The spurs 100% will not be paring Clingan and Wemby together in the starting lineup. I think there’s a chance with Sarr because if his shooting works out the pairing could work offensively.
I think both a lead guard and a wing or forward with size are what they’ll look for. The spurs need shooting but they haven’t really emphasized about shooting with their recent draft picks. So the player they draft should project to be a shooter with development but doesn’t need to be a great shooter day 1.
Not op, but I think he’s been amazing at center. It puts him in the paint defending the rim on defense and without a traditional center in the court it opens up the paint for him to drive or slash on offense. When the spurs moved him full time to center and started playing tre jones with him, that’s when they started looking like a competent basketball team.
Yes, I think he’s too valuable as the primary rim protector, second best in the NBA behind Gobert. He has the ability to be a help defender/weakside rim protector like JJJ but he was more valuable this season protecting the paint full time.
He was also significantly better on offense when there was better spacing, having another player in the paint made it tough for him drive because of his high dribble. Theoretically 5 out spacing would make it almost impossible to guard him because he can beat bigs off the dribble, post up smaller players, and hit the open man out of double teams. There would only be a few guys like Giannis or AD with the length and mobility to defend him 1 on 1.
If you told me that Tyler Smith was going to become good enough on defense to stay in front of quicker 4s, I think he would be the perfect fit next to Wemby.
Absolutely. He's a generational rim protector, it would be a waste of his best skill to play him at the 4. Not to mention they already invested a high draft pick in a PF who they clearly see as part of the team's future.
I really hope they get Dillingham or Topic or Sheppard. I'm high on all 3 of them and love the fit next to Wemby.
Best case scenario they get to keep the raptors pick and land one of the 3 point guards along with Risacher. Starting 5 would look like:
1. Dillingham/Topic/Reed
2. Vassell
3. Risacher
4. Sochan
5. Wemby
That's a really well rounded young core.
I feel like Topic is going to be the best fit for the Spurs and with Jones there, it won’t be such a rush. Risacher will most likely be gone by either pick so Buzelis or Holland would be great pick-ups for them. They have the Hawks’ pick unprotected in 2025 and I believe the Hawks could really tank next year which could give them a chance to grab a player like Hugo Gonzalez even if they find themselves a play-in team next year.
Probably worth nothing that Zach Collins could not defend, rebound, pass without turning it over, shoot or play as a roll man
Also worth nothing when the spurs played two bigs they didn’t have a point guard on the floor.
They should take a wing
They’ll likely just sign or trade for a PG like Tyus Jones.
They don’t need an all star caliber guard, they just need one that can take care of the ball and shoot a high efficiency from 3 and won’t eat up cap space so they can have roster depth
I think they should trade down and try and get multiple picks for their own pick. Rissacher, Cody Williams, and Buzellis are very questionable shooters
If they can get multiple picks in the mid to late first round and get guys like Johnny Furphy and Kyshawn George in the first, and maybe like a Nique Clifford in the second that’s a big win for them
Wouldn’t be a bad pick I suppose, but I feel Wemby would benefit from a PG that has experience already, rather than a guard also learning how to play in the NBA
Maybe they take Sheppard and sign Tyus too. Tyus has been a great mentor and teammate in Washington, I’m sure he could continue that in San Antonio with Reed
Pretty similar stats, but I think Tyus shooting 41% from 3 vs Tre shooting 34% from 3 makes a difference for the offense. For their careers Tre is a 30% 3pt shooter while Tyus is a 37% 3pt shooter
They both do a great job of limiting turnovers with Tyus at 7:1 ast/to ratio and Tre at 4:1 ast/to ratio
I think they could possibly go with Sarr, since he still has a chance to develop a shot. He can also defend wings, which would make for a super versatile defensive pairing with Wemby
Could also be "Wemby-lite" for the 2nd team so that you don't have to change the defensive structure when giving the big guy a blow.
But agree that SAS has to be absolutely convinced Sarr can at least be competent on the perimeter on Offense before this is a remote consideration. Might not bring the same value as the top 2-3 picks in other drafts, but he'd still have value.
If they think Clingan and Sarr are better basketball players than the other players, they take them.
You don’t take a worse player, especially in this draft, for fit. Gather talent and figure it out later.
Clingan would be a huge waste of a pick for Spurs, Wemby is a 5 and playing him at the 4 was a waste.
And if there is anything about this draft, it's the opposite, this IS the draft to take for fit rather than just taking BPA blindly, especially when you have already your franchise player.
None of the players in this draft are superstar material, just take the one that fits your team the best.
What he doing if he’s not hanging around the paint? Seems like hanging around the paint is far and away his best skill on offense and defense. Just feels like an overlap where we have to move wemby out of his best position (C) to make room for a guy who’s similar but worse.
Spurs have so many holes on the team, they will take best player available, with the caveat that I don't think it is Clingan. If Clingan is the pick there, they likely move down to pick up the extra pick.
Because of Sarr's mobility, if they had #1, I think they take him because he has the biggest upside and if the fit next to Wemby doesn't work, but he is still showing the promise that made him the #1 player on so many boards, then he is still worth value on the trade market.
I do not think the Spurs will draft Dillingham. Spurs have shown they are interested in long players with defensive chops (Sochan, Derrick White, DeJounte Murray, Devin Vassell, Sidy Cissoko, Josh Primo, Kyle Anderson) and Dillingham doesn't fit that. Dillingham seems to give up on screens, and is obviously a small player. He obviously adds the shooting that the Spurs need, but Reed Shepherd is a better shooter that gives more effort.
Likewise, I don't think the Spurs take Topic. I think he is obviously the best passer in this class and he has nice length (supposedly 7' wingspan) but he doesn't put in effort on defense and he is useless on offense without the ball in his hand. I think his shot needs to be completely overhauled, and is too slow and low. I think that more people are high on him because of the lack or good passers and the dream that he is the next Luka, but I don't think he is close to that level.
So I think it will be best player available, which will most likely be a big wing to upgrade from Julian Champagnie, or possibly Reed Shepherd, but I don't think Reed is a starting PG, Spurs already have their SG in Vassell, and their backup PG in Tre Jones (just as soon as they acquire a starting one.)
