The Phoenix Suns walk into Monday night’s matchup with a chance to make it three wins in a row, but the task in front of them is a steep one. San Antonio comes in hot, Phoenix is listed as the underdog, and the absence of Jordan Goodwin only makes the defensive challenge harder at Mortgage Matchup Center.
The Suns are sticking with the same starting group they’ve used in recent games, after opening the regular season with Khaman Maluach in the starting center spot. That alignment has settled in, but tonight’s assignment is about as demanding as it gets.
Victor Wembanyama is the focal point, and Suns coach Jordan Ott called him the “ultimate” test for Phoenix’s big-man pairing of Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach.
“Ultimate Test, right? 48 minutes of great center play.
People have tried different matchups, whether it’s even a bigger wing on him to provide some type of rim protection behind a little bit of a cross-match. And I think those reps in the preseason, we will use some of that,” Ott said pre-game.
He added, “They both had their their shots at him, but this is a whole new ball game when you get into the regular season. And then just reading the flow of the game, who has the best matchup with him?
Can we provide enough support around whoever has him, and then keep him from the rim? That’s the biggest part.
Like you can’t be above the rim. It’s really hard, especially with Oso, it’s hard to to get up that high.
So it’s just all three different layers. Try to provide the best support to whoever’s defending as possible.”
San Antonio has been one of the league’s most efficient teams on both ends, sitting top five in offensive and defensive net rating. After losing its first two games, the Spurs have ripped off eight straight wins, leaning into a three/four-guard look around Wembanyama.
Phoenix already surprised plenty of people by taking down the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, but this matchup is a different kind of problem entirely.
In Other News...
Spurs Suddenly Have A Devin Vassell Decision That Could Shift Everything
Devin Vassells status has become one of the more important pregame storylines for the Spurs as they get ready to face the Suns. He is listed as questionable with left adductor tightness, and that matters because San Antonio has already been leaning on his scoring and spacing while trying to settle into a rhythm. Vassells recent shooting has also been part of the conversation, making his availability more than just a routine injury note.
If he cannot go, Julian Champagnie is expected to slide into the starting lineup, which would give the Spurs a different look on the wing. That kind of adjustment can ripple through the rotation quickly, especially against a Suns team that will punish any offensive timing issues. For San Antonio, the question is not only whether Vassell can suit up, but how much the lineup changes if he cannot. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Gets A Chance To Silence One Spurs Rivals Confidence
Dillon Brooks has been willing to talk like he has Victor Wembanyama figured out, leaning on the early matchups between the two to make his case. Most of those meetings came when Wembanyama was still in his rookie year or just into his second season, which matters now because the Spurs center is not the same player he was then. He has added strength, sharpened his decisions and put together a strong season that looks a lot more like the version San Antonio expected when it drafted him.
That is what makes the next meeting so interesting from the Spurs side. Brooks may be carrying confidence from what happened before, but those results do not automatically travel with him when Wembanyama is playing with more physicality and a clearer sense of how to control a game. For San Antonio, it is a chance to see whether one of the leagues most outspoken defenders can still bother a player who has already shown he can keep evolving past old scouting reports. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Spurs Showed One Unbeaten Trait Fans Should Notice
The Austin Spurs opened their home slate at H-E-B Center with a 115-103 win over the Laketown Squadron, and the early signs of cohesion were hard to miss. JaKobi Gillespie set the tone with 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while Terry Taylor supplied a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds as Austin kept its unbeaten start rolling.
For a team still settling into the season, the bigger takeaway may be how comfortably the Spurs are sharing the load and dictating the pace in the first week. At 2-0, they head into their Tip-Off Tournament matchup with the Memphis Hustle carrying momentum, and a chance to show whether this balanced start is a real early-season trait or just a strong opening stretch. [Read more 🡒]