Grades: Spurs vs. Blazers - Jan. 26, 2024

[Mr. Body]

Sure, but at this point he's looking the least improved of the 2022 draft class (Sochan, Wesley, Barlow and him). At the very least I was expecting improvements in 3 point shooting and playmaking, and he hasn't done much at all. If he still hasn't shown improvements by this time next year, he probably gets moved as sallary ballast in a larger trade, the Spurs have plenty of incoming picks and you should be able to show SOME improvement by year 3 (not saying finished product, but progress like Wesley, who has addressed a lot of the issues that made him unplayable -playing out of control, turnovers, shot selection, etc)

Don't take this the wrong way, and I mean this very general for this board especially, but you guys are blithering idiots.

[Mr. Body]

This is the thought process of SpursTalk:

1. Blake Wesley is awful. Cut him immediately, make room for Cam Payne. He's a joke. Get rid of him for nothing.

2. Blake Wesley is pretty good, wow, who could have imagined he's really improved.

3. Malaki Branham is awful. Cut him immediately, trade him for nothing. He's a joke.

Does this make sense to anybody? I truly think ST is filled with some of the stupidest people on the planet, or maybe rationality and logic has completely disappeared from American life, I dunno.

[Spurminator]

Maybe it's because you're taking select opinions from a variety of individuals and positioning them as though they are contradictory opinions given by a single person.

[Ariel]

Don't take this the wrong way, and I mean this very general for this board especially, but you guys are blithering idiots.

This is the thought process of SpursTalk:

1. Blake Wesley is awful. Cut him immediately, make room for Cam Payne. He's a joke. Get rid of him for nothing.

2. Blake Wesley is pretty good, wow, who could have imagined he's really improved.

3. Malaki Branham is awful. Cut him immediately, trade him for nothing. He's a joke.

Does this make sense to anybody? I truly think ST is filled with some of the stupidest people on the planet, or maybe rationality and logic has completely disappeared from American life, I dunno.

Spurminator beat me to it:

Maybe it's because you're taking select opinions from a variety of individuals and positioning them as though they are contradictory opinions given by a single person.

This is exactly what happens. I don't know if he has memory issues that he conflates everyone's opinion, but there's a pattern of attributing to everyone else what some said. I was never in the camp of dumping any of these guys or not picking up their 3rd year option (there was a thread to that effect in the offseason but I can't find it because using the search feature returns en error), yet somehow I'm supposed to be accountable for what somebody else said?

[z0sa]

psst

hey kid

the spurs are clearly better when Sochan takes the reigns as the 2nd option rather than waiting around to see if Vassell has it that night

I actually noticed this during the Bucks (?) game, IIRC. It was like Manu and Timmy, only Wemby with Sochan handling -- and it actually looked half-decent. It was only like 1-2 plays I think, but I really liked the vibe.

Sochan has definite upside if he ain't forced into PG and/or is playing with a real PG. He's gotta quicken up his 3 point release, but he's got years to improve.

[spurs10]

Thanks for the grades. Great night for Sochan and KJ. Wasn't always pretty with Wemby, but he got it done. I hope Zach plays better tonight and works harder.

GSG!

[KobesAchilles]

The problem with guys like Branham and those who are critical of the criticism is that we have a boatload of FRPs coming up. So Branham himself isn’t in a position where he can develop nice and slow. Him and Wesley need to pick up the pace or else they might not get any playing time going forward.

For instance if this summer we draft Dilly (Topic, whomever at point) and then get Risacher then when are they going to find playing time? Especially if we sign some vets coming up. So we don’t have to cut them but their window to showcase any opportunity has a natural closing time

[baseline bum]

It's not that bad. For starters, he can't be traded until the offseason. Then it's 2 more years, the first one we'll have to swallow, but then he becomes expiring and for sure the Spurs will have to do some consolidation trade of sorts by then, if he rehabilitates his value it won't be hard to trade, and even if he doesn't he'll be salary ballast. 3+ years it would have been much, much worse.
As for Barlow, my guess is there will be trades coming (McDermott, Osman, Graham) and if we get back one expiring vet who can be useful to some other team, he'll be bought out (like Bullock and Payne) and that roster spot will be used to give Barlow a Champagnie style contract, probably slightly more guaranteed.

It's bad because it costs the Spurs cap space in 2025. Costs it in 2024 too but that's a garbage FA class anyways with Anunoby and Quickley gone.

[baseline bum]

Funny how development and natural physical abilities happen.

Before this season it looked like Branham was a more sure thing to blossom and that Blake was written off as a bust. Fast forward and Branham looks like he should not be in the nba and Wesley development is starting to match his physical abilities more.

Funny thing ain’t it

Wesley is still pretty bad but he's infinitely better than Branham since he plays defense while Branham's defensive game is a perfect match for his trash offensive game.

[Ariel]

It's bad because it costs the Spurs cap space in 2025. Costs it in 2024 too but that's a garbage FA class anyways with Anunoby and Quickley gone.

No one is saying it isn't bad, I'm saying it isn't THAT bad. This offseason his salary slot wouldn't be used in free agency, next offseason is more realistic but by then the Spurs will have almost 2 max slots available even with Collins ('22 rookie class extensions would kick in in '26) and in any case he'd be an expiring at about MLE, worst case scenario you can probably move him with 3 2nd round picks. We've seen far worse than this.

[tbdog]

Wesley is still pretty bad but he's infinitely better than Branham since he plays defense while Branham's defensive game is a perfect match for his trash offensive game.

It's interesting that ST were ready to waive Wesley and now the sides have switched. Brehnam last 20 or so games in the 2023 season was much better than Wesley has shown. But it is concerning that brehnam has regressed.