Plenty of studs and 2 duds as Spurs surmount insurmountable lead vs. Utah

The Spurs are on a two-game win streak for the third time this season. They've yet to reach a three-game run, and that accomplishment will attempt to remain evasive with the Western Conference-leading Golden State Warriors up next on the schedule, but for now, fans can bask in what they're witnessing.

No longer are fans expecting losses when the Silver and Black stand across from opposing NBA talent, regardless of who they're playing against and who is in the lineup. At the very least, you expect the Spurs to fight because that's what they've done every night, 16 games in. Last night, San Antonio played without their big three, but the guys stepped up in their absence and gave the fans a show.

Here are the players who stood out the most and the guys who left more to be desired.

Stud group 1: Invested veterans

When the Spurs brought Harrison Barnes and Chris Paul to Alamo City, this is exactly what they had in mind. The vets have been doing what everyone hoped they would, and that's guiding the young players by showing them how to win. When your best players are out, you can't feel sorry for yourself. Games are still winnable with effort, focus, defense, and grit.

Barnes and Paul provided all those traits in SA's third matchup with Utah. Barnes scored 14 in the second quarter to help keep the team afloat while some guys struggled to find their footing. He shot 8/13 FG, 4/5 3PT, and 4/5 FT to reach a team-high 25 points with 10 rebounds and an assist with no turnovers. His performance was crucial to the team's victory.

Paul just did what the Point God does. He ran the show, empowered his teammates, and when the time came to shut the game down, he pulled the lever, turned out the lights, and sent the Jazz home. CP3 had 13 points, ten assists, five rebounds, and two steals. Eleven of those points came in the fourth quarter. That's how you close, and it's exactly what the young guys need to see.

Stud group 2: Young guards getting it done

Speaking of young guys, it's nice to have Tre Jones back in the lineup. He's provided another steady hand for acting head coach Mitch Johnson—who has done a great job in Pop's absence—to dispense in several lineups. Minus the one head-scratching turnover when it seemed Jones thought Utah's players were permeable and he could just pass the ball directly through them, he was great.

He only played 18 minutes but scored 11 points by shooting 50% from the field and getting to the free-throw line eight times. He only hit five of them, but his aggression was welcome. He tacked on three rebounds and two assists to his time on the floor and, notably, took minutes from Blake Wesley and Malaki Branham. That's just about as important as anything else.

Stephon Castle continues to play like a star in the making. It wasn't his most efficient outing, but he tied Zach Collins as the second-leading scorer with 18 points. He was 5-5 from the free-throw line and added six assists, three rebounds, one steal, and one block. It's his ability to impact the game in every area that makes this kid special when you combine it with his unwavering poise.

He was never shaken after missing a shot. He kept coming and was instrumental in closing the game alongside Chris Paul and the guys. Watching him grow is going to be a treat for Spurs fans for years to come.

Stud group 3: Backup bigs played big

The Jazz played without Walker Kessler, and that is a mammoth of a human being that they missed. The first quarter was by far the worst for San Antonio. They only scored 17 points, but if you look hard enough, there is a positive to be taken from that period and his name is Zach Collins. The source of much angst in the Spurs' fan base scored nine of his 18 points in the first frame.

It's hard to know how bad the early blowout gets if he doesn't play like he did. Collins was a force in the paint, scoring over the smaller Utah team. He put five rebounds and a block on the stat sheet to go along with his buckets, and he could have had an even larger impact. Unfortunately, he got into foul trouble due to some ticky-tack calls, limiting a potentially larger night.

The depth of this team shined through, though. Charles Bassey came in and made his presence felt in the most demonstrative way possible. He denied shots left and right, forcing Utah to think twice about attacking the paint. Bassey played 19 of his 27 minutes in the second half. That's where he had four of his six blocks, nine of his 11 points, and eight of his nine rebounds.

After dealing with so many injuries, Charles looks as healthy as ever and it's a joy to have him on the court. He's protected the basket better than anyone ever imagined, especially in Victor Wembanyama's absence. It was a complete team win that fully encapsulates Spurs basketball.

Duds: Spurs' project players

While Blake Wesley and Malaki Branham were both selected in the first round, they were late-round picks in what was universally recognized as a weak draft. In a draft like the upcoming one, they would likely be second-rounders, and that makes them project players. There was a lot of ground for them to cover in an effort to get up to the standards of consistent bench-level players.

Initially, there's no problem with that. You do the best you can with the talent available to you and hope that one of the guys turns into something more than his projection. That hasn't happened for either guy. We're only a couple of years into their careers, but the growth you'd like to see isn't taking place at the rate fans want to see.

Wesley was relegated to four minutes of playing time against Utah, and that's a problem. It's Utah. They are not a good team. Playing so poorly against such a lowly team in your limited time that you can't crack five minutes on the floor is a bad sign. He didn't turn the ball over but didn't contribute much either. He scored one point on three shots and embarrassingly missed a point-blank layup.

Branham wasn't much better. He scored three points on 1-5 shots and 1-3 from beyond the arc. He did add a few rebounds, two assists, and a steal to his stats, but overall, his performance fell flat. He was caught in bad defensive positions several times and hung his head after missing buckets the Ohio-born guard thought he should have made. It's just not good.

Fortunately, the coach Johnson pulled the plug on those guys fairly quickly and his decision to go with the others led to the first 20-point comeback victory for the Spurs this season. There's a lot to build on for the Silver and Black. Wembanyama and Devin Vassell should be back soon. Hopefully, they'll be there for the next game vs. the Warriors.

One thing is for sure: whether they're there or not, Golden State better be prepared for a fight. San Antonio is starting to believe, and belief is a monster not easily silenced.