Victor Wembanyama and the 9-2 San Antonio Spurs, Digi Mart USA News: The columnist, who has lost two NBA games in a row, is looking to stop his losing skid with a pick on tonight’s game. He lost the first game by a hook after two free throws were missed in the final seconds, and the second when he picked the 76ers to beat the Celtics.
Philadelphia barely showed up, and the Celtics completely forgot to guard Paul George.
Tonight the San Antonio Spurs take on the Chicago Bulls. Only 15% of the way into the season, the Spurs are 9-2 and have been perfect on the road.
Coming into the season, the team’s biggest question was how it would respond to losing the NBA Championship. So far, it appears the Spurs remain focused.
San Antonio did not need to make moves in the offseason, already having one of the deepest and best rosters in the league.
The Spurs are young, and their trip to the Finals last year gave them valuable experience. The columnist says the team now needs to convert that experience into closing out games.
Victor Wembanyama is the focal point of both the offense and the defense, and he is surrounded by talented players, including strong defenders and good shooters. The columnist questions whether De’Aaron Fox is the right point guard but considers him a decent option.
The bench of Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, Tobias Harris and Luke Kornet is good enough that the columnist believes it could win a reasonable number of games as starters.
The Bulls are struggling. The columnist says the team was never expected to win many games and that its ceiling was most likely the Play-In Tournament.
Chicago is very young, and its veterans, including Norman Powell and Nic Claxton, are not considered stars. Both Powell and Claxton have been injured, and the columnist is not sure either is part of the long-term plans.
The major investments appear to be Matas Buzelis and Caleb Wilson, while Josh Giddey is expected to lead the offense as a playmaker.
The biggest problem for Chicago has been its defense, which the columnist describes as nonexistent. The Bulls are allowing almost 130 points per game.
The Spurs have been winning by large margins, with victories by 22, 25, 22 and 26 points in four of their past five games. The columnist says the Bulls have played better at home but is not backing them to cover.
He expects the Spurs to keep routing opponents, cover the -14.5 spread and go over the total.
