The Spurs’ Saturday evening match up with the Pelicans was played at just below preseason-level intensity. Missing their all-world center and most of the rest of their big man rotation, the Pelicans were in trouble from the tip. The Spurs came into the game without one of their own stars, because DeMar DeRozan sat out to rest a sore knee, but with plenty of depth on the bench ready to fill in.
Part of that depth, rookie Lonnie Walker IV, got the first meaningful minutes of his young career, providing an extended glimpse of what makes him a special prospect for the organization.