Obstructed_View
07-03-2023, 06:57 AM
I've been a Spurs fan since 1990, and this has been, by far, the most genuinely bonkers 2 months I've ever seen. We are all full of nervous energy as the spotlight of sports, not just basketball, are turned our way for literally the first time ever.
It is time, my friends, for some actual basketball for us to focus on rather than eating each other. It couldn't come soon enough.
Let's talk about what we want to see. I've been watching Summer League for decades and I did follow the tanking youngsters rather closely. I'll start off with some of my thoughts. Feel free, as always, to respond however you wish.
As I mentioned in other threads, I REALLY like this team. I think last year was Pop's finest year as a coach and a teacher. Seeing young guys getting real playing time was immensely rewarding, and I love the way the kids stepped up and played with energy, played together, and addressed their own shortcomings. The spirit of Timmy, the ultimate gym rat, seems to be alive and well in this next generation.
So what do we want to look for? What do you expect? Since I'm a fan of the vast majority of this roster, I'll explain why I think they're more important than all the second rounders and free agents the front office passed on over the last four weeks. There are some specific things I'm looking for that will determine if the youngsters are going to be a solid core to develop with Victor. I hope they've all been working hard prior to the ping pong ball gods smiling on San Antonio.
In no particular order, but guys I'm excited about seeing. The other guys on the SL squad that I don't mention I know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about. If you do, please feel free to post up about them.
Jeremy Sochan
Won't be in summer league as of now. Don't know when he will play, but we will be looking at his jumper from 22 feet out and his health. People are concerned about his knee. My guess is that he has overworked it and is now being forced by the team to ease down. If his injury is not something that will threaten his career, he and Victor are going to absolutely wreck the NBA.
Blake Wesley
My dream comparison: Latrell Sprewell
The Spurs' home run swing. Has all the physical gifts, seems like a good teammate and came into the league with a chip on his shoulder. He was playing pretty well on both ends right up to the moment he hurt his knee. This young man is so fast that he looks bad because he moves faster than he can process the game. We want to see how he processes the offense and his commitment level on defense. He can really be special on both ends of the floor.
Malaki Branham
My dream comparison: Michael Redd
Mal was struggling last year, and then a light went on, and he was effortlessly finding his spots and filling it up. He gives you what DDR did but adds the ability to include his teammates in the offense. That's not as crazy a comparison as it sounds; his averages don't jump out but his before and after are pretty impressive. He even played some point guard, bringing the ball up, and did a good job. He's almost the opposite of Wesley in that he does his work without relying on speed or power. It came together for him so well that I'm hoping he develops into Victor's Jamal Murray. He has a wonky jumper, especially from deep, but his offense is so silky smooth that I wouldn't mess with it. He will be effective even without a three pointer, but he has to be willing to take them and able to make at least a few to keep defenders off Victor's ass.
Julian Champagnie
My dream comparison: Josh Richardson?
At the end of the year, Julian's offense became special. Like really special. You gotta explore that and see if it's real. You just can't let him go without finding out. He went from a guy who was taking a space on the roster to someone who might be ready for a rotation spot. He was also a good defender, insofar as one can evaluate defense on a tanking team. I'm pretty sure will all be watching these guys to see if they are actually the worst defensive players in NBA history. Hoping that was by design. We will find out soon enough.
Dominick Barlow
My dream comparison: I don't know, Nazr Mohammed maybe.
Dom is so young and so rough that it's hard to even know what he can be. He's a nice kid. He gives effort. He keeps his head up when he makes a mistake and he doesn't let it bother him. He just showed signs of something that makes me want to see him develop. He feels like a team guy to me. All I'm looking for is maturity and improvement. Maybe I need an excuse to defend keeping him around. Maybe he spends another year in Austin. Maybe I'm just being a fanboy. We'll have to see.
Charles Bediako, Sidy Cissoko, Sir' Jabari Rice
My dream comparison: None. I just needed to practice spelling their names
These look to be, barring some surprise, the only other guys who aren't just filling out the roster. I'm excited to see them play. If they do anything better than expected on scouting reports, I will likely be writing glowing reviews of them in my evaluations.
