Grades: Spurs @ Suns - Apr. 4, 2023

[timvp]

https://www.spurstalk.com/spurs-suns-grades-79-2/

:toast

[pookenstein]

They shocked the Kings, not the Grizzlies. But thanks anyways for the grades. :bobo

[rankingtear]

It would be a surprise if Wesley does not bust at this point. Downhill guard with that efficiency numbers never make it.

[slick'81]

Great loss

[exstatic]

It would be a surprise if Wesley does not bust at this point. Downhill guard with that efficiency numbers never make it.

He and Devin both had injury marred seasons. We'll see what happens in 23-24.

Being able to get past ANYONE isn't a common NBA skill, and if he develops a consistent floater, he'll be fine.

[Mr. Body]

I really want Wesley to succeed, but it's hard to watch. He's basically a swat factory whenever he drives. With a lot of attention to working angles and getting a floater, he might get better. Both Branham and Sochan can hit layups at wider angles; he seems to want to go all the way in and it never works. His facilitation is also only drive and kick. That's good, but he needs to get other sources of activation going.

It's still just his first year. Spend more time in G-League, work things out. He does have time.

[Atl Spur]

Blake has some work to do no doubt…. Hopefully he is listening to pop & co

[JPB]

He and Devin both had injury marred seasons. We'll see what happens in 23-24.

Being able to get past ANYONE isn't a common NBA skill, and if he develops a consistent floater, he'll be fine.


I really want Wesley to succeed, but it's hard to watch. He's basically a swat factory whenever he drives. With a lot of attention to working angles and getting a floater, he might get better. Both Branham and Sochan can hit layups at wider angles; he seems to want to go all the way in and it never works. His facilitation is also only drive and kick. That's good, but he needs to get other sources of activation going.

It's still just his first year. Spend more time in G-League, work things out. He does have time.

Agreed. The second season for a rook like Wesley is usually when you can say if a youngster can become a valuable NBA player or not. The first year is to get used to the elite and realize for some rookies that they're not the best kid in town anymore but have to find a way to make their place and role in an NBA team... Wesley has to adapt his game and realize what he's trying to do is not working for him right now, and probably won't ever to make him a top driver. He can get better at finishing but have to find how better use his abiity to get pass most guys on offense. Maybe developing a mid-range jumper like TP did even thoug that's not trendy, or anyway working on a reliable floater... I Wish TP could teach the kid.

[The Truth #6]

He works hard, doesn’t have any pending lawsuits against him, all good signs in his favor.

[Spurs Homer]

Wonder what those “tank” conversations are like in the spurs/rockets camps?

[wildbill2u]

Ok, it doesn't matter if he plays out the season on the big club, but for God's Sake send him to Austin for a long time next season. He's fast but...I keep remembering Charles Barkley's comment on one dimensional players: "Deer are fast and they can jump high, but you don't find any of them playing in the NBA."

At this point he is probably a wasted pick with too many faults in his "skill set".

[exstatic]

Ok, it doesn't matter if he plays out the season on the big club, but for God's Sake send him to Austin for a long time next season. He's fast but...I keep remembering Charles Barkley's comment on one dimensional players: "Deer are fast and they can jump high, but you don't find any of them playing in the NBA."

At this point he is probably a wasted pick with too many faults in his "skill set".

Pick #25 can never be considered a waste. Anything that late is a shot in the dark, at best.

Oh, and Austin's season has been over for at least a week, so there's no option to send him down.

[Mr. Body]

Taking a look at the 2023 draft, I don't see anyone obvious that the Spurs missed. There are a couple of PFs perhaps and then some really really raw SFs, but Wesley wasn't a bad pick. You take bigger swings in the late FR and into the SR.

https://www.nba.com/news/2022-nba-draft-order

Not writing him off. Work hard this summer.

[Mr. Body]

I take that back: Andrew Nambhard might have been the better pick. But he's already 23 and Wesley has four years of potential growth at least by timeline.

[stephen jackson]

Malaki is amazing

[John B]

I thought they were moving the ball well until they pulled Mamu/Barlow and put Dieng/Diop. Dieng was just a walking corpse out there, and Diop was a klutz.

I like Barlow's athleticism, and he's starting to get comfortable out there. Once he starts getting consistent on mid-range, he should be a solid backup big.

Mamu didn't play as well as previous games, but as you said he played well considering some TO's. The young MANU also had those passes to the grandstand, and it's a growing pain, but he will be great.

Malaki was again impressive in how he picks his spots and just scores. He is a natural scorer, and looks very good doing it. I've mentioned, he's such a "cool cat" not afraid of the moment. The kid is going to be a stud.

