Random Thoughts After Spurs Pick Joshua Primo 12th Overall

[BackHome]

Agreed I like the kid and and rooting for him and I will probably watch more Austin Games then I will Spurs games. I hope they give him PG duties and make him work running a team I think will be good for his game and will see if he could actually play that position in the NBA -

As far as the Spurs I am just hoping Derozz, Mills, Rudy, are all gone and we have the worst record in the league I want a chance at getting a franchise player

[K...]

all i wanted was for the spurs to draft an interesting player, and boy they delivered. The meltdown is because the fans have a quicker timetable for contention then the FO . The spurs are in total DGAF mode because pop and RC are in the twilight. If you look to the draft as a strict "wins added by player" you are mad, because the wins added are zero here. But if you look at it as "maximizing chance of a star" then the pick is ok. there were nice players the spurs could pick but no obvious game changer, if they did a trade down for two firsts they'd probably still get the other kid they drafted, so it's moot unless you wanna wichcast some other asset you get from your fantasy trade.

[TheChillFactor]

i watched this whole thing.

you see him understanding how to pass and relocate already- i think he may spend more time in san antonio than we expect.

after watching derozan constipate our ing offense for years, if nothing else i'm glad they are picking 3 point shooters

[offset formation]

Learning his growth plates haven't closed has got my interest piqued, TBQH. Not sure I can tout myself a fan just yet - but after drowning my Sengun sorrows in booze last night, I'm ready to turn a new page and root for the guy. Hope he's showcased in Austin from the get-go, he shouldn't have much compe ion in the pecking order next season.

same here bro. I'm still pissed it wasn't sengun at 12 because I feel they could have picked up both without much effort, pain, or long-term hit to draft picks or salary.
cap.

that said I'll be fully in Cuz' camp. it's not his fault he was selected so high. he'll even he said the same which makes me like him even more.

he has a high potential. and he seems like a good kid that could maybe stick around awhile even if he develops as we all hope basedon his comments about wanting to be here and all.

still tho...������

[Chinook]

Learning his growth plates haven't closed has got my interest piqued, TBQH.

Yeah, to me it's like when RC said Derrick White still had room to grow athletically when he was drafted. It's very possible that next year, Primo would've been a featured SF for Bama and drafted in the top 7 while folks claimed the Spurs should've tanked to get him. Considering how many other teams with picks in the teens basically threw away their picks, I don't think reaching for a guy you want to buy futures in is a bad thing.

Hope he's showcased in Austin from the get-go, he shouldn't have much compe ion in the pecking order next season.

Unless he grows like two inches this summer, he should be the 10th man on the big club. There's no way there are five perimeter players who should be getting minutes over him unless they re-up DeMar. Raw players play on other teams all the time, even non-tanking ones.

[tonight...you]

I will say this. Whoever steps up and backs Primo from the beginning is one courageous mother er. Will pay off with major bragging rights or backfire like crazy. Which of you is going to be a Primo fan? It’s going to be a while for me…

I'm going to be a Primo fan because I want him to succeed so I'm going to root for that to happen.

Primo Fan right here.

[Chinook]

I'm going to be a Primo fan because I want him to succeed so I'm going to root for that to happen.

Primo Fan right here.

#UnderpassCrew

[objective]

If he turns out to be the next Paul George then Brian Wright will become a legend all over the NBA world, calling a shot like this is certainly very bold.

But if he's Wayne Ellington or the impact of Anfernee Simons ... Wright will deserve the roasting and a lot more.

Good news for him is that the youth angle will be a shield for years.

"He might be a 23 year old 9th man on his second contract but he's still young! The jury is still out!"

[offset formation]

If he turns out to be the next Paul George then Brian Wright will become a legend all over the NBA world, calling a shot like this is certainly very bold.

But if he's Wayne Ellington or the impact of Anfernee Simons ... Wright will deserve the roasting and a lot more.

Good news for him is that the youth angle will be a shield for years.

