Spurs Rookies Make NBA Summer League Debut in Loss Against Cavs

Spurs rookies Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley made their NBA Summer League debuts on Friday.

LAS VEGAS — The San Antonio Spurs open the 2022 NBA Summer League with a 99-90 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The Spurs played without Jeremy Sochan in the lineup, who was selected No. 9 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. He tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month and was unable to participate in any of the team's practices before traveling to Las Vegas. 

With Sochan sidelined, the focus for the Summer Spurs included a trio of recent draft picks: Joshua Primo, Malaki Branham, and Blake Wesley. San Antonio held a lead as large as eight at one point, but couldn't get it done in the end. 

Using a 30-point third quarter, the Cavaliers outscored the Spurs by a 13-point margin within the frame and expanded their lead to 22. With 10-minute quarters, the outlook for San Antonio to mount a comeback trailing by 16 points was bleak.

Two of the Spurs' three first-round picks — Blake Wesley and Malaki Branham — took part in their first organized competition with the organization. Wesley finished with 20 points and six assists while shooting 7-16 from the floor while going 3-4 on both 3-pointers and free throws. Branham contributed 15 points and three rebounds. 

Primo initiated the offense often and finished with 20 points and five assists. He shot 7-12 overall with his 5-7 shooting from beyond the arc setting the tone. He did have three turnovers with a few of those occurring when double-teams came his way. 

A significant factor in the Spurs' loss was the 16-to-3 advantage the Cavaliers held in points off turnovers. San Antonio relied on Primo and Wesley to initiate the offense and struggled at times when Cleveland applied extra ball pressure. 

Each of the Spurs' key players displayed intriguing flashes in areas the organization surely would have liked to see. Branham showed off his impressive short-range game. Wesley got to the rim effectively. Primo got aggressive as a shot creator. 

The Spurs continue their NBA Summer League schedule on Sunday when they take on the Golden State Warriors (6::30 p.m. CT) at the Thomas & Mack Center.

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You can follow Grant Afseth on Twitter at @GrantAfseth.

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