Article: What I'm Hearing on Victor Wembanyama Eve

[timvp]

https://www.spurstalk.com/latest-intel-victor-wembanyama-spurs-draft/

[CorrectCrusader]

WOOHOO NO LOAD MANAGEMENT

[yagozev]

:downspin:

[Russ]

“The plan is to avoid big, costly mistakes,” he explained, “and to slowly build this thing out. See what you have first, see what you need, see what can be grown organically and go from there.”

Nice to see this officially confirmed. :toast

[DAF86]

I read "what I'm wearing on Wembanyama's Eve". I was gonna tell Kori Ellis to pink the OP.

[Mr. Body]

A thing that emerged in these recent and first Vic interviews is how very solidly committed he is to a vision of himself and what he can do. While I imagine the relationship with the Spurs will be incredible, at some point their experience with themselves and the league will need to also become important. He seems remarkably polished and centered for a 19 year-old. I don't think there will be a tug-of-war between himself and the franchise, but I hope the stories of him wanting firm coaching and guidance are true.

[John B]

Wow that’s a lot to digest. Thanks Timvp for the source as always.

My impression of Wemby is he is verrry motivated to be the best. i’m hoping that Wemby would be trusting to Spurs lomg history of success in keeping their players healthy, and not hindrance to his personal accolades but beneficial to his legacy. TP and Boris should be on his ears constantly.

Wemby will like to compete as soon as possible. So slow building as others here in ST spoke about may not be the case. Hence, I’d suspect PATFO would be really aggressive surrounding Wemby with talents earlier. Shutting down soeculations on CP3 and FVF, I’d suspect the Spurs would aggressively move up the draft to get Black or even Amen (if Spurs are really high on him). And even use 33rd and 44th picks (plus future picks) to try and get Bilal to please Wemby.

We might get Wemby, Black/Amen and Bilal by the end of the draft night. Fuck! :lol

[EricB]

Not thrilled with the “run it back” attitude. Wemby wants to win, and you don’t do that running it back with Mamu and KBD coming off the damn bench.

[Mr. Body]

I'm glad to hear the "avoid big costly mistakes." They never really have and they're not about to now. Everything will be done taking care and attention.

To me, the 'win right away' thing is overblown. Everyone knows this is a rebuild. But this is a much better team than many here think. With a centerpiece who will deliver defense and offensive gravity right away, all these pieces will start locking together. We're a playoff team at least by year two, imo.

[LeBowen]

“The plan is to avoid big, costly mistakes,” he explained, “and to slowly build this thing out. See what you have first, see what you need, see what can be grown organically and go from there.”



As we predicted in some topics. Best way to go.

[Russ]

Wemby will like to compete as soon as possible. So slow building as others here in ST spoke about may not be the case. Hence, I’d suspect PATFO would be really aggressive surrounding Wemby with talents earlier.

That seems contrary to what timvp's source told him, i.e., “The plan is to avoid big, costly mistakes,” he explained, “and to slowly build this thing out. See what you have first, see what you need, see what can be grown organically and go from there.”

As far as Wemby wanting to win ASAP, he could have done that in the French League and instead he chose to try to build around a bunch of underdogs.

That seems to indicate that Wemby wants to win, but do it the right way, long term (and on his terms).

[Mr. Body]

Not thrilled with the “run it back” attitude. Wemby wants to win, and you don’t do that running it back with Mamu and KBD coming off the damn bench.

The tenth and eleventh guy on the roster aren't holding this team back. If anything, Mamu fitting in just improves the roster.

[drpill]

Great stuff timvp. I had previously speculated Wemby's team would want to incorporate a lot of rest into his schedule, but clearly that's not the case! Will be interesting to see how he holds up and how the new performance centre they're building helps keep him healthy and growing physically and as a player.

What a gem this kid is, truly special on so many levels in a way so few are. We are blessed.

[John B]

I don’t want to be the voice of concern, but my first impressions of Wemby is he is a NOT a Timmy or DRob who just quietly listens and trust the Spurs way. He will voice out what he wants, others might say having a “superstar” attitude. I’m hoping to be wrong. The PATFO will surely need to reevaluate their approach and avoid a Kawhi situation.

[drpill]

He has a certain vision of what he wants for sure. But he is also incredibly grounded and admits he doesn't know anything yet about what life in the NBA will be like; I get the impression that for now he wants to learn and benefit from the knowledge of the players and coaches around him. Watch the JJ Redick interview if you haven't yet, Victor is no typical NBA superstar.

[Russ]

I'm glad to hear the "avoid big costly mistakes." They never really have and they're not about to now. Everything will be done taking care and attention.

To me, the 'win right away' thing is overblown. Everyone knows this is a rebuild. But this is a much better team than many here think. With a centerpiece who will deliver defense and offensive gravity right away, all these pieces will start locking together. We're a playoff team at least by year two, imo.

I agree with that.

The Spurs young core was already promising before they even won the Wembystakes.

Branham has the potential to be a high-end NBA scorer and he's the one no one even talks about (which says a lot about how promising the others are).

[John B]

That seems contrary to what timvp's source told him, i.e., “The plan is to avoid big, costly mistakes,” he explained, “and to slowly build this thing out. See what you have first, see what you need, see what can be grown organically and go from there.”

As far as Wemby wanting to win ASAP, he could have done that in the French League and instead he chose to try to build around a bunch of underdogs.

That seems to indicate that Wemby wants to win, but do it the right way, long term (and on his terms).

That’s what Wright is saying. It’s not exactly what Wemby is saying. I’m hopeful both camps will see eye-to-eye and agree on the best way to a long term success. Surely the Spurs haven’t got the same superstar that they had in Timmy or DRob with Wemby. It’s exciting but still concerning how much vocal he is on becoming the best.

[Mugen]

I don’t want to be the voice of concern, but my first impressions of Wemby is he is a NOT a Timmy or DRob who just quietly listens and trust the Spurs way. He will voice out what he wants, others might say having a “superstar” attitude. I’m hoping to be wrong. The PATFO will surely need to reevaluate their approach and avoid a Kawhi situation.

