San Antonio Spurs Are Lob-Happy, Scoring-Heaving & Miles Ahead of Last Season

An opening night loss to the Dallas Mavericks was quite telling for the San Antonio Spurs, but not at all in a bad way. Here are five takeaways from night one of action.

Taking their home court for what was set to be the arguably the biggest opening night in team history, the San Antonio Spurs knew what they were up against. 

Facing a Luka Doncic-led Dallas Mavericks squad wasn’t going to be easy, especially not after the added motivation they felt from falling short of the playoffs just a few months prior. San Antonio knew that, but still, it fell short in front of a packed Frost Bank Center — standing-room-only space included. 

The Spurs couldn’t get the job done down the stretch, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t positives to pick from. In fact, there were quite a few. 

Here are five takeaways from San Antonio’s opening-night loss to Dallas.

Oct 25, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) shoots over Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber (42) in the first half at the Frost Bank Center / © Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

1) Zach Collins Knows His Role, and He Likes It

One of the biggest questions of the offseason for the Spurs was how Victor Wembanyama would fit into their system, but also how good he could be. 

A lot of that has to do with his individual development and adjustment to the game, especially considering he was coming from overseas at Metropolitans 92. But there was also another factor at play regarding how smoothly the rookie would be able to adjust: his teammates. 

It doesn't take much to coin Wembanyama a center. He's 7-4, lanky and can almost guarantee you a lob connection — more on that in a second — but while he fits the bill for an NBA center, his game runs the best as a power forward. He can create his own shots as well as ones for his teammates with more offensive freedom.

That's where Zach Collins comes in. 

The now veteran center was a dark horse for San Antonio a season ago. He took over at the five spot for Jakob Poeltl after the Spurs dealt him away at the deadline, and not only did he pick up the slack, he thrived. Collins became a player who was capable of putting up north of 20 points while playing solid defense, and this season, he's shown the potential for that to be the case again. 

Alongside Wembanyama, Collins is able to grab rebounds, but also be a post threat and an inside pass target, especially for a rookie who seems to love to pass around his defender's back. Collins allows Wembanyama to space the floor significantly while still providing a down-low presence, and the pairing has worked extremely well thus far. 

Against Dallas, Collins notched 14 points, five rebounds, two blocks and a steal. He couldn't quite find his stroke from behind the arc, but his play proved that not only does he know how he fits alongside the rookie giant, he's embraced it.

2) Lob-Happy Wembanyama? The Spurs Are Still Figuring Him Out

Wembanyama's favorite move on Wednesday wasn't a 3-pointer. It also wasn't a midrange shot, a block or a dribble package, but rather something off ball. 

It was a lob call. 

Almost every chance he had, San Antonio's rookie would make his way down the court before moving down low while Tre Jones, Devin Vassell or even Malaki Branham ran things from the top. And as soon as he reached a couple of feet from the rim, his hand would go up — discreetly, but enough for his teammates to notice quickly. 

Most of the time, the lob wouldn't go up. Whether it was the ball handler's lack of confidence throwing a lob into traffic from behind the 3-point line or simply a missed opportunity, Wembanyama didn't get nearly the amount of highlight opportunities as he'd hoped. 

But that's expected. The Spurs are still trying to figure him out. 

Oct 25, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots over Dallas Mavericks forward Grant Williams (3) in the second half at the Frost Bank Center / © Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

Wembanyama's regular-season debut didn't go nearly as smoothly as the Spurs had hoped. Yes, he put up 15 points, including three 3s, and did his thing on defense, but the reason for his unideal performance was simple: he didn't play.

Foul trouble early in the game and even in the third quarter kept Wembanyama benched for much longer than he, Gregg Popovich and the entire Frost Bank Center expected. He only played 23 minutes — on par with his preseason numbers — and couldn't quite find his rhythm, which Popovich explained has a larger impact than one would think. 

Finding a way to incorporate the rookie on both ends of the floor was the biggest to-do for San Antonio this offseason. It's come a long way on that goal so far, but there are still some kinks to iron out — lob-happiness included. 

3) Devin Vassell is San Antonio's Best Scorer, But Far From the Only One

Signing a five-year extension with the Silver & Black was just step one for Vassell, who, coming off a knee injury last season, certainly had unfinished business with the Spurs. 

A year ago, losing Vassell for months at a time was a big deal. San Antonio knew what it had in the shooting guard, and his teammates did, too. They commented numerous times on what his presence brought on the floor, and that's only grown with time. 

Vassell is the Spurs' best scorer, after all. 

