Spurs Nightly

San Antonio's last five exhibition games were mixed. The Spurs opened with two road losses: 102-98 at Phoenix on October 10 and 119-109 at Utah on October 12. Then they came home and rolled. They beat Phoenix 123-103 on October 14 and Sacramento 126-97 on October 16. The finale was a 116-104 home loss to Oklahoma City on October 20. That was the toughest test of the preseason, and the Spurs did not pass it. Preseason results do not count, and October rotations rarely look like April rotations. Still, the two home wins showed what this offense can do when it gets going. The Thunder game showed how much work is left against a top opponent. Now the games count.

Two Spurs are on the injury report. Rookie forward Jayden Quaintance is out with a right knee injury. His estimated return date is December 3, so he will miss the first stretch of the schedule. Quaintance is 19 and wears No. 22. Tobias Harris is day-to-day with a left calf injury, with an estimated return of October 23. That is opening night. Harris was a steady piece last season, with 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in 27.7 minutes over 63 games, and he shot 36.8 percent from three. If he cannot go, San Antonio has forward depth. Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes and Keldon Johnson all played real minutes last season. Johnson and Champagnie each appeared in all 82 games.

The 2025-26 Spurs went 62-20. Last season they posted a 118.7 offensive rating and a 110.4 defensive rating, for a net rating of 8.4. They played fast, at a pace of 100.7, and scored 119.8 points per game. Their effective field goal percentage was 55.9 and their true shooting percentage was 59.5. Wembanyama was the engine. Last season he averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 29.2 minutes over 64 games. His +/- of 10.7 was the best among the team's top players. The supporting cast could shoot. Last season Barnes hit 38.8 percent from three, Vassell hit 38.4 and Champagnie hit 38.1. This year's job is to hold that level, not build it from scratch.

The guards are where this roster gets interesting. Last season Fox averaged 18.6 points and 6.2 assists. Castle averaged 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.4 assists. Harper added 11.8 points and 3.9 assists in 22.6 minutes. A three-guard lineup is part of the conversation, per Spurs notes from Michael C. Wright on October 18 that also covered Fox, Keldon Johnson and Harris. On October 17, the Spurs were reported to have exercised 2027/28 options on Castle, Harper and Carter Bryant. Notes from Tom Orsborn on October 20 touched on Harris, Wembanyama, Harper and rookie Ja'Kobi Gillespie. Along with Gillespie and Quaintance, the roster carries rookies Tarris Reed Jr. and Maliq Brown. Luke Kornet gives the frontcourt size behind Wembanyama after averaging 6.1 rebounds last season.

The schedule starts with a test right away. After Houston on October 23, the Spurs play at Dallas on October 24, a back-to-back to open the season. They return home to face Sacramento on October 27, then play at Utah on October 28, a second back-to-back in the first week. October ends with Minnesota at home on October 31. Two of those opponents are familiar from the preseason. San Antonio beat the Kings 126-97 at home and lost 119-109 in Utah. The Spurs will be on a big stage all season, with 39 national TV games on the schedule. That is what a 62-win season gets you. How Harris's calf holds up this week will decide how deep the forward rotation is through the opening stretch.