The Spurs lost their opener 116-104 to Oklahoma City and host Houston on October 23 at 0-1. One game settles little, but these numbers show where the work is.
How worried should we be about Wembanyama's 1-for-13?
Not much, after one night. He shot 1-for-13 from the floor and 0-for-4 from three. He still got to 12 points by making 10 of 12 free throws, and he added 13 rebounds and six blocks. Last season he averaged 25.0 points in 64 games. The shooting line shows Oklahoma City made him work for everything. It does not tell you what his season will look like. His four turnovers are the easier fix.
Is Stephon Castle's 5-for-12 from three for real?
Castle led the Spurs with 24 points on 9-for-21 shooting, 5-for-12 from deep, in 28 minutes. He shot 33.2 percent from three last season, so 12 attempts in one game is a sample, not a new player. Air Alamo argued that his outside shot will be key for this backcourt. If defenses keep leaving him open and he keeps taking those shots, the floor opens up for everyone else.
Why did the bench score only 25 points?
The starters scored 75 of the 104 points. Keldon Johnson gave 10 off the bench and Julian Champagnie added 8, but Champagnie finished minus-24 in 30 minutes, the worst mark on the team. Luke Kornet was minus-10 in 13 minutes. Devin Vassell, plus-8 in 31 minutes, had the best number. In a single game, plus-minus follows the lineup more than the player. It tells you which units to watch, not who to bench.
How much room is there under the luxury tax?
Payroll is $196.1 million against a $200.4 million tax line, which leaves about $4.3 million. De'Aaron Fox's $49.8 million is the biggest contract, followed by Vassell at $27.0 million. That gap makes it hard to add salary during the season without sending some out. The young core is still cheap, though: San Antonio picked up 2027-28 options on Castle, Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant. The Spurs also owe their 2027 first-round pick to Sacramento.
Is last season's 8.4 net rating still the standard?
Yes. San Antonio went 62-20 last season with a 118.7 offensive rating and a 110.4 defensive rating. Oklahoma City went 64-18 with an 11.1 net rating, and on Tuesday it led by 26 in the first half. The Spurs won the third quarter 36-28 and later cut the lead to 104-97, so the gap is not fixed. One loss to a 64-win team proves neither a decline nor that the two teams are even.
When do the Spurs play next?
The Spurs host the Houston Rockets on October 23 on Prime Video, then play at Dallas on October 24.
Will Tobias Harris play against the Rockets?
Harris was upgraded from out to day-to-day with a calf injury in his left leg, and his listed return date is October 23. That points to the Rockets game, but it does not confirm he will play.
