What we learned from the Summer Spurs loss to the Hornets

What an eventful night in Sacramento. The San Antonio Spurs not only made a trade for a veteran wing in Harrison Barnes, but also played their first Summer League game. San Antonio’s front office couldn’t have timed the trade any better. Spurs fans can focus on the shiny new player (and unprotected pick swap) instead of the 30-point beat down the Charlotte Hornets put on the Summer League team.

Charlotte fielded a team full of second-year players who have NBA experience. The Spurs summer team is filled with rookies and G League players looking to earn a spot. Typically in the Summer League, teams with more NBA experience win – Saturday night proved that concept. San Antonio couldn’t find any offensive rhythm in a 97-65 loss to Charlotte.

The summer Spurs shot just 27.8% from the field and 20.7% from deep in the loss. They hit only 62.5% of their free throws. To call it a cold shooting night is an understatement. San Antonio struggled to create open looks offensively, and when they did, they didn’t knock many of them down. In atypical fashion, the Spurs only had 10 assists to go along with 14 assists.

Three of the team’s 10 assists came from first-round pick, Stephon Castle. All eyes were on the rookie as he provided glimpses of his potential. He finished the game with 12 points, 6 rebounds and a 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Castle knocked down 2 of his 4 three-pointers, but shot 4 of 12 from the field. According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio-Express News, the Spurs plan to sit Castle and Sidy Cissoko for their Sunday night game against the Kings.

Observations:

• Castle looked extremely comfortable with the ball in his hands on Saturday night. He faced pressure defense from Nick Smith Jr. and was able to use his handle to keep the ball secure. He was excellent at creating space in the pick and roll. He created offensive advantages by getting into the paint and finding his teammates. He made some impressive feeds to the Spurs bigs and a couple of sweet one handed passes to shooters in the corners. His ability to run the point is a big part of his development, and something to track over the course of Summer League.
• Castle struggled to score once he got into the paint. He was aggressive getting into the body of Charlotte’s rim protectors, but wasn’t able to finish at the rim. At UCONN, Castle was good at getting into the paint and finishing with strength at the rim or touch in the mid-range. He still needs work on being a creative finisher in the paint. It’s good to see him be aggressive and assertive early on in his career. That aggressiveness also manifested in his willingness to shoot the ball from deep. He hit a logo three, and a pull-up jumper from deep in the pick and roll. He needs to keep taking those shots in the summer. Castle’s only turnover came when he hesitated on shooting from deep. San Antonio will be better off if he’s a threat to shoot it, even if he doesn’t shoot 40% from three.
• Defensively, Castle showed some of what got scouts so excited about him. He wizzed around screens and stuck with his man on the ball. He got a deflection that eventually led to a steal and basket on the other end. He hustled for an offensive rebound that turned into a basket for the Spurs. There were a few mental lapses off the ball, but that’s normal for a rookie adjusting to the NBA game. Castle will need some time to learn the ropes before he can become the full-fledged lock down perimeter defender he looked like in college.
• Sidy Cissoko struggled in his first game since undergoing knee surgery. He finished with 8 points on 1 of 6 shooting from the field. He struggled to find ways to impact the game offensively. He’s still not a threat to shoot from deep and hasn’t found a way to generate offense with the ball in his hands. He still looks strong and athletic out there, making him a competitive defender. The offensive end has to develop for him to become an NBA rotation player.
• Jameer Nelson Jr. had a few nice plays in the pick and roll. He was one of the few Spurs players that look comfortable operating with the ball in his hands. Luke Avdalovic came off the bench and hit a pair of threes. The summer Spurs are going to need all of the shooting they can get. David Duke Jr., RaiQuan Gray and DJ Horne all did not play on Saturday. Those three players seemed to be key components of the squad on paper. Maybe we will see more of them when Castle and Cissoko sit out Sunday’s game.
• The Spurs second-round pick, Harrison Ingram, had a rough first game of NBA action. He had 3 points and 7 rebounds in the loss. San Antonio gave him some ball-handling reps to show off the versatility that made him an intriguing second-round bet. He struggled to create separation with the ball in his hands and wasn’t able to shake free for open looks from deep. It’s usually difficult for role players to adjust to the NBA game. Look for Ingram to find ways to contribute on both ends throughout the summer.