Game Preview: Spurs Vs Hornets — Spurs Hope To Get Wembanyama Back
Spurs Vs Hornets pits a San Antonio team fresh off a loss to the Denver Nuggets against a red-hot Charlotte squad, with Victor Wembanyama listed as questionable and De’Aaron Fox set to face the Hornets on Saturday, March 14.
Spurs Vs Hornets: Injury Report, recent form and lineup questions
The Spurs added multiple players to their injury report ahead of the matchup. Victor Wembanyama missed San Antonio’s last game with an ankle injury, is officially questionable, and is cutting close to the 65-game threshold for end-of-season award qualification. Dylan Harper is listed as questionable with a calf contusion. Additional entries include Harrison Ingram — questionable (G League), David Jones-Garcia — out (G League), and Emanuel Miller — questionable (G League).
San Antonio dropped the previous meeting with Charlotte, 111-106, in a short-rest, day-game setting on the road. Since then both teams have been strong: the Spurs have won 16 of their last 18 games while the Hornets are 8-2 in their last 10.
If Wembanyama does not play, San Antonio may lean on the depth and rotation adjustments used recently. Against Denver, Luke Kornet started and played 25 minutes, the newly acquired center Mason Plumlee logged 8 minutes, and the Spurs also deployed small-ball lineups featuring Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes, and Carter Bryant for portions of the game.
Key players, scoring trends and the De’Aaron Fox angle
De’Aaron Fox and the San Antonio team are scheduled to play Charlotte on Saturday, March 14, with Fox’s points prop listed at 16. 5 as of Saturday morning. In his most recent outing — a 136-131 loss to the Nuggets on March 12 — Fox scored 27 points and added nine assists. His season averages are 19. 1 points, 3. 7 rebounds, 6. 4 assists, 1. 2 steals and 0. 2 blocks per game.
Charlotte’s offense presents a notable threat from deep. The Hornets have multiple high-volume three-point shooters, including Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball ranking first and third in total three-pointers made this season, and Brandon Miller shooting triples at a 37. 9% clip. Opposing teams are scoring 112. 3 points per contest against the Hornets, a figure that places their defense ninth in the league in points allowed.
Stephon Castle has been a standout performer for the Spurs since the All-Star break, averaging 16. 8 points, 4. 9 rebounds and 6. 9 assists while shooting 40. 5% from three. He posted a 30-point triple-double in the recent game against Denver and offers San Antonio a versatile scoring and playmaking option to challenge Charlotte’s perimeter defenders.
What to monitor before tipoff: final injury confirmations for Wembanyama and Dylan Harper, whether San Antonio leans on a small-ball rotation again, and how De’Aaron Fox performs relative to the 16. 5 points prop listed Saturday morning. Those developments will shape matchups and minutes usage for a contest that promises to test the Spurs’ ability to contain a deep-shooting Hornets roster.