"He might be a 23 year old 9th man on his second contract but he's still young! The jury is still out!"

bwright needs Luka to pan out. if Luka has a breakout season, then PATFO will once again look like the geniuses most have thought them to be.

problem with Primo is that he's gonna take a back seat to most of his peers while they start shining already and he sits in Austin or the back of the bench learning how to play the Spurs way. so it's gonna take time for the primo pick to start showing wisdom while a Sengun or even Moses start becoming household names in NBA circles.

[TD 21]

If he turns out to be the next Paul George then Brian Wright will become a legend all over the NBA world, calling a shot like this is certainly very bold.

But if he's Wayne Ellington or the impact of Anfernee Simons ... Wright will deserve the roasting and a lot more.

Good news for him is that the youth angle will be a shield for years.

"He might be a 23 year old 9th man on his second contract but he's still young! The jury is still out!"

Exactly. Especially around here, where being 27, 26 and 25 somehow still qualifies as young . . . when in actuality, that's young veteran.

The only youth they have that are certified rotation players are Johnson and Vassell. Walker IV and Eubanks are fringe rotation, Samanic and Jones are fringe NBA and Primo and Wieskamp are obviously question marks at this point.

[Rummpd]

One thought = SAS FO is worst in the NBA.

[GAustex]

I root for him cause he wears the jersey.
Strange pick it seems though by FO.

[tonight...you]

One thought = SAS FO is worst in the NBA.

Not like that's a new thought for you homie.

[Maddog]

OK
I'm starting to warm to him. I still think he's a bit of a reach. But that's because all I know is all the mock drafts, grades and endless discussions.
So he has a really good stroke. Can shoot deep. Still growing. Showed initiating skills at the combine ( stood out at the combine). Has a pleasant swagger/confidence/emotional maturity.

[Russ]

i watched this whole thing.

you see him understanding how to pass and relocate already- i think he may spend more time in san antonio than we expect.

Agreed. The old meme of "he'll be in Austin for a season or two" is now largely outdated.

That was when the Spurs were contenders and there was little opportunity for on the job training -- it was too risky in terms of wins and losses.

Don't be surprised to see Primo making a few appearances in SA sooner than expected.

[Eaglenole2002]

Primo averaged 1.25 points per possession on his jump shot this past season, per Synergy, which ranked 96th percentile among D-I players.

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2021/07/nba...-spurs-alabama

[Eaglenole2002]

For context, I had Primo going at No. 20 to Atlanta in my final mock. Per sources, Primo was believed to be one of the players the Hawks were targeting in trade-up scenarios. I viewed him as a first-round lock, but the interest in him was much hotter than it seemed based on public mock drafts and whatever information had trickled out on the matter. Per sources, the Hornets (who opted for James Bouknight, after he slid) and Thunder (who could have taken Primo at No. 16 or 18) were also quite interested. The Spurs also loved Primo and were intent on landing him.
The market for Primo was so silent that many rival teams even had no idea he was in play that high. But as I understand it, San Antonio felt there wasn’t a clear opportunity to trade back and completely ensure Primo was still available. When in doubt, you just take the guy you like the most on the board. Like many around the league, the Spurs felt there was a good deal of untapped upside hidden by his role at Alabama. He’s was the youngest player drafted (he turns 19 in December) and in the past couple years has grown to 6'6” while maintaining his coordination and guard skills.

https://www.si.com/nba/2021/07/30/20...rting-thoughts

[slick'81]

Primo will probably end up being a nice player given the spurs development history

[Chinook]

Eh, I know Brian Wright said the words "point guard" about Primo but the guy is not a point guard. He didn't play point guard at Alabama and won't play point guard in the NBA. The guy averaged 1.3 assists per 36 minutes -- the lowest of any guard prospect in the draft. That's also lower than any player on the Spurs team last season. You have to go back to Jeff Ayres to find a Spurs player who averaged that few assists per 36 minutes. Unless Jeff Errors was a point guard in disguise, Murray doesn't have anything to worry about

