Grades: San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns – Game #53
Bismack Biyombo will likely start at center again for the Spurs (Photo via X)
On a day that was dominated by the news that Victor Wembanyama will miss the rest of the season due to a blood clot in his shoulder, the San Antonio Spurs found time to beat the Phoenix Suns by a final score of 120-109. The Spurs, who were playing a home game in Austin, improved to 24-29 with the win. The Suns dropped to 26-29 with the loss.
The good guys led 31-21 at the end of the first quarter. The Suns rallied back in the second quarter but the Spurs built another double-digit lead in the third period. Phoenix made a run in the final stanza but the Spurs finished strong to secure the win.
Stats: Spurs at Suns
Spurs at Suns – Final Grades
De’Aaron Fox
During crunch time, it was Fox who delivered. The speedy guard scored 11 points in the final three minutes and 30 seconds to carry the Spurs to the win. During that stretch, he was 3-for-3 from the field and 5-for-5 from the line. While Fox’s efficiency waned at times against the Suns, he ended up putting together a very solid all-around game. He was active on defense, strong on the boards and kept San Antonio’s offense humming. Fox once again looked like an underrated passer who made sure to take care of the ball. All in all, Fox looks like a great fit in South Texas — even when Wembanyama isn’t on the court.
Grade: A-
Devin Vassell
The good: Vassell was much better than usual on defense. He played strong one-on-one defense and was alert away from the ball. His physicality was at a much higher level than usual. On offense, his decision-making was better than usual. The bad: Vassell was forced to hoist a couple difficult shots but that doesn’t fully excuse his poor shooting. With Wembanyama out for the season, he’s going to have to find a way to be a consistent asset on the offensive end.
Grade: B-
Chris Paul
Paul seemed to play with a chip on his shoulder going against his former team. He came out chirping while letting the ball fly more than usual. His tactics paid immediate dividends. Paul was not only making plays for teammates left and right, his scoring (13 points in 32 minutes) kept the floor spaced. Defensively, the 39-year-old was pesky.
Grade: B+
Harrison Barnes
I can’t criticize Barnes’ effort but the results were iffy. Defensively, he looked a step slow and the Suns were able to take advantage. On the other end, Barnes hit a couple threes and had a nifty layup but he shot poorly and was sometimes slow in making the right pass.
Grade: C
Bismack Biyombo
Starting in place of Wembanyama, Biyombo was pretty darn good. He finished well; he made all four of his shots from the field. He efforted on the glass, paid attention to his defensive responsibilities and exhibited an impressive amount of court awareness with the ball in his hands. Most impressively, though, Biyombo set great screens that helped free up his teammates. Currently signed to a ten-day contract, he played well enough to keep starting in the middle for the time being.
Grade: A-
Jeremy Sochan
The All-Star break appears to have done wonders for Sochan. He looked much more athletic than the last time we saw him. His movements were faster and he was jumping higher. The extra pep in his step allowed Sochan to produce at a high level. Defensively, he was outstanding on the ball. Offensively, Sochan finished with authority at the rim, knocked down a three-pointer, passed the ball wisely and limited miscues. If he can play like this on a consistent basis, he will surely soak up a lot of the minutes left behind in Wembanyama’s wake.
Grade: A
Stephon Castle
The good: This was easily the best rebounding game of Castle’s career. He seemed to make a point of crashing the glass on both ends. Defensively, he was a constant threat to make a play. Offensively, his reading of the defense was impressive. The bad: Castle was a bit too aggressive when looking for his shot. The result was a poor shooting evening. Overall, the rookie needed to slow down a little bit and pick his spots better. But, like always, Castle had flashes of wonder.
Grade: B-
Keldon Johnson
Interestingly, when the Spurs needed someone to act as a go-to scorer in the guts of the game, it was Johnson who stepped forward and delivered. His toughness and strength when attacking the basket was a weapon. Once he got in the paint, Phoenix couldn’t do much to stop him. Johnson also did a better than normal job on defense and in terms of taking care of the basketball.
Grade: A-
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie scoring 15 points in 16 minutes certainly helped the cause. He buried a trio of triples and also had success taking the ball to the cup. Champagnie sometimes had issues on defense but his prolific rate of scoring helped camouflage any flaws.
Grade: A-
Mitch Johnson
The Wembanyama news had to be deflating for the entire team so Johnson deserves a lot of credit for having his troops ready to roll. The rotation made a lot of sense. The coaching staff did a good job of spreading the wealth on the offensive end. Calling plays for KJ paid off. When it was winning time, getting the ball to Fox was the right strategy.
Grade: A