SAS 121, DET 106: SAS Handles DET, Wembanyama Stars
Marcus Thompson Jr.
Fire Lieutenant ยท Golden State Warriors fan
Vic Goes Full Playoff Mode, Spurs Put Pistons Away
Look, I've been watching basketball since the '80s, and I know the difference between a guy having a good night and a guy flipping a switch. Victor Wembanyama just flipped that switch. The Spurs didn't just beat Detroit, they suffocated them, and Wembanyama's 76.7 Yahoo points was the exclamation mark on a statement performance.
This wasn't some empty stats night either. Wem put up 38 points on 12-24 shooting, grabbed 16 boards, and went 10-11 from the line. That's not luck. That's a guy saying "I'm done waiting for close games" and taking over. He finished +14.3 points above his season average. For context, his season average is already 23.7 PPG on an All-NBA trajectory. When a dude like that goes off, you're looking at something special.
De'Aaron Fox was right there with him too, dropping 47.5 Yahoo FP on 12-22 shooting with four threes. Fox was +10.2 on the night, which is huge considering his season looks like a quiet 18.8 PPG. This is the kind of performance that reminds you why Sacramento gave this guy a max contract. He stayed engaged, stayed aggressive, and it showed.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama | 83.0 | 76.7 | 38/16/3 | 23.7/11.2/2.9 | +14.3 |
| De'Aaron Fox | 55.0 | 47.5 | 29/5/3 | 18.8/3.8/6.1 | +10.2 |
| Cade Cunningham | 36.0 | 38.8 | 26/4/8 | 25.2/5.8/9.8 | +0.8 |
| Stephon Castle | 43.0 | 37.2 | 11/1/12 | 16.4/4.8/6.9 | -5.4 |
| Isaiah Stewart | 35.0 | 32.0 | 18/5/2 | 10.0/5.1/1.2 | +8.0 |
| Julian Champagnie | 26.0 | 25.9 | 16/7/1 | 11.3/5.8/1.5 | +4.7 |
| Javonte Green | 19.0 | 19.6 | 10/3/0 | 6.8/2.8/0.7 | +3.2 |
| Duncan Robinson | 22.0 | 19.1 | 11/3/1 | 12.0/2.7/1.9 | -1.0 |
| Kevin Huerter | 23.0 | 19.0 | 7/5/2 | 10.1/3.6/2.4 | -3.1 |
| Devin Vassell | 18.0 | 18.1 | 8/3/3 | 14.5/3.9/2.4 | -6.5 |
The Depth Story: Spurs Spread It Around
What impressed me more than Wem's line was how San Antonio got contributions across the board. Julian Champagnie dropped 25.9 Yahoo FP on solid efficiency, 16 points and 7 boards in 30 minutes. That's +4.7 above his season baseline. Stephon Castle, the Rookie of the Year last season, posted 37.2 Yahoo FP on 12 assists despite scoring just 11 points. The kid's becoming that pass-first guard who gets buckets as a side effect.
This is the Spurs looking like they can beat anybody when they want to. That's a scary flex heading toward playoffs.
Detroit's Reality Check
On the flip side, Detroit couldn't hang. Cade Cunningham had a quiet night relatively speaking. 38.8 Yahoo FP sounds fine on paper until you see it's basically right at his season average. He went 10-26 from the field. That's not playoff basketball, and everybody in that locker room knows it.
Isaiah Stewart was the only Piston who really showed up, posting 32 Yahoo FP (+8.0 from his norm) on 18 points and 5 boards. But even his game can't carry a team when the guard play is struggling like this. Caris LeVert went scoreless on 5 shots. Daniss Jenkins was a -8 on ESPN. That's the bench getting exposed.
The Pistons had role players step up with Duncan Robinson (19.1 Yahoo FP) and Kevin Huerter (19 Yahoo FP) keeping things respectable, but Spurs' depth was just superior tonight.
Who's Trending?
Champagnie is somebody you should be hunting on waiver wires in 12-team leagues if he somehow got dropped. That's a dude who's gotten consistent run and just put up 26 points and 7 boards. Add him if you need wing depth.
Meanwhile, Harrison Barnes getting dropped in leagues tells you San Antonio might be rotating him out. That's worth watching. If the Spurs are making deep playoff runs without him, he becomes droppable in most formats.
Bottom Line
Spurs looked like the team they're supposed to be when everybody's locked in. Wembanyama showed why he's an All-NBA guy, Fox reminded people Sacramento's got serious firepower, and the supporting cast did their jobs. If this team stays healthy and keeps this energy, they're a real problem come May. Detroit's got work to do.