There was some good news in the loss. Atlanta played its best basketball after halftime and pushed back hard in the 4th once the Memphis starters were done for the night. That counts for something in October, but it came against the Grizzlies' second unit. How Quin Snyder splits the minutes in his 2nd exhibition, and whether the veterans play at all, matters more than the final score.
The Spurs have their own absence to deal with. Johnson has said the team won't rush Tobias Harris back from a calf strain. The new veteran forward is out for the entire preseason and questionable for the October 20 opener against Oklahoma City. That opens minutes at forward this month, and Thursday is the first chance to see who takes them. Jayden Quaintance still hasn't been cleared for basketball activities, so he won't help fill that gap either.
Atlanta's frontcourt depth was thinned before camp even started. Henri Veesaar tore his right ACL and is expected to miss the 2026-27 season, and Mouhamed Gueye is coming back from surgery on a fractured left foot. Facing Wembanyama with a short rotation of bigs is a hard way to spend a preseason night, even with the starters on a minutes limit.
In practical terms, this is a scouting night. For San Antonio, watch Wembanyama's role as an organizer and how Johnson covers for Harris. For Atlanta, watch whether McCollum and Dort are cleared and whether the defense that gave up 49 in a quarter looks tighter. Neither team is 0-0 in any way that matters yet.