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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An expansion draft a couple of seasons down the road could create a rare kind of flexibility for the Spurs if they decide they would rather move forward without that commitment. Fox will also have time to reshape the conversation by improving his play and, by extension, his trade value, which leaves San Antonio with a decision that could become a lot clearer or a lot trickier depending on how the next few years unfold. [Read more 🡒]
JJ Redick Just Gave The Spurs A Contender Reality Check
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JJ Redicks latest comments offered a different kind of reminder from a contender in the West: the Lakers are not spending much time worrying about where San Antonio fits in the bigger picture. Instead, Los Angeles is focused on its own path, pointing to roster improvements built around Luka Doncic on offense and Walker Kesslers presence to help on the glass and at the defensive end. For the Spurs, the challenge is the same one that comes with any rising team, proving the buzz matches the reality. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Still Have One Rival They Havent Caught Yet
For a franchise that has spent decades building a standard of consistency, there is still one familiar measuring stick sitting just out of reach. The Lakers remain the one regular-season opponent that has given San Antonio more trouble than anyone else over the long haul, a quirk that stands out even in a rivalry filled with big playoff moments and memorable Spurs wins.
There is still time for that to change this season, with three games left against Los Angeles and a chance to flip the series in San Antonio's favor if everything breaks right. The matchup looks different now, too, with the Lakers roster having gone through changes that include LeBron James moving on to Philadelphia, leaving the Spurs to chase a piece of history against a version of the rivalry that keeps evolving. [Read more 🡒]