Grades: San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets – Game #8
Sandro Mamukelashvili was in the rotation against the Rockets (Photo via X)
The early season rubber match between the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets turned out to be a yawner. The Rockets steamrolled the Spurs on their way to a 127-100 victory.
San Antonio’s offense was anemic coming out of the gates, which led to a 31-19 deficit at the end of the first quarter. Houston won the second quarter 32-19 — and the game was essentially over. The Spurs were never able to mount a serious run.
Stats: Spurs at Rockets
Spurs at Rockets – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
The good: There were flashes of Wembanyama figuring out how to score against shorter, stronger defenders. Quick, powerful moves work best in such situations. I thought his rim protection was slightly above average tonight. The bad: Terrible efficiency. Wembanyama shot poorly from three-point land, only attempted two free throws and finished the game without an assist. His sloppiness and poor decisions resulted in four turnovers. His overall defense was underwhelming. Overall: Simply put, Wembanyama didn’t play a winning brand of basketball against the Rockets.
Grade: D
Chris Paul
I liked that Paul was aggressively looking for his three-point shot in order to help space the floor. He had a handful of smart passes and he tried hard on defense. That said, Paul wasn’t involved in enough playmaking opportunities to really alter the course of the game.
Grade: C+
Julian Champagnie
I thought Champagnie was fine. Defensively, he looked a bit stiff at times but was okay-ish on that end. Offensively, he shot the ball well and made a lot of good decisions. He’s becoming a more nature, all-around offensive piece, which is an important development for his future.
Grade: B
Harrison Barnes
This is the second straight game that Barnes did next to nothing. Defensively, he’s not making plays but — to his credit — he’s not making many mistakes, either. Offensively, more touches would probably do him some good. As it stands, he’s currently the fifth option whenever he’s on the court.
Grade: D+
Stephon Castle
Castle made his first career start with Sochan out with a broken thumb. Defensively, he was really solid. He read passing lanes extremely well and he was stout in man-to-man situations. Offensively, well, it’s getting worrisome. The rookie is simply not making enough shots. Teams are starting to play off of him, which has resulted in fewer assists lately. Castle will need to show he can shoot to change the way teams are guarding him. So far, bricks are his leading commodity.
Grade: C
Malaki Branham
This was the standard Branham experience. He was bad on defense but helped out by stubbornly putting the ball in the basket. He was a little bit of a ball-stopper tonight but the Spurs were desperate for offense so it’s difficult to be too upset. Branham was quick to loose balls but he has to figure out how to play defense to truly become a valuable cog in a winning machine.
Grade: B-
Keldon Johnson
It’s not a good sign that Johnson is shooting 23.3% from three-point range and hasn’t even attempted a three in two consecutive games. But, yeah, other than that, Johnson was decent in Houston. He attacked the rim with bravery and was able to create a few easy buckets. His hustle and activity level on defense was higher than usual. I’m still waiting to see more playmaking out of Johnson, though.
Grade: B-
Blake Wesley
Wesley had fallen out of the rotation recently before reentering the rotation tonight. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t have a good showing. He didn’t look confident shooting outside jumpers. When he attacked the rim, his lack of touch was blindingly obvious. Wesley also wasn’t making plays for teammates. Defensively, I liked the intensity but the tangible results were lacking.
Grade: D
Zach Collins
The good: Collins passed the ball well. He was physical in the paint and knocked down a three-pointer. The bad: Collins lacked efficiency on the offensive end and his rebounding was missing in action. With Wembanyama struggling, it would have been nice for Collins to pick up the slack. That didn’t happen.
Grade: C
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Mamukelashvili was given a spot in the rotation with Sochan out and he produced. His three-point stroke looked great in the preseason and that has carried over to the regular season. His movement without the ball is a breath of fresh air. He clearly has a high basketball IQ — on the offensive end, at least. Defensively, Mamu held his own. He rebounded with vigor and even exhibited heart while protecting the rim.
Grade: A-
Sidy Cissoko
Cissoko hitting a three-pointer is great to see. If he can shoot it straight, the former second round pick might have enough other skills to carve out an NBA career.
Grade: Inc.
David Duke, Jr.
Duke wasn’t shy about getting in the thick of things during garbage time.
Grade: Inc.
Charles Bassey
Bassey wasn’t as sure-handed as usual but he produced.
Grade: Inc.
Riley Minix
Minix made his NBA debut. He’s still looking for his first NBA points.
Grade: Inc.
Harrison Ingram
Ingram also made his NBA debut. He took one shot and airballed it by about five feet.
Grade: Inc.
Mitch Johnson
I mean, I can’t exactly say Johnson had his troops ready to roll in Houston. The listless effort has to be partially his fault. To his credit, at least the acting head coach kept everyone fresh heading into tomorrow’s back-to-back affair in San Antonio against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Grade: C-