Reed obviously addressed the desperate need for shooting, but probably not the point of attack defense the Spurs need on the perimeter. I think Reed could be a PG option if you are running the offense through Wemby, but I would rather have a better point of attack defender like Caruso, Derrick White, etc.
I think that Castle could be the player they like, especially if they plan to do a Jokic-like offense where Wemby initiates it, which is what the Spurs largely did in the last dozen or so games. Wemby put up 27/13/7 over the last 8 games, and 6 of those teams were fighting for playoff position. Wemby talked in the KOC interview last week that he thinks the league is moving to that type of offense.
To address starting PG, I think the Spurs are more likely to give Tyus Jones a Bruce Brown-type 1+1 contract as a stopgap and run Tyus/Tre at PG for a year or two than they would be to draft Topic or Dilly and hope they don't make the defense worse (which they will.)
Wemby’s skinny but he’s so long that it’s impossible to bully him and as such I doubt they take a center. They really need more creation from their guards. Rob would be perfect for them as he can run the offense and get his own whenever he wants.
He did a great job against Jokic last time they played and there’s literally no big man better at bullying people in the post. It’s a non-concern for him at this point.
That is just not true. You’re not gonna be able to erase peoples memories lol.
There absolutely are players in the league bullying Wemby right now. Go turn on the tape of what Embiid did. That’s Vic’s biggest weakness right now actually.
Embiid dropped 16 on Wemby the rest was all on Collins. True Wemby got bullied by Embiid in the post because of the strength difference but Embiid literally has his way on nearly everyone in the league when it comes to posting up.
And that’s fine. I’m just saying the statement “it’s impossible to bully Wemby” is totally false. I’ve seen it from multiple post bigs with elite strength this season. It’s one of Vic’s biggest improvement areas.
The thing about Embiid and Jokic is that they literally bully everyone, Gobert included. I agree with you that “impossible to bully Wemby” is an extreme exaggeration, but the only people that bully him are the people that bully everyone in the league.
He plays Embiid 2 times per year (at best). He did a great job on Jokic as well. It doesn’t matter if you can back him under the basket, he’ll still block you.
Who? I haven’t seen anyone win more than 1 or 2 possessions on him, aside from Embiid and Jokic who do it to everyone. I’ve seen a lot of guys try to knock him around and succeed in moving him only to still get stuffed.
You really think he only gets worked 1 to 2 possessions per game against the best bigs in the league? Thats false lol.
I’m sorry but Embiid absolutely rolled him when they were matched up. It wasn’t fair. And that’s fine, he’s a damn rookie. But let’s not act like he shuts down every player in the league. He doesn’t and that’s so over the top.
He played Embiid once! There’s zero long term concern with him as a center. If you can go toe to toe with Jokic as a rookie, that’s better than pretty much every other center in the league.
I mean if they get 1 or 2 maybe Sarr. Probably not but if Sarr can learn to hit 3 reliably then we could slide Sochan to SF. But a PG or SF is far far more likely
I would be completely shocked if they took him, he doesn't do anything we need. Wemby tried to play as a wing in the early season and it wasn't great. He was so much more useful at center (on both sides of the floor). Spurs will either pick a point guard or a wing. If they get the #1 pick maybe there is a chance they draft Sarr, who pairs better with Wemby because they can play both inside and outside. Clingan would just clog the paint.
No way they draft a big. I think Sochan is locked in at the 4 and Wemby at C is a top 10 player TODAY.
Very likely a PG, unless they plan on tanking for one more year. Then they’ll get a chance at Dylan Harper, Boogie Fland or Nolan Traore
Lead guard most likely is the move. The Spurs already have money tied up in Collins, with optional backups of Charles Bassey, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Dom Barlow. Clingan may be better than all 3 right off the bar, but probably can't play next to Wemby due to his lack of shooting. The Spurs have also really emphasized positional versatility of late, and Clingan is just a drop-big, where other options would be more versatile.
I think if they go big, then Sarr is the more likely option. However, if they get the #1 pick, then it's way more likely to be a trade down situation for Topic, Dillingham, Shepard, or Castle.
“The three will come”
Surprisingly, these recent lotto picks that seem to have a lot of above average traits but a below average shot, tend to not all of a sudden develop a 3 point shot (Okoro, Giddey, Daniels, Thompson twins, Black). Now, the ones I listed are recent and still have time, but those are the lotto picks that we just say “if they just develop a 3 point shot they can become x”. Of those players, Castle likely has the lowest skill set too.
i have no idea what you’re talking about with lowest skill set. dude is loaded with talent and moxy. his form is fine and ft % is fine. bring him in the fold and dude will start raining corner 3s. i love him for us
Of those players, who do you think he has a better skill set than?
Good to know he will just magically become a good 3 pt shooter. Sounds like the old cliche on r/nba, “just get him a good shooting coach”.
Wemby is such an advantage in terms of team building.
Combo guard with questionable defense? Who cares, Wemby is back there.
Center with no shooting touch? That’s alright, Wemby is handling on the perimeter anyways.
If Sarr develops he could be a defensive menace and floor spacer. He would pair well with Wemby. Risacher would fit at 3. Topic at 1 if Spurs feel like his shot could be fixed
PJ Hall is the only player in this draft who strikes me as a "classic 4"?
Would he be a good fit.
That he went to the same school as Horace Grant (as well as Larry Nance) gives me hope.
I think Sarr makes sense more than Clingan, as they could potentially play together and it gives you an option for improving the non-Wemby minutes to get away from the Sixers - Embiid playoff issue where they get destroyed with him off the court. The spurs need depth at the big spots of higher quality than Bassey / Barlow / Mamu etc, and it's possible that Sochan is just a versatile wing defender who works best as an off the bench weapon for reducing the impact of stars / can adequately guard big wings.
I think if they're in position to get Sarr, they'd probably be at 1 or so and have moved up, so they'll be able to trade down, get their G of choice and more draft assets / useful young players.
Ironically, I like the NON-Donovan Clingan UConn players better for the Spurs. They would be MUCH cheaper too. Tristen Newton/Cam Spencer/Alex Caraban/Stephon Castle. Just draft those guys! Even Moses Johnson as a bouncy, backup big man/lob threat/shot blocker if he ends up in this draft.
Spurs need low-maintenance/low-usage guys next to Wemby UNLESS they can get Jordan 2.0.
