Grades: Spurs vs. Magic – Preseason Game #2
Victor Wembanyama played in a preseason game for the first time this year (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs got their first win of the preseason, a 107-97 victory over the Orlando Magic. After a painfully slow start, the Spurs outscored the Magic 87-63 in the final three periods. San Antonio will play their third preseason game on Saturday versus the Utah Jazz.
Stats: Spurs vs. Magic
Spurs vs. Magic – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
It was fun seeing Wembanyama back on the court for the Silver and Black. His pairing with Chris Paul already looks pristine and his rebounding and shot-blocking were on point. Overall, though, Wembanyama was extremely rusty. His jumper wasn’t as smooth as usual and he was sloppy with the ball. He’ll obviously needed to tighten things up by the regular season.
Grade: D+
Chris Paul
Sure, Paul didn’t put much effort into playing defense but his orchestrating of the offense already looks outstanding. He figured out quickly that he just needs to throw the ball high to Wembanyama if he’s ever in doubt. It sounds simple but the Spurs struggled with that concept last season. Paul isn’t as quick as he used to be but there appears to be some tread left on the tire.
Grade: B-
Harrison Barnes
Barnes didn’t really make an impact on either end. His positioning was okay but he wasn’t finishing possessions in a positive manner.
Grade: D+
Jeremy Sochan
Better. After a chaotic preseason opener, Sochan was much more measured this time out. His efficiency on offense stood out. He had a couple difficult one-handed finishes and picked his spots well. Defensively, Sochan improved as the game progressed.
Grade: B+
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie is firing away and I like it. He hit three more three-pointers tonight after hitting six bombs in his preseason debut. Champagnie also had a couple slick dishes tonight and he’s efforting on the defensive end.
Grade: B+
Blake Wesley
Wesley is off to a strong start in the preseason. Defensively, he’s playing passing lanes very well and he’s applying a lot of pressure on the ball. Offensively, Wesley is using his speed to create openings for teammates. He’s also protecting the ball and was better tonight in terms of looking to score when open.
Grade: B+
Stephon Castle
Rook looks damn solid. His combination of strength, patience and courage when attacking the rim paid dividends, most notably evidenced by his ten free throw attempts. It’s looking like the success he had in college driving to the rim and using his muscles to finish is translating well to the NBA. Castle hitting a pair of three-pointers was also great to see, as that’s something he needs to have in his repertoire to reach his max potential. Defensively, Castle got beat a couple times but the effort was there and he had a few really impressive possessions on that end.
Grade: A-
Malaki Branham
I mean, it’s cool that Branham isn’t hesitating when the ball is in his hands … but a few more makes would be nice. Scoring 11 points on 13 field goal attempts in 20 minutes is less than ideal. Picking his spots a bit better would help him and the team as a whole. Branham had one or two strong defensive plays but otherwise he didn’t move the needle much in that regard.
Grade: C-
Sidy Cissoko
More of the same from Cissoko. His passing looks outstanding and he clearly understands the game at a high level. Unfortunately, he needlessly fouled, he didn’t look comfortable shooting from the perimeter and he doesn’t have much of a plan when driving to the hoop. There’s an outline of a player there but Cissoko needs a lot of work.
Grade: B-
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Mamukelashvili was helpful once again. He hit half of his six three-point attempts, passed the ball well, did a good job pushing the pace and was focused on his rebounding duties. He didn’t do anything on defense worth writing home about and his drives to the cup could have been cleaner — but he did well overall.
Grade: B+
Harrison Ingram
Ingram exhibited natural instincts on the boards and used his strength to get a bucket in the paint. There’s not much to note in terms of the eye-test but he’s a heady player who blends well with what the team is trying to do.
Grade: B
Riley Minix
Another intriguing night at the office for Minix. He entered the game and promptly drained a three-point shot. He then illustrated advanced moves when posting up. His footwork on drives was also impressive. He looked slow here and there on defense but, net-net, this was a step forward for the undrafted rookie.
Grade: B+
Brandon Boston Jr.
Boston clearly has talent. He has touch on his jumper, he handles the ball well for a 6-foot-6 dude and he’s clearly not bashful. However, he did author a few questionable decisions that make me wonder if his lack of feel for the game is a fatal flaw.
Grade: B-
Malachi Flynn
Flynn looks like he’s too good to be playing mop up duty in the preseason. He knows exactly what to do and executes without breaking much of a sweat. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets a longer look at some point before the rosters begin getting trimmed.
Grade: B
Pop
I’m glad Pop got Wembanyama and Paul on the floor to start building that chemistry. I liked the starting lineup and he spread the minutes well.
Grade: B