage time but failed to do anything of note.
Grade: Inc.