The San Antonio Spurs visited the Minnesota Timberwolves for the third time this season, but despite Victor Wembanyama’s MVP-esque performance, the Spurs lost yet another close game, 112-110. The final four minutes and a half of the Spurs-Timberwolves matchup was insane, but it all came down to San Antonio’s need for adjustments so they could start winning again.
The latest NBA updates show Wembanyama at number six in MVP rankings this season. Each month, the perennial superstar is closing in at the top 5 even though he is just in his second year in the league. As of this writing, Wemby is averaging 25.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.0 steals, and 4.0 blocks, all in just his sophomore year. The 20-year-old star is also putting up higher percentage from three-point land (36.1%) compared to last year, and his true shooting percentage is also soaring in the 60s.
In reality, Wembanyama is carrying this Spurs team hard, which people thought he would do in the NBA. However, being a contender takes more than having a generational talent in your roster. It really took more than that. Ask the Golden State Warriors, the Boston Celtics, and the Los Angeles Lakers. This brings us to the issue at hand—The San Antonio Spurs need to make adjustments this instant or forever stay as a losing small market team.
Spurs Need to Make a Trade ASAP
Victor Wembanyama is already an unstoppable behemoth. At 7-foot-4, the French superstar has all the tools to dominate the league, both on offense and defense. But, a young cornerstone needs better key pieces around him.
Chris Paul is old, but he’s still giving his best as the Spurs’ veteran presence and facilitator. Harrison Barnes is already out of his prime but is still a bit productive as a starter given that he can still dish out 10 points a night on 40% shooting from downtown.
Against a Timberwolves team that swept Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 2024 playoffs and eliminated Nikola Jokic’s Denver Nuggets in the semis, the Spurs held their ground but crumbled in the final moments.
Failing to grab rebounds and complete their three-point attempts became their demise against a contender. It’s also more shocking that the last possession for a potential game-winner went to Jeremy Sochan. As much as fans love him, it’s still a questionable play considering that they could have given Barnes the last shot since he had the hot hand that night (shooting 8-for-9 from the field and 3-for-4 from three-point). Keldon Johnson, Chris Paul, and Julian Champagnie weren’t shooting great during their matchup against Minnesota, and that is what Wembanyama just needed from his teammates – shooting.
That being said, the Spurs’ front office has to make a tough decision and make a trade as soon as possible or even before the trade deadline in February. Jimmy Butler is on the trading block, but it’s still unlikely they’ll push the button for a 35-year-old star since they aren’t in a win-now position. Meanwhile, after the Kings fired head coach Mike Brown, there could be a lot of changes in Sac-town. De’Aaron Fox, Trey Lyles, and Kevin Huerter may be up for grabs very soon.
On the other hand, you also got Collin Sexton, Malcolm Brogdon, and Anfernee Simons getting potential trade offers.
Should Stephon Castle Be Given More Minutes?
Another thing that needs to be looked into is Castle’s limited minutes. Spurs interim head coach Mitch Johnson decided to field the rookie for just eight minutes against Minnesota on December 30, far from his usual 25.1 minutes per game this season.
As a 4th overall pick, Stephon Castle is yet to show what he can do for the Spurs organization. However, he’s been showing flashes of being the future of the team. So, should Castle be given more playing time considering they need a young and versatile guard of his caliber to pair with Wembanyama?
The Spurs are now sitting at a 15-15 record, at least getting a 0.500 standing this season.
