5 Boom-or-Bust Prospects the Spurs Could Pick in the Draft

[Brazil]

Thanks for the report Brazil. He gave me Livio Jean Charles vibes. I also could be wrong but I'd pass.

There are some similarities indeed even though Dieng has a higher ceiling than Jean Charles and viewed as a much better prospect. Livio entered the draft a bit older if I remember correctly he played a while for ASVEL. would hate a Spurs pick at 9, no way Dieng contribute in the short term so he would go to Austin and that would be a waste of first round.

[rjv]

sounds like dieng could very well be just dung.

[jjspur]

Dieng sounds like a player the spurs would take . He's foreign and has "potential". Where have we heard that fairy tale before. Don't care if the spurs take Dieng , just not at 9 or 20 or maybe even 25. The 38th pick sounds about right to take a chance on him. He won't be there but that's OK. Let another team take a chance on him, so the spurs don't get tempted to spend another pick on "potential".
We need talent now, not talent that is 2 years away from being cut due to lack of potential, effort or talent.

[CGD]

Dieng sounds like a player the spurs would take . He's foreign and has "potential". Where have we heard that fairy tale before. Don't care if the spurs take Dieng , just not at 9 or 20 or maybe even 25. The 38th pick sounds about right to take a chance on him. He won't be there but that's OK. Let another team take a chance on him, so the spurs don't get tempted to spend another pick on "potential".
We need talent now, not talent that is 2 years away from being cut due to lack of potential, effort or talent.

That hasnt been the case since Kyle Anderson in 2014 man.
Except for Luka, all other picks that played for the Spurs since went to American universities.

[SAGirl]

That hasnt been the case since Kyle Anderson in 2014 man.
Except for Luka, all other picks that played for the Spurs since went to American universities.

I dont even know why you bring Kyle up in this context. Like he's American, played in an American university, and wasn't drafted on being foreign and on potential. He was a 30th pick of the draft and yielded value for where he was picked. Coming into a veteran team winning a championship just the season before, what did you expect tbh?

The true gamble was Luka.

[timvp]

timvp, I can't help but notice that 4 out of 5 of these prospects are SG, and from the reports I've been reading here, the Spurs seem to be eyeing another guard.

Is there fire to this smoke, and if so, what does that say about the future of Murray, Walker (probably already gone), Primo, Jones, Richardson, and Langford?

I know consensus is you draft for best talent available, but we spent last season with a logjam at guard and sorely need size at the forward positions, and free agency hasn't exactly been kind to the Spurs in the past few years.

Optimally, I think the Spurs would like to draft something other than a shooting guard -- but this draft just so happens to be stacked with shooting guard prospects. It's just some unlucky randomness. If you look back at the 2020 draft, the only two shooting guards in the top 20 picks were Anthony Edwards and Devin Vassell -- so I guess this year's position dispersal is just things evening out.

If the Spurs truly go best player available in this draft, they'll likely end up with a couple shooting guards. I don't think that says much about the future of Murray, Vassell, Primo, Jones, etc. That said, if the Spurs draft at shooting guard at 9, that's probably the nail in the coffin for Walker's return. Even drafting a shooting guard at 20 might sound the end of Walker's stay in SA.

[timvp]

I don’t think Davis belongs in this group. To me he has a high floor because of his defense, ballhandling, intangibles and overall effort. Even if his shot doesn’t improve enough he still offers a lot in a sort of a Derrick White way. He’s the exact type of player who could grow within a couple of years to be able to play 30+ minutes in the playoffs in today’s NBA, which you can’t say for a lot of players projected to go around 9.

That said, I believe in his shot and that his inefficiency is mostly due to the situation he was in. My issue with his game is that he may not be able to get enough separation against elite athletes or get to the rim at all.

I know a lot of people see Johnny Davis as having a high floor -- but I disagree. I also don't see the comparison to White. White has always had a league average-ish true shooting percentage of around 56%. At Colorado, White's true shooting percentage was 63.5%. Davis's true shooting percentage last season at Wisconsin was 52.3%. Furthermore, White is a strong playmaker and passer, while Davis is non-playmaker and a poor passer at this point.

If Davis doesn't become more efficient, I don't think there's enough else in his game for him to lean on -- at least at this point in his development. He's a good defender and great rebounder for a 6-foot-6 perimeter player but I don't think that's enough for him to remain in the league without improvements elsewhere.

Like you alluded to, Davis might not be able to get separation in the NBA. If that results in him forcing even tougher shots than he attempted at Wisconsin, that true shooting percentage could plummet even more.

The hope is that he is able to utilize the added space in the NBA and the improved talent around him to fine tune his shot selection. I'm reasonably confident that will happen, which is why I'd fine with the Spurs taking him at 9.

[DAF86]

What's the deal with this Sharpe kid? From what I understood, he was a beast on high school, then didn't play in college, but since he was such a beast on HS he's still a lottery pick. Is this right?