I'd rather a guy who wants to play every game than somebody who wants to be load managed half the season tbh

If you were expecting another low maintenance guy than you are in for a world of disappointment. The Spurs made concessions even for Timmy back in the day (and rightfully so) and if Wemby lives up to the hype, you basically have to acquiesce him to keep him long term. You don't think Steph gets a ton of say in how the organization is run? Jokic? Giannis? That's just the norm in sports tbh.

I'm sure PATFO is still shook from the Nephew situation and will do what it takes to keep Wemby happy in SA.

[Mugen]

That’s what Wright is saying. It’s not exactly what Wemby is saying. I’m hopeful both camps will see eye-to-eye and agree on the best way to a long term success. Surely the Spurs haven’t got the same superstar that they had in Timmy or DRob with Wemby. It’s exciting but still concerning how much vocal he is on becoming the best.

In what world is the guy you're about to draft #1 talking about how he wants to become the best and be a champion right away concerning? :lol

[Spursfanfromafar]

In conjunction with Victor Wemby's interview on JJ Redick's podcast, I see that the Spurs and him will come to a happy middle-ground on the "playing all games" issue. Wemby mentioned that he will take a humble approach and want to learn from the Spurs as to what is the best possible way to succeed even while seeking to be better and to better his teammates all around. And the Spurs saying that they are open to Wemby's idea of being available for every game suggests that they do not want to impose a model on him.

In any case, the "load management" thing that the Spurs deployed in the 2000s/10s was largely during a time when their key players - Duncan, Parker and Manu were growing older or were recovering from niggles, injuries more and more. Wemby is young and competitive and wants to play basketball as he is passionate about it. The only load that he needs to manage is the effect of having to play much more games per week than he was in France, on his lower extremities - feet, knee, ankle and the pounding he could receive on his upper body. He might think that recovery and preparation exercises will help him manage the load better, but the Spurs can convince him to take minutes restrictions or a lighter load during games in order to prolong his health, if that is what they think they need to do. I feel Wemby's attitude shows that he will be receptive to sound advice if he finds that to be "sound". The Spurs are lucky to have a Spurs fan - maybe even homer - to be a part of the team.

[John B]

In what world is the guy you're about to draft #1 talking about how he wants to become the best and be a champion right away concerning? :lol

The difference with Steph and other others is they play in a big market. They can afford paying huge luxury taxes to sign multiple All-NBA to ring up. Spurs were lucky to have unselfish Big 3 who made sacrifices and trusted the system. They also kept grounded on how they handled the press, I’m sure to avoid unnecessary heat and drama. All I’m saying is my initial impression of Wemby is he is much vocal. I’m sure if any of the Big 3 were asked, “I’d leave it to Pop to decide what is best for the team.” I’m excited but yet concerning to say the least.

[BatManu20]

Glad to see they’re still trying to aggressively move up into the lottery. Black is likely a pipe dream, but Wallace or Bufkin would both be great gets in that 11-15 range. Coulibaly is also extremely unlikely imo as I think he’s quickly become the most overrated player in this draft based on potential, and a I’ve seen him in some mocks going in the top-10 now. I don’t think he makes it past OKC at 12, who could use another SF prospect and are reportedly high on him. There will be no slide for him imo, despite him being a no-show in most of the Mets’ games down the stretch of the season. The hype machine is real.

Also glad to see we’re unlikely to pursue CP3 or FVV. Didn’t want either of them. Re-sign Tre and let the young kids get their reps. I may be in the minority here, but I still haven’t given up on Blake Wesley tbh. Yeah he was pretty bad last season, but his injury didn’t really give him a chance to find a rhythm, and he’s still barely 20 years old. If he can learn to finish in traffic when he attacks the basket, his potential is still really high. But he’s gotta do it. He needs to take a leap this year and show that he’s capable tbh.

[exstatic]

I don’t want to be the voice of concern, but my first impressions of Wemby is he is a NOT a Timmy or DRob who just quietly listens and trust the Spurs way. He will voice out what he wants, others might say having a “superstar” attitude. I’m hoping to be wrong. The PATFO will surely need to reevaluate their approach and avoid a Kawhi situation.

Every generation of Spurs are different, and it seems like things are coming back around to the ABA/early NBA teams, more flamboyance and media access.

[Mr. Body]

The Spurs trade up to get Kobe Bufkin, passing up Bilal Coulibaly, Victor quits the team in rage. You heard it here first.

[Mr. Body]

Every generation of Spurs are different, and it seems like things are coming back around to the ABA/early NBA teams, more flamboyance and media access.

I don't think they can keep Sochan off social media, much less try to control Wembanyama. Pop will just have to adapt once again.

[Mugen]

The difference with Steph and other others is they play in a big market. They can afford paying huge luxury taxes to sign multiple All-NBA to ring up. Spurs were lucky to have unselfish Big 3 who made sacrifices and trusted the system. They also kept grounded on how they handled the press, I’m sure to avoid unnecessary heat and drama. All I’m saying is my initial impression of Wemby is he is much vocal. I’m sure if any of the Big 3 were asked, “I’d leave it to Pop to decide what is best for the team.” I’m excited but yet concerning to say the least.

Steph plays in a big market. Denver and Milwaukee are not big NBA markets so not sure what you're talking about.

Kawhi was even quieter than Duncan and he ended up being the one of the biggest NBA divas in the last 20 years :lol

[John B]

The Spurs trade up to get Kobe Bufkin, passing up Bilal Coulibaly, Victor quits the team in rage. You heard it here first.

He did say he’ll be excited to play with Bilal. It will be interesting to see how that plays out.

[BatManu20]

He did say he’ll be excited to play with Bilal. It will be interesting to see how that plays out.

Coulibaly is going top-12, maybe even top-10 now with the amount of hype surrounding him suddenly. Think he goes between 9-12 to Utah, Dallas, Orlando, or OKC. Either way, he likely won’t be a Spur tbh. Bufkin or Wallace are more realistic targets imo.

[John B]

Steph plays in a big market. Denver and Milwaukee are not big NBA markets so not sure what you're talking about.