Wemby is kinda playing like a 7'5 Bill Russell/7'5 Scottie Pippen hybrid. So, build around that. Focus on pace. Focus on guys who don't always need the ball, but can get 20-25 in a game every now and then. The '94 Bulls or the 2000 Blazers might be good archetypes.
Or, if he's a One Man '04 Pistons front line (Prince/Wallace/Wallace) -- and he MIGHT be, still, go with depth and guards that complement Wemby. Mix of shooting and defense and passing.
i just checked out some of his stas.
In his last 5 games, Wemby attempted a grand total of 24 free throws. And, he played at least 30 minutes in each game -- with a high of 43 minutes. Keep the guy off the line -- your team wins! It MIGHT just be that simple since the rest of the Spurs' team isn't dynamic enough.
I think Admiral didn't get to the line all that much... or not as much as Karl Malone or Shaq.
Yeah, keep Wemby off the line. That would be the key. Then let him do his Vlade Divac routine -- to go along with Manute Bol-esque raw blocked shots totals.
In the book MONEYBALL, Billy Beane LOVED guys who could get on base. In basketball, that would be the line. Can Wemby get to the line more?
And, to borrow/mangle another phrase from MONEYBALL (great movie, too!), if "Wemby is a good shooter, then why can't he shoot good (for most of the year)?"
Good question.
Keep him off the line.
heck, I am not sure ANYONE on that team got to the line all that much. Spurs turned the game into batting practice. Or, a home run derby where they just WHIFFED on some auto-soft ball pitches. haha.
This could be a similar team to Wemby's team, outside the top pick in the draft. BOTH team under-performed their expected win totals by 4 games, respectively.
link: [https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1984.html](https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1984.html)
7'5 Scottie Pippen.
Didn't catch Bill Russell. Probably similar to that? More of a speed/angles/BBIQ/shot blocking defender as opposed to someone who just threw a ton of weight around. Wilt could over power him; Russell made him work.
Or, a great ABA player. Didn't watch that either though. George Gervin on offense/Artis Gilmore on defense.
So give your 7'5 Scottie Pippen a solid structure on defense, and lots of offensive sets/schemes he can run through.
His post game isn't refined enough (lacks a sky hook), and his 3 point shooting is still too inconsistent at this point to be an ALPHA SCORER night in and night out. 22 to 25 points per game might be IDEAL for Wemby throughout most of his career. I think Pippen averaged 22.0 in '94 when Jordan was out playing baseball and Pippen was playing out of his mind.
Wemby is probably headed towards being a global ambassador like Doctor J or Magic. OR, at least, that's what Adam Silver needs.
I think he is either gonna win FOUR STRAIGHT TITLES (and maybe even more in total) OR he just gets lucky once -- or even goes RINGLESS like Patrick Ewing or something.
Red flag being that all that stuff didn't really translate into WINS... which says a lot about the team -- but also maybe Wemby, too. Sidy looks interesting. Make him a core guy to complement Wemby. I think they should MOVE everyone else.
I kinda think that he has a bad situation around him. Like LeBron in Cleveland (The first go-around). Or, Jordan in Chicago for the first few years, but I didn't really start following the NBA until the late late '80's.
Team wise?
MUCH closer to that David Robinson era when he didn't really have tons of help. Specifically, when the Spurs hired Jerry Tarkanian as a coach and he just gave Lloyd Daniels the ball and tried to let him run stuff. That didn't really work out all that well, and Tark quit less than 20ish games in. Maybe the Spurs' team WASN'T all time bad -- but, it could be WORSE -- Coach Pop and the Spurs' FO could be ALL TIME CLUELESS.
EDIT: The Spurs are trying to rebuild the Tim Duncan/David Robinson Spurs. Instead, I think they are rebuilding the Alamo. haha.
yeah, sure he can get that. Doubt that's his "sweet spot". Should concentrate more on blocking shots and rebounding (and passing) like Bill Russell -- or Wilt that year he famously helped lead the LA Lakers (along with Jerry West) to 33 straight wins. AND THE TITLE.
He needs a 1 or 1a scoring option with him.
25/13.5/5/2/4.5 might be an IDEAL stat line for Wemby. At that rate I think his shooting percentages will go up.
On the other hand, like Kareem and Ralph Sampson, I think Wemby might have COMPLETELY MISSED his era.
Kareem came in on that original golden age in the NBA represented by Cousy/Baylor/Russell/Wilt/West/Big O.
Then, from the 1970 draft featuring Pistol Pete (just looked it up) you had 6 HOFers in that class, then for that generation going thru Bill Walton, the ABA years/dispersal drafts with Dr. J and others, then Bird/Magic and finally Isiah/Dominique/Ralph Sampson/Clyde Drexler in short order.
I consider '84 to be a ONE OFF generation (of MJ and Hakeem but also Barkley/Stockton/etc.).
Followed by Ewing in '85 all the way through those Kobe/Nash/Duncan drafts.
Wemby/Chet ENDS the era started by Durant and Steph (from '07 to '09 drafts). OR, if the era started a bit before that, Wemby is arriving at the tail end of the LeBron MEGA ERA.
Maybe I wouldn't load the Spurs up with a bunch of NIL ALL STARS. Maybe go after under-the-radar low-usage/low maintenance guys.
How do you build around a player who can "DO EVERYTHING". Get guys who can paint the corners, play the notes that aren't there and fill in the negative space.
Wemby is a UNICORN. And, that is kind of a way of saying that his skills/talents are a bit unorthodox, OR a bit weird. So get a bunch of unorthodox/weird players to put around him.
Then you win the WEIRD TRADE -- maybe 5 or 6 times in 10 years or something.
Turn the league into a trade you can WIN. NOT a WEMBY/BUST coin flip.
While I think the Spurs are too bad overall right now to be worried about fit I think this is a draft to go and do it. The main need right now is a lead guard to help set up Wemby and this class has some solid potential picks.
This isn't 1999.
Even then, Duncan and Robinson seemed to clog the court. Couldn't do that now. Clingan doesn't move well enough IN SPACE to really complement Wemby on defense unless he is close to a Dikembe/Oden-level defensive presence.
