The Spurs opened preseason with a loss to the Hawks, falling 123-116, but the night still offered a few clear signs that offseason work is starting to show up on the floor. From Dylan Harper’s growing confidence to Victor Wembanyama’s impact on the glass, San Antonio walked away with more than just a defeat on the scoreboard.
Dylan Harper looked like a player ready to take another step. In 19 minutes against Atlanta, the second-year guard scored 16 points on 71.4% shooting from the field and 60% from three, while also adding four rebounds, four assists and a steal.
That kind of production fits the broader picture of Harper’s rise. He had already earned starter minutes during four regular-season games and two playoff games in his rookie year, then came off the bench during the Spurs’ NBA Finals run.
Now, Mitch Johnson appears to be weighing whether Harper should start.
What stood out most against the Hawks was how different Harper’s shot profile looked. Last season, he hit 34.3% from three, below the league average of 36%, and only 27.1% of his attempts came from deep.
Against Atlanta, he showed far less hesitation from outside. That change matters for more than just his own numbers.
San Antonio collected 13 offensive rebounds in the game, well above last season’s 11.4 average and 26.2% offensive rebounding rate.
Harper’s stat line went beyond the scoring, too. He showed enough all-around production to hint at a much bigger role if Johnson keeps giving him minutes. Based on the preseason pace and assuming the same 26.7 minutes with more touches, his numbers project to 22.5 points, 5.6 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals.
Wembanyama’s night was shorter, but the rebounding trend was impossible to miss. He grabbed six boards in just nine minutes, including one offensive rebound.
That may not sound like much on its own, but it marks progress in an area where the Spurs were only 11th in offensive rebounding percentage last season at 26.2%. Their defensive rebounding was already elite - they posted a league-high 77.3% DRB% - but the extra work on the offensive glass could change the shape of their offense.
Scaled to his usual 29.2 minutes per game, Wembanyama is projected to average 3.24 offensive rebounds, up from 2.0 in 2025-26. If the Spurs can keep generating around 13 offensive rebounds a night, they could move into the top three in the league. The Detroit Pistons were third last season at 13.1 per game.
That kind of bump would matter. More offensive rebounds mean more second chances, more fresh shot clocks and more easy putbacks. For a team trying to win at different paces, those possessions are gold.
The other encouraging sign was the perimeter shooting. San Antonio took 37 three-pointers against Atlanta, the same general volume it had last season, when it ranked 14th in attempts at 37.9 per game and 15th in three-point percentage at 35.9%.
Against the Hawks, though, the Spurs shot 37.8% from deep. If that holds over a full season, it would push them into the top three in the NBA, ahead of teams like the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks, who finished third and fourth last season at 37.6%.
That’s the blueprint Johnson seems to be pushing: stretch the floor, clear space for Wembanyama and force defenses to choose between helping inside and giving up clean looks outside. The preseason opener didn’t provide a win, but it did offer a glimpse of a Spurs offense that may already be moving in the right direction.
In Other News...
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Kingston Flemings is another reason to watch closely after flashing in San Antonio, where the rookie posted a strong all-around preseason line. Player availability on both sides is still unsettled, so the actual rotation could look different by tipoff, but that uncertainty is part of what makes this opener worth keeping an eye on - it may tell us more than the final score does. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Stuck With Their New Identity Even When It Looked Rough Early
The Hawks got a useful early look at what this new version of the roster is supposed to be in a preseason win over the Spurs, and it was not always pretty. Atlanta came out flat from the perimeter, but the group kept its poise long enough to steady itself and turn the game around before the night was over.
CJ McCollum was part of the mix as the Hawks found better rhythm, and the energy shifted once the second quarter opened things up. Asa Newell, Corey Kispert and Kingston Flemings all had a hand in the swing, giving Atlanta the kind of balanced push it will be looking for when shots are not falling cleanly at the start. [Read more 🡒]
Dream Just Raised The Standard For What Hawks Fans Expect
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That matters because the Hawks have spent the offseason pushing in a similar direction, trying to become tougher and more disruptive on that end of the floor. The comparison does not mean the outcomes will match, but it does raise the bar for what a successful reset can look like in Atlanta. If the Hawks are serious about joining the citys teams in that conversation, the next step is not just adding defense-minded pieces, but proving they can turn the plan into something just as unmistakable as the Dreams. [Read more 🡒]