Grades: Spurs vs. China – Summer League Game #3
Jamaree Bouyea and the Spurs got a win (Photo via Twitter)
The 2024 Spurs summer league finally has a win. However, the victory comes with an asterisk because it was against the Chinese national team, a squad that massively struggled in their first two summer league outings.
The Spurs weren’t able to grab control of the game until the third quarter but were eventually able to put China away by a final count of 89-67. The Silver and Black now head to Las Vegas to play at least five more summer league games.
Stats: Spurs vs. China
Spurs vs. China – Final Grades
Stephon Castle
The good: Castle again exhibited a lot of point guard skill. His ball-handling was solid and his court vision was expansive. His decisions weren’t perfect and traps bothered him but he looked really good as a point guard for the most part. When driving, his patience and physicality were impressive. I love that he shot threes when the defense failed to close out on him. Defensively, Castle was very stout in the second half.
The bad: We have to start with his three-point shooting. He not only missed all six shots from deep, his mechanics didn’t look good. He was flinging the ball at the basket using mostly his arm. I also thought he opted for too many mid-range shots and sometimes played too slow. Castle’s defense was mediocre in the first half.
Overall: Eh, he was going against China so it’d be unwise to draw any conclusions. Castle was good offensively in the first half but struggled in the second half. His three-point shooting was worrisome but otherwise it’s fair to still be very excited by Castle.
Grade: B-
Harrison Ingram
Congrats to Ingram for having a breakout game in summer league. He grabbed ten rebounds, drained three three-pointers, authored a number of heady passes and simply looked a lot more comfortable. Hopefully this launches Ingram and he can thrive from now on in summer league. But, honestly, I think a portion of his success was due to China’s lack of athleticism, as Ingram was able to do a lot more of the things he did in college. Let’s see what he does in Vegas.
Grade: A-
Sidy Cissoko
I don’t know if Cissoko returned too quickly from knee surgery but he is looking bad. He didn’t have the quickness to drive on China’s defense. Even his strength didn’t look notable against China. I really don’t like Cissoko’s shot right now; it looks like the ball is coming off the side of his hand. It’s not time to sound the alarm — but it’s getting close.
Grade: D+
Jamaree Bouyea
When China made a run and the Spurs needed to respond, Bouyea was there. His combination of athleticism and craft when driving to the bucket was too much for China to handle. Bouyea also passed the ball very well while limiting his mistakes. He’s clearly the calming force on this summer league squad.
Grade: A-
Nathan Mensah
Mensah has bad hands and his free throws looked unsightly. How he went without a defensive rebound in 22 minutes is a mystery. But to give Mensah credit, he had highlight reel blocks, finished pretty well at the rim and used his mobility to his advantage on both ends.
Grade: B-
Yauhen Massalski
Massalski showed glimpses that he might be more than a traditional center. He flashed a bit of ball-handling ability in the open court. He also had some really good passes. Massalski has a lot to work on but he was very solid against China.
Grade: B+
Tyson Ward
I continue to be intrigued by Ward’s lightning quick three-point jumper and the length he plays with on defense. Unfortunately, he’s been unable to string positive possessions together during summer league so far. Ward looks like an NBA player here and there but it’s been too sporadic.
Grade: C
Seth Millner Jr.
I have to admit that Millner has a very pretty shooting stroke. That’s about all he brings to the table, though.
Grade: C-
Jameer Nelson Jr.
Nelson has proven he’s not a point guard but he looks okay off the ball. Unfortunately, he’s about as tall as his dad.
Grade: C
Luke Avdalovic
Avdalovic finally hit a shot after going cold. Other than shooting spot up threes, he can’t really do anything else due to a lack of athleticism.
Grade: C
DJ Horne
Horne entered the game and hit a three-pointer moments later.
Grade: Inc.
Darin Green Jr.
Green doesn’t hesitate to shoot.
Grade: Inc.
Tyrece Radford
Radford joined the fun with a layup in garbage time.
Grade: Inc.
Kenny Trevino
Trevino got a win. I thought he coached pretty well. He smartly staggered Castle and Bouyea at point guard the best he could. Trevino shortened the rotation a bit to make sure the Spurs didn’t lose to China. That was understandable — but failing to pull away from China until the second half wasn’t a great sign.
Grade: C+