Grades: Spurs @ Thunder - Oct. 9, 2023

[timvp]

https://www.spurstalk.com/grades-spu...r-preseason-1/

Wemby to the Spurs wasn't a fever dream

[Fireball]

Thanks for the grades. Guess you can start a rivalry in a PS game. Wemby and Chet will be fun to watch. Right now Chet seems more polished, but Wemby can do way more things. I do not know if the coaches do not want Wemby be in the thick of things all the time but I found his leaking out for fastbreaks and, thus, not showing any interest in rebounding, a bit weird. That’s how I play Basketball ��

But that fastbreak dunk was exciting. Overall a great PS game and hopefully Sochan and KJ will join next time!

[Bruno]

There is a little tiny detail in the Chet vs Wemby rivalry that is forgotten by journalists when talking about it: Wemby is 19 and Chet is 21.
At these ages, that's just a huge difference.

[Dejounte]

Wouldn’t be surprised if KJ + Sochan not playing was CIA Pop and all about wanting to see how Wemby would play with the starters and a placeholder 3+D guy in Julian (closer to the Keldon archetype). The guy going to the bench is obviously between the two of them and it’s too coincidental that both of them are out, IMO. Maybe seeing their teammates play from the sidelines help them see where they can contribute best. A coaching tactic.

[playbonner15]

Thanks for the grades. Branham is an offensive weapon, wanna see him working some pick & roll / pick & pop game with Wemby, if he improves his defense, he gonna be deadly with Wemby and Sochan

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Watched mostly highlights from the game but Wemby’s already doing unseen things - that steal at the FT line where one of his legs was on the 3 point line and the Kyrie up and under layup were insane. Some of his passing reads were also super advanced.

We’re so so lucky.

[JPB]

Expected from a rookie but Wemby will have to cut the TOs, be a little less loose and more careful with the ball. This is the NBA, you can get pickpocketed anytime.

And like Sean said during the game, his teammates will have to learn how to throw him the ball much higher in the paint and better use his size overall. I'd also like to see Wemby closer to the basket on both sides. 5 rbds and 1 block is not enough for him.

[Mr. Body]

Players were bumping into each other on dribble handoffs and screens, the rotations were especially a mess in the second half, but I loved the defensive effort in the first half, especially the starters and first bench crew.

Champagnie and Vassell couldn't get going, maybe because OKC's perimeter defense is very strong, maybe because the DHO and high post action congested things.

Branham could become a murder machine especially if he plays defense and he was hustling on that end.

My particular non-Wemby standouts:

Cedi Osman - no mistake why Pop had him and Dougie come in, valuing their constant movement. I'm sold on what Osman brings and this is an offense that he'll thrive in, slashing and moving around the perimeter.

Blake Wesley - his speed and ability to harass full court are excellent. He's a steal/deflection threat without losing position, and he played under control on offense. When he picks his spots, he's a good outside shooter.

Charles Bassey - reminds of how much I liked him last year. Last night, Pop called him a 'neophyte,' still, which is impressive since he has a knack for cleaning up boards, positioning himself to help weakside, and shows a great passing instinct.

[TheChillFactor]

I was blown away by what I saw.

After his second basket in the first quarter of his first PRESEASON game, the OKC fans were booing him.

He surpassed the hype for me, the ceiling has been removed on Victor Wembanyama.

GSG

[John B]

Thanks for the grades Timvp. It was great to see the Silver and Black in some form of compe ion again. I thought Wemby played very well. It's apparent that he is still finding himself out there. But the physical skills and high basketball IQ is evident. He didn't force any issues but showed some grit when necessary. I was very pleased.

Vassell came out shooting, there's no hesitation on his shots. It was an exhibition game. I was waiting for him to dominate with his new physical strength. He will have plenty of time to show why the Spurs did not hesitate to give him the huge contract.

Malaki I agree is a professional scorer. He has a smooth and silky touch and just has his ways of scoring. Somebody compared him to Rip Hamilton. I like if he could pattern his game to him.

Collins comes out hitting and aggressive. He is excited to be the starting C and is embracing the enforcer at ude. I like his grit, his dawg in him I like that he is not afraid to shoot it outside, and mix it inside. He is going to be a fan favorite.

Blake I thought improved from last year. He is more composed, but still having problem finishing. His defense though is very commendable.

Jabari I like his maturity, also his ball fake. I think he could be a very good backup PG. But for now he needs to get stronger and sharpen those skills in Austin.

Bassey I like that he's quick on his feet, has that hops rebounding and coraling rebounds. I'm glad to see him healthy. We need his big body out there.

Doug and Champagnie are hoopers who can knockdown shots. I think Julian needs to learn more from Doug before mid-trade when they will decide to ship Doug to a contender.