Why didn't he play in college, injuries?

If he would have played in college, and done as expected, is it safe to say he could have been the top pick or around that area? If so, then I think this guy is a risk the Spurs can't pass at 9.

[Mr. Body]

What's the deal with this Sharpe kid? From what I understood, he was a beast on high school, then didn't play in college, but since he was such a beast on HS he's still a lottery pick. Is this right?

Why didn't he play in college, injuries?

If he would have played in college, and done as expected, is it safe to say he could have been the top pick or around that area? If so, then I think this guy is a risk the Spurs can't pass at 9.

Shaeden Sharpe? Who's that?

[Drom John]

I dont even know why you bring Kyle up in this context. Like he's American, played in an American university, and wasn't drafted on being foreign and on potential. He was a 30th pick of the draft and yielded value for where he was picked. Coming into a veteran team winning a championship just the season before, what did you expect tbh?

The true gamble was Luka.

I read CGD to mean starting with Kyle Anderson the Spurs have been US collegiate focus, with 2013 being Livio Jean-Charles.

[Uriel]

FWIW, ESPN’s mock currently has us taking Sharpe at #9.

[timvp]

What's the deal with this Sharpe kid? From what I understood, he was a beast on high school, then didn't play in college, but since he was such a beast on HS he's still a lottery pick. Is this right?

Mostly, yeah. Though I wouldn't say he was a beast in high school. He went from a top 100 kid to number one after playing well for a couple months in high school. It's not even like he dominated four years in high school.

Why didn't he play in college, injuries?

He reclassified at the last second and graduated high school early. He ended up joining Kentucky later than most incoming freshman. It was thought that Sharpe would eventually play -- but he never did.

If he would have played in college, and done as expected, is it safe to say he could have been the top pick or around that area? If so, then I think this guy is a risk the Spurs can't pass at 9.

If he would have played well at Kentucky, he could have been the number one pick, yes.

[CGD]

I dont even know why you bring Kyle up in this context. Like he's American, played in an American university, and wasn't drafted on being foreign and on potential. He was a 30th pick of the draft and yielded value for where he was picked. Coming into a veteran team winning a championship just the season before, what did you expect tbh?

The true gamble was Luka.

That’s my point. Spurs haven’t been speculating/gambling on foreign prospects, as the poster I was responding to suggests, since 2014.

[timvp]

FWIW, ESPN’s mock currently has us taking Sharpe at #9.

Everyone else seems to have Sharpe going 7 to Portland. I wonder if Givony is doing Mike Schmitz a solid and concealing Portland's true intentions.

[DPG21920]

Everyone else seems to have Sharpe going 7 to Portland. I wonder if Givony is doing Mike Schmitz a solid and concealing Portland's true intentions.

How likely is it we see SA trade up from 9 or trade up for another lottery pick?

[John B]

I think Sharpe is going to Portland and might even advising him how to answer the media, to get some team disinterested. While I don’t think he’s not a boom-or-bust candidate, still he’s not the player I see will draft due to character.

[John B]

I honestly think Nicola Jovic should’ve been in this list. He’s another guard in PF body, but might or might not well translate to NBA

[timvp]

How likely is it we see SA trade up from 9 or trade up for another lottery pick?

[John B]

Can you resend? It's kinda blurry

[DPG21920]

My man

[TD 21]

I'd say Davis is high floor because I view him as similar to Rivers in probably a worst case scenario. Decent enough size/athleticism, something of a jack of all trades/master of none type. He hasn't had a good career per se, but he has lasted a decade and running, most of which as a rotation player.

[TimmehC]

This is my opioids.

Also,

Dieng's agent called Brian Wright during the zoom conference this morning.

[SAGirl]

I read CGD to mean starting with Kyle Anderson the Spurs have been US collegiate focus, with 2013 being Livio Jean-Charles.

oh thanks that wasn't really clear. I misunderstood.

[SAGirl]

Everyone else seems to have Sharpe going 7 to Portland. I wonder if Givony is doing Mike Schmitz a solid and concealing Portland's true intentions.

It could be. I think Mr. Body's head will explode and we will not hear from him in a few days. Someone will have to go check up on him tbh if the team drafts Sharpe.

Then we will see the thread: "You son of a , I am in!" make a come back.

[Mr. Body]

It could be. I think Mr. Body's head will explode and we will not hear from him in a few days. Someone will have to go check up on him tbh if the team drafts Sharpe.

Then we will see the thread: "You son of a , I am in!" make a come back.

There is nothing I'm more certain of than the Spurs not...

Actually, I have a question. Are people brain damaged? Are you brain damaged? Why do you think this franchise, built on Robinson and Duncan, who got burned by Kawhi, who was a comparative saint in relation to how Sharpe has been acting, is going to go for Sharpe? Are you a ing moron?