It is time, my friends, for some actual basketball for us to focus on rather than eating each other. It couldn't come soon enough.
Let's talk about what we want to see. I've been watching Summer League for decades and I did follow the tanking youngsters rather closely. I'll start off with some of my thoughts. Feel free, as always, to respond however you wish.
As I mentioned in other threads, I REALLY like this team. I think last year was Pop's finest year as a coach and a teacher. Seeing young guys getting real playing time was immensely rewarding, and I love the way the kids stepped up and played with energy, played together, and addressed their own shortcomings. The spirit of Timmy, the ultimate gym rat, seems to be alive and well in this next generation.
So what do we want to look for? What do you expect? Since I'm a fan of the vast majority of this roster, I'll explain why I think they're more important than all the second rounders and free agents the front office passed on over the last four weeks. There are some specific things I'm looking for that will determine if the youngsters are going to be a solid core to develop with Victor. I hope they've all been working hard prior to the ping pong ball gods smiling on San Antonio.
In no particular order, but guys I'm excited about seeing. The other guys on the SL squad that I don't mention I know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about. If you do, please feel free to post up about them.
Jeremy Sochan
Won't be in summer league as of now. Don't know when he will play, but we will be looking at his jumper from 22 feet out and his health. People are concerned about his knee. My guess is that he has overworked it and is now being forced by the team to ease down. If his injury is not something that will threaten his career, he and Victor are going to absolutely wreck the NBA.
Blake Wesley
My dream comparison: Latrell Sprewell
The Spurs' home run swing. Has all the physical gifts, seems like a good teammate and came into the league with a chip on his shoulder. He was playing pretty well on both ends right up to the moment he hurt his knee. This young man is so fast that he looks bad because he moves faster than he can process the game. We want to see how he processes the offense and his commitment level on defense. He can really be special on both ends of the floor.
Malaki Branham
My dream comparison: Michael Redd
Mal was struggling last year, and then a light went on, and he was effortlessly finding his spots and filling it up. He gives you what DDR did but adds the ability to include his teammates in the offense. That's not as crazy a comparison as it sounds; his averages don't jump out but his before and after are pretty impressive. He even played some point guard, bringing the ball up, and did a good job. He's almost the opposite of Wesley in that he does his work without relying on speed or power. It came together for him so well that I'm hoping he develops into Victor's Jamal Murray. He has a wonky jumper, especially from deep, but his offense is so silky smooth that I wouldn't mess with it. He will be effective even without a three pointer, but he has to be willing to take them and able to make at least a few to keep defenders off Victor's ass.
Julian Champagnie
My dream comparison: Josh Richardson?
At the end of the year, Julian's offense became special. Like really special. You gotta explore that and see if it's real. You just can't let him go without finding out. He went from a guy who was taking a space on the roster to someone who might be ready for a rotation spot. He was also a good defender, insofar as one can evaluate defense on a tanking team. I'm pretty sure will all be watching these guys to see if they are actually the worst defensive players in NBA history. Hoping that was by design. We will find out soon enough.
Dominick Barlow
My dream comparison: I don't know, Nazr Mohammed maybe.
Dom is so young and so rough that it's hard to even know what he can be. He's a nice kid. He gives effort. He keeps his head up when he makes a mistake and he doesn't let it bother him. He just showed signs of something that makes me want to see him develop. He feels like a team guy to me. All I'm looking for is maturity and improvement. Maybe I need an excuse to defend keeping him around. Maybe he spends another year in Austin. Maybe I'm just being a fanboy. We'll have to see.
Charles Bediako, Sidy Cissoko, Sir' Jabari Rice
My dream comparison: None. I just needed to practice spelling their names
These look to be, barring some surprise, the only other guys who aren't just filling out the roster. I'm excited to see them play. If they do anything better than expected on scouting reports, I will likely be writing glowing reviews of them in my evaluations.