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What does the preseason actually determine? Do the wins and losses matter? The answer to the second question is quite literally, no. The answer to the first is general improvements from individual players, and some idea of what the rotations could look like come the regular season.
The San Antonio Spurs saw a little bit of both in their 123-116 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
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Before the game, head coach Mitch Johnson announced that De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama would start the game. The three-guard lineup that many had speculated about would get plenty of time together, joined by their best movement shooter and last year’s defensive player of the year. But right before tip-off, the Spurs announced that Fox would miss the game with soreness from Thursday morning’s practice, putting Julian Champagnie into the starting five.
San Antonio got off to a great 39-20 first-quarter lead without Fox, led mostly by Harper. The second-year guard had 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists in his 16 first-half minutes. Harper looked to be in mid-season form, dominating with his size and strength in the paint. The newer development was Harper’s three-point shooting, particularly off the bounce. Harper knocked down three of his five three-pointers, two of them off the dribble, and another on a catch-and-shoot attempt in the corner.
Harper’s three-point shooting is a development to watch. He will be one of the toughest covers in the NBA if he can combine three-point shooting, particularly off the dribble, with his elite downhill driving ability.
Speaking of downhill driving ability, Carter Bryant looked much more comfortable in his second career preseason. The sophomore was composed (except for a silly turnover in the second quarter when he passed to a teammate who wasn’t looking at him), made quick decisions, and played with more confidence than he showed last season. Bryant finished the game with 11 points, including two three-pointers, and 5 rebounds in 23 minutes.
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The rest of the Spurs showed just about what you would expect from them. Wembanyama’s jumper was…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/spurs-start-strong-lose-first-030301619.html
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Publish date : 2026-10-09 03:03:00
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