News - San Antonio Spurs - Nels
Noel, No L.
Week 2 has seen the Spurs unbeaten record extend to 8. Bolstered by the return of Nerlens Noel, the Spurs carried on their form from week 1 with Jrue Holiday watching from the sidelines. While San Antonio are still yet to see their full roster take the court this season, it's clear some of the free agents brought in during the offseason have found a long term position in the rotation.
Otto Porter has been one of the Spurs biggest finds and his play throughout Week 2 seems to have cemented his position in the starting lineup. While Porter's numbers don't jump off the page, his play has bolstered the Spurs as he appears a clear upgrade on last year's Robert Covington at a tenth of the cost. After coming off the bench in Week 1, Porter's move to the starting lineup saw his averages jump from 9 points and a +/- of 15, to 12.8 points and a +/- of over 20. Porter looks a terrific fit next to Lebron and Jimmy as they run a gigantic backcourt, who offers spacing sitting out on the wing. His ability to clean up on the glass means the Spurs should be able to compete against the taller teams even when they switch Lebron back to the PF position.
Week 2 Round Up
After a big road trip in week 1 with 3 away games, the Spurs had their first homestand of the season. They played host to Warriors, Minnesota and Houston after a short road trip to Detroit. After being named Player of the Week in Week 1, Lebron James was once again up to mischief, bullying a number of smaller backcourts throughout the week with the help of Jimmy Butler who took Player of the Game honours on multiple occasions. The duo carried the Spurs through week two as Jure Holiday watched on, nursing an apparent ankle injury from which they expect he returns from in Week 3.
The only downside of another perfect week was Lebron James incurring an abdominal injury which is set to sideline him for up to two weeks. Nerlens Noel will also join the MVP candidate on the sidelines as he nurses knee soreness after a premature return to action.
Week 2 Results
Spurs 116 defeat @ Detroit 73
Player of the Game - Lebron James- 27 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists
GSW 78 lose to @ Spurs 114
Player of the Game - Jimmy Butler- 33 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists
Minnesota 80 lose to @ Spurs 103
Player of the Game - Lebron James- 29 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists
Houston 78 lose to @ Spurs 118
Player of the Game - 26 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists
Looking Forward
As Week 3 quickly approaches, the Spurs coaching staff are playing with rotations to prepare for another challenging week. San Antonio face their former franchise star in Damian Lillard and the 76ers in a Prime Time match up, followed by Giannis and the Clippers, a rematch with Houston and road game vs the Thunder.
With Lebron and Noel on the sidelines, the Spurs are optimistic they can still compete in a challenging week. Their scoring will take a hit but opportunity should present itself to Jimmy Butler to make himself more acquainted with All-Star numbers and put himself into the limelight after Lebron's notable start. Jrue Holiday's return will be a big boost for team morale and expect to see the ball in his hands much more regularly as he plays the second scorer's role this coming week.
Week 3 Prediction- Spurs Win 2, Lose 2.
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