The San Antonio Spurs got a hard reminder on opening night, and in the process they did something nobody in their camp wanted to do: they backed up Zach Lowe’s read on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Lowe has said he expects the Thunder to win the Western Conference and then the championship, and the Spurs’ lopsided loss gave that argument fresh fuel. His point centered on the same thing that was obvious on opening night: Oklahoma City looks different when its guards are healthy. That matters, even if it doesn’t erase the fact that San Antonio had already taken the Thunder down in Oklahoma City in Game 1 and Game 7 during the Western Conference Finals.
This time, with both teams at or near full strength, the Thunder rolled. It was a rough showing for San Antonio and a clear sign that a healthy Oklahoma City team would have been a much tougher assignment.
The Spurs can point to a few reasons the game was closer than it could have been. Stephon Castle buried five threes and helped keep San Antonio alive for stretches, while Fox played well and sparked a second-half push.
Harper added 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Those were the bright spots.
But the night still belonged to Oklahoma City. Victor Wembanyama had the worst shooting game of his career, finishing 1-for-13 from the field. San Antonio also got beaten by the Thunder’s guards, which was a major factor in how the game tilted.
There was some bad shooting variance in the mix, too. If both teams had landed closer to their 3-point percentages from last season, the final margin would have looked very different. Even so, the Spurs were outplayed.
Wembanyama did bring his usual impact at the other end, blocking six shots, but he didn’t take over the matchup against Chet Holmgren. That part stood out, because this was supposed to be one of those nights where San Antonio measured itself against the top end of the West.
The larger takeaway is simple: the Spurs had a poor opener, and the Thunder looked every bit like a team with more on hand than they did in the Western Conference Finals. Lowe’s broader point held up. Players such as Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain give Oklahoma City more shooting, and Jalen Williams adds the kind of two-way presence that was missing in that series.
San Antonio has room to adjust, and the Spurs are not doomed by one bad game. But if opening night told us anything, it’s that the gap between these teams may be smaller than some Spurs fans want to believe - and that Oklahoma City, at full strength, is a different problem entirely.
In Other News...
Spurs Just Got Burned By An NBA Problem Fans Hate
The frustration around NBA officiating has been simmering for a while, and Spurs fans have had plenty of reason to notice it. When a game turns into a debate about traveling violations and the way fouls are called for offensive players, it can leave viewers feeling like the rules only apply when they are convenient. Around the league, players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and LaMelo Ball have become part of that conversation, while San Antonio has had its own close look at how inconsistent enforcement can shape what happens on the floor.
For the Spurs, the issue hits especially hard because it touches the kind of young, developing roster that needs clear standards as much as anything else. Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell are part of a team trying to build rhythm and trust possession by possession, and constant uncertainty about what will and will not be called only adds to the irritation. The broader debate is not going away anytime soon, and for San Antonio, it is another reminder that the most basic parts of the game still do not always feel settled. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Fans Have Seen This NBA Officiating Problem For Too Long
A familiar frustration has followed the league into another stretch of games, and Spurs fans know the feeling well. In recent nights, the conversation has centered on the same old complaints about NBA officiating: traveling violations that seem to go uncalled, defenders being whistled for barely any contact, and a general sense that the standard changes from game to game. Players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LaMelo Ball, Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell have all been part of the broader discussion, which has only added fuel to the outrage.
For San Antonio, the annoyance is less about one isolated sequence than the pattern itself. Fans have seen these debates before, and the concern is not just about a missed call here or there, but about how consistently the rules are enforced when the game gets tight and the physicality rises. Until the league gives supporters a clearer sense of where the line is, every questionable whistle will keep landing with the same old mix of disbelief and exasperation. [Read more 🡒]
Victor Wembanyama Just Got A Brutal Reality Check From An NBA Legend
Victor Wembanyamas first game of the season gave the Spurs plenty to like on the defensive end, with the young star still impacting possessions through rebounds and blocks even as his shot deserted him. It was enough to keep the opener from turning into a total concern in San Antonio, but not enough to quiet the conversation around how much his offseason work has actually sharpened the rest of his game.
Carmelo Anthony helped push that skepticism into the spotlight, questioning whether the training Wembanyama did in the offseason will show up consistently when the games start counting. Wembanyama had worked with Hakeem Olajuwon and even added rugby drills to his regimen, but Anthony made clear he wants to see whether those efforts translate over the course of the season, which is the real test the Spurs are now facing. [Read more 🡒]