1. Why did you jump over everything I wrote about top draft picks and why they skip the GL, only to make a painfully obvious observation? Yes, Primo is our "top pick"... Which doesn't at all mean that he's got a high enough floor to get NBA minutes off the gate, both body-wise and skill-wise. He's pulled some nice moves and shots over the last few games (BTW, notice how he's been getting consistent bench NBA minutes... Shocking!) but also a fair share of blunders and "overmatchedness". Why do you think the "player development" aspect of the Spurs doesn't include Austin in its picture, given it's such a prominent feature of the Spurs' program?
. Entirely disagree that, given a bad team, you just drop your players into the fire and let them burn. As you yourself said, KAT and numerous other players have been negatively impacted by that. The Spurs are wiser... Or at least, they try to be, I guess.
2. Pop coaches him up all the time, at practices (where he's with the Spurs team) and in-game too. Literally saw him talking to Primo this very night during the game. I truly wonder what kind of Old Man Sage you think Pop can't impart to Primo if he's off to Austin for a few days/weeks.... But I assure you, it's not as important as you think. Again, Pop is not the be-all end-all of development, and numerous coaches aid in this department (recent example with Lonnie and Manu, just to name one). I don't know where you got this idea that Primo is somehow "missing out" on Pop but it's ludicrous and demonstrably false if you watch the games.
3. So, you want him to play... As he played tonight? Where he had 1 FGA and deferred & defended while he was on the court? Damn, if only my wishes were so easily granted...
Of course he's not gonna go "oh, I remember this one time in the GL..." in the middle of an NBA game
. That's not how practice works. You train and train and repeat exercises until your body does them without thinking - which is exactly why the development he gets in Austin isn't quantifiable. You can't do video sessions of in-game reps, and you can't get in-game reps if you're not on the top of the pecking order. Not to be repe ive, but tonight's game is a PERFECT example of what I said to you in my last comment.... Did Primo get "the man" ball-handling and playmaking duties tonight? Not in the slightest. He got "role-player" reps, which is absolutely fine and an important part of his development, too. But I want him running the PnR to death, over and over and over again, until he gets it
right... And again, he's not gonna do that on the Spurs, no matter how blatant the "tank" ever gets. There's simply a pecking order and he's nowhere near the top of it.
Lastly, can you tell me once again why it's bad that Primo goes to the GL, when he's
also getting playing time in the NBA? As I just wrote - I could see the issue when the picture was, one OR the other... Now he's getting both. Where's the god damned issue in that, if you'd be so kind as to answer?