Kawhi was even quieter than Duncan and he ended up being the one of the biggest NBA divas in the last 20 years :lol

Kawhi was a passive aggressive mute. It didn’t prevent him from mandating what he (Uncle Dennis) wanted.

Again mine is just an initial impression. I’m sure Wemby is excited about the draft, etc. getting all the attention. He is still 19 years old.

[spursparker9]

Seems like he is the opposite end of Nephew. He seems simlar to Giannis who genuinely love basketball and just want to hoop.

[rjv]

I don’t want to be the voice of concern, but my first impressions of Wemby is he is a NOT a Timmy or DRob who just quietly listens and trust the Spurs way. He will voice out what he wants, others might say having a “superstar” attitude. I’m hoping to be wrong. The PATFO will surely need to reevaluate their approach and avoid a Kawhi situation.


i don't know about david but tim held a lot of clout with the organization and the spurs definitely empowered him. the key is in how he responds to pop's coaching, although i think wemby will be inheriting a slightly more mellow version of the pop who had no problem with yelling at his superstars.

[Chinook]

I think if the Spurs are planning on sitting Wemby, they need to change their plan. It's obvious that players don't need to sit out games to make if through the season. They need to avoid hard minutes and high-minute games as he adjusts to the NBA life. But sitting whole games is ridiculous. Tony averaged 78.5 games a season for his first six years. Tim played every game four of his first five seasons in the NBA and only missed one game in a fifth season. Not every player is Kawhi and comes into the league with a degenerative condition. If Wemby is showing some stress, scale him back. But to go into the season assuming you're going to treat him like he's an old player is absurd. He should play every game if he can and have a legit chance at ROY. To do anything else would suggest the Spurs are stuck in the past more than them having an eye toward the future.

Glad to hear confirmation on Primo not being in the cards to come back. I feel like that should've been obvious, but I get some fans were still holding out hope.

I feel like the Spurs can get up to 16 through just trading future picks. There are interesting players who should be around there. As I've said before, I'd be interested in using the Charlotte pick and 33 to move up and just be okay wherever that takes me. I feel like that might get 23, as Portland probably wants future trade capital with their pick locked to Chicago for a bit. GS or Miami probably need to dump salary to consider making the move. I don't think Utah would trade 16 for more picks, but if another team ends up in that spot like Dallas, they might be willing to do it.

If the article is correct that the Spurs LOVED the Thompson twins, it might be worth it for them to trade a lot to snag one. If they were hoping to draft one of them with their pick and thought they could be a future star, then it makes sense to pair that guy with Wemby. Of course, you aren't going to be able to draft everyone you like. But as I said basically right after the lottery, if the Spurs have a guy in mind who's going to be the steal of this draft, and they have the means to get such a player in addition to their first pick, then it makes sense to roll the dice. They still need a second star, after all. And with Wemby insisting on playing every game, they might not have a really high first again.

[Mugen]

Yeah I'm pretty damn excited with how Wemby carries himself.

Most hyped prospect since Bron but he seems like he's got a good head on his shoulders. Very conscious about his training and seems like he very much has a competitive fire to be one of the all time greats....

Way better than being a 300 pounder who can't lay off beignets and C list porn stars tbh :lol

[mo7888]

I think if the Spurs are planning on sitting Wemby, they need to change their plan. It's obvious that players don't need to sit out games to make if through the season. They need to avoid hard minutes and high-minute games as he adjusts to the NBA life. But sitting whole games is ridiculous. Tony averaged 78.5 games a season for his first six years. Tim played every game four of his first five seasons in the NBA and only missed one game in a fifth season. Not every player is Kawhi and comes into the league with a degenerative condition. If Wemby is showing some stress, scale him back. But to go into the season assuming you're going to treat him like he's an old player is absurd. He should play every game if he can and have a legit chance at ROY. To do anything else would suggest the Spurs are stuck in the past more than them having an eye toward the future.

Glad to hear confirmation on Primo not being in the cards to come back. I feel like that should've been obvious, but I get some fans were still holding out hope.

I feel like the Spurs can get up to 16 through just trading future picks. There are interesting players who should be around there. As I've said before, I'd be interested in using the Charlotte pick and 33 to move up and just be okay wherever that takes me. I feel like that might get 23, as Portland probably wants future trade capital with their pick locked to Chicago for a bit. GS or Miami probably need to dump salary to consider making the move. I don't think Utah would trade 16 for more picks, but if another team ends up in that spot like Dallas, they might be willing to do it.

If the article is correct that the Spurs LOVED the Thompson twins, it might be worth it for them to trade a lot to snag one. If they were hoping to draft one of them with their pick and thought they could be a future star, then it makes sense to pair that guy with Wemby. Of course, you aren't going to be able to draft everyone you like. But as I said basically right after the lottery, if the Spurs have a guy in mind who's going to be the steal of this draft, and they have the means to get such a player in addition to their first pick, then it makes sense to roll the dice. They still need a second star, after all. And with Wemby insisting on playing every game, they might not have a really high first again.

If Orlando doesn't package 6 and 11 to move up then i think their #11 could be gotten with 33, Cha, and our 1st next year with very light protections. They will be in a position as early as this summer to start trying to acquire veterans through trades and that would help them accomplish that.

[baseline bum]

https://www.spurstalk.com/latest-intel-victor-wembanyama-spurs-draft/

I'm worried trading either of those Atlanta picks or the Atlanta or Boston pick swaps tonight could be a very costly mistake when you see what unprotected picks are worth on the trade market unless they are just in love with a second player in this draft. And I know they can't say they're looking at trading Keldon, but he kind of seems like he's going to be an odd man out here on this roster if Sochan is a priority.

Not saying I want the Spurs to do like in 1989 when they traded for Terry Cummings and sent Johnny Dawkins to Philly to land Mo Cheeks because it's wildly unrealistic to expect Wemby to be ready to hit the ground running in the NBA like a 24 year-old David Robinson was, but I really want those unprotected picks and swaps to go after vets in a year or two.

[Bruno]

I find that Spurs drafting Coulibaly is asking for troubles:
- If he starts struggling, there will quickly have the whole "he has been drafted by Spurs only because he is Wembanyama budy" talk. It will be a complicate situation to handle for a very young Coulibaly.
- If he starts to be good and take away minutes from players like Vassell, KJ or Sochan, these players will likely at some point ask themselves: "Is he better than me or is he just playing to please Wembanyama.".

