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Playoff Grades: San Antonio Spurs vs. Minnesota Timberwolves – Game 1

The San Antonio Spurs lost the first game of their seven game series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. A close contest throughout, the Spurs found themselves down seven points with less than two minutes remaining. San Antonio was able to make a furious rally but their comeback came up short when Julian Champagnie missed a three-pointer as time expired. The Timberwolves were able to escape with a 104-102 victory.

Stats: Spurs vs. Timberwolves

Spurs vs. Timberwolves – Final Grades

Victor Wembanyama

The good: Wembanyama set an NBA playoff record with 12 blocked shots and he was as dominant as that number suggests. He was erasing and altering shots in the paint whenever he was in the general vicinity. Offensively, I thought the Frenchman’s passing was better than usual. The bad: It was a highly disappointing offensive performance by Wembanyama. He missed all eight of his three-point attempts and only shot two free throws. He was far too hesitant and he wasn’t powerful enough in the paint. Instead, he was too often caught second-guessing. And though Wembanyama’s rebounding numbers look pretty, the Timberwolves were too often able to bump him out of the way when a gettable rebound was in the air. On both sides of the court, San Antonio’s superstar is going to have to play a tougher brand of basketball if the Spurs are going to advance.

Grade: D+

De’Aaron Fox

Fox was pretty damn bad. I’m not saying he’s the reason why the Spurs lost this game … but he probably deserves the most blame, if we’re being honest. In the first half, he was awful. He missed all five of his shots and looked small, timid and inexperienced on both ends. Fox got a bit better in the second half but he was still a liability. He had ten points on 14 shot attempts, didn’t get to the line and turned it over six times. His defense was poor and his passing wasn’t anything special. It goes without saying that Fox needs to do better.

Grade: D-

Stephon Castle

Castle was only able to play 28 minutes due to foul trouble. He ended up fouling out with about three minutes remaining in regulation. While he definitely fouled too much, the rest of his game was solid. His passing was crisp and he was the team’s best playmaker, finishing with five assists and no turnovers. He scored 17 points on only eight field goal attempts by going 3-for-5 from deep and 6-for-8 at the free throw line. Castle’s toughness and competitiveness were bright spots for the good guys. But, yeah, going forward, he needs to do a better job of staying out of foul trouble without losing his edge.

Grade: B+

Devin Vassell

Vassell definitely played well enough for the Spurs to win this game. Defensively, he was really, really good. He was reading plays at lightning speed and he was blowing up actions left and right. Offensively, Vassell also played above average. He was 5-for-11 from the field for 14 points and hit half of his six three-point attempts. All in all, Vassell made smart decisions and helped keep San Antonio afloat.

Grade: A-

Julian Champagnie

Unfortunately, Champagnie’s miss at the buzzer will be what’s remembered most about this game. That’s too bad because he actually did really well. He did his job defensively, pulled down huge rebounds and looked more coordinated than usual when going to the rim. Before the missed buzzer beater, Champagnie was 3-for-6 from downtown. During money time, he had a handful of plays that kept the Spurs in it. If he would have hit his final attempt, he would have been the unquestioned hero.

Grade: B+

Dylan Harper

Well, damn, this kid is made for these moments. Harper ended up leading the team in scoring with 18 points and did so in an efficient manner. The rookie was 7-for-13 from the field, 3-for-3 at the line and didn’t turn the ball over. He played smart, patient basketball but also used his physical tools (namely his speed and strength) when the time was needed. For being someone so young, it’s awesome how poised Harper looks. Defensively, he was also pretty darn great. His power and discipline shine on that end as well. Harper is a baller who has a brilliant career ahead of him.

Grade: A-

Keldon Johnson

Johnson was okay-ish. He had 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting. He also limited his glaring miscues. However, Johnson did have some lowlights. His defense was substandard, particularly when it came to screen navigation. He also didn’t help out on the boards as much as he usually does. Johnson was far from bad but he didn’t have many winning plays.

Grade: C+

Harrison Barnes

Uh, I mean, a step in the right direction? Barnes was in the right spot at the right times more often than usual. The result was four rebounds in ten minutes. I also liked his defense and his protection of the rim was more rugged than usual. Barnes still hasn’t hit a three-pointer in the playoffs but this outing was certainly better than what the Spurs have been getting.

Grade: B

Luke Kornet

Wemby is Wemby but Kornet has to do better than this. When he entered the game, life got too easy for the Timberwolves. Kornet turned it over twice and didn’t record a defensive rebound or a block. He has to buy Wembanyama some time in this series.

Grade: C-

Mitch Johnson

It wasn’t the best showing for Coach Mitch. Wembanyama rarely got the ball in advantageous positions. It took late into the fourth quarter to see some offensive imagination. The rotation was decent but there was also a little bit of panic and lack of trust apparent. Coach Mitch didn’t lose this game but it never felt like he ever had a handle on it.

Grade: C