Grades: San Antonio Spurs vs. Denver Nuggets – Game #35
Chris Paul and the Spurs came up short (Photo via X)
After defeating the Nuggets in Denver, the Spurs almost beat them again a day later in San Antonio. Alas, it didn’t quite happen. San Antonio’s offense collapsed in the fourth quarter and the Spurs went on to eventually lose to the Nuggets in overtime by a final count of 122-111.
After a tight first half, the Spurs came out on fire in the third quarter. San Antonio’s advantage grew to as many as 12 points and the home team looked poised to pull off another upset win.
Sadly, that’s not what happened. The Spurs played like a tired team in the fourth period and the Nuggets were able to catch up. After a series of big plays by players on both teams, the Nuggets were able to sprint to the victory in the overtime session.
All in all, these two games have to be encouraging for the Spurs. They took on a Western Conference contender and had a very real chance of sweeping the two-game series. Even though they lost, the good guys should be able to learn a few lessons from this game.
Stats: Spurs vs. Nuggets
Spurs vs. Nuggets – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
Wembanyama dealt with foul trouble for a second straight game going against Nikola Jokic. While Jokic had an impressive stat line (46 points, ten assists and nine rebounds), I thought the Frenchman guarded him decently well — especially considering the Spurs weren’t sending many double teams. Wembanyama also protected the rim well while pulling down a career-high 23 defensive rebounds. Offensively, the sophomore’s outing had positives and negatives. He was only 2-for-12 from deep and only got to the line for four shots. Inside of the arc, he was 5-for-7 from the field and looked dominant at times. Unfortunately, Wembanyama’s evening will be remembered for how it ended. After finishing an alleyoop with around five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, he went scoreless the rest of regulation and all of the overtime. Obviously, the Spurs need better play from Wembanyama down the stretch of difficult games in order to succeed.
Grade: B-
Devin Vassell
Vassell continues to be a conundrum. His three-point shooting has been poor since moving into the starting lineup. That was again the case versus Denver. He retained some of his offensive value by driving to the hoop with vigor and finishing with athleticism. When the going got tough, it was Vassell who had the chutzpah to shoot the big shots. But, overall, his iffy shot-selection and tendency to go one-on-one is limiting his value. Vassell’s defense was okay but he has to play smarter offensively for him to truly become a valuable piece to a winning team. There are glimpses of how he could eventually fit but he needs more consistency.
Grade: C
Chris Paul
Paul ran the team well like usual. He limited his mistakes and did a good job of distributing the ball. Regrettably, the rest of his outing was forgettable. He was only 1-for-9 from the field, including multiple misses that could have changed the complexion of the game. Defensively, Paul also struggled a lot more than usual. Orchestrating the team is useful but the veteran point guard came up short in other important categories.
Grade: C-
Harrison Barnes
Barnes led the Spurs in scoring and San Antonio looked their best when he got rolling. I liked his aggression on offense and his decision-making on both ends. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all bluebonnets and sunshine. Barnes didn’t make a shot in the fourth quarter or in overtime. He was of little help on the boards and his lack of footspeed was painfully obvious on a handful of important defensive possessions.
Grade: B-
Jeremy Sochan
Back in the starting lineup after missing a game due to lower back soreness, Sochan was uncharacteristically quiet. (Honestly, it looked like his back issue limited his mobility.) He had eight rebounds but could have had more. He shot only four times in 26 minutes — though, to his credit, he did hit half of his shots. Hopefully Sochan can get back to 100% health soon because this muted version of him was very unfamiliar. His defense was still okay-ish but he was missing his usual level of vivacity on both ends.
Grade: C
Keldon Johnson
Johnson’s effort level was more than adequate. He passionately rebounded and he was physical on both ends. But his lack of offensive efficiency negatively impacted the team, as did a handful of defensive miscues. With Sochan slowed, it would have been helpful if Johnson had a good game … but that didn’t happen.
Grade: C-
Julian Champagnie
There’s not much to complain about regarding Champagnie’s play. He hit shots, he got to the line and he defended relatively well. In nine games off the bench, he’s shooting a sizzling 45.1% from three-point range. His scoring rate is also up as a reserve. His ability to thrive as a starter or a bench player has added to Champagnie’s value.
Grade: B+
Tre Jones
It was good to see some scoring life out of Jones. His nine points might not seem notable but that’s more points than he scored in his previous four games combined. His three-pointer was also his first make from deep in over a month. Jones’ passing was again really good against the Nuggets. His defense was also solid. If he can begin scoring again, his value will rise quickly.
Grade: B+
Stephon Castle
The good: Castle hit a three-pointer, finished off a three-point play and authored a handful of quality passes. I liked his defense for the most part and his confidence was high. The rookie also deserves credit for limiting his mistakes. The bad: Castle’s efficiency offensively was again lacking. Ten field goal attempts in 16 minutes was, especially in retrospect, too many. Less forcing the issue and more patience would have been preferred.
Grade: B-
Zach Collins
Collins again fouled too much and his three-point shot looks totally broken right now. His launches from deep aren’t even close. His finishing left much to be desired, his passing ability was hidden and he seemed rushed in everything he did. The Spurs need better play from their backup center, especially on a night when Wembanyama was saddled with foul trouble.
Grade: D+
Charles Bassey
The coaching staff gave Bassey an opportunity to play a bit as the team’s backup center. He wasn’t much better than Collins. His lack of experience on defense was apparent and he failed to impact the game in any positive manner during his four minutes on the court.
Grade: C-
Mitch Johnson
On one hand, Johnson and the team deserve credit for nearly beating the Nuggets two days in a row. I thought the gameplan was good defensively. Offensively, more plays for Wembanyama near the basket would have been appreciated. However, Johnson’s biggest flaw on this night was he allowed his team to run out of gas. A few players were running on fumes in overtime, most notably Wembanyama.
Grade: C