Spurs Starter, Tuesday, October 8, 2024: Spurs Open Preseason Slate with Loss to Thunder

Your daily briefing on what's going on with the San Antonio Spurs, including news, draft & more.

Oct 7, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng (13) dunks while defended by San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) during the second half at Frost Bank Center. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Happy Tuesday, Por Vida fans! Welcome to your afternoon Spurs Starter.

Monday evening, the San Antonio Spurs got their first taste of preseason basketball with their new roster. Victor Wembanyama, Chris Paul, Devin Vassell, Zach Collins and a few other players sat out, so the Silver & Black were far from their full strength, but there was still plenty to take away.

READ MORE: What We Learned from the Spurs' 1st Preseason Game

Julian Champagnie made a strong case to claim a starting role to begin the regular season with Vassell still nursing a foot injury, and Blake Wesley earned his flowers from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich for his strong defensive play.

Stephon Castle also showed promise on the offensive end, using his size and pace to back up the praise he'd been receiving all training camp. The Spurs, however, fell short after a failed comeback attempt late in the fourth quarter as the Thunder secured a 112-107 road victory.

Now, here are some headlines.

THE NEWS

1. READ: HARRISON BARNES SPEAKS ON YOUNG SPURS' MENTALITY

San Antonio Spurs veteran Harrison Barnes is on the youngest team he's ever played with in 13 NBA seasons. The key to a winning mentality, he said, is commitment to getting better.

Read the full story at the link above.

2. WATCH: FINAL SPURS MEDIA DAY THOUGHTS ON LOCKED ON SPURS

The Spurs begin their preseason slate Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Before that action commences, here are some final Media Day thoughts, courtesy of Locked On Spurs.

Watch the full episode at the link below:

3. READ: GREGG POPOVICH BRUSHES OFF 1ST PRESEASON LOSS

The San Antonio Spurs lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday evening, but to Gregg Popovich, the score didn't really tell the full story.

Read the full story at the link above.

MEDIA DAY, TRAINING CAMP

Now that the Media Day is over and the 2024-25 season is set to kick off, you can check out the stories surrounding the team as it gears up for the beginning of the preseason.

- The Ultimate Guide to Spurs Training Camp

- Everything Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich Said at Media Day

- Victor Wembanyama is 'Funnier' as Spurs Prepare for New Season

- Chris Paul and Gregg Popovich, Once Rivals, Now Set to Join Forces

- Wembanyama Adds 25 Pounds Ahead of His Second NBA Season

- Chris Paul Enters San Antonio as Polished Veteran, Mutual Choice

- Keldon Johnson Is Back For Year 6, and Feels Like the Old Man

- Wembanyama 'Working on Fundamentals' Ahead of Sophomore Year

- Victor Wembanyama, Chris Paul Share Comical Moment During Media Day

- Gregg Popovich Looking Forward To Season of Improvemen

- Castle Impresses Spurs Early with Versatility and 'Own Pace'

- Wembanyama Sets Next Big Goal: Elevating His Spurs Teammates

- Alpine F1 Team Announce New Era Clothing Collaboration

- Gregg Popovich Likes New, Improved Victor Wembanyama

- Is Stephon Castle's Jump Shot A Genuine Problem?


- Jeremy Sochan Ready to Thrive at 'Natural' Position

- Will Julian Champagnie Start In Place of Devin Vassell?

- Zach Collins 'Feeling Great' After Shoulder Surgery

- Harrison Barnes Speaks on Young Spurs' Winning Mentality

- Castle Speaks on Spurs' 'Aggressive' Defensive Mindset

- Keldon Johnson Focused on Getting Better, Sticking Around

THE SCHEDULE

There are 16 days until opening night of the 2024-25 NBA season, but the San Antonio Spurs have more to look forward to prior to that. The regular season schedule will be released at 2 p.m. Central, but the entire preseason schedule, the NBA Cup slate and the Christmas Day schedule has.

Below is a list of dates and start times (all in CST) for all relevant Spurs games:

San Antonio Spurs Preseason

Oct. 7: Home vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (L 112-107)
Oct. 9: Home vs. Orlando Magic (Tipoff 7 p.m.)
Oct. 12: Home vs. Utah Jazz (Tipoff 7 p.m.)

Oct. 15: Away at Miami Heat (Tipoff 6:30 p.m.)
Oct. 17: Away at Houston Rockets (Tipoff 7 p.m.)

San Antonio Spurs Regular Season Schedule

Oct. 24: Season Opener at Dallas Mavericks
Oct. 26: Home opener vs. Houston Rockets

Nov. 15: Group Play Begins vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Dec. 10: NBA Cup Knockout Rounds Begin
Dec. 25: MSG Christmas at New York Knicks

Dec. 31: New Year's vs. LA Clippers

Jan. 23-25: Paris Games vs. Indiana Pacers

Feb. 3: Rodeo Road Trip Begins at Memphis Grizzlies

Feb. 14-16: All-Star Break

Feb. 20: Spurs Get Moody vs. Phoenix Suns
Feb. 21: Spurs Get Moody vs. Detroit Pistons

March 21: Longest Home Stand Ends vs. Philadelphia 76ers

April 6: Final Road Trip Begins at Portland Trail Blazers
April 13: Final Home Game vs. Toronto Raptors

AROUND THE NBA

Catch up on some of the league-wide headlines below:

• MPJ Sends Message to Lakers Player On Instagram
• Trae Young Names NBA's Current Top-5 Shooters
• Tristan Thompson Re-Signs With Cleveland Cavaliers
• Austin Reaves Releases 2nd Signature Shoe
• Dwight Howard To Compete On 'Dancing with the Stars'

Also, be sure to follow along with Spurs On SI's NBA tracker, with more detailed breakdowns of major league news and updates.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“When you have to stop and think about things is when they go wrong.”

- Tim Duncan

THIS DAY IN SPURS HISTORY

October 8, 2003: In one of the easiest decisions in franchise history, the Spurs picked up the fourth-year option for Tony Parker.

THE CLOSER

Check out our homepage for more news and follow us on the platforms below. Thank you for tuning in and enjoy the rest of your Tuesday.

First preseason game in the books 📚 Back at @FrostBankCenter on Wednesday! #PorVida | @FrostBank | #sponsored pic.twitter.com/Eot35PSVuN

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 8, 2024

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