The San Antonio Spurs have been struggling during their rodeo road trip, losing all three games and their last seven overall. They have faced difficulties against Miami, Orlando, and Brooklyn due to their opponents’ physicality and defensive length. The team’s star rookie, Victor Wembanyama, has been fatigued, resulting in a lack of offensive flow. However, they may have a chance to bounce back against the Toronto Raptors, who have won only three of their last ten games. The Raptors have traded away two starters, O.G. Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, and appear to be on track for the lottery rather than the playoffs. This is significant for the Spurs, as they own Toronto’s first-round pick if it falls outside of the top six selections.
The Spurs have been facing offensive struggles in their recent games, possibly due to fatigue at the halfway point of the season and teams consistently scouting their offensive tactics. Opponents are packing the paint, double-teaming Wembanyama, and forcing San Antonio to rely on deep shots, which they struggle with as the worst three-point shooting team in the NBA. Meanwhile, Toronto’s three-point defense is in the lower half of the league. To counter this, the Spurs need players like Julian Champagnie, Jeremy Sochan, and Keldon Johnson to hit outside shots and create opportunities for others.
The Spurs also need to focus on slowing down Toronto’s All-Star player, Scottie Barnes, who has been averaging impressive stats in the first half of the season and went off for 30 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks in their last game against San Antonio. To do this, they must force Barnes into becoming a jump shooter, as he struggles with a 35.8% three-point shooting percentage.
Devin Vassell is another key player for the Spurs, who needs to be aggressive in getting to the rim and spacing the floor. Toronto’s defensive rating is 23rd in the NBA, and they lack strong one-on-one defenders to disrupt Vassell’s rhythm. If he stays aggressive, Vassell could have a big game.
