San Antonio Spurs: 6 Preseason Trends that raised our eyebrows

5. Lonnie Walker's underwhelming play

Despite high hopes from fans, Lonnie Walker underperformed during the preseason. To his credit, he did show off increased playmaking ability, averaging 2.4 assists per game. However, he struggled to put the ball in the basket, averaging only 7.4 points on 34.8% field goal shooting in 20.8 minutes per game. 

Considering what's at stake for Walker, a poor start isn't exactly encouraging. Obviously, he still has time to shake off his bad preseason and play well once the season starts. Though, following a full offseason to work on his game, he currently doesn't look better than he did last year.

San Antonio will give him every opportunity to succeed this season and the team, Spurs fans, and his bank account all hope he plays well. However, if he doesn't, San Antonio may be willing to let him leave in restricted free agency rather than invest more time and effort into him.

6. Joshua Primo exceeding expectations

Joshua Primo's preseason debut, in which he scored 17 points in 18 minutes on 7-8 shooting, had Spurs fans buzzing. Although he wasn’t able to replicate that hot shooting performance in the remainder of the preseason, he definitely played well in limited minutes. 

He also appeared confident during his playing time and has been aggressive in looking for his shot, both of which are unusual for an 18-year-old. Additionally, he hit nearly 63.1% of his shots and shot an equally stellar 50% from three during exhibition play en route to averaging 5.8 points in 9.7 minutes. 

Primo also looked solid on the defensive end and looked comfortable playing with the ball in his hands. Overall, the early returns from Primo have definitely looked good, and while he may still spend some time in the G League, he actually appears capable of contributing this season.

Ultimately, there are a number of positives that the Spurs have going for them as they head into the regular season. Spurs fans should keep an eye on whether these trends, as well as some of the negative ones, continue once the season gets underway.