SUMMARY
- The San Antonio Spurs are currently struggling in the Western Conference with a 4-25 record.
- Injuries, particularly to veteran player Kawhi Leonard, have affected the Spurs' performance in key matchups.
Seeded at No. 15 in the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs seem to be clearly out of postseason contention. While the rookie player, Victor Wembanyama, created impeccable hype with his scoring abilities at the start of the season, the roster is not able to back that up beyond par performance. The team is sitting at an ugly 4-25 record and is riding on a five-game losing streak.
Victor Wembanyama and Co. have won 2 of 13 home games and 2 of 12 road games this season. While the ‘injury-prone’ Kawhi Leonard missed most of the season, since he is the Spurs’ best veteran player, his being on the bench for a long stretch cost the team in matchups against the Blazers, Grizzlies, and Clippers. Adding to the stress, the rest of the Spurs’ old players, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan are not performing at par.
Victor Wembanayama is available to start for the Spurs vs. Blazers game
Around mid-December 2023, the team was trying to break through the grave 18-game losing streak, ranking just above the last-seeded Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference with a 27-game losing streak. With such a record, one thing is for sure: Wemby alone can’t manage the offense. Hence, he needs a traditional point guard who can assist in terms of offense. Jeremy Sochan at the point guard position seems to be another failed experiment for the roster.
Despite the Spurs’ hideous record, Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell and Tre Jones rank among the league’s top three-man lineups.
The Spurs have outscored opponents by 22.6 points/100 poss. during that trio’s 147 minutes togetherhttps://t.co/T4kDI4kI65 via @expressnews
— Spurs Nation (@Spurs_Nation) December 27, 2023
While the roster seems to be healthy except for Devonte Graham, it’s high time that the team starts putting up some decent numbers on the scoreboard. As per rumors, the administration office of the Spurs is not going to ‘skip steps’ this season. Hence, no major trade acquisitions or trade-offs can be expected as the team figures out the rookie and his placement on the roster.
San Antonio Spurs Injury Report:
- Devonte Graham (out)
San Antonio Spurs Expected Lineup:
- Malaki Branham
- Devin Vassell
- Julian Champagnie
- Jeremy Sochan
- Victor Wembanyama
Portland Trail Blazers Injury Report:
- DeAndre Ayton (out)
- Shaedon Sharpe (out)
Portland Trail Blazers Expected Lineup:
- Anfernee Simons
- Malcolm Brogdon
- Toumani Camara
- Jerami Grant
- Duop Reath
Will the Spurs defeat the Blazers with Victor Wembanyama in the lineup?
The Portland Trail Blazers are seeded just one rank above the trailing Spurs, with 8 wins and 21 losses. While the team lost 4-of-10 home games and 4-of-11 road games, the roster might be able to dominate the hardwood as it’s a home game. The game will be between the two last contenders, as the Blazers are standing at No. 14 in the Western Conference. Anfernee Simons, with his 27.5 points per game average, might put up decent gameplay against the trailing Spurs.