Wednesday night's matchup featured Wembanyama's regular-season debut, as well as the first of many Frost Bank Center game atmospheres, but while almost all of them were there to watch the French phenom do French phenom things, Vassell took matters into his own hands, especially given Wembanyama's foul trouble. 

He did a little bit of everything, scoring a team-high 23 points, grabbing five rebounds, dishing out three assists and nabbing two steals en route to an almost Spurs victory. 

A showing like that is impressive, but for Vassell, it's normal, and that will be on full display this season — but not just by him. All five of San Antonio's starters ended their night in double figures, which isn't counting Cedi Osman and Tre Jones off the bench, meaning a total of seven Spurs hit that mark.

For a young team looking to revitalize its chances in a loaded Western Conference, that's exactly what it can hope for, and night one lived up to that standard.

4) Jeremy Sochan Isn't A Point Guard ... Yet 

Literally speaking, Sochan is a point guard on San Antonio's unconventional starting lineup, but that doesn't mean he's a true point guard by NBA standards. 

But it also doesn't mean he lacks that potential. 

Besides Wembanyama's expected fit on the Spurs this season, a big question mark surrounding the rookie was who San Antonio would put around him. Would he start as a center, pushing Collins to the bench, or would he be allowed to play as a power forward, leaving the Spurs to move pieces around find room for their other stars.

Sochan was a piece of this puzzle, and, for the foreseeable future at least, his fit comes as a one guard. That being said, being the named point guard doesn't mean he's going to be the team's No. 1 distributor. 

He isn't completely locked into a point guard role, which does bode well for him, especially since he still has more work to do at that position. But he's getting there.

Oct 25, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) passes around Dallas Mavericks forward Grant Williams (3) in the second half at the Frost Bank Center / © Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

Having a fluid starting lineup is going to be one of the Spurs' biggest upsides this season. A 7-4 player who isn't locked in as a conventional center is already enough to warrant a claim like that, but a forward as a point guard only furthers it. 

On Wednesday night, Sochan dished out five assists — just one shy of the Spurs' true point guard, Tre Jones — and did so while scratching the score sheet as well, including twice behind the arc. He did show signs of in-experience, however, as he ended up being pick-pocketed by Doncic late in the fourth, which led to a Mavs score that seemingly iced the game. Again, expected given his new role.

As mentioned earlier, Sochan isn't expected to lead the league in assists, but rather be able to move the ball effectively with four other players. Having Keldon Johnson, Vassell, Wembanyama and Collins on the floor at the same time is a unique, but working starting five for San Antonio, especially with the skillset each brings. 

Sochan is multi-faceted, so he has the capacity to be a point guard — or at least as much as a second-year forward can be. But he's not quite there yet. 

5) San Antonio Is Miles Ahead of Itself One Year Ago

Wednesday night didn't end the way the Spurs were hoping it would. 

Yes, they knew that playing a team led by Luka Doncic was going to be difficult, home-court advantage or not, and they also knew the pressure that they were facing.

Wembanyama was officially ready for his NBA debut, the entire arena was packed and the Spurs were generating a buzz they hadn't experienced since Popovich's heyday with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. San Antonio was popping again. 

And despite the loss, the Spurs showed that it has reason to be. Big reason.

Oct 25, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Fans wait for San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) to enter the court before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the Frost Bank Center / © Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

One year ago, the San Antonio Spurs were gearing up for a new season under Gregg Popovich, but the expectations weren't there. Popovich even said so. 

"Nobody here should go to Vegas with the thought of betting on us to win the championship," he said on media day last season. "And I know somebody will say, 'Gosh, what a Debbie downer. There's a chance. What if they work really hard?' 

"It's probably not going to happen."

The stage was set, but it wasn't pretty. San Antonio knew it would be in a development season, and to Popovich, that was okay. And given the state of the Spurs now, the fans are likely okay with that, too. 

In just one season, the Spurs went from the bottom of the league to the top — excitement wise. They still have a long way to go before they can match that excitement with performance, but Wembanyama's presence may just do the trick. 

Wednesday night showed that the Spurs are a different team this season, outside of Wembanyama. They have the league's youngest roster, but all of their young talent is arguably their greatest strength. 

Seven players finished with double-digit scoring totals, a small forward is playing point guard in a lineup that features a 7-4 power forward and without that giant in the game, San Antonio still played a playoff-caliber Mavs team close. 

The future is bright for the Spurs, and this season is set to prove that. And if things go right, it could just get brighter. 

The next chance for Wembanyama and the Spurs to "prove it" will be Friday evening, when San Antonio plays host to its in-state rival Houston Rockets. Neither team grabbed an opening-night win, so both will be looking for their first of the season.

Tipoff from Frost Bank Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.