Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets

The San Antonio Spurs have one more preseason contest before the games really count. They'll play their last tune-up game against the rival Houston Rockets , who are off to a hot preseason start. The Spurs are coming off a 120-117 loss to the Miami Heat in which they looked sloppy, or maybe rusty if you take an optimistic view. With "plenty to work on," according to coach Gregg Popovich, the Spurs will look to bounce back and head into the regular season on a positive note.

San Antonio Spurs (2-2) vs. Houston Rockets (2-1)October 17, 2024 | 7:00 PM CT (NOTE: Injury reports do not need to be completed a day before the game during the preseason)

Spurs Injuries: Devin Vassell – Out (foot), David Duke Jr. – Questionable (undisclosed)

Rockets Injuries: Jock Landale – Out (rest)

What to watch for Rookie guards clash Reed Sheppard and Stephon Castle are the two standout guards from the 2024 NBA Draft class. Sheppard was drafted one spot ahead of Castle and has shown flashes of exciting shooting ability and defense. Castle has been up and down through four games but looks ready for the physicality of the NBA game. As the Spurs and Rockets rivalry heats up, these two will likely be linked together, given their draft position. Castle may have the physical advantage, but Sheppard holds his own as a sound fundamental player. Their clash of styles will be interesting to watch on Thursday.

Cohesion in the starting lineup We've gotten a look at the Spurs starting lineup in two preseason games thus far. In both games, the unit looked disjointed offensively. As we saw last year, it's an adjustment playing with Victor Wembanyama. A few preseason games won't be enough to build team chemistry – it'll likely take multiple weeks for them to really start clicking. All you are looking for is a bit of progress in overall offensive cohesion as they wrap up the preseason.

Charles Bassey coming back from injury One of the best storylines from the Spurs' last game in Miami was the return of Charles Bassey. The big man has been out for 10 months since he tore his ACL last year. He finished the game with 4 points and 4 rebounds in 10 minutes. San Antonio will likely bring him back slowly, given the severity of his injury. That said, he has shown a lot of promise as a backup big and gives them lineup flexibility in the second unit. The preseason is the perfect time for Pop to let him get his legs back underneath him.