Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers

After back-to-back road losses to the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets, the Spurs return to Frost Bank Center hoping to get back to winning ways against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers. San Antonio is heading into its second night of a back-to-back after suffering a narrow loss to the Rockets on Tuesday night. Their lack of offensive production without Devin Vassell and their inability to stop their I-10 rivals on the sidelines without the injured Jeremy Sochan was glaring and something the Spurs will need to address quickly if they don’t want to fall even further behind in the standings stacked Western Conference. Although we know Sochan will be out for the foreseeable future, Vassell posted an ominous story to his Instagram account late Tuesday night with the caption “So closeeeeee ⌛️,” which suggested he’s out of just about every moment of his off-season operation will return. Will the Blazers’ game be too early? We won’t know until closer to the decision, but Devin’s return would be welcome news for a currently floundering offense.

San Antonio Spurs hosts Portland Trail Blazers

November 7, 2024 | 7:00 CT

View: BallySW | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spore injuries: Devin Vassell – Questionable (Foot) Tre Jones – Questionable (Ankle) Jeremy Sochan – Out (Thumb)

Blazer Injuries: Shaedon Sharpe – Questionable

What you should pay attention to:

The top three picks from 2023 go into battle

Since both Victor Wembanyama and Scott Henderson made their big break, it’s been two different stories for the two highest-profile prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft. Wemby won the ROTY in his rookie season, finished second in the DPOY and finished with one of the most impressive rookie seasons of all time. While former G-League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson is struggling to adapt, he is still trying to find his footing in the NBA. In his rookie season, Scoot struggled with consistency, injuries and his shot as his role on a young Blazers team changed drastically as Portland tried to find the best way to unleash the former 5-star prospect. Henderson came into the NBA as this extremely athletic, Russell Westbrook-style guard who had playmaking ability and could be a disruptive presence on defense. Unfortunately, despite his ability to beat his man off the dribble, he has struggled to finish at the rim so far in his young career. Fluctuation problems and difficulties adapting on defense also slowed the development of the 20-year-old guard. It feels like a long time since some national media executives mentioned Scoot Henderson as the No. 1 prospect in the 2023 NBA Draft class.

UCONN reunion

From the 2023 NBA Draft to the 2024 draft class, where two former National Championship teammates face off against each other for the first time in their NBA careers. Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan were two top-8 picks from this past NBA draft and will face each other tonight for the first time since they brought down the nets in Glendale in early April after defeating the Purdue Boilermakers and UCONN’s second national won consecutive championships. Now in the NBA, both Castle and Clingan will be desperate to prove their worth as they look to carve out bigger roles on their respective teams. The two players, both known for their defense, played on that side of the ball early in their rookie seasons while their respective offensive games continued to develop.

For the Blazer fan’s perspective, visit The Blazer’s Edge.

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