On Wednesday, the Grizzlies travel to the place where even the hottest of teams have the potential of being tripped up due to the Jedi skills of one Coach Popovich. The San Antonio Spurs will enter the game with a record of 8-8, despite dealing with several injuries to key players. You can read more about their squad in my weekly preview HERE.

I reached out to @DylanHCarter, site expert of @AirAlamon, to get his take on some questions regarding the Spurs and their season so far.

How do you feel about the DeRozan-Leonard trade now in comparison to how you felt about it in July?

The trade had to happen, Kawhi had been forcing his way out for months prior to the actual move. DeMar is embracing the culture and adding a major spark to the offense so I’d say it’s worked out well so far.

Do the Spurs miss Tony Parker’s back court presence?

Tony Parker wasn’t very good for the Spurs last year and I think the change of scenery has been very helpful for him. Since Dejounte Murray went down, they probably could’ve used his play making but I don’t think they’re missing him as much as some may think.

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What role players have stepped up and made the best of the situation with the injuries that the Spurs have faced?

Bryn Forbes is playing like a whole new player to start the year, this is by far the most confident I’ve ever seen him. Patty Mills has also been solid to start the year.

Fans are very familiar with some of the veteran Spurs as several of them have played in the league for more than a decade. What young players have you been impressed with and will look to carry the franchise in the future?

We haven’t had a chance to see Lonnie Walker getting playing time in the regular season so it’s going to be exciting to watch him work his way into the rotation. Chimezie Metu doesn’t get many minutes but I love what I’ve seen from him. Derrick White is going to be a big part of this team going forward for his versatility and playmaking.

What are some items that we should pay attention to on Wednesday that will be keys to the game?

Something to watch for in this game is how Popovich reacts to the Grizzlies’ slow tempo style of play but my guess is that whoever ends up defending better is going to win this one.

Feature Image [Bill Baptist/NBAE/Getty Image]

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