Wembanyama isn't shy and speaks quite well English. Spurs' players are, from what I've seen, a bunch of good guys. Wembanyama should fit smoothly within the team especially when you consider that he isn't a selfish player on the court (he passes the ball and plays defense).

[spurraider21]

coulibaly was an interesting guy in the late first or something but these mocks having him go close to #10 are insane to me. is the gap between Coulibaly and Rupert really that big?

[Mr. Body]

I find that Spurs drafting Coulibaly is asking for troubles:
- If he starts struggling, there will quickly have the whole "he has been drafted by Spurs only because he is Wembanyama budy" talk. It will be a complicate situation to handle for a very young Coulibaly.
- If he starts to be good and take away minutes from players like Vassell, KJ or Sochan, these players will likely at some point ask themselves: "Is he better than me or is he just playing to please Wembanyama.".

Wembanyama isn't shy and speaks quite well English. Spurs' players are, from what I've seen, a bunch of good guys. Wembanyama should fit smoothly within the team especially when you consider that he isn't a selfish player on the court (he passes the ball and plays defense).

My thoughts on Coulibaly exactly. You don't want a situation where he may not fit or play well and have to be moved, those sorts of problems.

[rjv]

i can't see bilal falling enough for him to be in a spot that the Spurs can realistically trade up to.

[John B]

It’s the infatuation on Amen (if true) is what excites me. Getting Wemby/Amen on this draft would be insane. That’s like having DRob and Sean rookie year.

[Mr. Body]

coulibaly was an interesting guy in the late first or something but these mocks having him go close to #10 are insane to me. is the gap between Coulibaly and Rupert really that big?

I don't think so.

[BatManu20]

It’s the infatuation on Amen (if true) is what excites me. Getting Wemby/Amen on this draft would be insane.

Seeing as Amen likely ain’t getting past Houston at #4, there’s really no Avenue to it happening tbh.

[exstatic]

I'm worried trading either of those Atlanta picks or the Atlanta or Boston pick swaps tonight could be a very costly mistake when you see what unprotected picks are worth on the trade market unless they are just in love with a second player in this draft. And I know they can't say they're looking at trading Keldon, but he kind of seems like he's going to be an odd man out here on this roster if Sochan is a priority.

Not saying I want the Spurs to do like in 1989 when they traded for Terry Cummings and sent Johnny Dawkins to Philly to land Mo Cheeks because it's wildly unrealistic to expect Wemby to be ready to hit the ground running in the NBA like a 24 year-old David Robinson was, but I really want those unprotected picks and swaps to go after vets in a year or two.

We have enough picks to throw on the table without any of the ATL assets or the Boston swap. If a deal can’t get done with one or more of the CHA.CHI, or TOR picks, don’t do the deal.

[baseline bum]

Seeing as Amen ain’t getting past Houston at #4, there’s really no Avenue to it happening tbh.

Not sure why it's set in stone he's going #4. Houston might value Whitmore or Walker as more NBA ready to pair with Harden and/or might think they have no clue what level player Amen is given the level of competition he faced. Can't believe a word that comes out of NBA front offices right now and the draft is often littered with major surprises in the lottery.

[spurraider21]

Not sure why it's set in stone he's going #4. Houston might value Whitmore or Walker as more NBA ready to pair with Harden and/or might think they have no clue what level player Amen is given the level of competition he faced. Can't believe a word that comes out of NBA front offices right now and the draft is often littered with major surprises in the lottery.
apparently if you take bleacher report, espn, and ringer's last mock drafts, the only picks that are consensus are wemby at 1 and amen at 4

at least thats what somebody on twitter said

[baseline bum]

apparently if you take bleacher report, espn, and ringer's last mock drafts, the only picks that are consensus are wemby at 1 and amen at 4

at least thats what somebody on twitter said

:lol

[BatManu20]

Not sure why it's set in stone he's going #4. Houston might value Whitmore or Walker as more NBA ready to pair with Harden and/or might think they have no clue what level player Amen is given the level of competition he faced. Can't believe a word that comes out of NBA front offices right now and the draft is often littered with major surprises in the lottery.

I mean anything is possible of course, but all the feedback and intel is pointing to HOU taking him at 4. I’d be shocked if they didn’t.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FzJkTBCWIAEOCuh?format=jpg&name=large

[paperboy77]

Super excited we are getting this guy but starting not to like him. Dude's gonna be shocked to learn SA is a crap town compared to NYC. He seems to really be liking all the attention up there. Also seems like he's saying too many of the right things on interviews. I really believe he'll be a star but in reality, he hasn't done squat yet. I guess that's why the Spurs are giving him the diva treatment. Hope this shit works out.

[baseline bum]

I mean anything is possible of course, but all the feedback and intel is pointing to HOU taking him at 4. I’d be shocked if they didn’t.

I still remember when Paul Pierce was supposed to go 2-4 and for some reason fell all the way to 10 and this was for a guy who played three years at Kansas. Amen seems a huge wild card to me. Wouldn't be surprised to see him go at 4 but I wouldn't be shocked to see him fall to 7 either.

[baseline bum]

Super excited we are getting this guy but starting not to like him. Dude's gonna be shocked to learn SA is a crap town compared to NYC. He seems to really be liking all the attention up there. Also seems like he's saying too many of the right things on interviews. I really believe he'll be a star but in reality, he hasn't done squat yet. I guess that's why the Spurs are giving him the diva treatment. Hope this shit works out.

What's the diva treatment?

[spurraider21]

What's the diva treatment?
allowing him to spend a day in new york before he's even drafted

[rjv]

What's the diva treatment?

no kidding. i mean-letting him play for his national team, as many games as he can in the regular season and having his own trainers work with him. wow, what a diva> :rolleyes

[Dejounte]

coulibaly was an interesting guy in the late first or something but these mocks having him go close to #10 are insane to me. is the gap between Coulibaly and Rupert really that big?

The gap is big but it’s in Rupert’s favor, tbh

[heyheymymy]

do divas take public transit?

