NBA Preseason: Preview, How to Watch Spurs vs. Magic

The San Antonio Spurs continue their NBA preseason slate Wednesday with a matchup against the Orlando Magic. Here's everything you need to know.

Feb 8, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) and San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) defend the ball during the first quarter at Kia Center. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The ball is rolling, and for the San Antonio Spurs, that's a good thing.

Monday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Silver & Black dropped its first game of the preseason, but with little stakes, the contest was more about gaining experience than hyper-analyzing.

Spurs rookie Stephon Castle played well, showing promise on the offensive side, while Julian Champagnie led scoring, Malaki Branham showed out and Blake Wesley got involved — as expected — on defense.

READ MORE: Castle Shows Promise in Preseason Loss to Thunder

Now, San Antonio will look to build upon the game it played in its first outing.

The Orlando Magic are taking up temporary residence at Frost Bank Center as the Spurs trot out Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul for the pair's (pre)season debut. And while they aren't likely to play for long, it'll be a good chance to get some early impressions of the new duo.

Here's what you need to know ahead of the Spurs' second preseason bout:

General Info, How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, October 9
• Time: 7 p.m. Central
• TV Channel: NBA League Pass, CWSA
• Betting Odds via FanDuel
• Spread: Spurs -1
• TOTAL: 217.5
• Money Line: Spurs -112, Magic -108

Spurs vs. Magic Injury Report

Orlando Magic

• C Wendell Carter Jr. - OUT (ankle)

San Antonio Spurs

• Charles Bassey - OUT (ACL, ramp-up)
• Zach Collins - OUT (shoulder, ramp-up)
• David Duke Jr. - OUT (undisclosed)
• Nathan Mensah - OUT (undisclosed)
• Devin Vassell - OUT (foot)

Biggest Storyline(s) to Watch

Devin Vassell is still out, so the question of who takes his place will once again hang over the heads of every player who gets minutes Wednesday, though Julian Champagnie now has an edge after a strong performance against the Thunder.

Other than that, there will certainly be allure around Paul and Wembanyama. The Magic are likely to target the rim on defense to prevent the long-awaited alley-oop attempts from the 20-year point guard, but with the Spurs already having practiced them, it just might work.

"It's the first thing defenses watch," Wembanyama explained. "But of course it's coming."

Mar 23, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) dunks the ball in the second half against the Phoenix Suns at Frost Bank Center. / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

With a loss already on their record, a win would certainly feel nice for the young team, though as the players have explained before, it isn't what they're focusing on.

Same goes for the Magic, which is fresh off a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. So, quite an interesting matchup seems to be in the cards.

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