Southwest Notes: Wembanyama vs. Holmgren, Pelicans, McCollum, H. Jones, Huff

Two of the best young big men in the league will face off tonight thunder Host the Spurswrites Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Victor Wembanyama was a unanimous choice for the Rookie of the Year award last season Chet Holmgren all but one runner-up received. Even her teammates are looking forward to the first meeting of the new season.

“Two big guys are at work” Zach Collins said. “You don’t see that much anymore, so it’s fun to watch. Somehow it feels very old-fashioned, two big guys against each other, two heavyweights, and it seems like these two guys like this matchup and are taking it personally.”

They faced each other three times last season and posted similar numbers to OKC's two wins. Wembanyama averaged 20.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 3.7 blocks and 1.0 steals in their head-to-head duels, while Holmgren averaged 16.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.0 steals countered. According to Orsborn, San Antonio's victory in February came on a night when Wembanyama was all but assured of the ROY vote. He scored 28 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, five blocks and two steals, then punctuated the win by shouting a profanity into the home microphone.

“It’s fun to be a part of it and it’s good to see Vic has that motivation to compete against (Holmgren) and try to come out on top.” Collins added.

There's more from the Southwest Division:

• trainer Willie Green wants that Pelicans According to NOLA's Christian Clark, the team needs to shoot at least 40 three-pointers per game, but the team isn't coming close to that mark. New Orleans shot just 9 of 22 in Tuesday's loss at Golden State Trey Murphy This contributes to the lack of three-point attempts. Clark notes that the offense hasn't really lived up to expectations since then CJ McCollum was acquired to work with him Zion Williamson And Brandon Ingram. The Pelicans added another playmaker through the trade Dejounte Murray this summer, but suffered a fracture in his left hand in the season opener.
• According to Andrew Lopez (Twitter link), McCollum will undergo an MRI tonight to determine what is causing the pain in his right adductor/hip joint. The Pelicans I expect an update on Thursday. Herbert Jones Medical imaging of his right shoulder was performed Tuesday evening, Lopez added. The results were negative and he is being tested daily.
• Jay Huff's new four-year contract with the Grizzlies includes a prorated minimum salary for the remainder of the season, a source told HoopsHype's Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link). Huff is scheduled to receive $2.4 million in 2025-26 and $2.7 million in 2026-27 with $379,382 guaranteed. Memphis receives a $3 million team option for 2027-28 with $427,323 guaranteed. Gozlan notes that the Grizzlies are now $1.8 million under the tax limit and have $8.6 million left in their mid-level non-taxpayer exception.