Victor is Coming, But What Is Next?- Spurs Season Review & Draft Preview
Tuesday Night NBA Draft Lottery Ended With The San Antonio Spurs Having The Chance To Draft A Generational Talent Again, But How Will He Fit With The Current Roster?
(Thanks Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)
In the first of a series of discussing NBA Teams 2022-2023 Season and what could they look for in the NBA Draft, I have to start with the team who won the NBA Draft Lottery. The San Antonio Spurs missed the playoffs for the fourth season in a row, but infrastructure is in place so that won’t happen for a fifth.
The 2022-2023 Season Record: 22-60 (2nd Worst Record In The NBA)
Offensive- 23rd in the league in scoring
Defensive- 30th in the league in points allowed
The Positives:
After a rough month of November, Keldon Johnson regained his form and finished leading the season, averaging a career-high in points (22.0) and assists (2.9). He scored 8 games of 30 or more points, including a career-high 36 against Brooklyn in January. Johnson kept the offensive a float all season, especially with the sharpshooting Devin Vassell (18.5 points per game) only playing in 38 games.
Zach Collins stepped into the starting lineup on a full-time basis after the Jakob Poeltl trade and became a key part of the future of the Spurs. In the 15 games after the all-star break, Collins averaged 16.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. He shot 39.4% from beyond the arc and knocked down 1.8 three points shots per game.
The Negatives:
Head Coach Gregg Popovich had to use a variety of lineups this season because of injuries. No Spurs players played over 68 games and nine different players started 20 or more games this season. In fact, the Spurs used 40 different starting lineups.
Because of the constant changes in the lineup, the Spurs suffered on the defensive end. San Antonio ranked 25th or worst in just about every single major defensive statistic in the NBA. Statistically, this was the worst defensive team in the Gregg Popovich coaching era. Only one player on the roster finished with a Defensive Rating under 115 and that was Charles Bassey. Unfortunately, Bassey only played 35 games and had 8 games this season, where he played over 20 minutes.
Best Lineup Combination:
No Spurs lineup this season with at least 100 possessions had a plus rating with a player that stayed on the team (not including Poeltl or Richardson). One pairing had a positive rating but only had 95 possessions together. Sochan, Collins, Johnson, Malaki Branham, and Keita Bates-Diop's lineup gave them a plus 8.4 points every hundred possessions this season. This lineup only gave up 101 points per 100 possessions and had a 19.6% turnover rate.
Who Is On The Roster For Next Season?
Below are the players under contract for next season. Zach Collins has a non-guaranteed contract for $7.7 million that has to be picked up by June 28th in order for him to remain a Spur.
(Thanks Sportrac.com for the salary information)
2023 NBA Draft
Picks- 1,33,44
Needs: Point Guard, Another Big Man/Power Forward, Outside Shooting, and 3-and-D Wing
First-Round Pick- Number 1
It forever linked the history of the NBA Draft Lottery and the San Antonio Spurs with generational big men. In 1988, the Spurs were the winners of the lottery and used their first overall pick to draft Hall of Famer David Robinson. Ten years later, in 1998, the Spurs won the lottery again and drafted Hall of Famer Tim Duncan. Now in 2023, San Antonio wins the lottery and the chance to draft Metropolitans 92 big man Victor Wembanyama.
Listed at 7 foot 5 inches tall, Victor is unique and something the NBA has never seen. With the ability to handle the basketball like a guard, shoot from all over, rebound, and block shots at an elite level, honestly, there is not a single player I can compare him to over my years of watching the NBA. Anthony Davis might be the closest player, but Davis is 7 inches shorter than Wembanyama.
He’s not a traditional center, which is fine because the Spurs have Collins. He doesn’t have to guard the other team’s best player, because last year’s first-round pick Sochan can do that. Most of all, he doesn’t need to average 20 points per game, because Johnson and a healthy Vassell can provide that every single night.
According to people close to him, Wembanyama can join the NBA, learn the game, and focus on being a basketball player. Spurs supporters could see their team in the playoffs come next season.
I’m sure General Manager Brian Wright will easily make Wembanyama the pick.
2nd Round Picks- 33, 44
At 33, Trayce Jackson-Davis of Indiana will be a perfect fit on this roster. Not only can he score the basketball (20.9 points per game), but he can protect the rim (2.9 blocks per game). His footwork on offense will provide offense in the low block. That will allow Wembanyama to have space on the floor. At the NBA Combine, they listed him as 6 foot 8 1/4 in height and but he has a 7-foot-1-inch wingspan.
At 44, Judah Mintz of Syracuse has the tools to contribute right away. Standing at 6 foot 3 inches, Judah did a bit of everything this season. He can get his teammates involved (4.8 assists a game), causes turnovers (1.8 steals a game), and can get to the free throw line (5.8 times per game). Mintz might not be the best outside shooter (30% from deep), but he has a fluid enough jump shot to improve.