Raptors beat Spurs by 43 points

Via the San Antonio Express-News:

The outcome of Wednesday’s game between the young and depleted Spurs and playoff-tested Raptors was perhaps not so surprising.

The final score, however, was historic. The Spurs lost 143-100, the most lopsided margin in coach Gregg Popovich’s 27 seasons on the bench.

The previous worst was a 42-point loss at Chicago in March 1997, Popovich’s first season.

Credit in part goes to the Raptors, who overwhelmed the Spurs with size and length uncommon even in the NBA.

Toronto started no player smaller than 6-5. Each player to log at least 10 minutes for the Raptors was at least that tall.

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Spurs bring back forward Jordan Hall

The San Antonio Spurs have signed forward Jordan Hall.

Hall, 6-8/220, appeared in four preseason games this year for the Spurs before being waived on Oct. 24. Prior to signing a two-way contract with San Antonio on Aug. 11, the 20-year-old forward suited up for the Spurs Summer League team and averaged 3.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists over five games in Las Vegas. Hall spent his sophomore campaign last season at Saint Joseph’s, where he averaged 14.1 points, 5.8 assists and 1.23 steals on his way to being named to the All-Big 5 First Team.

Despite being in a rebuilding phase, the Spurs are off to a 5-2 start this season, though they on average over the seven games have been outscored 0.6 points per game by opponents.

The Spurs roster now stands at 17 players.

Spurs sign Charles Bassey to a two-way contract, waive Jordan Hall

The San Antonio Spurs have signed center Charles Bassey to a two-way contract, and waived forward Jordan Hall.

Bassey, 6-11/235, played high school basketball in San Antonio at St. Anthony Catholic High School for two seasons from 2015 to 2017. Selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft, the 53rd overall pick appeared in 23 games for the Sixers last season, averaging 3.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 7.3 minutes while also appearing in three playoff games. Bassey appeared in one preseason game this year before being waived by Philadelphia on Oct. 13.

Originally from Nigeria, Bassey played three seasons at Western Kentucky, twice earning Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year honors and capturing Player of the Year as a junior in 2020-21. He averaged 15.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.56 blocks in 72 games played in his college career.

Hall appeared in four preseason games for the Spurs after signing a two-way contract with San Antonio on Aug. 11.

The Spurs roster now stands at 17 players.

Spurs waive Joe Wieskamp

The San Antonio Spurs have waived guard Joe Wieskamp to finalize their opening night roster for the 2022-23 season.

Wieskamp appeared in 29 games for the Spurs, averaging 2.1 points in 7.1 minutes per game after being drafted by San Antonio with the 41st overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He also played and started in 28 games for the Austin Spurs where he averaged 15.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 32.4 minutes.

The Silver and Black tipoff the regular season on Wednesday, Oct. 19 against the Charlotte Hornets at the AT&T Center.

Spurs exercise contract options on Devin Vassell and Josh Primo

The San Antonio Spurs have exercised their fourth-year team option on guard Devin Vassell, as well as their third-year option on guard Josh Primo for the 2023-24 season.

Vassell is entering his third year with the Spurs after appearing in 71 games last season and averaging 12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 27.3 minutes. In 2021-22, Vassell became the first Spur in franchise history to make more than 100 three-pointers in his sophomore season and is now one of three Spurs to record 1,000 points, 125 threes and 100 steals in their first two seasons. Vassell has appeared in 133 total games for the Silver and Black since being selected by the Spurs in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft (11th overall).

Primo begins his sophomore season after appearing in 50 games for San Antonio last year and averaging 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19.3 minutes. The Alabama alum made his NBA debut vs. Orlando on 10/20/21 and his first start at Philadelphia on 1/7/22. His 18 total starts are the most by a Spurs rookie since 2011-12. Primo also spent time with the Austin Spurs and averaged 16.6 points, a team-high 5.6 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 19 games after being selected by San Antonio with 12th overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft.

Spurs forward Keldon Johnson injures shoulder

San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson suffered a right shoulder posterior dislocation during Spurs open gym.

