The San Antonio Spurs opened preseason play looking every bit like a team that expects to matter, and Victor Wembanyama gave them the kind of play that makes everything feel a little absurd.
With the Spurs up big on the Sacramento Kings at Frost Bank Center, Wembanyama put together one of the night’s most eye-catching sequences: a rebound, a full-court push, and an off-the-glass alley-oop finish that ESPN’s Adam Schefter compared to a video game. It was the sort of possession that makes “2K mode” feel less like a joke and more like a scouting report.
Wemby playing a video game. pic.twitter.com/L0wU6JgJpE
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 17, 2026
Wembanyama had 14 points by the third quarter and played 24 minutes. The moment arrived while the Spurs were already controlling the game, with the lead at 88-60 as the third quarter was winding down and Sacramento trying to make a late dent in it.
San Antonio looked ready for the season to start, and the scoring was spread across the roster. Dylan Harper led the way with 19 points, followed by De’Aaron Fox with 16, Wembanyama with 14, Stephon Castle with 13 and Devin Vassell with 12. Keldon Johnson added 12 points of his own before the third quarter ended.
The performance came not long after Wembanyama made an interesting “best on planet” remark, and it unfolded during a stretch when NBA GMs had him atop several categories, even though Nikola Jokic finished ahead of him in one of them.
Johnson’s Spurs are being talked about like a title team this season, and the buzz around the roster has only grown. Reggie Miller recently named a dark horse challenger to the group, while Carter Bryant’s Kobe Bryant inspired workout also turned heads.
But nights like this still come back to Wembanyama. The dunk against Sacramento was the kind of play that reminded everyone why his ceiling keeps stretching farther than anybody else’s.
In Other News...
Mavericks Make Another Early Camp Cut As Roster Decisions Begin
Training camp decisions are starting to take shape around the league, and there has been movement that matters for teams trying to sort out the edges of their roster. The New Orleans Pelicans brought back center Hunter Dickinson on a non-guaranteed camp contract with Exhibit 10 language after waiving him from a two-way deal in August, while the Spurs added Kendall Brown on a training camp agreement and the Kings signed David Muoka on a similar one.
For San Antonio, the Brown addition fits into the broader early-camp churn that always comes with this part of the calendar, when teams are testing depth and looking for low-risk evaluations. Elsewhere in the West, the Mavericks have already started trimming their own group by requesting waivers on Jorge Diaz Graham after his recent preseason appearance, a reminder that more roster moves are likely to follow as camp jobs get sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Suddenly Have More Riding On This Season Than Ever
The Western Conference is shaping up to be a moving target, and the Spurs are right in the middle of it. With Minnesota shaking up its roster, the Lakers resetting around Luka Doncic after LeBron James departure, and plenty of eyes on a crowded race of rising teams, San Antonio suddenly feels like a club with a lot more to prove than just progress. Even the Spurs coaching setup is part of the conversation, with Billy Donovan in the lead assistant role as the organization tries to turn its promise into something sturdier.
There is plenty of league-wide noise around individual breakouts and title expectations, from Cooper Flaggs All-NBA buzz to the possibility of Doncic chasing the scoring crown, but the Spurs own path may be the most interesting of all. The sense around the West is that Oklahoma City and San Antonio could be among the regular-season powers, yet the bigger question is whether that kind of rise actually translates when the games get tighter and the stakes get higher. For the Spurs, this season is starting to feel less like another step forward and more like a test of how real the climb actually is. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs May Have Found An Early Answer Behind Wembanyama
The Spurs went into the preseason looking for a little more certainty behind Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet, and rookie Tarris Reed Jr. has given them a promising early look. Acquired in a trade after being drafted by the Nuggets, Reed has stood out with his rebounding and work on the defensive end, the kind of low-drama contributions that can quickly earn trust in San Antonio.
Devin Vassell has already noticed, and that matters for a young player trying to carve out a role before the games count. Reed appears to have the edge right now for the third big-man spot, especially with fellow rookie Jayden Quaintance still coming back from a knee procedure, but the Spurs will still have to decide how much of that preseason momentum turns into real minutes once the rotation tightens. [Read more 🡒]