Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans
De’Aaron Fox makes his long-awaited season debut on Saturday as the San Antonio Spurs face the injury-hit New Orleans Pelicans. This game marks the Spurs' second night of a back-to-back, while the Pelicans last played on Wednesday. Despite the absences in New Orleans' lineup, they remain a threat due to the NBA trend of undermanned teams causing upsets.
Injury Updates
- Pelicans: Zion Williamson (left hamstring strain) — out
- Dejounte Murray (Achilles) — out
- Yves Missi (illness) — out
- Jordan Poole (left quad strain) — out
- Hunter Dickinson (G League) — out
- Trey Alexander (G League) — out
- Spurs: Injury report due at 1PM
Fox and Wembanyama Offense Strategy
The Spurs are unlikely to overburden Fox but will integrate him well into their offense. Fox is expected to find easy scoring opportunities near the baseline or slot as he moves off Stephon Castle’s drives. Although Wembanyama averages only one screen assist per game, the Spurs plan to increase screen-rolls and hand-offs to create scoring chances for Fox in the half-court.
Harrison Barnes is anticipated to benefit, especially with shots from the corner during two-man actions involving Fox and Wembanyama.
“Despite Wembanyama only averaging one screen assist per game, count on the Spurs upping their screen-roll and hand-off frequency to get Fox looks in the half-court.”
Given the season’s rocky start, a poor performance by San Antonio in this tune-up would be a major setback for their credibility.
Author’s summary: De’Aaron Fox returns as the Spurs face a depleted Pelicans team, with San Antonio aiming to leverage new offensive dynamics between Fox and Wembanyama to secure a crucial win.