Article: How the Spurs Have Already Started Planning for Victor Wembanyama

[Excessive Egotist]

I get that we aren't challenging for anything next year but if we get Wembanyama they're gonna try and surround him with vets immediately and make an effort to win (even though we won't be good yet)...

What I'm speaking of is trying to tank (not just being a bad team)... the rotations we're running combined with timvp's Intel screams we're trying to lose from a front office perspective.

A rebuild is a multi-year process. I imagine the Spurs won't rush the rebuild. It's much better for them to be in the lottery two drafts from now. Perhaps in '25 as well. I just hope the front office has the time (from ownership and fans) and the stomach to see it through. The important milestone is being in a position to contend each year of Wemby's second contract. Plus, the next few free agent classes are very underwhelming.

[JPB]

I don't see Spurs tanking if they get Victor but immediately trying to build a compe ive team...

Tanking long term would really hurt the franchise and, as we're seeing with other teams, might end up as some kind of dead en street, with one million picks and prospects.

Besides, as we all know by now, Victor may become the face of the NBA and a huge attraction for the next decade+... You wanna make the best of the huge expectations and attention his arrival in the NBA will generate, and not bury him for his first year in a small market, tanking team that will get blown out every night...... That's basic communication and business, as well as a way to potentially drag quality FAs.

Last but not least, no way victor accpet to play to lose. Kid is an ultumate compe or who hates losing and you might risk demolralizing him or even build some frustration and resentment...

[stnick2261]

I just posted this in another thread:

The Spurs have shown they can find serviceable starters (and even a few all-stars) drafting late in the 1st. It's the franchise player that you (mostly) need a high draft pick for. Once we have that player, I'm confident in the FO to surround him with enough talent without having to continue the tank (and using whatever natural draft spots we end up with each year).

[Excessive Egotist]

There is likely more nuance here than "should tank" and "won't tank" capture. With a core of Wemby, Sochan, and Vassell, the Spurs might as good as the Thunder next season? Should the Spurs try to skip that step and become as good as the current Jazz or Pacers next season?

Personally, I don't see the advantage. I'd rather give Wemby another mid to high lottery teammate for his second season.

The two exceptions I could see the Spurs accelerating are the point guard position and center. A short term vet who is a master at running offense--someone like Mike Conley or, more expensively, VanVleet would dramatically help Wemby's development. The other was mentioned by TimVP in his recent article. Namely, a burly rim protector. But even if the team had both Conley and Poeltl next to Wemby, Vassell, Johnson, and Sochan, that is still a mid lottery team.

[LkrFan]

CIA Pop a real one

[Excessive Egotist]

I just posted this in another thread:

The Spurs have shown they can find serviceable starters (and even a few all-stars) drafting late in the 1st. It's the franchise player that you (mostly) need a high draft pick for. Once we have that player, I'm confident in the FO to surround him with enough talent without having to continue the tank (and using whatever natural draft spots we end up with each year).

The Spurs should have plenty of mid to late FRPs the back half of this decade. If they handle their assets well, they should have a few lottery picks vis a vi controlling another teams picks during those years too. If the team won Wemby, they should be able to field a contender from '25ish-37ish.

[Uriel]

Even if the Spurs never win a game for the rest of the season, there is still an 86% chance they don't get Wembanyama.

[exstatic]

Even if the Spurs never win a game for the rest of the season, there is still an 86% chance they don't get Wembanyama.

Yes, I think that’s been established. We live in the world of the flattened lottery odds.

[Uriel]

I've watched quite a few of Duke's games and Flipowski has been the best player on that team, even more so than Whitehead and Lively so far. But to end up with him instead of Wembanyama would be a massive disappointment.

[exstatic]

I've watched quite a few of Duke's games and Flipowski has been the best player on that team, even more so than Whitehead and Lively so far. But to end up with him instead of Wembanyama would be a massive disappointment.

We’re not taking him with a top 7 or 8 pick. He’s a white boy from Duke.

