Bullsh!t. We only have enough talent (for a long term contender) if every single young player (Wemby, Vassell, Keldon, Sochan, Branham) reaches his absolute ceiling, and maybe not even then. Realistically we should add one or two more pieces, to account for whatever inevitably goes wrong (someone plateaus or busts, gets badly hurt, bolts, etc). This is the time to do so, we can afford to take a few chances while the core continues to grow for an extra year or two, once it's set and you're in win now mode it's much harder to take those chances, since you actually start using your assets to balance/round up/complete the roster and start losing players to free agency.
How are those players supposed to reach their absolute ceiling if you choke the development pipeline by having too many players in it? We have 4 FRPs from the last two drafts, including Wemby who will probably take most of the staff's time, currently in the pipeline: Wemby, Sochan, Malaki, and Blake. That's probably stretching the development staff to it's limits. Pick Wemby, and sell the two SRPs. We could have as many as 3 FRPs next year, making anyone picked in the second round completely expendable, so why waste the picks? That would be seven FRPs selected in 3 drafts. That's enough development material to work with.
Then they probably have to accelerate the decision-making on Vassell and Johnson. Are either of them one of the top 3-4 players on a contending team? If so, keep them and move others. If not, trade one or both and draw from the deck again.
I didn't even mention them, because their development is mostly done. You still have 4 FRPs from the last two drafts who are nowhere near evaluation, and a possible 7 in 3 drafts if the likely 2 extra picks convey next year, plus ours. SRPs are cash equivalents now, virtual toilet paper.
We need to consolidate picks to move up to get higher quality talent. Otherwise we would have too many young players to teach.
I don't agree... perfect example is OKC. Last year two rookies started, 1 came off the bench. Rest of starting 5 had 4, 3, and 1 year of experience. Next year, Holmgren will still be a rookie, Wiggins, Mann had a year exp, and Poku is on his 2nd year along w/whoever they draft. Having minutes to get used to the NBA, make a mistake and learn from it with the FO being able to watch and see what the player becomes is a part of the process. So there shouldn't be a detractor on adding talent when you can especially in the form of more affordable 1st rounders/2nd rounders vs FA. If the FO feels this draft has more talent than next, and they feel this team needs it, then why not take advantage and get as much as you can while you can?
Last year you were saying the same thing, we couldn't make room for 3 rookies and we had to get rid of one pick. Now you're back at it again. I think you're stuck 20 years back, the Spurs are rebuilding and pretty much every tanking team has gone through that phase, having a large number of young players until they amass their core. Right now I'd say Wemby, Sochan and Branham are already NBA players who can contribute right now even if they have room to grow, the problem arises when you try to develop too many long term projects at once (guys who might not even be NBA players). Right now that category contains Wesley and Barlow, maybe Bassey too. And if it becomes a problem eventually, you had enough time to make an assessment on which players warrant your investment, simply cut/dump those who don't. Simply rotate players faster, Samanic and Wieskamp style. If Blake shows no improvement by next year, move on. Same as Barlow. If you avoid GG Jackson types you don't clog the pipeline.
Last edited by Ariel; 05-25-2023 at 12:19 PM.
Spurs built a new 500 million dollar practice facility, but their staff is not big enough to develop 10 NBA playersYeah right
Fully agree
The real issue for the Spurs isn't development but the means of doing so. Development in a winning environment is much better than a losing one. Tanking for more talent when you already have good talent isn't the right approach. For the current talent to develop quicker and better, they need to be put into "winning" positions - that is play the right way both on offense and defense and to work out what they are being coached in an effective manner. For that to happen, the Spurs should get a good veteran or two to be added to the mix. And that can be done better by leveraging the cap space for now.. but at some point of time.. maybe not this season, the Spurs must look at using their extra picks to land a solid contributing veteran to the core.
OKC is close to the 'churn' problem, or is already there. They've been drafting over players because they have to use their picks. For example, drafting Ousmane Dieng sort of in the Pokusevski role, drafting Jaylin Williams (PF) over Jeremiah Robinson-Earle.