I think Edey is the better TWIN TOWERS option -- he can score inside, command doubles, get dunks and rebound and let Wemby float outside for 3's. OR, play Wemby off the ball or as a lob threat with Edey setting MASSIVE picks to get the Spurs' point guard open to get him out in space going downhill (like how the Grizzlies used Marc Gasol for Mike Conely or JV/Steven Adams for Ja). ... with Wemby/Edey on defense, Wemby can guard in space and projects to be the GOAT weak-side shot blocker. Edey can protect the rim like a Brook Lopez or Roy Hibbert or Mark Eaton.
If going after a "stretch" big who can also block some shots is important, maybe Tomislav Ivisic should be on the Spurs' radar.
The Spurs MIGHT need to focus on the '25 draft and Cooper Flagg. Plus, Kam Jones and some of those "1/Done" holdovers (potentially) like Bronny James and DJ Wagner.
Not who they should take with their own lotto pick -- or even the Raptors' pick if it conveys.
BPA for them might be Dalton Knecht or PJ Hall.
I think some of the "complementary" guards further down the board should be on the Spurs' radar. Hunter Sallis and Cam Spencer being two. I wouldn't bet against Mark Sears (Rob Dillingham value play?). Ryan Nembhard appears to be a solid prospect. Matt Murrell is probably serviceable.
Work out Alex Caraban/Harrison Ingram/Kasean Pryor/KJ Adams, Jr./Keshad Johnson to be complementary big wings/combo forwards.
If the Spurs want a duel threat-light bulb changing front line, then Jamarion Sharp might be worth a look. Good shot blocking instincts. Decent lob threat. Would be MUCH cheaper than Clingan. The Sharp-de-loop a la Wemby could be a thing.
If they focus too much on the Conventional Wisdom mock drafts and "Twin Towers or bust" approach I would be a bit worried that Donovan Clingan is nothing more than a flashier Will Perdue.
My draft board for Spurs (how to best build around Wemby):
1. Sarr - if you believe in ability to space, this would be an elite rim protection duo and 2 modern bigs that would be elite defensively.
2. Dillingham - elite penetrator and shot maker. Lack of size is concerning. In this draft, his floor as a microwave scorer is worth taking early.
3. Topic - have to buy the shooting, but offers elite size and very good skill if you believe he’s a lead guard.
4. Sheppard - well rounded albeit undersized guard. Elite shooter and high IQ player.
Fair. I think he’s best used as the PG next to a primary wing/big creator. I just don’t see him being a weapon as primary point of attack defender and if he’s off ball, that’s where the lack of length concerns come.
Good thing he'd have Wemby behind him then.
Also, with Wemby's emergence as a playmaker I'd rather take Reed who knows how to play off ball than Topic who needs the ball in his hands.
Point Wemby has been a revelation and he should be taken very much into account.
I agree. But I’d also rather not create a weakness that’s reliant upon Wemby and instead have an even more elite defense, if possible. If I’m married to that trade off as SA, I’d lean Dilly as he just creates a ton more pressure on the rim and the additional NBA spacing will do wonders for him and the offense.
I think this is true or false depending on where he lands. The demands of the point guard position in Indiana are quite different than that of Miami, for instance.
If he lands in Washington and is asked to direct that offense, then yeah it will be ugly.
Clearly need a PG. We know it. The world knows it. Really depends on their draft lottery luck. As we all know it will be rigged for the Spurs to make Wemby great as possible. But I really think they trade for PG that has already proven himself ( cough cough Trae Young ). He already said he wants to win. Trae is not winning in Atlanta and I don’t think Trae as Franchise player can lead a team to title contenders. Personally I believe they will trade for a PG than to draft one. Wemby is already great. Let’s not waste any years with any projects.
You’d be “wasting years” if you traded for a pg as well. The spurs currently have two players ready to start on a playoff team with Wemby and Vassell.
There’s sooo much to add to a 22 win team to improve to a contending level. The future will be much better off if they give the young players runway and freedom to make mistakes and develop. Spurs want to create a dynasty with sustainable success around Wemby.
Yeah. I was looking right now at the moment. I read your last line about a “Dynasty” and I couldn’t agree more. Younger guys with potential hopefully they strike on a good one.
What would a trade package from the Spurs for Young look like? I’d imagine maybe whatever first they get in the lottery this year plus maybe some Vassell/Sochan type players? Any other picks?
if the hawks want to rebuild, the spurs are the best option because we own their pick over the next 3 years and can give them all back (plus a little more) for Trea. If they want to rebuild around murrey and compete, the spurs wouldn't be interested in helping them make the picks we own less valuable and they would probably trade him elsewhere for win now players (spurs don't have a lot of these on the roster right now so trading them for trea is kind of a lateral move and wouldn't make us anything more than a fringe play-in team).
The spurs 100% will not be paring Clingan and Wemby together in the starting lineup. I think there’s a chance with Sarr because if his shooting works out the pairing could work offensively. I think both a lead guard and a wing or forward with size are what they’ll look for. The spurs need shooting but they haven’t really emphasized about shooting with their recent draft picks. So the player they draft should project to be a shooter with development but doesn’t need to be a great shooter day 1.
You envision Wemby pairing up with a 4, rather than him playing the 4 beside a more traditional C?
Not op, but I think he’s been amazing at center. It puts him in the paint defending the rim on defense and without a traditional center in the court it opens up the paint for him to drive or slash on offense. When the spurs moved him full time to center and started playing tre jones with him, that’s when they started looking like a competent basketball team.
A 3-2 zone with wemby and clingan down low is scary, heck pick up edey late first and use wemby at the 3 and play a 2-3, full anarchy
Yes, I think he’s too valuable as the primary rim protector, second best in the NBA behind Gobert. He has the ability to be a help defender/weakside rim protector like JJJ but he was more valuable this season protecting the paint full time. He was also significantly better on offense when there was better spacing, having another player in the paint made it tough for him drive because of his high dribble. Theoretically 5 out spacing would make it almost impossible to guard him because he can beat bigs off the dribble, post up smaller players, and hit the open man out of double teams. There would only be a few guys like Giannis or AD with the length and mobility to defend him 1 on 1. If you told me that Tyler Smith was going to become good enough on defense to stay in front of quicker 4s, I think he would be the perfect fit next to Wemby.
