Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Three straight losses have dropped the San Antonio Spurs below .500 after the young team appeared to have turned things around early in the season. Without Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs struggled in two straight games, allowing the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls to score over 135 points. Wembanyama will be a game-time decision on Sunday when the New Orleans Pelicans come to town.

The Pelicans have struggled with injuries more than any other team in the NBA. They were without Zion Williamson this season, while big players like CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray and Brandon Ingram missed time. The Pelicans rank last in the NBA in net standings and have lost 9 of their last 10 games. However, with Ingram, Murray and McCollum returning from injuries, they are getting closer to full health.

The Spurs have a good opportunity to get back on track against a Pelicans team that is still trying to figure things out.

San Antonio Spurs (11-12) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (5-19)

December 8, 2024 | 6:00 p.m. CT

Watch: FanDuel Southwest | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)

Spore injuries: Victor Wembanyama – Questionable (Back), Riley Minix – Out (G League), Harrison Ingram – Out (G League), David Duke Jr. – Out (G League), Tre Jones – Out (Shoulder)

Pelicans Injuries: N/A (Injury report will be released Sunday at 1 p.m.)

What you should pay attention to

Wembanya’s status

The Spurs simply wouldn’t be the same without their star center. The defense has struggled and they have missed his presence as an offensive center. Getting him back against a Pelicans squad that has struggled to contain opposing bigs will be key to breaking the winning streak.

Can the Spurs defense bounce back?

San Antonio’s defense has looked poor since Wembanyama was sidelined. Getting him back will undoubtedly help. Even if he can’t be there, they should have a chance to improve against one of the league’s worst scoring offenses, which only scores 104 points per game. They’re not a team to take lightly, but they don’t have the offensive power of the Kings, Suns or Bulls.

Chris Paul moved up the assist rankings

CP3 is approaching a major career milestone on Sunday. At 39 years old, the point guard is only two assists behind Jason Kidd and is second all-time in the statistics. He currently has 12,089 assists in his career. Spurs fans will likely get a glimpse of history on Sunday night when Paul gets three assists. He still has some way to go to match John Stockton, who has thrown 15,806 assists in his career.