The San Antonio Spurs lost 78-79 to the Phoenix Suns in a heartbreaker that went down to the wire.
San Antonio and Phoenix traded late leads with the clock running down in the fourth quarter, but the Spurs were unable to get off a final shot to steal the victory away from the Suns. Instead, the game ended with a frustrating turnover as time expired
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Lonnie Walker IV was a healthy scratch, and San Antonio’s offense struggled to get off the ground without its leading scorer. While Quinndary Weatherspoon did his best to replace the inactive Walker, there simply weren’t enough options to maintain momentum when Weatherspoon took a seat.
Quinndary carried the load, Luka Šamanić showed off his handles, and Drew Eubanks dunked his way to double figures. How did San Antonio’s roster hopefuls perform in their fourth Las Vegas Summer League game?
Drew Eubanks:
It was more of the same from second-year big man Drew Eubanks. Sturdy screens, thunderous finishes, and firm box outs.
Eubanks showed consistency in a number of positive areas, but he also struggled with some of the same issues. He was out of position on defense, hunted for blocks, and committed several careless fouls.
At times he looked like an NBA center, and at moments he looked helplessly lost. To be quite honest, it’s tough to rag on an undrafted two-way player when he finishes with 16 points, 9 rebounds and a couple of assists.
Another good game from Eubanks is in the books. Let’s hope we see Drew finish strong as we head towards the end of Summer League.
Luka Šamanić:
Luka Šamanić is very much in the same boat as Drew Eubanks. He made a ton of great plays, and he made plenty of boneheaded decisions too.
The 19th overall pick ended the night with an 11 points and 11 rebounds double-double and even chipped in 3 assists. What hurt the Spurs were his 5 turnovers and 7 personal fouls.
Šamanić bit on several ball fakes and reached in nearly every time he saw an opportunity to come away with the ball. Though you have to love his enthusiasm, those kinds of thoughtless errors will keep him out of the regular-season rotation.
With that said, his advanced ball-handling and shooting for a 19-year-old at his position might earn him minutes in the NBA. Luka flashed more of his tantalizing skillset and left a defender on skates with this jaw-dropping sequence.
Most importantly, Luka fought for rebounds and embraced contact down low. This kid is going to be very tough to defend in a few years, but some time in Austin is probably in order for Šamanić.
Keldon Johnson:
As much as he played tonight, there isn’t a lot to say about Keldon Johnson.
He continued his hot and cold act at the Summer League and was quiet for most of the evening. Keldon collected 7 points and 2 rebounds but was otherwise ineffective.
His hustle and energy were commendable, they just didn’t result in any meaningful production. We’ve seen glimmers of brilliance from Johnson, now a little consistency wouldn’t hurt.
Expect to see Keldon Johnson developing in the G-League with Luka next season.
Quinndary Weatherspoon:
If consistency’s been Keldon’s Achilles heel, it’s been Weatherspoon’s bread and butter. Time and time again, Quinndary’s made the smart decision and played with the poise of a ten-year veteran.
His last-second turnover was a killer, but the Spurs wouldn’t have been in a position to win the game if it weren’t for his contributions. Quinndary Weatherspoon concluded another strong outing with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.
He was the driving force behind San Antonio’s final frame charge, and he was the clear leader with Lonnie Walker IV on the sideline. Quinndary made nifty passes, difficult finishes and played solid defense.
Weatherspoon didn’t have a perfect game by any means. Still, it’s hard to find fault with San Antonio’s second-rounder. His game screams NBA ready, and he has the body to adjust to the physicality of the league.
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