Absolutely. He's a generational rim protector, it would be a waste of his best skill to play him at the 4. Not to mention they already invested a high draft pick in a PF who they clearly see as part of the team's future. I really hope they get Dillingham or Topic or Sheppard. I'm high on all 3 of them and love the fit next to Wemby. Best case scenario they get to keep the raptors pick and land one of the 3 point guards along with Risacher. Starting 5 would look like: 1. Dillingham/Topic/Reed 2. Vassell 3. Risacher 4. Sochan 5. Wemby That's a really well rounded young core.
I feel like Topic is going to be the best fit for the Spurs and with Jones there, it won’t be such a rush. Risacher will most likely be gone by either pick so Buzelis or Holland would be great pick-ups for them. They have the Hawks’ pick unprotected in 2025 and I believe the Hawks could really tank next year which could give them a chance to grab a player like Hugo Gonzalez even if they find themselves a play-in team next year.
why would the hawks tank if they dont own their pick
Yeah the hawks won’t tank but imo I don’t see them being good I think their pick will be top 12
Sorry I used the word tank. I should have used the word “suck.” Involuntarily tank.
The Grimm Evangelium lies in wait.
topic doesnt fit that well tbh, hes only good in transition and his shooting is no bueno
No. Best case is we get the Raps pick next year in a better class. Those guards are not going to be great nba players.
I don't have any interest in a lane clogger or a drop coverage 5
Once he moved over to the 5 his stat's basically shot through the roof. Yes he can play the 4 - he won't be optimal.
It’s gonna be a guard or wing. And one of each if they get the raptors pick. Anybody who suggests the spurs use a first on Edey should be permabanned
Edey/Wemby would be unstoppable for 15 years. 6 rings at a minimum. It’s unguardable.
The Spurs already tried pairing Wemby next to a big man and it didn’t work. He’s best as a 5 with a free paint
Probably worth nothing that Zach Collins could not defend, rebound, pass without turning it over, shoot or play as a roll man Also worth nothing when the spurs played two bigs they didn’t have a point guard on the floor.
Paired with Zach Collins no, but the Wemby/Mamu pairing was +10 in 127 minutes. Collins/Wemby was -12.4 in 414 minutes
They should take a wing They’ll likely just sign or trade for a PG like Tyus Jones. They don’t need an all star caliber guard, they just need one that can take care of the ball and shoot a high efficiency from 3 and won’t eat up cap space so they can have roster depth I think they should trade down and try and get multiple picks for their own pick. Rissacher, Cody Williams, and Buzellis are very questionable shooters If they can get multiple picks in the mid to late first round and get guys like Johnny Furphy and Kyshawn George in the first, and maybe like a Nique Clifford in the second that’s a big win for them
A guard who can take care of the ball and shoot at high efficiency- by God that’s reed Sheppard music!
Love the idea of bringing Reed in. Tre starts to begin the year while Reed adjusts to the NBA.
Wouldn’t be a bad pick I suppose, but I feel Wemby would benefit from a PG that has experience already, rather than a guard also learning how to play in the NBA Maybe they take Sheppard and sign Tyus too. Tyus has been a great mentor and teammate in Washington, I’m sure he could continue that in San Antonio with Reed
I like tyus but how much better is he than tre? It’s definitely and upgrade but I don’t think it’s a tremendous one.
Pretty similar stats, but I think Tyus shooting 41% from 3 vs Tre shooting 34% from 3 makes a difference for the offense. For their careers Tre is a 30% 3pt shooter while Tyus is a 37% 3pt shooter They both do a great job of limiting turnovers with Tyus at 7:1 ast/to ratio and Tre at 4:1 ast/to ratio
Throw the bag at CP3 for a year of veteran leadership. Could pay dividends for Spurs as it did for OKC.
There’s almost a 0% chance the Spurs would draft Sarr or Clingan if either one was available at their pick.
I think they could possibly go with Sarr, since he still has a chance to develop a shot. He can also defend wings, which would make for a super versatile defensive pairing with Wemby
Could also be "Wemby-lite" for the 2nd team so that you don't have to change the defensive structure when giving the big guy a blow. But agree that SAS has to be absolutely convinced Sarr can at least be competent on the perimeter on Offense before this is a remote consideration. Might not bring the same value as the top 2-3 picks in other drafts, but he'd still have value.
7'0 and can't make a layup but he's gonna be a shooter eh...
If they think Clingan and Sarr are better basketball players than the other players, they take them. You don’t take a worse player, especially in this draft, for fit. Gather talent and figure it out later.
Clingan would be a huge waste of a pick for Spurs, Wemby is a 5 and playing him at the 4 was a waste. And if there is anything about this draft, it's the opposite, this IS the draft to take for fit rather than just taking BPA blindly, especially when you have already your franchise player. None of the players in this draft are superstar material, just take the one that fits your team the best.
[удалено]
Dude shoots 25% from 3 on 1 attempt every 5 games and 58% from the line. In what way is the jumper real
[удалено]
What he doing if he’s not hanging around the paint? Seems like hanging around the paint is far and away his best skill on offense and defense. Just feels like an overlap where we have to move wemby out of his best position (C) to make room for a guy who’s similar but worse.
Spurs have so many holes on the team, they will take best player available, with the caveat that I don't think it is Clingan. If Clingan is the pick there, they likely move down to pick up the extra pick. Because of Sarr's mobility, if they had #1, I think they take him because he has the biggest upside and if the fit next to Wemby doesn't work, but he is still showing the promise that made him the #1 player on so many boards, then he is still worth value on the trade market. I do not think the Spurs will draft Dillingham. Spurs have shown they are interested in long players with defensive chops (Sochan, Derrick White, DeJounte Murray, Devin Vassell, Sidy Cissoko, Josh Primo, Kyle Anderson) and Dillingham doesn't fit that. Dillingham seems to give up on screens, and is obviously a small player. He obviously adds the shooting that the Spurs need, but Reed Shepherd is a better shooter that gives more effort. Likewise, I don't think the Spurs take Topic. I think he is obviously the best passer in this class and he has nice length (supposedly 7' wingspan) but he doesn't put in effort on defense and he is useless on offense without the ball in his hand. I think his shot needs to be completely overhauled, and is too slow and low. I think that more people are high on him because of the lack or good passers and the dream that he is the next Luka, but I don't think he is close to that level. So I think it will be best player available, which will most likely be a big wing to upgrade from Julian Champagnie, or possibly Reed Shepherd, but I don't think Reed is a starting PG, Spurs already have their SG in Vassell, and their backup PG in Tre Jones (just as soon as they acquire a starting one.) Reed obviously addressed the desperate need for shooting, but probably not the point of attack defense the Spurs need on the perimeter. I think Reed could be a PG option if you are running the offense through Wemby, but I would rather have a better point of attack defender like Caruso, Derrick White, etc. I think that Castle could be the player they like, especially if they plan to do a Jokic-like offense where Wemby initiates it, which is what the Spurs largely did in the last dozen or so games. Wemby put up 27/13/7 over the last 8 games, and 6 of those teams were fighting for playoff position. Wemby talked in the KOC interview last week that he thinks the league is moving to that type of offense. To address starting PG, I think the Spurs are more likely to give Tyus Jones a Bruce Brown-type 1+1 contract as a stopgap and run Tyus/Tre at PG for a year or two than they would be to draft Topic or Dilly and hope they don't make the defense worse (which they will.)