Blake? He's okay. It's fortunate that the Spurs are in a rebuilding season to allow him to grow. Because he is still very raw. But the kid is fearless, and that attitude will just propel him to greatness. Another kid who is not afraid of the moment.

Champagnie's shots just look like they are going in everytime.

The Spurs really did great picking our 4 rookies, including off-the-waivers players, truly magnificent job with our young players. I enjoy watching them play, despite the losses.

[Spursfanfromafar]

https://www.spurstalk.com/spurs-suns-grades-79-2/

:toast

Just a factual error to be corrected- "After shocking the Sacramento Kings (*not the Memphis Grizzlies*) in their previous game"..

[exstatic]

I thought they were moving the ball well until they pulled Mamu/Barlow and put Dieng/Diop. Dieng was just a walking corpse out there, and Diop was a klutz.

I like Barlow's athleticism, and he's starting to get comfortable out there. Once he starts getting consistent on mid-range, he should be a solid backup big.

Mamu didn't play as well as previous games, but as you said he played well considering some TO's. The young MANU also had those passes to the grandstand, and it's a growing pain, but he will be great.

Malaki was again impressive in how he picks his spots and just scores. He is a natural scorer, and looks very good doing it. I've mentioned, he's such a "cool cat" not afraid of the moment. The kid is going to be a stud.

Blake? He's okay. It's fortunate that the Spurs are in a rebuilding season to allow him to grow. Because he is still very raw. But the kid is fearless, and that attitude will just propel him to greatness. Another kid who is not afraid of the moment.

Champagnie's shots just look like they are going in everytime.

The Spurs really did great picking our 4 rookies, including off-the-waivers players, truly magnificent job with our young players. I enjoy watching them play, despite the losses.

Are you starting to see Pop's hand in masterfully dumping games yet?

[heyheymymy]

cool cat Bran really is such a clean engine out there. Smooth progress over the course of the season. Really forget how bashful he was at first now that he looks so much more confident and selective out there. He did his homework and gets what he wants a lot more often than when he was more shaky at season's start. Like not seeing the weight loss yourself in the mirror day after day but your friend sees you for the first time in months and is just like wow! idk

[rjv]

nice to see another nice outing from malaki. he's been one of the few bright spots this season.

[TD 21]

It would be a surprise if Wesley does not bust at this point. Downhill guard with that efficiency numbers never make it.

Even with all the obvious caveats and as someone who didn't have high hopes to begin with (not a fan of the archetype), it's still surprising just how bad he's been.

A 2.8 PER (league average is 15), 37% true shooting (league average is 58%), 29% from 2 (Graham, at 44.2% is closest), negative assist to turnover ratio (2 to 1 is considered good), negative 10.3 BPM (Branham and Barlow are closest at 5), etc.

He'd need to make a quantum leap to become even a replacement player.

[heyheymymy]

A #25 was never going to show much in year one. We got spoiled as fans having Sochan and lesser extent Bran crystalize so fast but Blake hasn't passed his first gate where you could expect anything yet anyway imo.

Kinda concerned too, feels like a Walker or Primo just hard to see how this evolves into something more stable but Wes is still within the timetable imo. Def walking back my "better than season 3 Walker IV already" comments a bit, lol oof, though I would still take Blake over Lonnie rn with everything we know.

[John B]

Are you starting to see Pop's hand in masterfully dumping games yet?

It’s hair pulling madness sometimes :lol

[heyheymymy]

obvs there are exceptions I just think once you get near the 20s selection range the cook time take longer in many cases

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Wesley is an example of a guy who should have spent a couple more years developing his game at the NCAA level.

[BackHome]

I really want Wesley to succeed, but it's hard to watch. He's basically a swat factory whenever he drives. With a lot of attention to working angles and getting a floater, he might get better. Both Branham and Sochan can hit layups at wider angles; he seems to want to go all the way in and it never works. His facilitation is also only drive and kick. That's good, but he needs to get other sources of activation going.

It's still just his first year. Spend more time in G-League, work things out. He does have time.

Yeah, we drafted him on "Potential" but we all new it would take time that is why I was shocked he spent so much time with the big league. He really should have stayed almost full time in the G League and worked personally with one of the trainers/coaches - I honestly think the best thing for him is to go into the next season as either the starting PG or SG in the G League and maybe get a couple of call ups but main thing is working on his craft and hopefully getting better every game.

We have a high first and also a high second and another decent second I don't know how they all going to get playing time with the Spurs?