The San Antonio Spurs open the preseason on the road in Oklahoma City against the Thunder, the team announced on Wednesday.
San Antonio will start the year on the road in Oklahoma City on Monday, Oct. 9. The Silver and Black make their 2023-24 home debut at the Frost Bank Center against the Miami Heat on Friday, Oct. 13, followed by two home games against intra-state rival Houston Rockets on Monday, Oct. 16 and Wednesday, Oct. 18.
The Spurs will wrap the preseason with a visit to play the Golden State Warriors on Friday, Oct. 20, before the regular season starts in San Antonio against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, Oct. 25.
There’s a lot of excitement in San Antonio after the team drafted Victor Wembanyama with the number one pick in this year’s draft. Wemby should bring much excitement to the Spurs and everyone around the NBA.
Here’s San Antonio’s complete preseason schedule below:
DATE
|
OPPONENT
|
LOCATION
|
TIME
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October 9
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at Oklahoma City
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Oklahoma City
|
7 p.m.
|
October 13
|
vs. Miami
|
San Antonio
|
7 p.m.
|
October 16
|
vs. Houston
|
San Antonio
|
7 p.m.
|
October 18
|
vs. Houston
|
San Antonio
|
7 p.m.
|
October 20
|
at Golden State
|
San Francisco
|
9 p.m.
|
On Tuesday, the San Antonio Spurs officially announced that they have re-signed guard Tre Jones.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski says it’s a two-year, $20 million contract.
Last season, Jones averaged career-highs of 12.9 points, 6.6 assists, and 3.6 rebounds in 29.2 minutes per game in 68 games (65 starts). During the year, the third-year guard recorded his first career triple-double against the Sacramento Kings on April 2. He followed it up with his second vs. the Timberwolves on April 8 to become just the fifth player in Spurs history to record multiple in the same season.
Selected by San Antonio in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft (41st overall), the 23-year-old has appeared in 174 total games for the Spurs, averaging 7.9 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 46.9% from the floor. In his second NBA season (2021-22), the former Duke Blue Devil posted a 5.07 assist-to-turnover ratio, which set a record for the best single-season assist/turnover ratio in Spurs franchise history.
Next season, Jones will probably continue as the team’s starting point guard.
The San Antonio Spurs have waived forward Lamar Stevens, the team announced on Monday.
Stevens, 26, was acquired from Cleveland as part of a three-team trade with the Cavaliers and Miami Heat on July 6, when the Spurs also received Cedi Osman, two future second-round picks, and cash considerations in exchange for a future second-round pick.
Last season, the three-year veteran averaged 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest for the Cavs.
For his career, Stevens, who went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft after playing four years collegiately at Penn State, played in 165 games (38 starts) during his three seasons with Cleveland (2020-2023), averaging 5.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 16.0 minutes, as well as appearing in two postseason contests.
If Stevens clears waivers, he will become an unrestricted free agent. He is a solid defender and a player who can help a team.
The number one pick in this year’s draft, Victor Wembanyama, made his Summer League debut in Las Vegas on Friday night against the second pick in this year’s draft Brandon Miller and the Charlotte Hornets at a sold-out Thomas & Mack Center.
The last time there was a sellout for a Las Vegas Summer League game was in 2019, when Zion Williamson made his debut.
Wembanyama, who joined San Antonio in Vegas after the team played two games in the California Classic Summer League, struggled at times with his shot but made up for it on the defensive end. The Frenchman finished with nine points(2/13 FGM, 1/6 3PM), eight rebounds, three assists, and five blocks as the Spurs defeated Charlotte 76-68.
Every time Wembanyama touched the ball, the fans reacted.
“Overall, I’m glad we won this game,” he said after the game. “There’s no better way to start for your premiere. Honestly, I didn’t really know what I was doing on the court tonight. I’m trying to learn for next game.”
At times, Wembanyama looked a little lost on the floor, and he did appear to struggle with the speed of the game. The 7-3 big man did show off his dribbling and passing skills, but it’s clear he must get stronger. However, he’s 19, so that strength will come in time.
San Antonio’s Julian Champagnie led the way with a game-high 20 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists, while Malaki Branham had 17 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
For the Hornets, Brandon Miller finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
The Spurs led by as many as 16 points and had a 13-point lead entering the fourth. Charlotte eventually cut the lead to 73-66, with 1:04 remaining on the clock. On the next possession, Dominick Barlow found Branham for three to extend the Spurs’ lead back to double figures, all but sealing the game.
The Spurs will play Scoot Henderson(third pick in this year’s draft) and the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday in their second game of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas(8 PM CT).
NBA Summer League is not always about wins and losses; it’s more about development and getting better.
On Monday, the second overall pick in this year’s draft, the Hornets’ Brandon Miller, made his debut against the San Antonio Spurs in the California Classic Summer League at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
Miller led Charlotte with 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists in 34 minutes of action.
After getting off to a slow start, Miller scored 12 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter. However, the Hornets would fall to the Spurs 98-77.