[baseline bum]

Yeah I'm pretty damn excited with how Wemby carries himself.

Most hyped prospect since Bron but he seems like he's got a good head on his shoulders. Very conscious about his training and seems like he very much has a competitive fire to be one of the all time greats....

Way better than being a 300 pounder who can't lay off beignets and C list porn stars tbh :lol

ROFL exactly what I thought when I looked up Moriah Mills. I could understand a little if it was like Hazel Heart or maybe La Sirena 69 if he wanted a thick ass bitch, but Moriah Mills looks like shit.

[mo7888]

The gap is big but it’s in Rupert’s favor, tbh

Yup

[Mugen]

Man, if Houston passes on Amen at #4, I still think you need to be blowing up Detroit and Orlando to see how many first rounders you need to attach to Keldon to get to 5 or 6.

[JPB]

“The plan is to avoid big, costly mistakes,” he explained, “and to slowly build this thing out. See what you have first, see what you need, see what can be grown organically and go from there.”

All the "trade Keldon +2 FRPs to get in the top 10" stans on suicide watch...

[Chinook]

timvp, did your source tell you if the Spurs and/or Wemby view him as a center or a PF at this point in his career? Some of the reporting does suggest the Spurs probably do want to limit the minutes at the five for him. But getting that sense would have a cascading effect on multiple positions on the roster.

[buttsR4rebounding]

We have enough picks to throw on the table without any of the ATL assets or the Boston swap. If a deal can’t get done with one or more of the CHA.CHI, or TOR picks, don’t do the deal.

You can throw in 3, 4, or 5 seconds if necessary including 33.

[Steve-O-Matic]

timvp, did your source tell you if the Spurs and/or Wemby view him as a center or a PF at this point in his career? Some of the reporting does suggest the Spurs probably do want to limit the minutes at the five for him. But getting that sense would have a cascading effect on multiple positions on the roster.
Great question.

[John B]

All the "trade Keldon +2 FRPs to get in the top 10" stans on suicide watch...

I expect nobody’s untouchable IF Spurs truly believe on the guy they are targeting. To me if the Spurs have a chance to get what they believe could be an AS caliber, and will pair seamlessly with Wemby, then do it.

[poopbox]

Not thrilled with the “run it back” attitude. Wemby wants to win, and you don’t do that running it back with Mamu and KBD coming off the damn bench.

Meh. Wemby changes this team on offense and defense so much that is going to basically be a new team.

We haven't had rim protection in years. We got someone who should be elite at it from game 1.

We haven't had a big who could generate a double team since LMA last all nba season. Now we got a big that will and that should generate all types of shots for our offense that just flat out hasn't existed in years.

And this free agency class just isn't that good. You trying to blow a bunch of money on Van fleet or Kyle Kuzma? And as far as any trades go, say goodbye to some young players and those picks.

[SpursFan86]

Love everything I’m hearing in this article and in Victor’s interviews tbh. Glad we’re not going to coddle the guy and force him to sit every other game. I trust that between Victor himself, his training staff that knows him well, and the Spurs staff that they’ll be able to manage things properly to maximize development and minimize health risks. People worrying he’s a diva because he wants to be on the court…seriously? :lol

Great to hear we’re very seriously and actively pursuing another first round pick yet still want to maintain a “slow and steady” approach. No need to spend a shit ton of money on veteran FAs but they seem to understand it’s paramount to surround Victor with lots of talent ASAP.

[wildbill2u]

I'd rather a guy who wants to play every game than somebody who wants to be load managed half the season tbh

If you were expecting another low maintenance guy than you are in for a world of disappointment. The Spurs made concessions even for Timmy back in the day (and rightfully so) and if Wemby lives up to the hype, you basically have to acquiesce him to keep him long term. You don't think Steph gets a ton of say in how the organization is run? Jokic? Giannis? That's just the norm in sports tbh.

I'm sure PATFO is still shook from the Nephew situation and will do what it takes to keep Wemby happy in SA.

Put the kid in as many games as possible with the idea of getting into the playoffs and see what happens. Injuries are up to God and he has shown Himself to be a Spurs fan by giving us this draft gift of a generational player.

[KobesAchilles]

Nice to see this officially confirmed. :toast
I don’t see how a 2 year deal with Chris Paul would be a big costly mistake. They have to spend the money anyways and it keeps the cap flexibility open.

[spurraider21]

money has to go somewhere tbh

1671563206588784641

active roster + primo dead cap + wemby cap hold has them at about 97 mil or so

[John B]

Meh. Wemby changes this team on offense and defense so much that is going to basically be a new team.

We haven't had rim protection in years. We got someone who should be elite at it from game 1.

We haven't had a big who could generate a double team since LMA last all nba season. Now we got a big that will and that should generate all types of shots for our offense that just flat out hasn't existed in years.

And this free agency class just isn't that good. You trying to blow a bunch of money on Van fleet or Kyle Kuzma? And as far as any trades go, say goodbye to some young players and those picks.

I think he’s going to play more SF though. I’m sure he will on occassions post, but I think will see more of a KD type shooting over a defender, at least until he gets more NBA strong to handle the grinds on the paint. I don’t really want to match him against the likes of Stephen Adams for now.

[JPB]

The gap is big but it’s in Rupert’s favor, tbh

It's not. It's about potential and Bilal has showed more in a few months in France than Rupert in a full season in Australia (6pts, 2.5rbds, 1 ass (ouch) for Rupert who is supposed to be a playmaker), reason why Bilal is projected higher. Rupert's stock started to fall after people really checked his games in Australia.

Rupert's intrigue mainly comes from his size and for being a 6"6 PG... We know how scouts and GMs value size nowadays but his playmaking skills are still very raw .

