Grades: San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers – Game #9
Blake Wesley played his best game of the season tonight (Photo via X)
After two consecutive losses, the San Antonio Spurs responded with a 118-105 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. San Antonio was playing on the second night of a back-to-back but got a variety of strong performances to help improve their record to 4-5 on the season.
The game was tight until the Spurs caught fire in the second half. In the final 7:15 of the third quarter, the Spurs put 27 points on the board to enter the fourth with a 12-point advantage. The Blazers never truly challenged the good guys in the final stanza as San Antonio kicked off their five-game homestand in style.
Stats: Spurs vs. Trail Blazers
Spurs vs. Trail Blazers – Final Grades
Victor Wembanyama
The good: Wembanyama was very active on defense. He had four steals, three blocks and was all over the place. The form on his jumper looks fine. The bad: Wembanyama was 2-for-6 from three-point land and 2-for-7 from two-point land. Add in four turnovers, mediocre passing and only three free throw attempts and that’s a clunky night at the office for the tall Frenchman. Hopefully Wembanyama finds a rhythm soon because it’s difficult watching him struggle right now.
Grade: D+
Chris Paul
Paul was being extra unselfish and it worked out reasonably well. Instead of calling his own number to playmake, he was kicking it ahead or finding the teammate with an open lane. As the season goes along, he’ll need to find the right balance. Defensively, Paul was both feisty and attentive to his responsibilities.
Grade: B-
Harrison Barnes
Better. Barnes had been taking a backseat in recent games — to the detriment of both himself and the team. Against the Blazers, he got himself more involved and the difference was plain to see. His drives and shooting were helpful. He rebounded on both ends. Barnes even played some notably good defense tonight.
Grade: B+
Julian Champagnie
Champagnie has rediscovered his shooting stroke and the confidence he played with tonight was palpable. He didn’t hesitate to fire when open and every shot looked like it was going in (well, other than that time he airballed a floater). Defensively, I thought Champagnie was well above average. With Devin Vassell coming back on Saturday, my guess is Champagnie has done enough to stay in the starting lineup.
Grade: B+
Stephon Castle
This has to classify as Castle’s best game to date. The rookie started again and totaled 14 points and six assists in 25 minutes. It’s also notable that he didn’t turn the ball over. Castle authored strong drives to the hoop and a handful of brilliant passes. The rookie really understands the game at a high level and his patience is unbelievably good for someone his age. Defensively against Portland, Castle was rock solid. Now, if he can just start hitting three-pointers . . .
Grade: A-
Keldon Johnson
This might have been the first time this season that we can honestly say that Johnson played winning basketball. Defensively, he was locked in and was finishing possessions by going after the boards. Offensively, he mixed in enough passes to keep the defense honest. He drove with strength, shot open three-pointers and was running the court hard in transition.
Grade: A-
Malaki Branham
Sadly, Branham ended up leaving this game with a sprained ankle. Before he limped to the locker room, he was leading the Spurs with 17 points on highly efficient shooting. Don’t look now but it appears as if Branham may have finally extended his jumper to the NBA three-point line. His shots are no longer as flat as they were during his first two seasons in the league. Let’s hope he keeps it up — and that the ankle injury doesn’t cause him to miss any games.
Grade: A-
Blake Wesley
Okay, yeah, this version of Wesley is pretty darn good. Offensively, he finished with precision at the rim instead of just flinging up prayers. More importantly, his playmaking was excellent and his court vision was expansive. When Wesley is flying up the court with his head on a swivel, he’s unquestionably a positive asset. Defensively, Wesley was staying in front of everyone and was a missile to any type of loose ball.
Grade: A
Zach Collins
Sheesh, I guess we must admit that Collins was better than Wembanyama on this night. He hit a pair of three-pointers, finished in the paint with strength, passed the ball really well and played with intensity on both ends. I liked his defense, even if he picked up more than his share of fouls. In all areas of the game, Collins was making quick decisions and that alone was helping the team.
Grade: A-
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Mamukelashvili knocked down a three, had a blocked shot worth recognizing and battled for rebounds. He had a few miscues and wasn’t as involved as usual — but it was a quality showing for the reserve big.
Grade: B
Mitch Johnson
Considering how poorly the Spurs played against the Rockets the night before, Johnson deserves credit for getting his players to bounce back with a much improved performance. The acting head coach also had a few outstanding playcalls and I didn’t have any issues with his rotation. All that said, Johnson needs to do a better job of making sure Wembanyama is established early in games.
Grade: B+