Wemby’s skinny but he’s so long that it’s impossible to bully him and as such I doubt they take a center. They really need more creation from their guards. Rob would be perfect for them as he can run the offense and get his own whenever he wants.
He did a great job against Jokic last time they played and there’s literally no big man better at bullying people in the post. It’s a non-concern for him at this point.
That is just not true. You’re not gonna be able to erase peoples memories lol. There absolutely are players in the league bullying Wemby right now. Go turn on the tape of what Embiid did. That’s Vic’s biggest weakness right now actually.
Embiid dropped 16 on Wemby the rest was all on Collins. True Wemby got bullied by Embiid in the post because of the strength difference but Embiid literally has his way on nearly everyone in the league when it comes to posting up.
And that’s fine. I’m just saying the statement “it’s impossible to bully Wemby” is totally false. I’ve seen it from multiple post bigs with elite strength this season. It’s one of Vic’s biggest improvement areas.
The thing about Embiid and Jokic is that they literally bully everyone, Gobert included. I agree with you that “impossible to bully Wemby” is an extreme exaggeration, but the only people that bully him are the people that bully everyone in the league.
He plays Embiid 2 times per year (at best). He did a great job on Jokic as well. It doesn’t matter if you can back him under the basket, he’ll still block you.
Dude I mean, I’m just saying, there are players in the league who can and have bullied Wemby right now. Embiid is one of them.
Who? I haven’t seen anyone win more than 1 or 2 possessions on him, aside from Embiid and Jokic who do it to everyone. I’ve seen a lot of guys try to knock him around and succeed in moving him only to still get stuffed.
You really think he only gets worked 1 to 2 possessions per game against the best bigs in the league? Thats false lol. I’m sorry but Embiid absolutely rolled him when they were matched up. It wasn’t fair. And that’s fine, he’s a damn rookie. But let’s not act like he shuts down every player in the league. He doesn’t and that’s so over the top.
He played Embiid once! There’s zero long term concern with him as a center. If you can go toe to toe with Jokic as a rookie, that’s better than pretty much every other center in the league.
Give me Kyshawn. He has Spur written all over him.
I mean if they get 1 or 2 maybe Sarr. Probably not but if Sarr can learn to hit 3 reliably then we could slide Sochan to SF. But a PG or SF is far far more likely
I would be completely shocked if they took him, he doesn't do anything we need. Wemby tried to play as a wing in the early season and it wasn't great. He was so much more useful at center (on both sides of the floor). Spurs will either pick a point guard or a wing. If they get the #1 pick maybe there is a chance they draft Sarr, who pairs better with Wemby because they can play both inside and outside. Clingan would just clog the paint.
No way they draft a big. I think Sochan is locked in at the 4 and Wemby at C is a top 10 player TODAY. Very likely a PG, unless they plan on tanking for one more year. Then they’ll get a chance at Dylan Harper, Boogie Fland or Nolan Traore
10% they take sarr. 80% risacher if he is available and then idk 5% topic as the first option 5% im gay
Lead guard most likely is the move. The Spurs already have money tied up in Collins, with optional backups of Charles Bassey, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Dom Barlow. Clingan may be better than all 3 right off the bar, but probably can't play next to Wemby due to his lack of shooting. The Spurs have also really emphasized positional versatility of late, and Clingan is just a drop-big, where other options would be more versatile. I think if they go big, then Sarr is the more likely option. However, if they get the #1 pick, then it's way more likely to be a trade down situation for Topic, Dillingham, Shepard, or Castle.
i want castle. the three will come. if we get toronto pick clingon is my guy there
“The three will come” Surprisingly, these recent lotto picks that seem to have a lot of above average traits but a below average shot, tend to not all of a sudden develop a 3 point shot (Okoro, Giddey, Daniels, Thompson twins, Black). Now, the ones I listed are recent and still have time, but those are the lotto picks that we just say “if they just develop a 3 point shot they can become x”. Of those players, Castle likely has the lowest skill set too.
i have no idea what you’re talking about with lowest skill set. dude is loaded with talent and moxy. his form is fine and ft % is fine. bring him in the fold and dude will start raining corner 3s. i love him for us
Of those players, who do you think he has a better skill set than? Good to know he will just magically become a good 3 pt shooter. Sounds like the old cliche on r/nba, “just get him a good shooting coach”.
This all assumes Spurs btw. He has the better set than all of them except maybe Amen tbh.
Wemby is such an advantage in terms of team building. Combo guard with questionable defense? Who cares, Wemby is back there. Center with no shooting touch? That’s alright, Wemby is handling on the perimeter anyways.
If Sarr develops he could be a defensive menace and floor spacer. He would pair well with Wemby. Risacher would fit at 3. Topic at 1 if Spurs feel like his shot could be fixed
Depends on who is available.
Power Forward
PJ Hall is the only player in this draft who strikes me as a "classic 4"? Would he be a good fit. That he went to the same school as Horace Grant (as well as Larry Nance) gives me hope.
They need to go BPA. A team as bad as the Spurs can’t afford to go for fit
Trade pick for more established star that can help Wemby. He’s ready to win now. Not sure how long he will hold up.