There's risk of 1) being infatuated with the same kinds of players, and 2) being in love with the draft process. I think Presti just loves drafting guys. But the pray-and-spray approach works when you find a Jalen Williams (SG). They have a Giddey-SGA-Williams-Holmgren set with some good additional pieces with plenty of picks ahead. In a way it doesn't matter how profligate you are with your picks so long as you get your players. But at some point the cupboard runs bare.
We're facing the same problem, but behind in the timeline. Also, of course, Wembanyama changes everything for us. But they - and we - have to at some point shift to figuing out how to trade picks into the future, consolidate them for better potential talent, or trade them for existing talent.
Vassell and Johnson are fine, it's on the Blake Wesleys, Barlows and Basseys we need to make a decision on. Just evaluate their progress year by year, and if they don't show progress and they don't make up for the opportunity cost, move on to make room for someone else.
Probably Langford and Dieng are let go, McDermott and Graham get moved by the trade deadline, Birch is just a dead roster spot until next year. Then at the end of next year you evaluate your prospects, weed out those you should continue investing in and those who don't and move on from the latter. Keep it rolling, we need more bites at the apple,
No one is proposing the Spurs tank the same way, you can do things like Indiana does and be compe ive while still adding talent. There's a middle ground, and that's where the Spurs should be until there's enough talent on the roster. We've made huge strides, but we're not there yet.
It's not so much about staff, although you don't want it to become the mexican army developing a wagon of prospects, but about playing time in a team that hopefully is trying to improve. Otherwise you spend another 2 year sucking bad giving time to guys who for most of them won't be there in 2 or 3 years, if not in the NBA altogether... There's a compe ion to play, it's not just scrimmages and you just got a generational talent. Don't just put a bunch of scrubs around him to see the one who will stick... Bring more talent with your assets.Spurs built a new 500 million dollar practice facility, but their staff is not big enough to develop 10 NBA players
I agree
Exactly. I think OKC is the best example, HOU probably the worse since they don't have a process in place for development/direction. The key is Spurs currently don't have enough talent yet for long term success. Getting there, but no need in stopping just yet... or at least let's see how this year goes after the FO makes moves. I think the draft and FA will be telling on the direction of the team and how the FO views it.
Totally, your core is Keldon, Devin, Sochan, Tre, Wemby and Zollins. Very few of the remaining guys will be there in 2 years. It's up to them to show litterally day 1 next season they're worth a spot in Wemby's team. that's why I'm all in to trade up and grab another first.
My point, more specifically, is that we are in a rebuilding phase, and there will be young players, obviously, but we need talent more than anything, so that’s why I think we should consolidate picks to get higher quality talent. We’re less likely to get quality talent if we’re only picking in the teens and 20s with our first round picks.
I'd actually prune that down to only Sochan, Devin, Branham, and Wemby as being the core (KJ has one foot in, one foot out depending on what happens this offseason imo). The rest are still in flux honestly depending on who the FO likes in the draft, FA, and/or trade deals on the table. Hence my reasoning that they want to add more talent to identify more core pieces vs just great role players.
I see Wemby, Sochan, Vassell, Keldon and Branham as the core although Keldon is definitely expandable down the line. I'm against trading him right now though. Tre as back up PG. Playing time isn't really the issue right now. There are enough minutes for all those guys and players like Bassey, Mamu and Champagnie can be used as 3rd stringers who still have good upside. Locking some of them up to Bassey type deals for cheap seems like a good idea to me, so if you lose somebody later down the line you already have a cheap replacement in place. They could also be good trade fillers. Spurs should definitely try to draft another player in this draft, I'm with you on that. The picks later down the line need to be used to bring in players or move up in the draft if the Spurs have a specific target.
Beat you to it... great minds think alike lol
Vassell is so part of the core he will be one of the best shooters on the league and am eventual Allstate I'd say as of now as much as I love Keldon and I believe him part of the core the big 3 coming into a vision is Wemby Sochan and Vassell Keldon RT there though.
Yeah my bad, I gorgot Branham to the core. Obviously.
He was mentioned already.... in case you didn't know, his first name is Devin
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