Great stuff!

[couchman]

It is easy to overreact to one game, but there are some things we saw from Wemby that will remain true:

Wemby showed the combination of size and agility that no one else has ever had before on a basketball court.
He also asserted himself and showed a strong compe ive spirit. He rose to the moment and was not afraid.
We also saw some jaw dropping skills.
All of that will remain true and that’s really exciting.

We also saw a lot of inconsistency and a few ugly turnovers. Thankfully that can improve.

Rebounding is a problem right now. He is not physically built to box out but that is what he tries to do.
He also is a little quick to abandon rebounds to leak down the court. I like him running down court with a guard trying to stop him lol, but there’s a balance to be had there.

His defense is obviously good but his rim protector ability is slightly reduced by playing the 4.
Last night it meant someone like Chet enjoyed the mismatch agains Collins. Wemby would have slowed Chet a bit better imo. Once Wemby settles in I see him switching defensive assignments back and forth between 4 and 5 depending on matchups.

We also saw him catch the ball high in the post but then bring it down where others could strip him. He’ll need to learn to keep it high and finish high.
Amazing start for him.

[couchman]

When Blake came in I expected a show.
Instead he played so well on defense that the Spurs opened up their biggest lead with him in the game.
In one stretch he was responsible for four straight stops, including two forced turnovers in a row.
We saw his defense have a similar effect in the Spurs final summer league game.
If he can keep doing that while avoiding mistakes and slowly developing on offense he can get playing time.
We’ll see but I was excited about Blake last night for the first time ever.
We need defenders

[rascal]

Wemby will be an all star in his first year.

[Mr. Body]

It is easy to overreact to one game, but there are some things we saw from Wemby that will remain true:

Wemby showed the combination of size and agility that no one else has ever had before on a basketball court.
He also asserted himself and showed a strong compe ive spirit. He rose to the moment and was not afraid.
We also saw some jaw dropping skills.
All of that will remain true and that’s really exciting.

We also saw a lot of inconsistency and a few ugly turnovers. Thankfully that can improve.

Rebounding is a problem right now. He is not physically built to box out but that is what he tries to do.
He also is a little quick to abandon rebounds to leak down the court. I like him running down court with a guard trying to stop him lol, but there’s a balance to be had there.

His defense is obviously good but his rim protector ability is slightly reduced by playing the 4.
Last night it meant someone like Chet enjoyed the mismatch agains Collins. Wemby would have slowed Chet a bit better imo. Once Wemby settles in I see him switching defensive assignments back and forth between 4 and 5 depending on matchups.

We also saw him catch the ball high in the post but then bring it down where others could strip him. He’ll need to learn to keep it high and finish high.
Amazing start for him.

Rebounding is going to be a concern and, yep, you (and someone in the game thread) are right about Wemby leaking out on the fast break instead of hitting the defensive glass. I expect Popovich to change this, as that's pretty much the opposite of his philosophy. However... those hit-aheads with Wemby going deep are almost always automatic scores.

That said, the Sochan-Wemby-Collins front line is more anemic on the glass than I'd like. This will be something the team needs to figure out.

I pretty much see Victor as a SF at this point, or a stretch PF. It's a fluid thing nowadays, but where he likes to see the ball is perimeter-oriented, often the wing, although he loves that straight-on three. Will be fascinating to see him next to Sochan and others.

[Mr. Body]

When Blake came in I expected a show.
Instead he played so well on defense that the Spurs opened up their biggest lead with him in the game.
In one stretch he was responsible for four straight stops, including two forced turnovers in a row.
We saw his defense have a similar effect in the Spurs final summer league game.
If he can keep doing that while avoiding mistakes and slowly developing on offense he can get playing time.
We’ll see but I was excited about Blake last night for the first time ever.
We need defenders

I've said it before -- Wesley and Jaden Ivey grew up together (one year apart) and they used to pick each other up and defend full court, going back and forth over and over. You can see the results, which are really impressive: Blake is extremely comfortable picking up guys as soon as they get the ball at full court. And his stance and quickness is such that he's a deflection menace without losing defensive structure. His defensive potential is really high.

[rjv]

would have been nice to see how sochan would have been used defensively or if he would have been given any time guarding chet.

[The Truth #6]

A lot to be excited about moving forward. A lot of good problems to have for us to debate and vociferously insult each other over, et cetera. Good times ahead.

[spurraider21]

but what can wemby do that bol bol cant?

[The Truth #6]

Vote for the next French Prime Minister?

[Spurs Homer]

Fun game to watch.
If Wemby has only had one summer and holmgren has had longer and wemby is already adding muscle compared to holmgren still looks skinny/weak

Wemby looks like he will be a monster - very very soon!