At times, Miller did struggle as he had six turnovers and seven fouls(10 fouls in Summer League get you disqualified).
“A little frustrating just because I don’t like to lose, but I had fun out there,” Miller said. “Just seeing the different environment from the college experience. It was fun. Just really out there having fun with my team.”
San Antonio’s Julian Champagnie scored a game-high 30 points to go along with eight rebounds and four steals, and Dom Barlow recorded a double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds.
For the Hornets, James Bouknight and Nick Smith Jr. both added 12 points.
San Antonio jumped out to a quick 15-2 lead in the first five minutes and led 30-11 after one. The Spurs continued to build on their lead in the second quarter taking a 60-33 lead into halftime. Charlotte would cut the Spurs’ lead down to 21, 74-53, late in the third but could not get any closer.
At the end of last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers knew they had to address the small forward position and add some more shooting, so they did just that on Day 1 of NBA free agency.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Cleveland will acquire Max Strus in a three-team sign-and-trade agreement that’ll send Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens, and a second-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs and a Cleveland second-round pick to the Miami Heat.
Strus, 27, signed a four-year, $63 million deal with the Cavs and will probably be the team’s opening-day starter at the small forward position.
Last season, Strus, who was an undrafted free agent, averaged a career-high 11.5 points per game on 35% shooting from three-point range and made a career-high 197 threes. The four-year veteran was a key piece for a Heat team that made it to NBA Finals, and the Cavs hope he can do the same in Cleveland.
Niang joins the Cavs
Cleveland also added more shooting when they signed former 76ers forward Georges Niang.
According to Wojnarowski, it’s a three-year, $26 million contract.
Like Strus, Niang,30, can fill it up from deep. Last season, off Philly’s bench, he averaged 8.2 points per contest on 40% shooting from three-point range.
The seven-year veteran will definitely give the Cavs more shooting and is a nice piece off the bench.
LeVert stays in the Land
The Cavs keep Caris LeVert in the fold. According to Wojnarowski, it’s a two-year, $32 million contract for LeVert.
LeVert, 30, started 30 games for the Cavs last season. The seven-year veteran averaged 12.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per contest in 2022-23. LeVert had his best season as a pro from three-point range, with career highs in three-point percentage and threes made(39%, 127).
Last season, LaVert began the season in the starting lineup but mostly came off the bench. He’ll probably have a similar role next season.
Cleveland should be happy after Day 1 of NBA free agency. They kept a solid piece(LeVert) and added more shooting.
Cleveland’s small forward position was like a revolving door last season; whether it was Isaac Okoro, LeVert, Dean Wade, or Stevens, there was no consistency. Again, hopefully, that’s a different story next season.
On paper, the Cavs, who lost to the Knicks in five games in the first round of the playoffs, look like a better team than they were at the season’s end.
The San Antonio Spurs made it official on Thursday when they selected Frenchman Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Wembanyama is the first French player selected No. 1 overall in NBA Draft history; in addition, he joins David Robinson and Tim Duncan as the only top overall picks in Spurs franchise history.
“I can’t really describe it. It’s still fresh,” Wembanyama said about being selected number one in the draft. “One of the best feelings of my life. Probably the best night of my life. I’ve been dreaming about this for so long. It’s a dream come true. It’s incredible.”
The 7-3 forward, who has all the skills, has the city of San Antonio excited. Many fans showed up at AT&T Center to celebrate the selection. Wembanyama had a message for the San Antonio faithful.
“My message to them is I’m going to give 100 percent, make all that’s in my power to make this franchise win, to have impact on the franchise and the fan base and the community,” he said.
Wembanyama most recently played with French-club Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 in the LNB Pro A French League during the 2022-23 season, where he helped lead the team to the LNB Pro A Finals and a 23-11 regular season record. In 34 regular season games with Mets 92, he averaged 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 3.0 blocks in 32.3 minutes.
The 19-year-old will be coached by the guy who has the most wins in NBA history, Gregg Popovich. When asked if he’s excited or intimidated by Pop, Wembanyama had this to say:
“He’s not intimidating yet, but I’m sure he’s going to get intimidating when I see him in real life.”
Wembanyama has all the makings to be a star; he’s athletic; he can shoot and handle. Everything! He has generational skills and talent. Like Duncan, Robinson, Ginobili, and his fellow Frenchman Tony Parker, he could lead the Spurs to another title.
Wembanyama will wear No. 1 for the Spurs.
San Antonio Spurs center Charles Bassey underwent additional testing today in San Antonio that confirmed a non-displaced fracture in his left patella, the team announced on Wednesday.
Bassey, 22, will miss the remainder of the 2022-23 season, and the team will provide updates as appropriate.
The injury occurred during the first quarter of last night’s Spurs-Magic game at the AT&T Center.
Since joining the Spurs, Bassey has played well for San Antonio. In 35 games, he averaged 5.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and almost one block(0.9) per contest.
Bassey signed a two-way contract with the Spurs after being waived by the 76ers in October, and in February, his two-way contract was converted to a standard NBA deal.
