The San Antonio Spurs are close to having their full roster in place as they prepare for the season. We will see Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama play together for the first time after the duo missed Spurs’ season opener. San Antonio lost its first game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Spurs will host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, which should provide a better look at a possible rotation on opening night. San Antonio will be without backup bigs Zach Collins and Charles Bassey, as well as Devin Vassell, who is expected to miss the start of the season. Aside from those three, Spurs should be in great health. Even in just a few minutes, we’ll see how the main rotation players fit together.

October 9, 2024 | 7:00 p.m. CT

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Spore injuries: Devin Vassell – Out (foot), Charles Bassey – Out (knee), Zach Collins – Out (rest/shoulder), David Duke Jr. – Out (undisclosed), Nathan Mensah – Out (undisclosed)

Magical Injuries: Wendell Carter Jr. – Questionable (Ankle)

What you should pay attention to

Who starts (for real this time)?

Spurs’ season opener was a bizarre game. Jeremy Sochan played a lot of center and Gregg Popovich played three point guards off the bench. Wednesday’s contest should give us a better look at the opening night starters. There were questions about who could replace Devin Vassell in the top five — Julian Champagnie had answers on Monday. The winger finished the game with 22 points and was 6-for-13 from three-point range. He would add valuable shots alongside Paul, Harrison Barnes, Sochan and Wembanyama in a long, defensive starting unit.

The effects of CP3

It will take some time to get used to seeing Paul in silver and black. On Wednesday, we’ll see exactly what impact the 39-year-old point guard has on this young team. The Spurs were already looking better in the drive-and-kick game, moving the ball at breakneck speed. However, they still managed 21 goals in the preseason opener. Paul should provide a calming presence who can control the Spurs even when they are playing fast.

We saw the veteran on the sidelines at the season opener, tutoring the young Spurs. We’ll see what his on-field coaching looks like against Orlando.

Stephon Castle ball security

Castle appeared physically ready for the NBA game in his debut, finishing strong at the rim with an athletic dunk and a tough Eurostep layup. He made some great reads and found shooters on skip passes. It’s the six ball losses that you don’t like to see. The rookie quickly learns that he needs to be tougher and not force anything on the NBA defense. It will be a learning curve for Castle, but he has shown signs of being up for the challenge. Wednesday evening is a chance for him to get back on his feet and reduce the ball losses.