The herky-jerky season continues for the San Antonio Spurs, coming into this match-up on the heels of losses to longtime rivals (and likely playoff teams) in the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks.
The Spurs are in the midst of a tougher stretch of their schedule, with upcoming games against the Warriors, Lakers, and Suns, and this might be their best opportunity to steal another win in the midst of it, with the Oklahoma City Thunder already getting a bit banged up in their own right.
With a bunch of their big men out for the foreseeable future, the Spurs (and Victor Wembanyama, should he play) must take advantage of that advantage in the front-court of an incredibly stingy Thunder team (1st in Defensive Rating, 1st in Opponent Effective Field Goal Percentage, 2nd in Blocks, 3rd in limiting Opponents Points In The Paint).
Unfortunately, due to an off-season devoid of front-court upgrades, the Spurs rank 23rd in points scored in the paint and 28th in 2nd chance points, negating some of their ability to exploit the Thunder’s current weakness.
Fortunately, the Spurs have leaned heavily into the modern offensive profile, with 45% of their shots coming from beyond the arc, and 38% of their points this season coming from the three-pointer, something that’s helped cover up those deficiencies.
The real question is whether or not Wembanyama and Devin Vassell will play in this contest, as they profile as two of San Antonio’s best long-distance shooters.
Obviously, this is a game that is already without the crackle of a Wembanyama vs. Holmgren showdown, so the incentive to watch is lessened somewhat, but the Spurs have been playing some of their best basketball of the last several years lately, and are getting healthier, so it’s been a pleasure to tune in thus far.
Here’s to hoping we all get to enjoy a huge helping of Wemby running wild in-and-around a poorly defended rim. It’s unlikely he (or any of San Antonio’s big men) will get this ripe of an opportunity against the top teams in the Western Conference with regularity. This is the sort of game that a positively developing team finds a way to win.
Oklahoma City Thunder at San Antonio Spurs
November 16, 2024 | 8:30 CT
Watch: TNT (RIP) |Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: Victor Wembanyama – Questionable (Knee), Devin Vassell – Day-to-Day (Foot), Jeremy Sochan – Out (Hand)
Thunder Injuries: Nikola Topic – Out (Knee), Isiah Hartenstein – Out (Hand), Jaylin Williams – Out (Leg), Chet Holmgren – Out (Hip), Alex Caruso – Day-to-Day (Hip)
For the Thunder’s fans’ perspective, visit Welcome To Loud City.
PtR’s Game thread will be up this evening for those who want to chat through the game. You can also follow along with the action through PtR’s Twitter feed.