While he will miss the start of preseason, the team expects that Johnson will be available for the start of the 2022-23 regular season.

Per the San Antonio Express-News, “the 22-year-old forward averaged 17 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assist last season, while shooting 39.8 percent from 3-point range. All of those were career highs.”

San Antonio Spurs announce basketball operations staff additions and promotions

The San Antonio Spurs today announced multiple additions and promotions within the team’s coaching and basketball operations staff.

In the Spurs front office, the team has promoted Dave Telep to Vice President of Basketball Operations and David Kaplan to Manager of Basketball Analytics.

San Antonio’s coaching staff has added Candice Dupree in Player Development. The team has also promoted Willis Hall and Greg Stiemsma in Player Development, Josh Brannon to Head Video Coordinator, and Kenny Trevino as Assistant Video Coordinator.

In the Spurs medical and performance group, the team has added Carlos Sosa Marin as Athletic Performance Coach. San Antonio has also promoted Chastity Chov to Assistant Athletic Trainer and Ryan Curtis to Performance Coach.

Brannon is named the Spurs Head Video Coordinator after serving last season as San Antonio’s Assistant Video Coordinator. He also spent two seasons as a Quality Assurance Assistant in the video department from 2019-21. Brannon coached at Shawnee Mission East High School from 2016-18. The Houston native played at Southwestern Community College and Panola Junior College before spending his final three seasons at Rockhurst University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business communication in 2016. Brannon also worked in basketball camps for the Spurs Sports Academy since 2010, serving as a Camp Director from 2016 until he joined the coaching staff in 2019.

Chov becomes the Spurs Assistant Athletic Trainer after spending last season as San Antonio’s Medical Assistant II. Joining the organization in 2020, she spent the 2020-21 season as the Austin Spurs Assistant Athletic Trainer. Prior to the Silver and Black, Chov served as the University of Nevada’s Associate Director of Sports Medicine in 2019-20, working with the men’s basketball team. Chov earned a master’s degree from Michigan State in 2019 while working with the Spartans football and men’s basketball teams and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from the University of Texas at Austin in 2017.

Curtis enters his fourth season with the Spurs after spending two years as Athletic Performance Data Manager for the Spurs from 2019-21. He was previously the Director of Athlete Performance and Safety at the Korey Stringer Institute (University of Connecticut) after working as a strength coach and athletic trainer for the US Marine Corps, US Tennis Association and privately for professional tennis players on the ATP/WTA World Tour. Curtis graduated with a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Culver-Stockton College in 2006, finished a master’s degree in kinesiology from Kansas State in 2009 and earned a PhD in exercise science from UConn in 2019.

Dupree joins the Spurs after playing 16 years in the WNBA, where she currently stands fifth in league history in career points scored (6,895). A seven-time WNBA All-Star and 2014 Champion with the Phoenix Mercury, Dupree also suited up for Chicago, Indiana, Seattle and Atlanta in her run that currently ranks her third all-time in made field goals, fifth in games played, as well as seventh in total rebounds. After playing four years for Dawn Staley at Temple from 2002-06, she was selected by the Sky with the sixth overall pick in the 2006 WNBA Draft. The Tampa, Florida native has also played professionally in Poland, Slovakia, Russia, China, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Dupree was part of the coaching staff for the Spurs at the 2022 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Hall spent last season as San Antonio’s Player Development Assistant. Previously with the Spurs for three seasons as Video Coordinator from 2018-21, he enters his seventh season in San Antonio after starting with the team as a Quality Assurance Assistant in the video department in 2016. Prior to joining the Silver and Black, Hall played professionally for two seasons in Portugal and Luxembourg. The Charlotte native played four seasons at the College of Charleston, appearing in 137 games in his career from 2009-14.

Kaplan becomes the Spurs Manager of Basketball Analytics after spending the past four seasons as San Antonio’s Senior Data Scientist. Prior to joining the Silver and Black, Kaplan spent three seasons from 2015-18 with the Charlotte Hornets as Manger of Basketball Analytics and Quantitative Analyst after spending the 2014-15 season with the Portland Trail Blazers as Statistical Programmer. Kaplan graduated from Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Chemistry in 2013.