I mean, look at DeRozan, who averaged 1.5 assist per 36 in college and 1.1 per 36 his rookie year in the NBA before eventually increasing that total to 7.4 per 36 this season and being known as one of the best play-making wings in the NBA. Especially if the Spurs stay with this god-awful hydra offense where they expect there to be four or five ball-handlers on the court at the same time, I don't see why Primo can't be the one designated PG in the same way Mills was. Heck George Hill has been a PG for 13 years despite averaging 4 assists per 36 over that span. Murray's trade candidacy doesn't depend on Primo in my opinion, but I wouldn't put it past Josh to be a primary creator in a few years.

[slick'81]

Never heard about plate palates or whatever not being closed when considering a candidate

[Chinook]

Never heard about plate palates or whatever not being closed when considering a candidate

It comes up every once in a while. Believe it did with Giannis and Thon Maker.

[Uriel]

Well, if there’s one good thing about this pick, at least it hasn’t been boring

[Teamduncan21]

If he is projected to be a lottery next year by the same media who projected him to be late first. If we base our bets on clips and the mock drafts, shouldn't we be confident that he will be fine in a year's time?

To be fair mid first rounds rarely become Paul George. It happens every once in a while but it's not common

[Uriel]

For context, I had Primo going at No. 20 to Atlanta in my final mock. Per sources, Primo was believed to be one of the players the Hawks were targeting in trade-up scenarios. I viewed him as a first-round lock, but the interest in him was much hotter than it seemed based on public mock drafts and whatever information had trickled out on the matter. Per sources, the Hornets (who opted for James Bouknight, after he slid) and Thunder (who could have taken Primo at No. 16 or 18) were also quite interested. The Spurs also loved Primo and were intent on landing him.
The market for Primo was so silent that many rival teams even had no idea he was in play that high. But as I understand it, San Antonio felt there wasn’t a clear opportunity to trade back and completely ensure Primo was still available. When in doubt, you just take the guy you like the most on the board. Like many around the league, the Spurs felt there was a good deal of untapped upside hidden by his role at Alabama. He’s was the youngest player drafted (he turns 19 in December) and in the past couple years has grown to 6'6” while maintaining his coordination and guard skills.

https://www.si.com/nba/2021/07/30/20...rting-thoughts

There you go. There were multiple teams that were interested in Primo with picks in the late teens, and the Spurs felt they had to take him there and then, otherwise he would be gone. This is consistent with Wright’s post-draft interview when he said the “intel doesn’t always match the mocks.”

The Spurs felt he had untapped potential and better upside than publicly believed. Clearly they weren’t alone in thinking this.

[Uriel]

For context, I had Primo going at No. 20 to Atlanta in my final mock. Per sources, Primo was believed to be one of the players the Hawks were targeting in trade-up scenarios. I viewed him as a first-round lock, but the interest in him was much hotter than it seemed based on public mock drafts and whatever information had trickled out on the matter. Per sources, the Hornets (who opted for James Bouknight, after he slid) and Thunder (who could have taken Primo at No. 16 or 18) were also quite interested. The Spurs also loved Primo and were intent on landing him.
The market for Primo was so silent that many rival teams even had no idea he was in play that high. But as I understand it, San Antonio felt there wasn’t a clear opportunity to trade back and completely ensure Primo was still available. When in doubt, you just take the guy you like the most on the board. Like many around the league, the Spurs felt there was a good deal of untapped upside hidden by his role at Alabama. He’s was the youngest player drafted (he turns 19 in December) and in the past couple years has grown to 6'6” while maintaining his coordination and guard skills.

https://www.si.com/nba/2021/07/30/20...rting-thoughts

There you go. There were multiple teams that were interested in Primo with picks in the late teens, and the Spurs felt they had to take him there and then, otherwise he would be gone. This is consistent with Wright’s post-draft interview when he said the “intel doesn’t always match the mocks.”

The Spurs felt he had untapped potential and better upside than publicly believed. Clearly they weren’t alone in thinking this.