[Spurs Homer]

Good read.im sure pop has been brainstorming on how to properly handle this gift of the nba gods….

just like when timmy was gifted to the spurs, the first thing pop did was go to timmy and try to find out what made timmy tick and they developed a nice relationship

pop knows he cannot use the same exact strategy with wemby

and wemby wanting to win now and against load mgmt- goes against pops recent handling of personnel- but pop is smart enough to know that he may have to adjust as much to wemby as wemby has to adjust to pop

probably more adjusting will have to come from pops side and i think pop understands this…

[MultiTroll]

drafting Coulibaly
Did yourself, Obstructed View, Chinook or anyone else see all the Mets post season games and have a take on Coul?
I only saw one game. The one where pretty much everyone said the Mets were getting ref burned.
From what i saw, Coul is not NBA ready.
I know, he's only 18 and I'm not expecting him to be ready.
What i mean is from what little i saw he did not strike me as a 1st round pick.
One game.

How bout you ones that saw him a lot.
Hey did any of you see him all regular season long too?

[Dejounte]

It's not. It's about potential and Bilal has showed more in a few months in France than Rupert in a full season in Australia (6pts, 2.5rbds, 1 ass (ouch) for Rupert who is supposed to be a playmaker), reason why Bilal is projected higher. Rupert's stock started to fall after people really checked his games in Australia.

Rupert's intrigue mainly comes from his size and for being a 6"6 PG... We know how scouts and GMs value size nowadays but his playmaking skills are still very raw .

Nope! :)

[Seventyniner]

Good read.im sure pop has been brainstorming on how to properly handle this gift of the nba gods….

just like when timmy was gifted to the spurs, the first thing pop did was go to timmy and try to find out what made timmy tick and they developed a nice relationship

pop knows he cannot use the same exact strategy with wemby

and wemby wanting to win now and against load mgmt- goes against pops recent handling of personnel- but pop is smart enough to know that he may have to adjust as much to wemby as wemby has to adjust to pop

probably more adjusting will have to come from pops side and i think pop understands this…

I think the season awards will matter a lot to Wemby. He doesn't want to lose out on ROY, All-Rookie team, etc by not playing enough games.

There's also a bigger picture. If Wemby is going to be the GOAT he will need to play as many games as he can, which means not sitting out too often early in his career.

Perhaps the way to square the circle is allow Wemby to play 82 games (assuming no injuries of course) but limit his minutes, especially in back-to-backs.

[rascal]

allowing him to spend a day in new york before he's even drafted

Spurs haven't even drafted him yet. Nothing wrong with him in New York a day before.

[Spurs Homer]

I think the season awards will matter a lot to Wemby. He doesn't want to lose out on ROY, All-Rookie team, etc by not playing enough games.

There's also a bigger picture. If Wemby is going to be the GOAT he will need to play as many games as he can, which means not sitting out too often early in his career.

Perhaps the way to square the circle is allow Wemby to play 82 games (assuming no injuries of course) but limit his minutes, especially in back-to-backs.

or

let him play and let him see the grind of the nba and hope that wemby and the spurs medical staff learn to trust each other and get on the same page to maximize wembys career and longevity

hopefully avoiding any major injuries

[RC_Drunkford]

Did yourself, Obstructed View, Chinook or anyone else see all the Mets post season games and have a take on Coul?
I only saw one game. The one where pretty much everyone said the Mets were getting ref burned.
From what i saw, Coul is not NBA ready.
I know, he's only 18 and I'm not expecting him to be ready.
What i mean is from what little i saw he did not strike me as a 1st round pick.
One game.

How bout you ones that saw him a lot.
Hey did any of you see him all regular season long too?

Top 10 pick to me. Played against grown men (some ex-NBA players). Has playmaking abilities. Very good perimeter defender. Huge hands and wingspan. In the mold of Siakam/nephew.

[baseline bum]

Spurs haven't even drafted him yet. Nothing wrong with him in New York a day before.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ngg5-uwQYI

[MultiTroll]

or

let him play and let him see the grind of the nba and hope that wemby and the spurs medical staff learn to trust each other and get on the same page to maximize wembys career and longevity

hopefully avoiding any major injuries
This is what has to happen.

The inference that Wemby has 90-99% of the say, might sound real macho on Wembys behalf but team needs to wear the pants here. Cannot be stressed enough.


The old NFL Ronnie Lott "put me in coach, cut the tip of my finger off" gets glorified among some NFL lair, but it was and is total bullshit.

"The source explained that Wembanyama was very proud of the fact he didn’t miss a game this season. If he wants to keep his ironman streak alive in his rookie season, it sounds like the Spurs won’t get in his way."

^ Spurs need to wear the pants, along with team Wembys input.

[Spurs9]

I don’t want to be the voice of concern, but my first impressions of Wemby is he is a NOT a Timmy or DRob who just quietly listens and trust the Spurs way. He will voice out what he wants, others might say having a “superstar” attitude. I’m hoping to be wrong. The PATFO will surely need to reevaluate their approach and avoid a Kawhi situation.

They better bend to whatever he wants tbh

[JPB]

Nope! :)

Well, yes. Bilal will be picked higher than Rupert, simple as that. Meaning GMs see him as better prospect. But I understood YOU like Rupert better.

[Dejounte]

Well, yes. Bilal will be picked higher than Rupert, simple as that. Meaning GMs see him as better prospect. But I understood YOU like Rupert better.
They could view him higher. I don’t think he’ll have a more successful career. Period. Plenty of later draft picks outperform higher one. Nothing new here.

[spurraider21]

They could view him higher. I don’t think he’ll have a more successful career. Period. Plenty of later draft picks outperform higher one. Nothing new here.
thats literally what he just said

GMs see him as a better prospect. but you like rupert better

[JPB]

They could view him higher. I don’t think he’ll have a more successful career. Period. Plenty of later draft picks outperform higher one. Nothing new here.

Sure but statiscally and on average higher picks have a better career than lower ones, so I'm not sure of the argument here... Again, I understand you believe Rupert is better but that does'nt make him naturally so. I trust more GMs who see Bilal as the better prospect (which is also my case, only to start for his defense) and if you could be right ultimately, odds are against you.

[Dejounte]

Sure but statiscally and on average higher picks have a better career than lower ones, so I'm not sure of the argument here... Again, I understand you believe is better but that does'nt make him naturally so. I trust more GMs who see Bilal as the better prospect (which alos my case, only to start for his defense) and if you could be right ultimately, odds are against you.