Sosa Marin joins the Spurs from Real Madrid Baloncesto in Spain, where he has spent the last eight years as the strength and conditioning coach and re-conditioning specialist for the EuroLeague team. He also spent time as an associated professor in Health and Medicine at the Universidad Europea de Madrid from 2014-22, teaching Sport Physiotherapy. Prior to Real Madrid, the Spanish native was the Head of Strength and Conditioning, as well as the Head of Physical Therapy, for 15 years from 1999-2014 for Club Estudiantes, where he also coached the organization’s youth teams. Sosa Martin holds a PhD in Sports Science from Polytechnic University of Madrid.

Stiemsma spent last season in the Spurs video room after spending two seasons as a Player Development Associate with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2019-21. He played four seasons in the NBA with Boston, Minnesota, New Orleans and Toronto. Following four years at the University of Wisconsin from 2004-08, Stiemsma played overseas in Turkey and Korea before suiting up for the Sioux Falls Skyforce and winning NBA D-League Defensive Player of the Year in 2010. Making his NBA debut with the Celtics in 2011, he also participated in training camp with Portland and Orlando. Stiemsma was on the coaching staff for the Spurs Summer League team in 2022.

Telep is entering his 10th season with the Spurs. San Antonio’s Director of Player Personnel from 2019-22, Telep previously served as the team’s Director of Scouting from 2016-19 after starting with the Spurs in 2013 as the team’s Scouting Coordinator. Prior to joining the Silver and Black, he served as ESPN.com’s senior national recruiting analyst. He also spent time as a sideline reporter for ESPNU and as a studio analyst for Recruiting Nation. Telep has also served on the USA Developmental National Committee for the USA National Team.

Trevino spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach with the Austin Spurs after serving as a coaching assistant with Austin in 2019-20. First joining the Spurs organization as a ball boy for San Antonio in 2012, Trevino later became an assistant equipment manager for the team in the 2016-17 season. He worked in San Antonio’s video room from 2016-19 before joining Austin’s coaching staff. The Laredo, Texas, native graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 2016.

San Antonio Spurs sign Tommy Kuhse

The San Antonio Spurs have signed guard Tommy Kuhse.

Kuhse, 6-2/185, recently completed his collegiate career at St. Mary’s, where he spent five seasons. In his final year with the Gaels, Kuhse earned All-WCC First Team honors and was named the WCC Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 12.2 points, 3.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 30.0 minutes per game while shooting 49.4% from the floor and 45.0% from three-point range. A native of Mesa, Arizona, Kuhse is the Gaels all-time leader in games played, ranks fifth all time in assists (477) and ninth in steals (118). In 149 career games, Kuhse averaged 7.6 points, 3.2 assists and 2.8 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per game.

Playing with the Orlando Magic at the 2022 Las Vegas Summer League, in three games Kuhse averaged 17.3 points, 3.3 assists, 3.00 steals and 2.0 rebounds in 23.2 minutes.

San Antonio Spurs sign Alize Johnson

The San Antonio Spurs have signed forward Alize Johnson.

Johnson, 6-7/210, appeared in 23 games with Chicago, Washington and New Orleans last year, averaging 1.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in 7.3 minutes. The 26-year-old also played two seasons with the Indiana Pacers before stints with the Nets, Bulls, Wizards, and Pelicans. He holds career averages 2.5 points, 3.0 rebounds in 7.5 minutes across 72 games.

Originally drafted by Indiana with the 50th overall selection in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft, Johnson has spent time in the G League with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and Raptors 905, averaging 18.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.14 steals in 35.6 minutes in 65 games. Prior to the NBA, the forward played two seasons at Missouri State University, where he averaged 14.9 points and 11.1 rebounds and was named to the All-MVC First Team, after beginning his college career at NJCAA institution Frank Phillips College.