Pop maybe sat and watched in awe too much - as he could have been a bit more active when the spurs started losing their lead- but i guess it is pre-season

It looks like - to me - that when wesley comes in - the leads will disappear. I am not a fan of wesley and I really hope to be wrong about him but he does not look like a keeper to my eyes.

[Mr. Body]

Fun game to watch.
If Wemby has only had one summer and holmgren has had longer and wemby is already adding muscle compared to holmgren still looks skinny/weak

Wemby looks like he will be a monster - very very soon!

Pop maybe sat and watched in awe too much - as he could have been a bit more active when the spurs started losing their lead- but i guess it is pre-season

It looks like - to me - that when wesley comes in - the leads will disappear. I am not a fan of wesley and I really hope to be wrong about him but he does not look like a keeper to my eyes.

The lead ballooned in the first half when Wesley went in. I watched that sequence again and there was, no joke, about 4-5 possessions in a row where Wesley was blowing up OKC's offense. He's a seriously good defender.

Second half was a problem everywhere and he's not there as a playmaker yet. But SpursTalk needs to realize they're completely wrong about him.

[Chinook]

I do think some of his points were the result of him cherry-picking. That's all well and good in games that don't matter, but it seems weird that Pop of all coaches would condone that. Wemby is supposedly a better, more sure defensive prospect than he is on offense, but him not rebounding would under cut the impact of his rim protection. It'll be interesting to see how the team actually settles into using him. I don't know if I see a player who will consistently get 20-plus ppg in a winning situation right now. I'd much rather him work his way from easy buckets near the basket and spot-up threes toward star-level midrange shots and drives than try to develop as a dribble-drive playmaker right away. It's going to be harder for guys like Vassell and Johnson to "play off" their star big if he's playing wing ball.

No, this is NOT me talking about him sucking or anything. I fully believe he's playing this way both to try to get live action of what he COULD do with the real squad and because Pop wants to give Wemby a chance to have star accolades right away. I do think there's are multiple ways to play like a star, though, and it'll be interesting to see if the team is going to incorporate more predictable avenues to get him buckets in their offense or if they are going to let him do whatever he wants for the whole year and then see what they can build around him. But the rebounding thing will have to be fixed. Apparently he wasn't very good at it from a technical perspective in Europe, and that will have to improve as time goes on. There's no reason why he shouldn't be getting double-digit rebounds every single game.

[lefty]

[spurraider21]

I do think some of his points were the result of him cherry-picking. That's all well and good in games that don't matter, but it seems weird that Pop of all coaches would condone that. Wemby is supposedly a better, more sure defensive prospect than he is on offense, but him not rebounding would under cut the impact of his rim protection. It'll be interesting to see how the team actually settles into using him. I don't know if I see a player who will consistently get 20-plus ppg in a winning situation right now. I'd much rather him work his way from easy buckets near the basket and spot-up threes toward star-level midrange shots and drives than try to develop as a dribble-drive playmaker right away. It's going to be harder for guys like Vassell and Johnson to "play off" their star big if he's playing wing ball.

No, this is NOT me talking about him sucking or anything. I fully believe he's playing this way both to try to get live action of what he COULD do with the real squad and because Pop wants to give Wemby a chance to have star accolades right away. I do think there's are multiple ways to play like a star, though, and it'll be interesting to see if the team is going to incorporate more predictable avenues to get him buckets in their offense or if they are going to let him do whatever he wants for the whole year and then see what they can build around him. But the rebounding thing will have to be fixed. Apparently he wasn't very good at it from a technical perspective in Europe, and that will have to improve as time goes on. There's no reason why he shouldn't be getting double-digit rebounds every single game.

i only thought his first runout dunk was a result of cherry picking. his second one he only starting running after he caused the deflection/turnover, and wasnt like he abandoned any defensive responsibility in doing so. and those were his only 2 fastbreak buckets.

while yeah, cherry picking for transition buckets isn't something i imagine pop will be happy with, it seemed to a degree intentional with them playing him out on the perimeter on D, and him running ahead of the break would be a natural consequence of that. with his speed down the court and his pterodactyl catch radius, converting those half court passes to him could actually be a pretty consistent mode of scoring, and doesnt require somebody with kevin love precision to execute.

[OldMan88]

The last few years, I’ve had a difficult time watching the Spurs play. There were a few good players, but the team play & lack of anything resembling a defense were very hard to watch.

I know it’s just preseason, but this squad seems to have a level of confidence that they can eventually play at a very high level. Granted, there’s the frequent WTFwasthat sequence, but I saw enough positive things happen to think this team can get “there”. Wemby’s going to be really good if he stays healthy, but it’s the supporting cast that has to make it happen.