Grades: San Antonio Spurs at Brooklyn Nets – Game #31
Julian Champagnie and company took down the Nets (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs (16-15) got back to over .500 by defeating the Brooklyn Nets (12-19) by a final score of 96-87. The Nets were extremely short-handed but they fought. The Spurs ultimately did just enough to avoid what would have been a disappointing loss.
San Antonio’s offense got stuck in the mud in the first quarter and the team only put 11 points on the board in the opening period. The Spurs rallied back in the second quarter before breaking the game open in the third. Brooklyn was unable to make a sustainable run in the fourth quarter as the Spurs strolled to victory.
Stats: Spurs at Nets
Spurs at Nets – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
It felt like a relatively subdued performance by Wembanyama but he ended up stuffing the statsheet once again. Offensively, he didn’t look at the basket as much as usual. To his credit, though, he made his points count. Wembanyama’s 11 points early in the second half gave the Spurs the momentum to blow the game open. His passing was solid, he minimized his mistakes and was once again an amazing rim protector. Wembanyama could have been more assertive and he could have gone up stronger to get to the line more — but, despite the flaws, it was another quality outing for the big man.
Grade: B+
Devin Vassell
The good: Vassell did a better job of passing the ball; he willingly looked for and found his teammates. His activity on defense was a plus. Vassell knocked down 2-of-5 three-pointers while only turning it over once. The bad: While he shot threes well, he was 2-for-11 on two-pointers. As that stat suggests, his finishing was poor and he settled for low percentage shots. Unfortunately, it has also become obvious that Vassell is beginning to lack confidence.
Grade: C-
Chris Paul
Paul was sharing ball-handling duties even more than usual and went 0-for-3 from three-point territory. While his numbers didn’t end up looking too impressive, Paul did well taking care of the ball and running the show. His decision-making was right on the money and he stepped up in moments in which he was most needed.
Grade: B
Jeremy Sochan
Sochan continues to string together strong performances. Against the Nets, his rebounding stood out as his best attribute. His brute strength on the boards is a major asset. Sochan was a pest from the opening tip and his determined drives got him to the free throw line for eight shots. Add in hustle on defense, limited mistakes, quality passes and a few burly finishes and it adds up to another good game by Sochan.
Grade: B+
Harrison Barnes
Considering how anemic Barnes’ offense has been lately, this was actually a step in the right direction. He was more active on offense and got himself more involved. Defensively, Barnes was better but he still has a lot of room to improve in terms of his energy level on that end and his effort level on the boards. Barnes also deserves credit for finishing without a turnover or foul.
Grade: C+
Keldon Johnson
Johnson had been lost in the shuffle lately so it was good to see him take a more active role in Brooklyn. His teammates were looking for him and Johnson didn’t disappoint. He was a battering ram going to the rim, he knocked down a three and his decisions were reliable. I even thought his defense was better. Johnson moved his feet on the perimeter and crashed the boards.
Grade: B
Julian Champagnie
Honestly, I worried that Champagnie wouldn’t respond well to moving to a bench gig. Thankfully, the move has basically been seamless. Champagnie poured in 18 points in 20 minutes and shot the ball extremely well. As long as he keeps shooting it straight while competing on defense, he’s almost guaranteed to have an important job in the rotation.
Grade: A-
Stephon Castle
The good: Castle’s aggression level was commendable on offense. He doesn’t get bashful at all about trying to get himself involved. For a rookie, that’s an impressive trait. I also liked Castle’s defense. He was attentive and disruptive on that end. The bad: Castle was inefficient on offense yet again. His shooting doesn’t look good; his lack of touch at the line was especially worrisome. Additionally, Castle wasn’t passing as good as usual.
Grade: C
Tre Jones
Jones has had a lot of these games recently. He comes in and racks up assists at a blistering rate while rarely looking to score. The strategy has been working and the bench unit is more cohesive as a result. Jones is also playing stout defense and running the court hard both ways. Eventually, though, he’s likely going to have to become a more reliable scorer to remain impactful.
Grade: B
Mitch Johnson
Johnson deserves credit for helping his team through a sluggish start. It looked like his team didn’t show up but Johnson pushed enough right buttons to get the team back on track. His nine-man rotation worked and I liked how he called plays for KJ to get going. He also tried to get Vassell going but the results there weren’t as positive.
Grade: B+