Why sputtering Spurs remain a disaster even with Victor Wembanyama

“I hate losing, but I stay focused on the long run,” Wembanyama said following the loss, per The Athletic’s Kelly Iko.

San Antonio's problems start with the lack of a reliable lead ball-handler in the starting lineup. The Spurs  (3-19) — who host the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night — tasked power forward Jeremy Sochan with playing point guard to open the season. The second-year player has faced challenges in this new role, however, averaging 4.1 assists and 2.5 turnovers per game.

This has affected the team's ability to generate reliable offense in the clutch, leading to a 1-9 record in games the Spurs have led by double-digits. The problem has become so pronounced that San Antonio has gone to a "point guard-by-committee" approach to the position, per The Athletic's Shams Charania.

The irony of this new strategy is the Spurs already have a proven ball-handler in Tre Jones, who averaged 6.6 assists and 1.6 turnovers last season as a starter. This season, the Spurs moved Jones to the bench, but even with reduced playing time (23.9 minutes, down from 29.2), he still leads the team in assists with 5.1 per game. 

Per Cleaning the Glass, Jones has a +17.6 on/off rating (98th percentile) and the team posts a 4.9 percent turnover rate (99th percentile) with him on the floor, further demonstrating his value.

"He understands the position better than he ever has. He’s doing a good job there," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said of Jones. Despite the praise, Popovich doesn't appear eager to insert Jones into the starting lineup.

While the Spurs' lack of success can be partially attributed to this conundrum at point guard, part of the blame must go to Wembanyama. 

The 7-foot-4 forward's shot selection is questionable — he has a 43.1 field-goal percentage on a team-high 16.3 attempts per game. His three-pointer is awful, too (25 percent on 5.1 attempts per game). Wembanyama's over-aggressiveness kills the flow of an offense that prides itself on ball movement and the idea of passing up a good shot to get a great shot.

No one expected the Spurs to be playoff contenders this season, but that doesn't excuse the level of play we've seen so far. The lack of a reliable lead ball-handler in the starting lineup handcuffs the team's franchise player and lowers the team's ceiling. 

Whether the answer is Jones at point guard remains to be seen, but the solution is simple: Get Wembanyama a legitimate point guard — and pronto.