Austin Spurs Looking Forward to High Profile Series vs. G-League Ignite

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Blake Wesley playing for the Austin Spurs
Blake Wesley on the court for Austin in their matchup against the the Stockton Kings earlier in the year. Photo via: Jacob De Leon/Project Spurs

With an exciting young team visiting the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park in the G-League Ignite, the Austin Spurs will hope that the veteran mentality can prevail over them. This is the first meeting of a two-game series. The Spurs are coming off of a tough 141-110 loss at the hands of the Iowa Wolves in their last game.

With them sitting in 13th place in the Western Conference, it is looking more and more likely like Austin will miss the playoffs. However, there is still just enough time for them to make a remarkable surge toward that sixth and final playoff position.

They will have a team in the G-League Ignite that is of course led by probable top-2 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft Scoot Henderson. This is one of the most high-profile series that Austin will play this season, so it will be one you surely won’t want to miss.

Austin Spurs vs. G-League Ignite Info

When: February 8th, 2023
Tip-off: 7:30 P.M. CST
Location: H-E-B Center, Cedar Park, Texas
How to watch: ESPN+

Austin Spurs Preview

The Spurs will want to quickly forget about their previous game vs. the Iowa Wolves, where Austin failed to close the gap all night. There were four players who were out for that game. Some of the key players they were missing were Charles Bassey and Chaundee Brown Jr., so the Spurs were already at a disadvantage. Meanwhile, Blake Wesley continues to grow in his game as he had 28 points and five rebounds. The rookie is really flourishing in this Austin offense in which he is considered the centerpiece of the operation. Brandon Randolph racked up 19 points, six rebounds, and five assists. Randolph has been a solid replacement for the injured Chaundee Brown. Tommy Kuhse also had 15 points off the bench and has been a decent spark plug this season for Austin.

One of the major issues that Austin has had this season is its lack of size at the center position. Without a top-notch player like Bassey at the five, they are extremally vulnerable in the paint as they lack the size and physicality to compete with some teams who play big on the front court. This has been a common theme that has plagued Austin throughout the season, and with the G-League Ignite coming to town, will they be able to handle the explosiveness of this young team?

G-League Ignite Preview

This is the matchup that a lot of Spurs fans have been looking forward to the most. The G-League Ignite is filled with so many young and exciting NBA prospects that wanted to get a taste of the pro level before hopefully getting drafted into the NBA. The squad is led by potential top-two pick Scoot Henderson, a player that is considered by some as the best player in the draft class, even over international starlet Victor Wembamyama.

Henderson is an explosive guard who loves to attack the rim and is really a five-tool player. He only played seven minutes in the last game but had five points and two assists in that time span. John Jenkins is also a player to watch, as he can score from all levels, showing that with 27 points in the loss to the South Bay Lakers. Eric Mika has been a solid player at the center position, and Shareef O’Neal is also on the roster, who of course is the son of the great center Shaquille O’Neal.

This matchup will be an extremely fun one to watch, and with both teams looking to get back into the playoff race, it will have a lot riding on these next two games.

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