Studs and Duds: Area 51 shines, Vassell disappoints and winning comes with price

That game was way closer than Spurs fans would have liked, but at least it was an exciting win instead of a frustrating loss. San Antonio pulled off the victory over the Pelicans 121-116, and while everything wasn't perfect, the guys got themselves back on the right side of the win/loss column. There's no substitute for winning, so we'll take the wins when they come.

Studs: Area 51 showed up in a major way for the Spurs win

There was a lot to be satisfied with, like Victor Wembanyama's one-legged three. It's a move deep in his bag that fans have known about for a long time, but he rarely ever uses it. That's surely by design. A coach like Popovich will, at the very least, caution against relying on such unconventional shots, but he was bound to pull it out eventually.

The Alien finished the night with 25 points, ten rebounds, one assist, and three blocks—a casual night of extraterrestrial activities for the Frenchman. But the other half of Area 51 showed up to assist in the winning effort. Stephon Castle dropped 22 points and added five rebounds, four assists, and a steal to his stat line.

Both players were clutch, including a game-winner from Wembanyama, and they got just enough help from the rest of the team to seal the win. Wemby and Steph impacted the game late on both sides of the ball, and New Orleans couldn't overcome their relentless drive to win.

Others on the team had up-and-down nights—another consistent trend this season.

Dud: Devin Vassell must stop acting like a role player

I get it; Vassell went from being the third option to the second option, he was meant to be the first option last year but quickly became the number two to Victor. Now Chris Paul and Stephon Castle are on the team, and they dominate the ball on many possessions, and Dev is stuck trying to figure out where he fits in without trying to rock the boat.

The Spurs' culture is built on sacrifice, so making waves isn't ideal. However, maybe he needs to generate some ripples. He is, by far, the second-best offensive option on the team, but too many times, he plays as if he's another guy waiting for the ball to swing his way, hoping for enough space to get a shot off.

The fourth-year guard has too much talent to stand around waiting for the ball on so many possessions. He's still on a bit of a minute restriction, but that doesn't mean he can't take more shots when he's in the game.

He had seven shot attempts in 20 minutes of action entering the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Keldon Johnson had five in 10 minutes, and he exited the game due to an injury in the first half and didn't return. Charles Bassey and Jeremy Sochan had six attempts to Dev's seven around the same time. It's not enough from the guy with the highest field goal percentage on the team.

He had a poor shooting night. He was 2-7 at that point and finished the night 3-11, but the best players on the team need to be aggressive.

It's almost always going to be better for him to take more shots than everyone else on the team not named Victor Wembanyama. If he doesn't, the less efficient guys shoot, and that drags the offense down. Part of the Spurs' elevation to the next level involves more from their all-star hopeful.

Duds: Spurs can't shake the injury bug

They aren't the only ones in the league suffering from this epidemic, but that doesn't make it any better. The Silver and Black haven't had their full roster healthy all season, and that doesn't look to be happening anytime soon. Thankfully, Wembanyama returned quickly from the ailment that took him out of the game early on, but the Spurs lost Zach Collins (back) in the process.

You can think what you want about Collins, but it's generally not advantageous to have fewer available players at your disposal. Keldon Johnson went down on a non-contact play, but the details of his injury are unclear. Mitch Johnson said in the postgame that he believes it may be a cramp, but it's still unclear.

The team is already without Tre Jones. The hope among fans is that the guys can stay healthy long enough to see a fully equipped Spurs team take on an opponent together. That hope remains elusive, but San Antonio continues to pull games out despite this persistent issue.

Stud: Chris Paul moves up in the history books

12,099 assists. That is a lot of dishing and orchestrating. Chris Paul keeps proving that he can think this game on a level unlike most that come across the NBA's hardwood. It only took until the second quarter for the Point God to make his next mark on the league, passing Jason Kidd (12,091) for second all-time on the NBA assist leaderboard.

It will be a very long time before anyone passes the Point God for second place, where he'll likely stay unless he plans on playing five plus more years in an attempt to pass the 15K from John Stockton. That's highly unlikely, so second place will do just fine, and it's quite the accomplishment.

Stud: Charles Bassey makes a strong case for more minutes

Let's be honest, Bassey has made a strong case for more minutes quite a few times this season already. I'm not sure what he must do to get a more consistent look at the backup center spot, but he's doing everything he can. The Nigerian big man put in 16 points on 6/12 from the field, added 12 rebounds, and denied four shots at the rim. Give this man more time on the floor.

Bassey has missed an absurd amount of time in his young career due to injuries, but if this is his floor, he needs to be cultivated carefully because he has a lot of potential in this league. Protecting the paint as he does is invaluable, especially if you have a team that can run opponents off the 3-point line—a trait more important than ever in the current NBA landscape.

San Antonio is off for the next four days. They'll be back in action on December 13 against the Portland Trail Blazers. They need this extended time to get as healthy as possible. Maybe the next game will be the launching point for extended health, but that may just be wishful thinking.