Stuff from the last few days over at the CK newsletter, and oh god there’s another game tonight…
SA-DET postgame show: tinyurl.com/2nbda29v
(Article) What a difference a year makes: tinyurl.com/3b4vdzup
SA-TOR postgame show: tinyurl.com/4kz4pv7f
All true
As rebuilds unfold through extra lottery picks, the talent overlaps and fit questions that come with drafting ‘best player available’ make roster casualties inevitable.
Sochan was the first piece of the new era to go, and he probably won’t be the last:
Thats a professional win.
Warriors running hot for nearly three full quarters, Spurs continued to defend until regression came.
Keldon jumpstarted the offense in the third and Wemby and Fox took the keys from there.
Down 16 in the third, could’ve packed up for the break. Nope.
One night after a hard fall on his tailbone knocked him out of the game in LA, Steph Castle is available to play against the Warriors.
Spurs have officially announced they’ve waived Jeremy Sochan
ICYMI: a very casual postgame show from my car in the Frost Bank Center parking lot.
We talked about the game, Jeremy Sochan, the trade deadline and the weird vibes that always surround it, and the seriousness of the road down the stretch:
Going live from my car to talk Spurs open.substack.com/live-stream/...
Beyond the SGA news, it looks like ESPN will be broadcasting Spurs vs the OKC Blue this evening. Presti channeling his inner Spur and sitting everyone for a nationally televised game on the second night of a back-to-back:
New SMB podcast (feat. @trevorz.bsky.social) is ready to consume!
Topics o' the day:
⤵️ Downhill Dylan
6⃣ Keldon for 6MotY
🛑 Castle's defense
👽 All things Victor
🔁 Sochan trade talks
Spotify: tinyurl.com/4typu2te
Apple: tinyurl.com/4pks8ezn
(🎙️ @bleavnetwork.bsky.social)
“Every day, I mean, I read the news and sometimes I'm asking very deep questions about my own life, but I'm conscious also that saying everything that's on my mind would have a cost that's too great for me right now. So I'd rather not get into too many details.”
Wembanyama continued:
“I think that it's crazy that some people might make it seem like, or make it sound like … the murder of civilians is acceptable.
Victor Wembanyama, who said he didn’t feel comfortable as “a foreigner” fully expressing his thoughts, did have some things to say today about the ongoing situation In Minneapolis:
“Every day I wake up and see the news, and I’m horrified.”
Working on free throws
Vassell says he’s going to be back for tomorrow night against the Pelicans.
Devin is here getting work in this morning at shootaround
Three Things + game thread — come on by: open.substack.com/chat/posts/d...
If you've got questions, I MIGHT have answers. We'll just have to find out together. Get your mailbag questions in!
Spurs say Devin Vassell (adductor strain) remains OUT tonight in Houston, but the rest of the injury report is clear of any other additions.
Victor Wembanyama on what he was thinking trying to intentionally miss that second free throw in the final seconds while up by 3 points:
“Not much thought, I can guarantee you.”
Three Things + game thread for Spurs-Thunder Part IV. Come on in! open.substack.com/chat/posts/f...
Wembanyama developing that shot going either direction from both elbows is just lethal. The ability to dump it down and let him face up and go could be a total trump card if that thing gets truly consistent.
Great test for the Spurs. Not just because Boston is obviously good, but because they protect against rim attempts better than anyone else, which is where SA loves to set up/get its shots.
Good defense keeping the Spurs in this one while they figure things out offensively.
Game chat + Three Things! Come join: open.substack.com/chat/posts/1...
Jeremy Sochan has been moved all over the place his entire life, both on and off the court. But in the midst of the toughest, most uncertain season of his young career, he needn’t look far for reassurance things can indeed get better:
Glad you enjoyed!
Jeremy Sochan has been moved all over the place his entire life, both on and off the court. But in the midst of the toughest, most uncertain season of his young career, he needn’t look far for reassurance things can indeed get better:
New SMB pod is up (feat. @trevorz.bsky.social)!
We talk about the current state of the Spurs, including the reappearance of Sochan, the impact of Devin Vassell’s absence, and some trade deadline thoughts.
Spotify: tinyurl.com/mr3npa33
Apple: tinyurl.com/46sntffh
open.substack.com/pub/matthewt...
“This has been such an ongoing, uneven build-out, that we go back and revisit everything (after each game). The one thing that we've said — and I feel very strongly about — is I want him to play a natural flow of minutes. What I mean by that is, I don't want him to sit out for a quarter of game play. That's not natural. I don't think fair to him. And I don't think it's fair to his teammates. “I don't want to get too cute where he doesn't play the first half and now the game's taken out of personality. And then what does that mean? Does he have to put on a cape and save the day? Do the other guys now have to play differently? “So there's a lot that goes into it. And I understand all the perspectives and opinions of it. And I think we're trying to do what's best for Victor and what's best for the Spurs all at the same time. And that's my job, the one who ultimately makes the decision, and that's that.”
Victor Wembanyama will be on a minutes restriction off the bench again tonight, per Mitch Johnson.
When asked about whether or not he goes back after these games to review how those Victor minutes were distributed, Johnson had this to say:
