Spurs (3-4) @ Rockets (4-3), Toyota Center, 7:00 p.m.
Line: Rockets by 6.5
What's up with the Spurs?
Well, apparently the NBA wants the Rockets and Spurs to play every 3 or 4 days, as this is the teams' third meeting of the year in 8 games. After going 22-60 last year with Frenchy making his debut and adding Stephon Castle with the #4 pick in the 2024 draft, they were a sleeper pick to be the most improved team this year. They've shown some early flashes of that, beating Minnesota by 10 on Saturday but are on about the same level of the Rockets right now, at 3-4 and not able to consistently keep any sort of momentum going early on. The Spurs are without Coach Greg Poppovich who is out indefinitely with an undisclosed by "serious" health issue. The NY Post calls it a "great level of concern". The polarizing coach is 75 years old and has been coaching San Antonio since 1996, which is when I graduated from A&M.
Who Are These Guys?
Victory Wembanyama, or as the Association would call him, "Everyone Knows It's Wemby", is off to a pretty strong start, averaging just under 19 points, just over 10 rebounds, and leading the league with an eye-popping 3.9 blocks per game. He's convinced he can shoot three-pointers and is missing 78% of them so far, so keep that up. Unlike every other 7 footer in history, he's very good from the free throw line He hit 80% last year and is at an insane 93.1% so far this season. Seventy-eight-year-old Chris Paul is starting at point guard and playing30 minutes a game, averaging 12 points and almost 9 assists per game. Their second-leading scorer is Jeremy Sochan from Baylor, their #1 pick in 2022, who is at 15.4 per game and hitting 51.2% of his shots, a big improvement on a small sample from his first two years in the league. Their 2024 rookie, Stephon Castle, has played like absolute crap so far, shooting 31% from the field, 12% from the arc, and is averaging 6 points a game in 20 minutes of action.
What Have They Done Lately?
After their big win over Minnesota last Saturday, the Spurs came out and laid an egg on the road at the Clippers, losing 113-104. Terrance Mann, who was last seen disappearing into the cornfields of Iowa during the ending of "Field of Dreams", was -20 plus minus for the Clippers in 19 minutes, thanks to 23 points from Norman Powell, who sounds like the name of your great uncle, and fat James Harden, who had 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and somehow 3 blocks. That can't be right. The Spurs nearly got a triple-double from Wemby with 21 points, 13 boards, and 9 blocks. They kind of remind me of the post-drug suspension / Sampson trade Rockets where they had young Hakeem and a bunch of crap and win 45 games a year.
What's New with the Rockets?
Well they are up from 21st to 14th in the ESPN power rankings, which is pretty awesome. They really need this win because they are at the Thunder next, although after that they have a pretty winnable stretch against Detroit, Washington, the Clippers twice, the Bulls, and the suddenly terrible Bucks. Sengun has been sensational since signing his new contract, averaging 16.4 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in the first 7 games of the year. All that in just 29 minutes per game. He's currently tied for 5th with the Greek Freak in rebounds. After rallying from a 31-point deficit only to lose in overtime to the Warriors last Saturday, the Rockets blew up the Knicks on Sunday, taking a 109-97 victory featuring my favorite play of the year so far Amen Thompson's fake pass and resounding dunk in the lane. Sengun had 25 and 14 on 11 of 15 shooting and VanVleet was 8 of 14 for 19 points and 5 assists. Jalen Brunson did his best Jalen Green impersonation, shooting 9 of 24, channeling Game 6 1994 Finals John Starks by going 1 of 6 in the fourth quarter.
The Last Time They Played
Stretch your memory all the way back 8 days ago to the Rockets beating the Spurs on the road 106-101. Jamal Green lit it up for 36 with 7 three pointers and Sengun had a 12-12 double double.