The San Antonio Spurs tried to dig themselves out of an early hole in their consolation game with the Atlanta Hawks at the Thomas and Mack Center on Friday night, but they came up just short, ending their summer league play with a 72-80 loss.
The Summer Spurs finished with a 2-3 record in Vegas as every player signed to a guaranteed contract was held out for the final game.
The Hawks outscored the Spurs early and the Spurs had trouble knocking down shots in the second quarter as they were outscored 26-10.
They fought back in the third, limiting the Haws to 10, but the early struggles and the 24 turnovers made it an insurmountable task to come back, even as they held Atlanta to 34 percent from the field and 28 percent beyond the arch.
With many of the standout players not suited up, San Antonio turned to NBA journeyman Thomas Robinson and Ben Moore.
Robinson played just 17 minutes but finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds as he battled with Atlanta’s Nick Ward. Robinson was both the recipient and the passer on a few highlight plays and lobs. It has also been interesting to see Robinson bring the ball up the floor on a number of occasions over Summer League.
Robinson has likely at least earned himself a camp invite, but the chances are he could end up being snatched up by another team looking to add frontcourt depth. If not, I’d bet he is a lock for Austin.
Moore finished with eight points, eight rebounds, and three blocked shots, displaying some defensive versatility in his 22 minutes on the floor. He did struggle on offense, mostly due to forcing up several shots that were blocked or bothered by taller defenders. While he is no longer on a two-way contract, Moore is likely also headed for training camp.
Also scoring in double figures were Darel Poirier, with 10 points, and Darius Morris, with 12. Spurs fan favorite Jeff Ledbetter did not make a splash in his final summer league game, scoring five points as he was unable to find range from beyond the arch. San Antonio would likely love to keep him in Austin, but he could also see some offers from overseas teams.
It would not surprise me to see Josh Magette, who did not play, get a training camp invite. Magette has spent the majority of his career either overseason or in the G-League, and he seems to have a firm grasp on the point guard position. He’s quick, is a solid distributor and can also knock down the three, so having a veteran that knows the game in there to push the Spurs’ young guards could be beneficial.
