NBA Notes: Spurs, Victor Wembanyama, Lakers, Austin Reaves, Pacers

Spurs

Are the Spurs actually true contenders? The answer is they sure look like it early, with Victor Wembanyama resembling a bona fide MVP candidate.

But do they have staying power? That is among the NBA early-season questions ESPN attempted to answer.

“The Spurs appear to be the young team that is taking the leap,” wrote ESPN’s Kevin Pelton. “Starting with an opening-night drubbing of the Mavericks, San Antonio started 5-0 for the first time in franchise history, and Wembanyama rates as the league’s second-best player on a per-possession basis in my wins above replacement player metric.

“The caveat here is the schedule. Thursday’s showdown with the fast-starting Heat was the Spurs’ first matchup against a 2025 playoff team, and they won’t face an opponent who won more than a single playoff game last spring until their NBA Cup group opener against the Rockets next Friday.”

ESPN colleague Zach Kram offered some thoughts of his own.

“The simplest answer is that as long as Wembanyama continues to play like an MVP candidate, the Spurs’ ceiling is as tall as he is,” Kram wrote. “His PER through six games is 30.7. Before this season, there were 35 instances in NBA history in which a player posted a player efficiency rating above 30, and on average, their teams won 53.5 games.”

Lakers

Meanwhile, the Lakers have been the talk of the early season by winning big and looking like contenders … without LeBron James.

On Monday, they beat the Trail Blazers without not just James, but Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, too.

JJ Redick for Coach of the Year? Well, there’s a long way to go. But as Kram wrote, the fantastic play of Reaves sure doesn’t sure L.A.’s chances.

“In three games without Doncic, Reaves scored 51 against the Kings, 41 against the Trail Blazers and 28 points — the last featuring a buzzer-beating game-winner over Minnesota — and he’s averaging 31.1 points and 9.3 assists per game overall,” Kram wrote.

“Much of the discussion around this leveling-up has centered on Reaves’ upcoming unrestricted free agency — how much money he could command next summer, and what it might mean for the Lakers’ finances and team-building. But if Reaves is anywhere near this good offensively, that also carries importance right now; after all, Doncic has a history of making deep playoff runs with a capable co-star in the backcourt.”

Kram wasn’t finished.

“Could Reaves play a role similar to the one Jalen Brunson and Kyrie Irving occupied in Dallas, on trips to the conference finals and Finals, respectively?” he asked. “James seemed like the natural No. 2 to Doncic entering this season, but as he continues to miss time with sciatica while Reaves excels, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer is in danger of being Wally Pipped.”

Pacers

As a result of all the injuries, both Aaron Nesmith and Jarace Walker are recording career highs in field-goal attempts. 

Coach Rick Carlisle clearly is not only welcoming it, but says it’s a must given the circumstances.

“They’ve had to figure things out on the fly,” Carlisle said, via Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “We have a lot of moving parts here. … We have a lot of guys who are playing unusual positions, and so there’s adjustments that are happening there.

“Everybody’s spirit is good about it and we just have to keep working at it. Both Aaron and Jarace are doing a good job and they’re both growing through this.”