Grades: San Antonio Spurs at Toronto Raptors – Game #54
Victor Wembanyama had a game for the ages against the Raptors (Photo via Twitter)
The San Antonio Spurs snapped their seven-game losing streak and got their first win of the Rodeo Road Trip on Monday night against the Toronto Raptors. Thanks largely to a triple-double by Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs crushed the Raptors by a final score of 122-99. The road win improved the Spurs to 11-43, while the Raptors fell to 19-35.
The good guys scored the first ten points of the game and held a 34-28 lead after the first quarter. The Spurs played even better in the second quarter, outscoring the Raptors 33-22 in the period. Following a slow start to the second half, the Spurs got it going once again and blew the doors off by the end of the third quarter.
All in all, this was a very satisfying win. Wembanyama busted through the rookie wall in memorable fashion and a lot of his compatriots came along for the ride.
Stats: Spurs at Raptors
Spurs at Raptors – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
In the game’s first 80 seconds, Wembanyama had recorded a block, a rebound, a three-pointer and a dunk. His early energy set the stage for a historic night for the rookie. In only 29 minutes, he had 27 points, 14 rebounds, 10 blocks, five assists and two steals. Wembanyama was also uber efficient, hitting 10-of-14 from the field, 2-of-4 from three-point range and 5-of-6 from the line. As the insane numbers suggest, the rookie was an absolute beast. He was all over the court on both ends. Defensively, his rim protection was otherworldly, he was gobbling up rebounds and he got his long limbs in the passing lanes. Offensively, Wembanyama flashed fantastic court vision, finished with athleticism and touch, and oozed skill out on the perimeter. The only flaw you could point to was the rookie’s sloppiness — but a lot of that was simply due to him trying to make things happen. Following a string of sleepy performances, I can’t fault him for pushing the envelope. He was great.
Grade: A+
Devin Vassell
Vassell played his role really well. He spread the court with his three-point shot, attacked the rim with toughness, unselfishly found open teammates and did it all without turning the ball over. When Vassell plays with confidence while also not trying to do too much, he’s a really good player. Against the Raptors, I also thought his defense was much better than usual.
Grade: A
Jeremy Sochan
Sochan played how the Spurs need him to play. Defensively, he was outstanding. He moved his feet well out on the perimeter while also playing with toughness when contact was made. Add in rim protection and stellar transition defense and it’s safe to say this was one of Sochan’s better defensive performances of the season. Offensively, Sochan was rock solid. He finished with four dunks by filling lanes and cutting hard. He missed both of his three-pointers and didn’t have an assist but he was an asset on offense just due to his movement, the fact that he forced the Raptors to double-team him at times and his powerful finishes.
Grade: A-
Tre Jones
Good stuff from Jones. He could have been a little bit more aggressive in terms of calling his own number but I thought he picked his spots reasonably well. Jones recognized the hot hands and found ways to distribute the ball properly. He also kept the pace hopping while also limiting his mistakes. Defensively, he was impactful. Jones pressured out on the perimeter and then made it a point to crash the boards and scoop up loose balls.
Grade: A-
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie had another quiet evening as a starter. He had a transition layup — but that was about the extent of his positives. To be fair, even though Champagnie started, he only played ten minutes. Plus, his touches were limited during the time he was on the court.
Grade: C
Keldon Johnson
Now this is the version of Johnson the Spurs could use on a regular basis. In his previous four games, he had a total of only two assists. His lack of passing and playmaking was hurting the bench unit. Tonight in Toronto, Johnson returned to a more well-rounded form. Totaling six assists without turning it over shows just how well Johnson was quarterbacking the second unit. Johnson took it to the rim with gusto, got to the free throw line and kept the Raptors on their heels. Defensively, Johnson had a couple of painful miscues but also swiped three steals and recorded a block. That level of defensive playmaking isn’t something we see very often from him.
Grade: A-
Malaki Branham
The good: Branham keeps letting the ball fly. Shooting 12 times in 21 minutes is proof the second-year player isn’t being bashful. His passing against the Raptors was legitimately very good. Defensively, his hustle tonight was something I’ve rarely seen from him. The bad: I don’t mind Branham shooting a lot but it’d be nice if he mixed in more makes, particularly from three-point range. His threes are actually looking worse and worse as the season progresses. Better defense in halfcourt sets would be appreciated.
Grade: C+
Blake Wesley
Wesley struggled a bit with turnovers. He had four in 20 minutes and he just seemed out of sync and not totally sure where his teammates should be. But other than that issue, I thought Wesley was again really good. He finished well at the rim, knocked down a three-pointer, got to the line and changed the game with his open court speed. Defensively, he pressured relentlessly while keeping his head on a swivel.
Grade: B-
Zach Collins
Collins avoided his recent pitfalls. He played smarter defense and stayed out of foul trouble. He passed it well without taking unnecessary risks. He also stayed within the offensive sets and didn’t try to do too much. That said, his rebounding continues to be poor, his overall defense is unremarkable and he still doesn’t look to be 100% healthy following his ankle injury.
Grade: B-
Cedi Osman
Osman was quietly one of the keys to San Antonio’s victory. He only played 15 minutes but he could always be found making things happen during that time on the court. Defensively and in transition, he was flying around the court. I loved the way he pushed the pace and the confidence he played with when the ball was in his hands. Osman had a few mistakes but he was aiding his teammates by keeping the pedal to the metal.
Grade: B+
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Mamukelashvili got six minutes of garbage time and was in constant motion.
Grade: Inc.
Devonte’ Graham
Graham also got garbage time. With the emergence of Wesley, it’s looking really unlikely that he’ll enter the rotation this season.
Grade: Inc.
Pop
Pop didn’t do any special coaching to get the win. This game was about Wembanyama playing with a spectacular amount of energy. His rotations were basically the same. Nothing changed with his playcalling. I did like that Pop let Wembanyama be out there long enough for him to get his tenth block.
Grade: B-