After Friday shootaround, Jonas Valanciunas’ succinct assessment of San Antonio rookie Victor Wembanyama was reminiscent of another international big man – Boban Marjanovic – and Marjanovic’s “insightful” play-by-play work on a humorous TV commercial.
“He’s tall. Very tall,” the often-joking-in-interviews Valanciunas said of Wembanyama.
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There aren’t many fellow NBA players the 7-foot Valanciunas has to look up at in order to make eye contact, but the 7-4 Wembanyama is one. The 20-year-old prodigy will play in the Smoothie King Center on Friday for the first time in 2023-24, having been sidelined for a Dec. 1 game due to injury, which was his first DNP in the league.
“He’s playing good basketball,” Valanciunas said. “We’ve got to do everything to stop him. He’s a leader for San Antonio.”
Valanciunas could be the only frequent New Orleans frontcourt starter available Friday, because small forward Brandon Ingram (knee) has already been ruled out, while power forward Zion Williamson (finger) is questionable.
In his three matchups with the Spurs this season, Valanciunas has averaged a double-double (10.0 points, 11.0 rebounds) in modest playing time (20.1 mpg), the latter partly due to New Orleans rolling to 15- and 36-point victories (though the most recent meeting was a one-point Pelicans win).
Asked what’s made him effective vs. San Antonio, Valanciunas said, “Being active, setting screens, rolling, getting post-ups. Do my stuff.”
New Orleans Pelicans vs. San Antonio Spurs Pregame Report 4/5/2024
San Antonio Scouting Report
Offensive efficiency rank: 27 (109.5)
Defensive efficiency rank: 22 (116.4)
Net rating rank: 26 (-6.9)
Streak: Lost 2
Go-to guy: Wembanyama is closing his rookie season with a flourish, nearly registering a quadruple-double in his most recent game Tuesday at Denver (23 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists, nine blocks). Last Friday, the 20-year-old native of France led San Antonio to an upset win over New York, rolling to 40 points and 20 rebounds. New Orleans has held him somewhat in check in his two appearances vs. the Pelicans, but he’s made significant strides even since the last meeting on Feb. 2.
On the rise: A savvy floor general and former Duke teammate of Williamson, fourth-year point guard Tre Jones has been instrumental in San Antonio being more competitive recently compared to early in the season. The Spurs were just 5-28 before Jones was moved into the starting lineup on Jan. 4. His 4.3 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks in the NBA’s top 10.
Previous Game Starting Lineups
SAN ANTONIO (18-58, 15TH IN WEST)
Tuesday loss at Denver
Tre Jones, Malaki Branham, Cedi Osman, Julian Champagnie, Victor Wembanyama
Notes: Osman (ankle), Dominick Barlow (knee), Devin Vassell (foot), Jeremy Sochan (ankle) and Charles Bassey (knee) are out, with the latter three all ruled out for the rest of the season. Keldon Johnson (foot) is questionable. … Tuesday’s starting combination has gone 0-2, among the 17 different starting lineups used by Gregg Popovich this season. … San Antonio is tied with Charlotte (18-58) for the third-worst record in the NBA. The bottom three teams in the league standings will hold the highest draft lottery odds in mid-May.
NEW ORLEANS (45-31, 7TH IN WEST)
Wednesday loss vs. Orlando
CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson, Jonas Valanciunas
Notes: This combination has gone 4-5, the only New Orleans group with a losing record that’s been together for more than two games this season. Willie Green has used 15 different starting lineups. … Ingram (knee) and Jose Alvarado (oblique) are out. Williamson (finger) is questionable. … New Orleans has the same record as Phoenix (45-31) in the West standings, but the Suns are officially sixth based on their 2-0 season series vs. the Pelicans. Phoenix hosts Minnesota on Friday at 9 p.m. Eighth-place Sacramento (44-32) visits Boston at 6:30.
FanDuel Keys to the Game
BALL MOVEMENT
New Orleans is seeking its second consecutive season-series sweep over San Antonio, having won each of the last seven meetings (it’s eight in a row if you add the club’s play-in tournament victory over the silver and black from April 2022). Playmaking has been a key element of the Pelicans’ 3-0 lead in 2023-24, averaging 31.0 assists against the Spurs. That’s their sixth-best average against the 29 opponents this season.
REESTABLISH BOARD DOMINANCE
New Orleans ranks 12 spots above San Antonio in rebounding percentage (11th compared to 23rd), but the Spurs stayed in the hunt until the final buzzer Feb. 2 partly due to a major edge on the glass (55-39). New Orleans needed a game-deciding layup in the final seconds from Williamson to prevail. “Rebounding is the last layer of the defense,” Valanciunas said after shootaround. “You’ve got to get the rebound to finish the defense. We’ve got to do a good job finishing the defense. Same with the offense. That’s an advantage for us if we can crash the boards and get some offensive rebounds. We’ve got to do that more.”
MATCHUP TO WATCH
The Pelicans’ center duo of Valanciunas and Larry Nance Jr. will have its hands full vs. Wembanyama, who missed the previous San Antonio visit to the Smoothie King Center on Dec. 1 due to injury (one of just nine DNPs for him in Year 1). In two losses in Frost Bank Center to the Pels, the rookie averaged 16.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks.