San Antonio has its own issue at forward. Tobias Harris's calf won't be ready for the opener, and Mitch Johnson had already said the Spurs wouldn't rush him. They signed Harris in free agency for 2 years and $30 million to be a veteran body in the frontcourt, so for now the minutes behind Wembanyama go to someone younger. Jayden Quaintance still hasn't been cleared for basketball activities. The Spurs' preseason was more about getting reps than piling up wins, and they dropped the opener 116-123 to Atlanta on October 8.
The basketball question is simple. Can Oklahoma City's guards and wings, with Gilgeous-Alexander running the show, keep winning the possession battle the way they do while San Antonio has a 7-foot-4 problem standing in the middle of the floor? With Holmgren and Hartenstein both cleared, the Thunder get their full answer. That's 2 bigs who can make Wembanyama work at both ends, and with Jaylin Williams back there's real depth behind them instead of the thin rotation it looked like last week.
For San Antonio, the question is whether Fox and the young core can give Wembanyama enough help to make this a real fight with the champs-in-waiting, especially with Harris in street clothes. A home crowd on opening night at Frost Bank Center doesn't hurt. Neither team has played a game that counts yet, so there's no form to lean on. What you get is the matchup the league wanted: Shai against Wemby, with both stars at full strength.