He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft. The 53rd overall pick appeared in 23 games for the Sixers last season, also appearing in three playoff games.
This is a big blow for the young center, but expect Bassey to return strong next season for San Antonio.
On Monday night, the red-hot Cavs(38-22) hosted the slumping Spurs(14-44), who limped into Cleveland on a 12-game losing streak.
The Cavs led by as many as 21 and defeated the Spurs 117-109 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Cleveland has won seven straight, while the Spurs have now lost 13 in a row.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Spurs.
The Great:
Donovan Mitchell scored 23 of his game-high 41 points in the first half. Mitchell(16/26 FG) also added six threes and five assists. He scored 40-plus points for the sixth time this season.
Jarrett Allen had his team-leading 26th double-double as he scored 17 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and blocked three shots.
First Quarter: Cleveland jumped out early on the Spurs. They scored a game-high 34 points in the first. The Cavs were on fire as they shot 59% from the field. In addition, defensively, Cleveland held the Spurs to 39% from the field and created six turnovers, which led to 12 points.
Turning the Spurs over: The Cavs forced 18 turnovers, which led to 29 points.
Not So Great:
The Spurs hung around too long: The only thing Cleveland did wrong was let the Spurs hang around. They led by 21 in the third, but they allowed the Spurs to trim the lead to 10 going into the fourth. San Antonio cut the lead to four in the final stanza before the Cavs pushed the lead back to 10 after going on a 6-0 run.
Bottom Line:
The Cavs are hot and playing some great basketball right now. They are playing good defense(they held three teams below 100 points during the streak) and getting contributions from multiple sources. However, five of the seven teams they’ve beaten on this streak are below .500, so are they playing great, or are they taking advantage of the schedule?
On Wednesday, the fourth-seeded Cavs go on the road to battle the third-seeded 76ers, who Cavs trail by one game in the standings; that game should tell us some things about Cleveland.
What’s next:
In their final game before the All-Star break, the Cavs travel to Philly to battle the 76ers on Wednesday night.
Best of the Rest:
-Darius Garland had 16 points and seven assists. Evan Mobley added 15 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks for the Cavs.
-Keldon Johnson led the Spurs with 25 points, and Malaki Branham had 18 points. San Antonio had six players in double figures.
The Cavs(17-11) began a two-game road trip in Texas against the Spurs(9-18) on Monday night.
Cleveland trailed for most of this game but got back into the contest late. With the Spurs leading by one with 06.7 seconds left, Donovan Mitchell’s layup was blocked by Keldon Johnson; Cleveland had one more chance, but Darius Garland would miss a corner three, and the Spurs would defeat the Cavs 112-111 at AT&T Center.
The Spurs have won three straight, while the Cavs have lost their third straight on the road.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Spurs.
Great:
Donovan Mitchell was back after missing two games with a lower leg injury and had a game-high 28 points(12/24 FG) and five rebounds. He did his part, but it wasn’t enough.
Caris LeVert recorded his third straight 20-plus point game as he had 23 points(9/13 FG) off the bench. Nine of his 23 came in the fourth; it’s good to see LeVert find his groove.
Evan Mobley had 17 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists. This was his fourth double-double in the last six games.
Fourth Quarter: The Cavs trailed 92-78 heading into the fourth. However, Cleveland looked like themselves in the fourth, and you felt they might get it done. The Cavs shot 54% from the field and outscored the Spurs 33-20. The Cavs brought the defensive energy and created six turnovers, but unfortunately, they fell just short.
Not So Great:
First Three Quarters: Cleveland was outworked by the Spurs for most of this game. For the first three quarters, San Antonio outrebounded the Cavs 39-29. Cleveland looked lifeless, their energy was just not there, and the Cavs were down by as many as 19 points.
Three-Point Shooting: The Cavs had a hard time behind the arc. Cleveland shot 5/23(22%) from deep. Mitchell(2/7) and Garland(1/6) were a combined 3/13 from downtown.
Turnovers: Cleveland had 15 turnovers against the Spurs, which led to 18 points.
Bottom Line:
This was an unacceptable performance by the Cavs. Yes, the Spurs have been playing better, but they did come in this game ten games under .500. Cleveland’s energy is still off on the road as they fell to 5-9 away from “The Land.”
One example of the different energy on the road is Garland.
He’s averaging 26.1 points per contest on 50% shooting, including 46% from deep at home. However, on the road, he’s averaging 16.1 points per game on 34% shooting, including 28% from downtown. He’s one of the best players on the team and has to be better away from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
What’s Next:
Cleveland continues their Texas two-step Wednesday night as they head to Dallas to battle Luka Doncic and the Mavs.
Best of the Rest:
Cleveland had five players in double figures. Jarrett Allen had 16 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. Garland added 18 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists.
Josh Richardson led the Spurs with 24 points, including five threes off the bench. Keldon Johnson added 21 points and six rebounds, and Devin Vassell chipped in with 16 points.
