Dissecting the Spurs’ Individual Plus-Minus Totals Through 16 Games

The San Antonio Spurs notched their eighth win of the season Friday evening, which begs the question: How have they fared with some stars out, and who leads the plus-minus race?

Nov 19, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) and center Victor Wembanyama (1) on the bench during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Frost Bank Center. / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Through 16 games, the San Antonio Spurs’ up-and-down play has, quite literally, evened out as they currently sit at 8-8. 

A bottom-10 scoring offense has been uplifted by a top-10 scoring defense, but San Antonio was able to get back to .500 with the help of its offense in a 126-118 victory over the Utah Jazz Friday evening.

Overall, the Spurs’ individual plus-minus numbers have matched the team’s topsy-turvy play so far. 

League-wide, there’s already been separation between the top and bottom in individual plus-minus despite the season being less than one-quarter complete. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the best player on a 12-4 Oklahoma City Thunder squad, has the best plus-minus in the league at +170.

READ MORE: 2nd-Half Comeback Gives Spurs 2nd Victory in a Row

Meanwhile, Bub Carrington, who’s averaged just over 30 minutes per game for the 2-11 Washington Wizards, has the league’s worst plus-minus at -184; the difference between him and the player with the next-worst mark, Utah’s Keyonte George, is a staggering 31. 

No one on the Spurs that’s seen substantial action is particularly close to any of those numbers, but there’s a large gap between the top and the bottom. Here are the plus-minuses from each player on the team who’s registered at least 85 total minutes so far this season.  

• Chris Paul: +60
• Harrison Barnes: +50
• Julian Champagnie: +36
• Charles Bassey: +28
• Stephon Castle: +27
• Victor Wembanyama: +19
• Sandro Mamukelashvili: +1
• Jeremy Sochan: -9
• Blake Wesley: -30
• Malaki Branham: -44
• Devin Vassell: -47
• Keldon Johnson: -64

It’s no surprise that Paul leads the way, as his table-setting and efficient 3-point shooting have helped the Spurs immensely. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Keldon Johnson’s early-season struggles in a new secondary role off the bench are well-represented here. 

The Spurs just hope those positive performances will continue.

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