I would add Thomas Sorber on this list, 6-10 big dominant, can pass, rebound, block and should stretch his shooting outside the arc
Knueppel is definitely better than McNeeley. The only issue I have is his size. He‘s an SG and we already have 2. Having any of them play SF would have us playing undersized when size should be one of our advantages. I wouldn‘t be mad if we draft him though.
OKC consistently plays 1-3 with players 6’6” and below, sometimes even 1-4. How do they get away with it?
I mean trading Vassell would solve it. Also we don’t need a back up PG cause Castle can play that, so you could have 3 SGs in the rotation. I‘d just like to have a positional size advantage
Players with athleticism.
The bargain big?
Could be as good or better than the others.
Interesting question. My best answer to this is that "positional size" does not refer to just height, and that OKC's case it refers to length. It actually makes a lot of sense in the context of their defense, which prioritizes speed and turnover generation - generally shorter players have a lower center of gravity, can hold their base better, and are quicker. To compensate, they have a ton of length which also increases their standing reach. If you look at the guys they play - Dort, SGA, JDub, Cason Wallace, these guys are all +5 or more wingspan, and Dub is like +8 or 9, giving them a taller "effective height". Caruso is the only guy without an absurd ape index and he's a top 5 perimeter defender. This is also why CMB to the Thunder is like one of my worst-case draft scenarios, as he would slot in perfectly as a long-term IHart replacement and give them the physicality and strength next to Chet that they were looking for before this year without giving up length - rumored to have a 7'2" wingspan.
I was going to post similar thoughts!!
If the Thunder get the 7th pick I actually think they will take CMB. They are a bit short on those 6’7 - 6’8 guys.
I think height is actually very overrated as far as defense goes, both in perimeter and interior defense. The only thing it's good for is seeing over defenders when you're a high level passer, and maybe in theory directing traffic if you're able to see over people. But as a defender, things like wingspan, standing reach (same concept), speed, athleticism, and strength matter a lot more. Robert Williams was considered way too short for a center at 6'8 without shoes but had a 7'6" wingspan and the standing reach of a guy much taller. But until injuries diminished him, he was probably one of the 3 best rim protectors in the league during the 2022-2023 season while still being able to switch out on the perimeter. Ben Wallace - 6'9, 7'2.5 wingspan, great interior defender. I would say generally the taller you are the harder it is to move fast, so you almost want someone who's got a lower center of gravity but who can still get to errant passes or disrupt shots.
Texas somehow makes the tournament despite having a ty season. BYU, Baylor also make it. Texas will play Illinois in their first game I believe.
Actually, Texas will play Illinois in their second game (if there even is a second game).
That's right. Xavier/Texas for the play-in game.
Changing everyday…
Tier 1 - No brainer
Flagg
Harper
Tier 2 - Oozing talent
Kon
VJ Edgecombe
Jase Richardson
Tier 3a - i like the fit better than 3b
Fleming
Carter Bryant
Tier 3b - Bad fit, but talent is there
Bailey
Tre Johnson
Queen
CMB
Wolf
Tier 4a- Has displayed less than 4b, but I prefer gambling on the unknown than the known in 4b
Saraf
De Larrea
Demin
Noa
Tier 4b- Safe picks
Riley
Kasparas
Maluach
Tier 5 - I wouldn’t understand these picks for the Spurs
Asa Newell
Fears
Traore
Hugo
Tier 6 - Bust
McNeeley
SpursBills is going to hate this but the reason I feel CMB and Wolf are bad fits is because they their game is predicated on pounding the ball for more than a few seconds before making a decision what to do next and I think we need players who make quicker decisions than that. All of those seconds with the ball are going to go to Wemby, Fox, and Castle.
with Wolf, it’s a little different because I feel like he’d occupy the same spaces that Wemby does and that would be bad.
Ace would fit well on offense because he’s like Klay or Markkanen, he would throw it up on one or two dribbles. He’s way less efficient though. The reason I feel Ace is a bad fit is because of how thin and frail he is, and we need way more physicality.
TJ… I just think a tough shot maker isn’t high on the priority list.
Last edited by Dejounte; 03-17-2025 at 06:01 AM.
I will also concede that there’s never enough tape to watch to change my mind on how I’m viewing these players. Right now, CMB reminds me of the Luka Samanic experience. Luka would pound the ball a little bit in the post, do a post move and score too. They kind of play the same way and I kind of wonder if the Spurs do not favor that kind of playstyle (because of how disruptive it is to the pacing on offense) unless they’re a bonafide star.
After the tourney, I'm sure things will start to clarify and reorder.
Today, I'd be happy with Fleming and Essengue, though there are other options depending on lottery order. Fleming might be a reach with our highest pick and could be gone by our second pick. BPA might exclude Fleming. Essengue would be a project with a lot of upside.
