Spurs Fiesta 5: San Antonio Drops Big Loss vs. Celtics

Inside The Spurs identifies five of the biggest NBA storylines in addition to relevant San Antonio Spurs news and analysis.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 27, 2023

Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

San Antonio Spurs

1. NO JAYSON TATUM, NO PROBLEM FOR CELTICS IN WIN VS. SPURS

"The Celtics were also missing a key piece ... Jayson Tatum. But the Celtics didn't stress - a sign of a legitimate playoff contender. Instead, Jaylen Brown handled business posting a 41-point, 13-rebound performance over the lottery-destined Spurs."

2. COMFORTABLE CHAMPAGNIE

"I'm comfortable here," Champagnie said. "Coach and my teammates always find ways to drag me along. [This] is my first real chance to play in the NBA, and I'm just learning and growing ... but they let me play. That's the best part. I'm able to play the game of basketball."

3. POP LIKES EVERYTHING ABOUT SANDRO MAMUKELASHVILI

"He moves without the ball. He shoots it pretty well. He can pass. He's got good speed. I like everything about him," Popovich said.

4. DEVIN VASSELL SHOULD SHOOT MORE

"The Spurs are 7-7 when Vassell scores at least 22 points, which is pretty significant considering the team is 30 games below .500. But with all of the trial-and-error and figuring out which players work and don't work, it's pretty clear that there's something valuable in Vassell's game."

5. NEXT SPURS GAME

The Spurs are back in action Wednesday at home against Lauri Markkanen and the Utah Jazz. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. You can watch in-market on Bally Sports Southwest or out-of-market on NBA League Pass.

You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Spurs? Click Here.

Follow Inside the Spurs on Twitter.

Follow Inside the Spurs on Facebook.

Want even more San Antonio Spurs news? Check out the SI.com team page here

Published Mar 27, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.