The Spurs learned that life will be tough with Jeremy Sochan after suffering a humiliating loss at the hands of the Rockets. The undermanned San Antonio team was simply no match for its division rivals, who showed no mercy en route to a lopsided 127-100 victory.

The Rockets didn’t give the Spurs any time to adjust to their new lineup, with rookie Stephon Castle in Sochan’s place. From the start, the home team were the attackers, causing turnovers by playing with a level of physicality that Spurs could not match. The spacing on offense was better for San Antonio without Sochan, but the Silver and Black didn’t make the most of it, so having more shooters out there didn’t have a positive impact. Houston deserves credit for pushing the tempo to make easy shots and score with bridges when they couldn’t attack quickly, but the Spurs were complicit in their own problems. Things got better when the second unit started to show more fighting spirit as their vivacity fired up the starters upon their return, but the execution remained poor on both sides and the attempt at a response came when the Rockets were already in full control.

Not much changed in the second quarter. The Rockets continued to send shooters off the line to help and dug in on every drive. The Spurs’ ball security continued to be poor and Houston harassed them physically without fouling. There was little San Antonio could do in the halfcourt, and after a few isolated stretches of good play, the offense was predictable and lacked the kind of energy that Sochan provided. To make matters worse, the defense that carried San Antonio for much of the early part of the season was just as disarray as the offense. There were frequent misunderstandings in the half court, so even Houston’s role players easily put in good performances. The Rockets just couldn’t miss and it was all a struggle on both ends for a San Antonio team that trailed by 25 points at halftime.

A comeback attempt early in the third quarter brought some excitement to a game that Spurs fans otherwise didn’t enjoy. The Rockets turned the ball over a few times and the coaching staff went to simple pick-and-rolls with both Wembanyma and Harrison Barnes in control. The results weren’t consistently good, but the Silver-Blacks seemed to be better organized on offense. A couple of threes were dropped and suddenly Houston’s lead was just 16. Unfortunately, a few poor attacking balls from Wemby were enough to stop the momentum and the home team responded with force. Just as quickly as they got back into the game, the Spurs were out again, while the Rockets were again making shots and getting stops. There were occasional basket shots between the teams, but that seemed to be the result of overconfidence from an opponent who was exploiting their lead more than anything else.

The fourth quarter was a period of garbage that at least provided an opportunity to see the guys at the end of the bench. Sidy Cissoko in particular had some great moments as a playmaker and even hit a three-pointer. Charles Bassey, who may need a shot at rotation minutes soon if Zach Collins continues to struggle, had a bit of a head start. As far as glimmers of hope go, there’s not much left to take from Wednesday’s game.

Game play

You have to give Jalen Green credit. At least he dared to challenge Wemby on the edge.

Game notes

• Wembanyama’s immense talent and undeniable position as the face of the franchise sometimes make me forget that he is only 20 years old. Wednesday’s game was a great reminder of how green Victor still is, especially on offense. He made some inexplicably bad decisions, both by trying to delay the time when he should have attacked and by hyper-aggressively looking for his shot, particularly from outside. It’s understandable that he’s still trying to figure out what he can do, and he should continue to have freedom because that’s what’s best for his future, but occasionally he’ll put in a performance that will be frustrating. It happened against the Rockets.
• Stephon Castle had his ups and downs in his first start. There were some good moments on defense and he remains aggressive on offense, but he’s not ready to be a scorer yet. He was forced into this role due to injuries and this was his eighth game as a professional, so his limitations should come as no surprise. Just like Wemby, he will be fine.
• Chris Paul didn’t have a good game. His only field goal attempts were his seven three-pointers, three of which he hit, but he couldn’t figure out how to hurt the Rockets’ defense. More pick-and-rolls involving Wemby would have helped. He only played 20 minutes, so he should be ready for the SEGABABA against the Trail Blazers. The same goes for Barnes, who only logged 19 minutes.
• Julian Champagnie did a little bit of everything and finished with 13 points on nine shots, three rebounds and three assists. You can’t ask for much more from him. He hits his shots, tries to play defense, moves the ball and has gotten better at attacking closeouts.
• Keldon Johnson, as always, tried to get to the rim. Sandro Mamukelashvili threw some punches and brought a lot of energy. Malaki Branham had some good stretches. The rest of the bench was a mess. Blake Wesley is a pest on defense but sometimes commits unnecessary fouls by trying to be too physical and saves the offensive player. On offense, he misses layups and three-pointers alike. Zach Collins is a talented offensive player who doesn’t seem to have the skills of even an average defender. The returns of Jones and Vassell should help strengthen the guard rotation, but backup minutes at center will likely continue to be an issue.

Next game: vs. Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday

The Spurs host the young Blazers for the second straight Silver and Black game. It’s a winnable game, but there’s talent on Portland’s roster, so San Antonio can’t be complacent.