I've been watching more of Tennessee to get a better handle on Keon Johnson. I continue to like him. He's raw, needs a year in the G League and he may never pan out but he is a great athlete with star potential.
But, surprisingly, the player who caught my eye even more is Johnson's teammate Jaden Springer. I know
Dejounte doesn't want to hear about a 6-foot-4 combo guard but Springer is legitimately really intriguing. IIRC, he's the youngest American in the draft. He's 6-foot-4, built like Keldon Johnson and already understands how to use that strength to his advantage. Very good footwork. Shooting stroke isn't the best but he shot 81% at the line and 43.5% on threes, so tough to complain. Defense is where he really shines. Add elite quickness to his strength and he's a terror one-on-one. Also really good team-wise.
Obviously, the Spurs don't exactly need yet another 6-foot-4 combo guard but Springer is legit. I think he has star upside at some point down the road. If his shooting turns out to be a fluke (which is possible), he could level off as a backup. But there's enough young Chauncey Billups in him that I'd be happy with the Spurs picking him at any spot after 10 or so.
As my guy TD 21 states, the Spurs don't have anyone good enough to worry about building around at this point. That's why I'd be happy with Springer even though there's no glaring need for him. Besides, he's so much younger than White that they wouldn't even really be in the same generation. Springer would be ready to roll once White is declining.
On the other side of the coin, the more I watch Scottie Barnes, the less I like. There's a sliver of hope that he figures it all out and becomes a star but there's also a really good chance that he's the next Ekpe Udoh. Udoh was billed as being able to defend every position and being such a good passer that you could ignore his offensively shortcomings.
But it turned out he was such a non-factor on offense that you couldn't even put him on the court. Barnes could be in that same boat. He has really good defensive potential but I just don't see what he does on offense. Yeah, his passing looks good on the college level but, in the NBA, you have to be some sort of threat to be a good passer. Barnes' jumper looks broken, he has bad touch in the paint and he's not that amazing of an athlete. I could understand the Spurs gambling on Barnes at 14 or 15 but my expectations wouldn't be that high.