Adding one of either Naz Reid/Santi Aldama/Yabusele and grabbing LaRavia while losing CP3, Branham, and trading KJ/Vassell would be a dream scenario. I doubt the Spurs would ever allow this much off-season player movement to happen, however.
I hope we don't grab another undersized SG, but, that seems like it's our historical pattern.
Rodman, Draymond, and Kawhi are beneficiaries of that body type too... Rodman is especially notable, doing what he did with the height and weight of a SG or a slightly undersized SF!
Rodman was in a different era, where today’s modern NBA prefers a stretch 4. Draymond benefited from having the two best shooters in the league that pulls defenders out. In the case of Sochan, the Spurs are already challenged with inconsistent shooters.
This is my concern. The Spurs just simply do not move with the Organizational Velocity needed to change this roster. I can dig up the thread, but one time I looked at historical roster continuity and the Spurs consistently had a high degree of continuity since the Pop era began. Simply put: the Spurs don't like a lot of change at once.
We're probably looking at fewer roster changes this offseason than most of us want. I'm just preparing myself for that now.
^^I’m not sure that juxtaposing two drastically different eras makes for a good enough comparison to draw that kind of conclusion.
It's a legitimate concern and I had the same thought on some possessions, but on others you actually see him make some very quick decisions.
Here's a sample game against Texas A&M this year, passing/turnover highlights start from 2:04
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o0RKZCEohY
First three possessions - ball definitely doesn't stick, he touches the ball for < 1 second before finding the open man for either a 3 or missed layup
2:30 - tries an in and out dribble, surveys the court, finds the open man for a 3 - possessions like these are what I'm assuming you're referring to
2:39 - gets a pass on the fast break, touch pass back which Thomas wasn't ready for, turnover
2:47 - gets doubled instantly in the post, dribbles out, finds the open man for a 3, clank
2:54 - another possession where he surveys the court for a few seconds, tries a jab step, then passes off the ball
3:02 - gets the ball and gets stripped, turnover
3:09 - PNR, gets the ball on the short roll and instantly finds the wide open man for a 3
3:20 - fast break, finds the cutter along the baseline who loses it
3:28 - corrals the lose ball, instantly spins and finds the wide open man for a 3
Best pass of that same game was actually from this clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCCAEYSPpOM
1:41 - Jokic-style volleyball touch pass for wide open 3
I do wonder also if this year since South Carolina's team is so bad and he's responsible for a ton of their offense, that he gets put in a position where he's getting the ball at the free throw line extended / 3 point line / low post trying to make something happen. The nice thing is that you know for sure that he scales down to a smaller usage role, as you have an entire years' worth of film from his age 18 season last year where he was acting much more as a connector.
Two drastically different eras with the same people in charge.
The Spurs have maintained their high degree of Roster Continuity even during this playoff drought. Going into this season, we brought back 80% (12 of 15) of our roster, who played 85% of last season's minutes (what I've defined as the "reverse continuity rate" in the other thread, which I will bump shortly).
We'll actually have our lowest continuity rate since 2009-10 (defined as % of this season's minutes filled by players who were on last year's roster) by virtue of our 3 additions (CP3, Barnes and Castle) actually being the 3 guys who lead our team in minutes this year (and by adding Fox midseason).
Even while we've been bad, we still have had minimal roster turnover. The team could definitely change course, but if they do it would be a departure from their recent approach to the roster.
Just can’t agree with this one at all. Who’s so athletic on the OKC roster who’s getting g significant minutes? Shai isn’t particularly athletic, neither is J-Dub. Cason Wallace is a Mya e but nothing outstanding. Sort is very strong but not exceptionally quick or runs and jumps. Caruso is a plus athlete but again not outstanding. Chet is quick for a player his size but not strong at all. Hartenstein is a decent enough athlete I guess but again nothing special in nba terms. In fact, OKC is the team that destroys your long held stance that athleticism is a must intoday’s nba. They just have a system that requires players getting to the right spots and knowing their roles and so them well.
There are definitely plus players, Shai and J-dub would be good players anywhere in any system, Hartenstein was doing well with NY, Chet is obviously a star if he can stay healthy. But the other guys are role players in every definition, but they have clear roles.
rascal's ideal team is the Portland Trailblazers. Look how well it's worked out for them!Just can’t agree with this one at all. Who’s so athletic on the OKC roster who’s getting g significant minutes? Shai isn’t particularly athletic, neither is J-Dub. Cason Wallace is a Mya e but nothing outstanding. Sort is very strong but not exceptionally quick or runs and jumps. Caruso is a plus athlete but again not outstanding. Chet is quick for a player his size but not strong at all. Hartenstein is a decent enough athlete I guess but again nothing special in nba terms. In fact, OKC is the team that destroys your long held stance that athleticism is a must in
There are definitely plus players, Shai and J-dub would be good players anywhere in any system, Hartenstein was doing well with NY, Chet is obviously a star if he can stay healthy. But the other guys are role players in every definition, but they have clear roles.
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