Player Grades from Spurs' Play-In Loss to Pelicans

Zach Collins

As Pop stuck with a shorter rotation against New Orleans, Zach Collins was another bench player that didn't get quite as much burn as I'd liked to have seen. But out of the gate, he was aggressive and crafty, working hard for a score over Jonas Valanciunas with 2:30 to go in the first quarter.

Overall, he just wasn't the best fit to match up with New Orleans' bigs and finished the game with just five points in 17 minutes. With Zach still having played just 29 games since returning from a year-and-a-half-long injury, he gets the benefit of the doubt for now, but he'll have to prove once again that he can still be a factor in these types of games going forward.

Grade: C +

Tre Jones

Without being used too heavily, Tre Jones did what he does best against the Pelicans: take care of the basketball, make smart reads, and lock in on defense. He finished the game without a turnover for the sixth time in his last eight games.

Maybe the most notable play of Tre's night came with 6:30 remaining in the second quarter when Devin Vassell swung the ball to him in the right corner before he knocked down a three without hesitation. While he shot dreadfully from beyond the arc on the season (19.6%), seeing him take that kind of look and not pass it up in a meaningful situation bodes well for his development in that area.

And the more he can shoot the three, the more relevant he'll be in games like this going forward.

Grade: B

It was a rough night for the Spurs overall, but credit must also be given to New Orleans for taking many guys out of this game.