[spurraider21]

has pop been scribbling "Pop + Victor" over and over in his notebook as well?

[baseline bum]

Even if the Spurs never win a game for the rest of the season, there is still an 86% chance they don't get Wembanyama.

But a very high chance of a top 5 pick. No point whatsoever in trying to be a 30 win team after trading Murray away. Better to be extremely bad than just really bad since extremely bad gives you the opportunity to draft the highest end talent.

[spurraider21]

Yeah, they were super meticulous when they were vetting Primo

look primo wasnt featured that much in college but he flashed enough to get their attention

[mo7888]

In this best case of landing Wembanyama, this isn't 1989 where you're getting 24 year-old David Robinson while also having a top 3 pick with allstar potential (e.g. Sean Elliott). And even then they really only traded Alvin for TC because Alvin was having off the court problems but still had great trade value. I think you take another swing at a high draft pick and hope you get another Sean Elliott before making a move to land vets after Wemby would have a year of experience in the league and really be ready to start running his second season.

We are only disagreeing on the semantics here...you're saying we tank another year...I'm saying we're going to surround him with vets to play the right way and we are still going to lose enough to get a good draft pick in the scenario that we get Wembanyama..

[couchman]

This article is embarrassing.
Obviously the Spurs need to prepare for the unlikely chance that they get Wemby, but why write a whole article about it?
I’d be more interested in learning about their 4 year roadmap that hopefully doesn’t rely on a lucky bounce.

[mo7888]

This article is embarrassing.
Obviously the Spurs need to prepare for the unlikely chance that they get Wemby, but why write a whole article about it?
I’d be more interested in learning about their 4 year roadmap that hopefully doesn’t rely on a lucky bounce.

You can't plot that road map until this draft is over...you may have plans that are general in nature but you don't know exactly what they are until this is over because this isn't a normal draft..

[KingKev]

Yes, I think that’s been established. We live in the world of the flattened lottery odds.

That is exactly who PATFO will take with the 7th or 8th pick. You can’t give this FO too much discretion these days.

[tonight...you]

Even if the Spurs never win a game for the rest of the season, there is still an 86% chance they don't get Wembanyama.

I think this is a number that needs to be battered into the tankers more than anything else.
86 percent to fail your dreams.
86 percent to not get Wemby.
Think about that.

[baseline bum]

I think this is a number that needs to be battered into the tankers more than anything else.
86 percent to fail your dreams.
86 percent to not get Wemby.
Think about that.

Don't think many people are on board with tanking just for Wembanyama, it would be ridiculous when there's a 6 in 7 chance you don't get him. I'm on board with tanking because the roster sucks after trading Murray and the Spurs will need to draft top 5 for another 3-4 years and hope one of the picks really hits to get out of this downward spiral Leonard put the team into when his uncle forced his way out 4.5 years ago.

[BacktoBasics]

So am I understanding correctly that if we have a top 3 worst record we’re guaranteed a top 5 pick?

Ultimately that’s the goal wouldn’t it be.

[MultiTroll]

We’re not taking him with a top 7 or 8 pick. He’s a white boy from Duke.

We landed Bryn Forms and outbid everyone else for Patty Mills.

Wouldn't underestimate Pop.

[exstatic]

So am I understanding correctly that if we have a top 3 worst record we’re guaranteed a top 5 pick?

Ultimately that’s the goal wouldn’t it be.

No. You are guaranteed a pick no worse than your position, minus 4 slots. Right now, we’re guaranteed top 7.

[Russ]

So am I understanding correctly that if we have a top 3 worst record we’re guaranteed a top 5 pick?

No, only if you have the abosolute worst record are you guaranteed a top 5 pick.

[thiste]

Nice to see PATFO are all in on Wemby

[rascal]

Spurfan gonna be sorely disappointed when we end up picking between 4-8 tbh.

Not likely. The Spurs look headed for the worst record in the league.

Not likely three teams will move ahead of them on lottery night.