That’s fine. I’m not asking for you to agree with me. I trust my track record over the years and have been right about prospects a lot more than I’ve been wrong (and I’ve definitely been wrong).

[jesterbobman]

12) We previously reported (https://www.spurstalk.com/players-spurs-trade-first-round-2023-draft/) that a scout for a Western Conference team believes that the Spurs will attempt to try to sign Fred VanVleet or Chris Paul. I asked a Spurs source about that possibility and he basically shot it down.“The plan is to avoid big, costly mistakes,” he explained, “and to slowly build this thing out. See what you have first, see what you need, see what can be grown organically and go from there.


If that's the plan (makes sense to me, you should be caring about maximising a 10 year window, not a rookie year), I wonder if the Spurs will be hunting for deals to absorb a bad, short term contracts in exchange for draft assets. If you're planning on seeing what you have and not making a splash, it seems sensible to hunt around the big spending teams and see what you can extract for taking on salary. Could we combine taking on bad money, sending out second round picks for future firsts? We'll need to clear the logjam of #2s out, might get better value if we combine that with taking on $$$.

Would the Knicks give up some of their weak 1sts from OKC (from the Ousmane Dieng trade) if the Spurs took on Fourniers' deal? (Maybe not if they're star hunting)
Heat give up 18 for us to take on Lowry or Robinson? (less likely, they're better players), with us sending 33 (or 44 and a 2024 second)? (more likely)

Whether those trades go through or not depends on other offers, but hopefully the Spurs are trying.

[JPB]

That’s fine. I’m not asking for you to agree with me. I trust my track record over the years and have been right about prospects a lot more than I’ve been wrong (and I’ve definitely been wrong).

Possible, that's not an exact sicence and we all have our pet prospects... Defense is really where I see Bilal earning solid NBA minutes and I'm sure what have GMs valuing him more, since that's something tangible, you can see the instincts and BB IQ, which is something you can't teach... Offense and shooting will tell if he can be more than a 3&D guy...

You also can see the potential in Rupert as a tall guard who can play multiple positions but that's much more theorical, like a REAL prospect to mold. You have the body and the handlings but can he be a real player? his 1 ass/game in Australia is a real concern, he lacks court vision and feel for the game... He still doesn't get it, will he ever?

[Bruno]

A reason why Coulibaly is projected as a lottery pick is that he is a late bloomer due too a huge growth spurt he had when he was 16 years old. He is very new at the SF spot, at a high level of play and with a body of this size.

[BatManu20]

1671627802850873353

[Seventyniner]

I find that Spurs drafting Coulibaly is asking for troubles:
- If he starts struggling, there will quickly have the whole "he has been drafted by Spurs only because he is Wembanyama budy" talk. It will be a complicate situation to handle for a very young Coulibaly.
- If he starts to be good and take away minutes from players like Vassell, KJ or Sochan, these players will likely at some point ask themselves: "Is he better than me or is he just playing to please Wembanyama.".

Wembanyama isn't shy and speaks quite well English. Spurs' players are, from what I've seen, a bunch of good guys. Wembanyama should fit smoothly within the team especially when you consider that he isn't a selfish player on the court (he passes the ball and plays defense).

This could even extend to the Spurs trying to trade for another first. If the Spurs end up getting offered, say, the Mavs' #10 pick and they take it because a player they really like (other than Coulibaly) is on the board, would Wemby get mad at the Spurs for drafting someone else when they could have had Coulibaly instead? It might be better to just give up on an early or mid first as a trade target, and instead go for a later pick when Coulibaly won't be available.

[Bruno]

This could even extend to the Spurs trying to trade for another first. If the Spurs end up getting offered, say, the Mavs' #10 pick and they take it because a player they really like (other than Coulibaly) is on the board, would Wemby get mad at the Spurs for drafting someone else when they could have had Coulibaly instead? It might be better to just give up on an early or mid first as a trade target, and instead go for a later pick when Coulibaly won't be available.

Well, it's not up to Wembanyama to decide who Spurs should draft. He isn't the GM or the owner, he is a 19 years old rookie.

[CGD]

1671627802850873353

This fool is probably just going off TiMVPs analysis.

[Russ]

Well, it's not up to Wembanyama to decide who Spurs should draft. He isn't the GM or the owner, he is a 19 years old rookie.

His rookie ass should bring the fucking doughnuts to practice.

We talkin bout practice . . .

:flag:

[Leetonidas]

I find that Spurs drafting Coulibaly is asking for troubles:
- If he starts struggling, there will quickly have the whole "he has been drafted by Spurs only because he is Wembanyama budy" talk. It will be a complicate situation to handle for a very young Coulibaly.
- If he starts to be good and take away minutes from players like Vassell, KJ or Sochan, these players will likely at some point ask themselves: "Is he better than me or is he just playing to please Wembanyama.".

Wembanyama isn't shy and speaks quite well English. Spurs' players are, from what I've seen, a bunch of good guys. Wembanyama should fit smoothly within the team especially when you consider that he isn't a selfish player on the court (he passes the ball and plays defense).

Maybe this is why we keep hearing how SA is trying to move up to get him, so someone else tries to poach him first and they won't have to worry about any of that

[Dex]

Spurs officials right now: Who is Vector Wembanana?

[tonight...you]

His rookie ass should bring the fucking doughnuts to practice.

We talkin bout practice . . .

:flag:
Get Timmy back on the payroll to coach him and tell his ass to bring dem donuts.
This is Timmy telling you, foo'.

As an aside, I'd rather breakfast tacos, but that's just me.

[tonight...you]

Who is Vector Wembanana?
An NBA prospect from the tropics.
Heard he's a freak, but I think it's more about what he does at the clubs than on the court.

[Dex]

An NBA prospect from the tropics.
Heard he's a freak, but I think it's more about what he does at the clubs than on the court.

OH NO ITS PRIMO ALL OVER AGAIN :downspin:

[Uriel]

With Wembanyama, Sochan, Branham, and Wesley on the summer league roster, the team is destined to win the championship.

[paperboy77]

What's the diva treatment?

Well seems like PATFO are letting him set terms.... a damn rookie.