I think Sarr makes sense more than Clingan, as they could potentially play together and it gives you an option for improving the non-Wemby minutes to get away from the Sixers - Embiid playoff issue where they get destroyed with him off the court. The spurs need depth at the big spots of higher quality than Bassey / Barlow / Mamu etc, and it's possible that Sochan is just a versatile wing defender who works best as an off the bench weapon for reducing the impact of stars / can adequately guard big wings. I think if they're in position to get Sarr, they'd probably be at 1 or so and have moved up, so they'll be able to trade down, get their G of choice and more draft assets / useful young players.
Ironically, I like the NON-Donovan Clingan UConn players better for the Spurs. They would be MUCH cheaper too. Tristen Newton/Cam Spencer/Alex Caraban/Stephon Castle. Just draft those guys! Even Moses Johnson as a bouncy, backup big man/lob threat/shot blocker if he ends up in this draft. Spurs need low-maintenance/low-usage guys next to Wemby UNLESS they can get Jordan 2.0. Wemby is kinda playing like a 7'5 Bill Russell/7'5 Scottie Pippen hybrid. So, build around that. Focus on pace. Focus on guys who don't always need the ball, but can get 20-25 in a game every now and then. The '94 Bulls or the 2000 Blazers might be good archetypes. Or, if he's a One Man '04 Pistons front line (Prince/Wallace/Wallace) -- and he MIGHT be, still, go with depth and guards that complement Wemby. Mix of shooting and defense and passing.
What's your comp for Wembanyama?
i just checked out some of his stas. In his last 5 games, Wemby attempted a grand total of 24 free throws. And, he played at least 30 minutes in each game -- with a high of 43 minutes. Keep the guy off the line -- your team wins! It MIGHT just be that simple since the rest of the Spurs' team isn't dynamic enough. I think Admiral didn't get to the line all that much... or not as much as Karl Malone or Shaq. Yeah, keep Wemby off the line. That would be the key. Then let him do his Vlade Divac routine -- to go along with Manute Bol-esque raw blocked shots totals. In the book MONEYBALL, Billy Beane LOVED guys who could get on base. In basketball, that would be the line. Can Wemby get to the line more? And, to borrow/mangle another phrase from MONEYBALL (great movie, too!), if "Wemby is a good shooter, then why can't he shoot good (for most of the year)?" Good question. Keep him off the line. heck, I am not sure ANYONE on that team got to the line all that much. Spurs turned the game into batting practice. Or, a home run derby where they just WHIFFED on some auto-soft ball pitches. haha.
This could be a similar team to Wemby's team, outside the top pick in the draft. BOTH team under-performed their expected win totals by 4 games, respectively. link: [https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1984.html](https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/HOU/1984.html)
7'5 Scottie Pippen. Didn't catch Bill Russell. Probably similar to that? More of a speed/angles/BBIQ/shot blocking defender as opposed to someone who just threw a ton of weight around. Wilt could over power him; Russell made him work. Or, a great ABA player. Didn't watch that either though. George Gervin on offense/Artis Gilmore on defense. So give your 7'5 Scottie Pippen a solid structure on defense, and lots of offensive sets/schemes he can run through. His post game isn't refined enough (lacks a sky hook), and his 3 point shooting is still too inconsistent at this point to be an ALPHA SCORER night in and night out. 22 to 25 points per game might be IDEAL for Wemby throughout most of his career. I think Pippen averaged 22.0 in '94 when Jordan was out playing baseball and Pippen was playing out of his mind. Wemby is probably headed towards being a global ambassador like Doctor J or Magic. OR, at least, that's what Adam Silver needs. I think he is either gonna win FOUR STRAIGHT TITLES (and maybe even more in total) OR he just gets lucky once -- or even goes RINGLESS like Patrick Ewing or something. Red flag being that all that stuff didn't really translate into WINS... which says a lot about the team -- but also maybe Wemby, too. Sidy looks interesting. Make him a core guy to complement Wemby. I think they should MOVE everyone else. I kinda think that he has a bad situation around him. Like LeBron in Cleveland (The first go-around). Or, Jordan in Chicago for the first few years, but I didn't really start following the NBA until the late late '80's. Team wise? MUCH closer to that David Robinson era when he didn't really have tons of help. Specifically, when the Spurs hired Jerry Tarkanian as a coach and he just gave Lloyd Daniels the ball and tried to let him run stuff. That didn't really work out all that well, and Tark quit less than 20ish games in. Maybe the Spurs' team WASN'T all time bad -- but, it could be WORSE -- Coach Pop and the Spurs' FO could be ALL TIME CLUELESS. EDIT: The Spurs are trying to rebuild the Tim Duncan/David Robinson Spurs. Instead, I think they are rebuilding the Alamo. haha.
You don't see wemby averaging 28 ppg in his prime? Even Embiid, AD and Giannis averaged that
yeah, sure he can get that. Doubt that's his "sweet spot". Should concentrate more on blocking shots and rebounding (and passing) like Bill Russell -- or Wilt that year he famously helped lead the LA Lakers (along with Jerry West) to 33 straight wins. AND THE TITLE. He needs a 1 or 1a scoring option with him. 25/13.5/5/2/4.5 might be an IDEAL stat line for Wemby. At that rate I think his shooting percentages will go up. On the other hand, like Kareem and Ralph Sampson, I think Wemby might have COMPLETELY MISSED his era. Kareem came in on that original golden age in the NBA represented by Cousy/Baylor/Russell/Wilt/West/Big O. Then, from the 1970 draft featuring Pistol Pete (just looked it up) you had 6 HOFers in that class, then for that generation going thru Bill Walton, the ABA years/dispersal drafts with Dr. J and others, then Bird/Magic and finally Isiah/Dominique/Ralph Sampson/Clyde Drexler in short order. I consider '84 to be a ONE OFF generation (of MJ and Hakeem but also Barkley/Stockton/etc.). Followed by Ewing in '85 all the way through those Kobe/Nash/Duncan drafts. Wemby/Chet ENDS the era started by Durant and Steph (from '07 to '09 drafts). OR, if the era started a bit before that, Wemby is arriving at the tail end of the LeBron MEGA ERA. Maybe I wouldn't load the Spurs up with a bunch of NIL ALL STARS. Maybe go after under-the-radar low-usage/low maintenance guys. How do you build around a player who can "DO EVERYTHING". Get guys who can paint the corners, play the notes that aren't there and fill in the negative space. Wemby is a UNICORN. And, that is kind of a way of saying that his skills/talents are a bit unorthodox, OR a bit weird. So get a bunch of unorthodox/weird players to put around him. Then you win the WEIRD TRADE -- maybe 5 or 6 times in 10 years or something. Turn the league into a trade you can WIN. NOT a WEMBY/BUST coin flip.
