The rodeo road trip has not been kind to the San Antonio Spurs so far. They are 1-2 on the trip after a heartbreaking loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, Victor Wembanyama is sick, and now they must travel overnight to Florida for a game against the Orlando Magic. The Spurs may need to cast a spell to remove the bad vibes from their current road trip.
The Magic are similarly struggling right now, as they’ve lost 10 of their last 12 games. Orlando will likely be without their starting defensive guard, Jalen Suggs, who is doubtful for Saturday’s contest. The Magic are a tough defensive team that hasn’t quite figured it out on the offensive end. With Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, Orlando has one of the most exciting young duos in the NBA and will create some issues for the Spurs with their size.
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San Antonio will once again rely on the newly acquired De’Aaron Fox to lead them while Wembanyama recovers from sickness.
San Antonio Spurs (22-27) at Orlando Magic (25-28)
February 8th, 2025 | 6 PM CT
Watch: FanDuel Southwest | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs Injuries: The injury report doesn’t need to be filed until 1 p.m. CT
Magic Injuries: Mac McClung – Out (G League), Jalen Suggs – Doubtful (quad), Moritz Wagner – Out (knee)
What to watch for:
Size mismatch
It’s not often that the Spurs are outsized. Having a 7-foot-5 unicorn typically ensures that doesn’t happen. But the Magic are big and they are physical. They can play multiple players above 6-foot-8 at a time with Banchero, Wagner, Jonathan Isaac, Goga Bitadze, and/or Wendell Carter Jr. Since trading for Fox, San Antonio has elected, or been forced to, play small. Chris Paul is starting next to Fox, moving Vassell to a forward position and sending longer defensive players like Stephon Castle and Jeremy Sochan to the bench. The Charles Bassey injury means the Spurs have to play small ball with Sochan at the five when Wemby sits. This could create some issues inside against a big Magic squad.
Locking in defensively
Orlando is not a good offensive team right now. They are last in the NBA in points scored per game, three-pointers made per game, and three-point percentage. The Hornets are also a bad offensive team, and they lit up the Spurs on Friday. San Antonio has to lock in on the defensive end if they want to take down Orlando. Their defense is too good to get into a slugfest. Stringing stops together while taking care of the ball on the other end will be key to taking down the Magic.
Getting more from the wings
The Spurs’ wings have been inconsistent all season long. Harrison Barnes and Sochan (who is now a center, apparently) have been solid, but Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie, and Vassell have all been up and down. Vassell is coming off a hot shooting night against Charlotte, and the Spurs need that to continue in Orlando. They are getting good production from the guards and bigs. The swingmen need to do their part.
