Grades: San Antonio Spurs vs. Denver Nuggets – Game #67
Tre Jones and the Spurs couldn’t defeat the defending champions (Photo via Twitter)
The San Antonio Spurs played a home game in Austin against the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. The end result was a 117-106 loss. The Spurs dropped to 14-53 on the season, while the Nuggets improved to 47-20.
San Antonio played well in the first six minutes of the game. Unfortunately, the wheels fell off of the Silver and Black’s attack and the Nuggets took advantage. At the end of the first quarter, Denver was up 37-18.
Instead of getting blown out, the Spurs rallied enough to put up a fight. In the middle two quarters, San Antonio outscored Denver 61-49. The Spurs trailed by only seven points heading into the fourth quarter but they were never able to sustain a run as the Nuggets strolled to a victory.
All in all, the game went as expected. The Nuggets are the defending NBA champs and they’re playing well right now. The Spurs didn’t fold but the Nuggets were never truly in danger.
Stats: Spurs vs. Nuggets
Spurs vs. Nuggets – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
For the fourth consecutive game, Wembanyama wasn’t superhuman. While his non-scoring numbers have remained strong, he has averaged only 16.8 points in those four games while shooting 39% from the field, 30.8% on threes and 68.4% at the line. Against the Nuggets, his main issue was settling for jumpers. He also wasn’t running the court as hard as usual. Being more powerful with his moves and having more patience with the ball would also help. That said, Wembanyama was still pretty darn good against Denver. He got the line nine times, he was active on the boards, and he was making plays left and right on defense. Wembanyama didn’t shoot well and he was sloppy in terms of turnovers and fouls — but he still brought value to the court.
Grade: C
Devin Vassell
This was definitely a step in the right direction for Vassell, who had struggled following a hip injury that caused him to miss a game. Offensively, he was efficient. He shot it straight and only turned it over one time. His playmaking was lacking, though, and he still isn’t the same athleticism-wise. Defensively, he had a few positive moments but Vassell was mostly going through the motions.
Grade: C+
Jeremy Sochan
After a slow start, Sochan turned up the volume in the second half. He scored 15 points after halftime to help keep the Spurs within striking distance. Sochan’s assertiveness was the main reason he had success on offense. Passing-wise, there were highlights and lowlights. He made a few impressive decisions … but he also missed wide open teammates on a number of occasions. Defensively, Sochan was good. Denver’s perimeter players rarely had success going against him.
Grade: B-
Tre Jones
It wasn’t the most memorable night at the office for Jones. Defensively, he got picked on repeatedly. Offensively, he was again quiet in the scoring department. Even if the Nuggets left him, he didn’t do much to make them pay. Jones had some success passing the ball but his pushing of the pace was lackluster and he was a bit more mistake-prone than normal.
Grade: C-
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie reverted back to his one-dimensional ways from earlier in the season. Other than shooting open threes, he didn’t do much of anything. One two-point attempt, one rebound, one assist and one foul in 26 minutes is evidence that Champagnie wasn’t doing enough. Defensively, I’d classify this outing as sub par. Offensively, the three-point shooting was helpful but more activity and more off-ball movement would have really aided the cause.
Grade: C
Keldon Johnson
The game versus Denver was a struggle for Johnson. His shot-selection from three-point territory was poor, which was extra frustrating because he was having success within the arc. Fewer threes and more drives would have been beneficial — and could have actually resulted in free throw attempts. Johnson’s playmaking could have also been unlocked with more moves going toward the basket. Defensively, he rebounded well but looked lost in transition and when out on the perimeter.
Grade: C-
Zach Collins
Collins did well in his 15 minutes. Scoring 13 points and grabbing six rebounds is impressive production for the amount of time he was on the court. His defense — particularly his rim protection — could have been a lot better, though. The second unit as a whole struggled to keep their head above water but on this night it wasn’t Collins’ fault. He more than did his part.
Grade: B
Blake Wesley
Wesley had some moments where he pressured the ball well but his overall impact on this game was minimal. His decision-making on defense was suspect. Offensively, Wesley was active but didn’t do a whole lot of good. His passing wasn’t as crisp as we’ve seen and he didn’t do enough scoring-wise to keep the Nuggets from sagging. The good news is that Wesley once again didn’t turn the ball over. In his last six games, he has a total of two turnovers.
Grade: C
Dominick Barlow
The coaches again attempted to play Barlow at power forward — and, hey, this time it worked. Usually a center, he looked a lot better playing power forward against the Nuggets than previous attempts. Defensively, he wasn’t much a liability, which is notable when he’s playing out on the perimeter. Offensively, he hit all three of his shots and did a pretty good job of staying out of the way. His movement and rebounding were strong on both ends. If Barlow can prove to also be a power forward in the NBA, his value would jump.
Grade: B+
Malaki Branham
After a stretch where Branham looked like an exciting prospect, he has now played bad in three consecutive outings. Which version of Branham is the real deal? I guess we will find out at some point. This version of Branham is a liability. He’s bad on defense and literally doesn’t bring anything to the table other than a willingness to shoot. Branham’s confidence is rattled on offense right now, which makes it difficult to even watch him play without cringing.
Grade: D
Pop
In the big picture, Pop couldn’t have done much to change the outcome — the Nuggets are just better. That said, rotation-wise, I’d prefer Pop roll with nine instead of ten men. Spreading the minutes thin does more harm than good, in my eyes at least. Also, what does Mamukelashvili need to do to get a chance? Playcalling-wise, more force-feeding of Wembanyama would have helped matters.
Grade: C