9 Intriguing Developmental Projects the Spurs Could Draft in the Second Round

[timvp]

https://www.spurstalk.com/projects-spurs-second-round-2023-draft/

:music

[BatManu20]

LJ putting in that work with 2nd Round prospect analysis. I respect it.

I have seen Clowney falling into the 2nd Round in some mocks. I hope he goes first, simply because we don’t really have room for anymore bigs on the roster once we draft Wemby, and I’d rather the temptation not be there. But he wouldn’t be the worst prospect to work with I suppose. Feel the same way about Nnaji, unless he’s willing to stay in Austin for a year or two (doubtful). And I don’t see Rupert falling to the 2nd Round sadly. Still hope #33 is ultimately moved as part of the trade-up back into the First Round.

[Mr. Body]

Rayan Rupert must be looking wistfully westward at what life might have been like playing with Wembanyama rather than Coulibaly. Victor has made his teammate something like $1.5 million more per season.

I really like Walsh at 44. He had a knack for plays at Arkansas. Both dudes would require development, but I'm for balls-out, hardnosed defenders who are going to put in the work.

GG Jackson is a like a terrible-attitude version of Maxwell Lewis, who is already crappy. Noah Clowney's big skills, threes and defense, he's bad at. Nnaji is a guy you can get most every draft. I like his motor, but he's not what we need other than a stopgap, and he's probably not ready for that.

I keep seeing Julian Phillips as having sneaky promise, but what? If a guy sucks in college, how much will it take to unsuck in the NBA?

[Degoat]

Jaime Jaquez, Colby Jones, Rayan Rupert, Trayce Jackson, Andre Jackson, Sidy are my top targets for 33. And there should be a good chance a few of them are there

[GAustex]

What about Adama Sanogo from UCONN. He dominated the tourney.
Is he too small?
Dude is a brick house

[bluebellmaniac]

What I didn't like is no mention of any falling prospects who have a motor. I love those prospects because they drive themselves to success. But if they had motors, they wouldn't be falling.

[Mr. Body]

What I didn't like is no mention of any falling prospects who have a motor. I love those prospects because they drive themselves to success. But if they had motors, they wouldn't be falling.

Like at least half those guys have motors.

[mookie2001]

Btw this last Arkansas team was full of draft picks and didn't do shit lol.
College ball for you

[kobyz]

My under the radar prospect of this draft is Ricky Council, all around talent that absolutely has the dog in him, he's someone that everyone sleep on him for some reason and might slipp to the second round, i found myself think if it's not Jimmy Butler story all over again... At least i think he'll be similar to Josh Hart

[rascal]

Btw this last Arkansas team was full of draft picks and didn't do shit lol.
College ball for you

They ran into UCONN.

[Mr. Body]

Btw this last Arkansas team was full of draft picks and didn't do shit lol.
College ball for you

Nick Smith was injured and not as good as projected.
Jordan Walsh couldn't shoot worth shit.
Brazile got hurt for the entire season.
Ricky Council is just kind of okay.
Anthony Black tried to hold it down as much as possible.
The were like 330th in the NCAA at threes.
Absolutely no spacing whatsoever.
They still made the Sweet Sixteen.
They beat the defending champions Kansas.
They lost to the eventual champions UConn.

I dunno, man. Seemed to do alright considering.

[rascal]

Btw this last Arkansas team was full of draft picks and didn't do shit lol.
College ball for you

Arkansas players being overrated while UConn players being underrated.

[GAustex]

What about Adama Sanogo from UCONN. He dominated the tourney.
Is he too small?
Dude is a brick house

[Robz4000]

Jaime Jaquez, Colby Jones, Rayan Rupert, Trayce Jackson, Andre Jackson, Sidy are my top targets for 33. And there should be a good chance a few of them are there

Strong yes to Rupert and Jaquez tbh. Both could legit be starting-caliber players in the NBA under the right developmental staff.

[Robz4000]

Also a fan of Lewis if he falls to 44. He'll never be more than a below-average defender but off the bench defense rarely matters tbh.

[objective]

Not a big believer in Rupert but second round is fine

He falls into my previously posted theory that French players who leave France to get noticed in foreign leagues get overrated.

Because it they were legit good enough, they would get noticed in the French league and have no problem standing out to scouts. French prospects seem to have zero difficulty getting noticed in the French league. Wembenyama, Parker, Gobert, Batum, Pietrus, Mahinmi, De Cool, Diaw, Fournier, Coulibaly etc etc etc with no problem getting drafted. Even Cordinier got a second round selection out of the B division

But when French players and their agents feel they'd be better served leaving France to get noticed, I think it's a red flag. It does work in getting the player noticed, because the narrative of the player being French in foreign land just stands out against the background noise, but it makes me think that they knew it they stayed in France they wouldn't have stood out to get the attention.

Killian Hayes was massively overrated by being in Germany. Ousmanne Dieng is not spoken of highly on the Thunder podcasts I listen to, nor by the draft podcasts I listen to when they look back. Down to Dunk labeled him as a Fringe/Out-of-League player in a recent exercise. Luwawu-cabarot was also overrated going to Mega.

The French league isn't Spain but it's good enough. Players who need to go to lower leagues to be big fish in small ponds ... Sus. Might be small sample size bias of course.

[Drom John]

Back to Pelton:


22. Jordan Walsh
Arkansas
F
Top 100: No. 39
Stats: No. 17

Consensus: 1.2 WARP

Walsh's EYBL performance -- fourth-best among players in this year's draft -- is propping up his stats-only projection. At Arkansas, Walsh wasn't as impactful as a rebounder or playmaker, though his strong steal rate did carry over. The big question is whether Walsh can score efficiently given his 51% shooting on 2s and 28% shooting on 3s.


28. Julian Phillips
Tennessee
SF
Top 100: No. 34
Stats: No. 30

Consensus: 0.9 WARP

An afterthought at times on a veteran-laden Tennessee team, Phillips will nonetheless likely be the only Vol drafted after his lone season. He'll have to improve his 24% 3-point shooting to contribute in the NBA.


20. Noah Clowney
Alabama
F/C
Top 100: No. 21
Stats: No. 26

Consensus: 1.3 WARP

Don't let Clowney's 49% field-goal percentage trick you. He's a high-percentage finisher (67% on 2s) who was forced to take nearly as many 3s (which he shot at a 28% clip) as 2s playing power forward at Alabama alongside Charles Bediako. NBA floor spacing should help Clowney's efficiency. At the same time, he'll have a better chance of succeeding offensively if he can protect the rim well enough to hold up as a center on defense.

[exstatic]

Btw this last Arkansas team was full of draft picks and didn't do shit lol.
College ball for you

They made it to the sweet 16, losing to eventual champ UConn. Your definition of “didn’t do shit” kinda different.