Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors – Preseason Game #5
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs play their final preseason game tonight (Photo via Twitter)
The San Antonio Spurs play their fifth and final preseason game tonight in San Francisco against the Golden State Warriors. The Spurs enter the contest with a preseason record of 2-2, while the Warriors sport a record of 4-0.
After tonight’s game, San Antonio doesn’t play again until Wednesday. That’s when the regular season begins with a home game against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
San Antonio Spurs Move Closer to Finalizing Roster
The Spurs had 16 players on guaranteed NBA contracts so it was necessary to cut a player before the start of the regular season. The Spurs did just that on Thursday when they released Khem Birch, a 6-foot-8 center acquired in the trade with the Toronto Raptors that was headlined by Jakob Poeltl. Birch never played a regular season game for the Spurs and only played in one of San Antonio’s four preseason games.
The roster for the Spurs isn’t completely set, however. Charles Bediako, a rookie center who went to college at Alabama, is on the team with a non-guaranteed contract. The Spurs have to decide to release him or to offer him a two-way contract. Sir’Jabari Rice and Dominick Barlow are both on two-way contracts but San Antonio can have one more player on a two-way contract.
San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
We now know the starting lineup the Spurs will use going into the regular season: Victor Wembanyama at power forward, Zach Collins at center, Keldon Johnson at small forward, Devin Vassell at shooting guard and Jeremy Sochan at point guard. That means that Tre Jones, who started at point guard last season for the Spurs, is now coming off the bench.
Will this be San Antonio’s long-term starting lineup? The answer to that question will largely depend on the play of Sochan at point guard. If he struggles, the Spurs could look to shake things up. But if he proves he can handle that role, he could be the Spurs starting point guard for a long time.
Betting Guide: Spurs at Warriors
The Warriors are favored by six points tonight. Even though Golden State is undefeated in preseason and even though they’re playing at home, the smart money is actually on the Spurs. Being a veteran team looking ahead to the regular season, the Warriors will mostly be concerned about getting through this game without anyone getting injured. For the Spurs, their youngsters will be looking to end preseason on a high note.