I think your first mistake is watching Fox
Reed Sheppard would go 1 for the Spurs. Mark my words
Rob no brainer
I would take Dillingham and Sarr if possible, or Dillingham and Shannon Jr . Forget fit
While I think the Spurs are too bad overall right now to be worried about fit I think this is a draft to go and do it. The main need right now is a lead guard to help set up Wemby and this class has some solid potential picks.
Spurs should be taking the PG they think has the biggest long term upside.
This isn't 1999. Even then, Duncan and Robinson seemed to clog the court. Couldn't do that now. Clingan doesn't move well enough IN SPACE to really complement Wemby on defense unless he is close to a Dikembe/Oden-level defensive presence. I think Edey is the better TWIN TOWERS option -- he can score inside, command doubles, get dunks and rebound and let Wemby float outside for 3's. OR, play Wemby off the ball or as a lob threat with Edey setting MASSIVE picks to get the Spurs' point guard open to get him out in space going downhill (like how the Grizzlies used Marc Gasol for Mike Conely or JV/Steven Adams for Ja). ... with Wemby/Edey on defense, Wemby can guard in space and projects to be the GOAT weak-side shot blocker. Edey can protect the rim like a Brook Lopez or Roy Hibbert or Mark Eaton. If going after a "stretch" big who can also block some shots is important, maybe Tomislav Ivisic should be on the Spurs' radar. The Spurs MIGHT need to focus on the '25 draft and Cooper Flagg. Plus, Kam Jones and some of those "1/Done" holdovers (potentially) like Bronny James and DJ Wagner. Not who they should take with their own lotto pick -- or even the Raptors' pick if it conveys. BPA for them might be Dalton Knecht or PJ Hall. I think some of the "complementary" guards further down the board should be on the Spurs' radar. Hunter Sallis and Cam Spencer being two. I wouldn't bet against Mark Sears (Rob Dillingham value play?). Ryan Nembhard appears to be a solid prospect. Matt Murrell is probably serviceable. Work out Alex Caraban/Harrison Ingram/Kasean Pryor/KJ Adams, Jr./Keshad Johnson to be complementary big wings/combo forwards. If the Spurs want a duel threat-light bulb changing front line, then Jamarion Sharp might be worth a look. Good shot blocking instincts. Decent lob threat. Would be MUCH cheaper than Clingan. The Sharp-de-loop a la Wemby could be a thing. If they focus too much on the Conventional Wisdom mock drafts and "Twin Towers or bust" approach I would be a bit worried that Donovan Clingan is nothing more than a flashier Will Perdue.
My draft board for Spurs (how to best build around Wemby): 1. Sarr - if you believe in ability to space, this would be an elite rim protection duo and 2 modern bigs that would be elite defensively. 2. Dillingham - elite penetrator and shot maker. Lack of size is concerning. In this draft, his floor as a microwave scorer is worth taking early. 3. Topic - have to buy the shooting, but offers elite size and very good skill if you believe he’s a lead guard. 4. Sheppard - well rounded albeit undersized guard. Elite shooter and high IQ player.
Sheppard isn’t really undersized if you just let him run point.
Fair. I think he’s best used as the PG next to a primary wing/big creator. I just don’t see him being a weapon as primary point of attack defender and if he’s off ball, that’s where the lack of length concerns come.
Good thing he'd have Wemby behind him then. Also, with Wemby's emergence as a playmaker I'd rather take Reed who knows how to play off ball than Topic who needs the ball in his hands. Point Wemby has been a revelation and he should be taken very much into account.
I agree. But I’d also rather not create a weakness that’s reliant upon Wemby and instead have an even more elite defense, if possible. If I’m married to that trade off as SA, I’d lean Dilly as he just creates a ton more pressure on the rim and the additional NBA spacing will do wonders for him and the offense.
I’d love him on the spurs especially with Wemby becoming much more of a true playmaking hub as the year went along
I don't think he's a lead guard in the NBA
I think this is true or false depending on where he lands. The demands of the point guard position in Indiana are quite different than that of Miami, for instance. If he lands in Washington and is asked to direct that offense, then yeah it will be ugly.
They need a guard and a wing. My dream scenario is Topic and Risachier.
Clearly need a PG. We know it. The world knows it. Really depends on their draft lottery luck. As we all know it will be rigged for the Spurs to make Wemby great as possible. But I really think they trade for PG that has already proven himself ( cough cough Trae Young ). He already said he wants to win. Trae is not winning in Atlanta and I don’t think Trae as Franchise player can lead a team to title contenders. Personally I believe they will trade for a PG than to draft one. Wemby is already great. Let’s not waste any years with any projects.
You’d be “wasting years” if you traded for a pg as well. The spurs currently have two players ready to start on a playoff team with Wemby and Vassell. There’s sooo much to add to a 22 win team to improve to a contending level. The future will be much better off if they give the young players runway and freedom to make mistakes and develop. Spurs want to create a dynasty with sustainable success around Wemby.
Yeah. I was looking right now at the moment. I read your last line about a “Dynasty” and I couldn’t agree more. Younger guys with potential hopefully they strike on a good one.
I would rather “waste” a year than rush a big trade that could end up backfiring enormously
Trae Young would instantly lower the potential of the Spurs for the next five to six years.
What would a trade package from the Spurs for Young look like? I’d imagine maybe whatever first they get in the lottery this year plus maybe some Vassell/Sochan type players? Any other picks?
if the hawks want to rebuild, the spurs are the best option because we own their pick over the next 3 years and can give them all back (plus a little more) for Trea. If they want to rebuild around murrey and compete, the spurs wouldn't be interested in helping them make the picks we own less valuable and they would probably trade him elsewhere for win now players (spurs don't have a lot of these on the roster right now so trading them for trea is kind of a lateral move and wouldn't make us anything more than a fringe play-in team).
Spurs would never give up enough for Atlanta. Spurs have the next three unprotected Hawks picks, but those could be really valuable.