Are we all ready for the Spurs season opener games against their two Texas rivals?
With rookie power forward Victor Wembanyama in his regular season debut, the Spurs will take on the Mavericks on Wednesday and the Rockets on Friday for their first two games that really count.
For all of us Spurs fans, this is an exciting week. The Spurs will be playing their new starting lineup for the first time. They are big and they are young. With one of the tallest players in the league–the #1 draft pick Wembanyama–and no one on the starting roster older than 25, the Spurs are expected to be competitive this season.
The Spurs starters are an interesting group.
Jeremy Sochan is Polish-American and at 6’ 9”, has previously played at the power forward position. He is 20 years old and has been in the league just one year. Now he is starting at point for the Spurs.
Devin Vassell is 23 and will be starting at the shooting guard position. He has played small forward for the Spurs in the past. He is 6’ 5” and was a first-round draft pick for the Spurs in 2020.
Keldon Johnson is 24 and is starting at the small forward position. He was a Kentucky Wildcat before being drafted in the first round by the Spurs in 2019. Now in his fifth season with the Spurs, he is expected to provide lots of scoring, as he averaged 22 points per game in the 22-23 season. This small forward is 6’ 5”.
Zach Collins is being tagged for the center position. Collins is 25 and was first drafted out of Gonzaga University in 2017. Although he is the oldest member of the Spurs starting lineup, he is not necessarily the most veteran player, as injuries limited his play to just 154 games in his first four seasons in the league. He is 6’ 11” with an impressive 7’ 1” wingspan. In the past, he has played power forward.
So, among this group, we have three who have previously played power forward—Sochan, Johnson and Collins. All are big men who can be expected to keep the game physical.
And then there is Wemby. This is a player who creates viral video almost every time he hits the court. Just 19 years old, he is 7’ 4” and astonishingly agile and quick. And–guess what–for previous teams he has played power forward! So, the Spurs plan to match up with opponents by starting four players with the size and skills to play at power forward.
Wemby has been recognized as a top basketball prospect since the age of 14. He has played on professional teams in France since the 2019-20 season, including a year with ASVEL, now coached by former Spurs great Tony Parker.
It has been a while since the start of the Spurs regular season as generated this much excitement. Don’t miss it! And recreate the basketball fun on your own court with the help of Grand Slam Courts. Give us a call for a quote. Here’s the number: 210-496-3399.
To be amazed, see every play from Wemby in the preseason below.