Also, I guess he's just answering questions being asked, but his answers sound a little too wise or rehearsed for a 19-year-old. Then all that talk about championships asap. Guy doesn't know anything yet. He'll probably give himself a nickname too.

[JPB]

This fool is probably just going off TiMVPs analysis.

You mean ST analysis... Bilal has been discussed here and linked to the spurs for like 2 months with Offset and I as official pimps (although I'm not as hardcore as offset who sees Bilal as a top 2 prospect....).

Truth is anyway nobody know anything, just guessing and trying to put coherent stuff out there... Wemby is a future spur + Bilal is his friend= spurs interested. Not saying they are not and that could make sense, but nobody knows anything.

[scott]

Happy to hear that Wemby isn’t a bitch ass. Major relief there.

If it is true that the Spurs would have picked Amen at #2 (and this just someone from OTE’s POV, not from the FO), then I would renew my opinion that if we were trying to move up into the lotto, it should be for him, not for Black or Bufkin.

[baseline bum]

Well seems like PATFO are letting him set terms.... a damn rookie.

Also, I guess he's just answering questions being asked, but his answers sound a little too wise or rehearsed for a 19-year-old. Then all that talk about championships asap. Guy doesn't know anything yet. He'll probably give himself a nickname too.

I don't really see what's wrong about a guy saying he wants to compete for a championship ASAP. It's not like he's pulling a Lillard and telling the team to mortgage their future for him right now. Sounded more like he was just excited to be going to a team that's shown they can build a winner. And have you considered that maybe he's just excited to be here? He has already had one moment of letting his guard down and fucking up in front of the camera when he cheered Houston getting the #4 pick. That makes me think he's sincere about wanting to be here as did the same shit all of us did seeing Houston's name get called. :lol

[BackHome]

Yeah, people take things way to serious I think he is just pumped to be the number 1 pick and to make his dream come true playing in the NBA. I also think he will be cool with building this team through the draft vs. doing a Lebron and demanding trades for has been stars.

[Obstructed_View]

Victor is such a smart team guy, even at his young age. He cares more about winning than his own stats. He doesn't get angry at teammates for not feeding him. He knows his role and other guys' roles and helps his teammates know where to be without being an ass about it. I'm so excited to see him with the Spurs.

[paperboy77]

I don't really see what's wrong about a guy saying he wants to compete for a championship ASAP. It's not like he's pulling a Lillard and telling the team to mortgage their future for him right now. Sounded more like he was just excited to be going to a team that's shown they can build a winner. And have you considered that maybe he's just excited to be here? He has already had one moment of letting his guard down and fucking up in front of the camera when he cheered Houston getting the #4 pick. That makes me think he's sincere about wanting to be here as did the same shit all of us did seeing Houston's name get called. :lol

Don't mind me... I'm just increasingly grouchier by the day, about everything it seems. Wemby is EXACTLY what this franchise needed and in such a bad way. They'll be aight.

[timtonymanu]

Lol leave it to some spurs fans already to bring up :cry he’s not classy like Duncan or DRob. Get over yourselves honestly.

Meanwhile we had a mute that had all the makings of a “classy” player and he turned out to be the biggest bitch in nba history.

[timtonymanu]

Oh man this guy Wemby wants to win a championship. Not spurs material. We need culture signings like Bryn Forbes and Primo. No scandals in their personal lives I’m sure.

[DesignatedT]

I like.

[baseline bum]

Don't mind me... I'm just increasingly grouchier by the day, about everything it seems. Wemby is EXACTLY what this franchise needed and in such a bad way. They'll be aight.

Same here, this ridiculous summer actually starting to top the suckage of last year's ridiculous summer has me pretty grouchy. Especially since I just caught a cold or COVID or something that has me more congested than peak cedar pollen season right as we're setting all-time records for heat index daily.

[offset formation]

Same here, this ridiculous summer actually starting to top the suckage of last year's ridiculous summer has me pretty grouchy. Especially since I just caught a cold or COVID or something that has me more congested than peak cedar pollen season right as we're setting all-time records for heat index daily.

Had something similar in December and was miserable for a week. Maybe tomorrow's happenings will relieve your symptoms

[baseline bum]

Had something similar in December and was miserable for a week. Maybe tomorrow's happenings will relieve your symptoms

Oh yeah getting a player like Wemby I'll be on top of the world tomorrow. Never even dared to hope the Spurs would get him with an 86% chance against them. Then again I never dared to hope we'd get Tim either. David's lottery I was young and dumb so kind of expected to get him that year. :lmao

[Seventyniner]

Well, it's not up to Wembanyama to decide who Spurs should draft. He isn't the GM or the owner, he is a 19 years old rookie.

You're right, but that wasn't my point. Is Wemby the type to hold a grudge - even if it's childish and irrational - if the Spurs trade for an early/mid first and don't use that pick on Coulibaly even if he's available? And if he is, does that mean the Spurs shouldn't even try to trade for an early/mid first?

To be clear, I don't think Wemby is like that at all. I'm just voicing the possibility.

[Atl Spur]

Same here, this ridiculous summer actually starting to top the suckage of last year's ridiculous summer has me pretty grouchy. Especially since I just caught a cold or COVID or something that has me more congested than peak cedar pollen season right as we're setting all-time records for heat index daily.

Stay on top of that; wishing you boys a speedy recovery. ( just lost a nephew )

[baseline bum]

Stay on top of that; wishing you boys a speedy recovery. ( just lost a nephew )

Sorry to hear. Condolences, that's rough losing a younger family member.

[baseline bum]

You're right, but that wasn't my point. Is Wemby the type to hold a grudge - even if it's childish and irrational - if the Spurs trade for an early/mid first and don't use that pick on Coulibaly even if he's available? And if he is, does that mean the Spurs shouldn't even try to trade for an early/mid first?

To be clear, I don't think Wemby is like that at all. I'm just voicing the possibility.

Seems kind of far fetched, he's not Rodman. (If you're not old like me, the Spurs had to keep scrub ass broken down Jack Haley on the team for a couple of years because he was Rodman's friend)

[tmtcsc]

Load Management is bullshit. Especially for a 19 year old kid. I'm glad he sees it too.