Grades: Spurs vs. Warriors - Summer League Game #2

[Mnky]

tre will have to be the starter but my biggest concern is who will be the back-up if primo is a bust at the point and the spurs move him back to an off-guard position. will we have to sign another veteran? i think, ultimately, wesley can come in and play the back-up but that may not be until a couple of months into the season.

They also still have Richardson. He is a combo guard but still originally a PG. His size allows him to play up to a SF. They also have Romeo as well who has a pretty bad luck of Injuries holding him back from getting any chance of developing. Both can run the 1. I'd like to see wesley get time with the spurs but don't know how likely it is they bring him up.

[The Truth #6]

Primo and Atl Spur both will have a lot of work to do this season.

[spurs10]

Thanks for this great write-up. I'm looking forward to tonight's game. Hopefully we see Primo bounce back and more of Wesley's strong play. Branham and Barlow will be fun to watch.

[emanueldavidginobili]

I didn't expect Primo to dominate this summer league but dammit I expected him to improve some and he looks no different than last years SL. It's really concerning watching him last night not being able to take anyone off the dribble especially not even against NBA guards. Not sure what they're doing with his shot either, I know they were working on his landing last year but his shot looks so inconsistent and his free throws were way off. He needs to stop making jump passes and getting caught in the air all the time that's just basic stuff right there. It looks like he's trying to work on a million things all at once and it has his whole game out of wack.

I won't be surprised if Primo or Wesley sit tonight to get Branham some more looks.

[siraulo23]

Primo's ball handling yikes

Doesnt seem like he's improved in that area at all

[rjv]

They also still have Richardson. He is a combo guard but still originally a PG. His size allows him to play up to a SF. They also have Romeo as well who has a pretty bad luck of Injuries holding him back from getting any chance of developing. Both can run the 1. I'd like to see wesley get time with the spurs but don't know how likely it is they bring him up.

whereas i though wesley would be a g leaguer for the entirety of this season, i'm starting to think that maybe he just spends a month or so there. i forgot that richardson can play the point so he could do if the other josh continues to underwhelm at the point.

[kht]

Primo looked legit last year. No reason why to overreact over some summer league guys in July lol.

[timvp]

Thanks Timvp. I wouldn’t worry too much on Primo. I thought he was able to get to his position and shot, just that the ball wasn’t falling.

Eh, not sure Primo is getting to his position, either, tbh. When he gets into the lane, more often than not he has no avenue to do anything.

Days is a joy to see. He’s Malik son finally arrived. The guy says he patterned his game around Draymond and PJ Tucker. Well it shows. For now he is the leading candidate for the 2nd two-way spot.

Yeah, he's intriguing. A couple years ago, he'd be a tweener. Right now, though, he's basically the perfect size for a multipositional bench big.

[timvp]

What’s overlooked amidst Blake’s offensive prowess is his defense. He is hardly ever lost on defense and it’s something you don’t notice unless you look for it. His defensive cover on QSpoon on that play was *chef’s kiss*. He has potential to be a two way player which is something you cannot say for many players in this league. It’s not only the Spurs who are lucky to have this dude, but it’s Wesley who’s also lucky he’s part of the Spurs program and all the $900 million human performance that’s about to be poured onto him and all the other guys by next year. Wes is a monster in the making.

Yeah, his defensive upside is why he was such an exciting boom-or-bust candidate. He could very well not take the necessary leaps and become an inefficient gunner. But, man, if he figures it out and comes close to his ceiling, he'll be awesome.

[timvp]

op has to be trolling at this point… always with throwaway lines like “heady passes” when a player he likes has no redeeming qualities in the game he’s reviewing

Wait, since when does timvp like Primo, tbh?

I don't hate him and I'm obviously rooting for him to succeed .......... but his lack of athleticism and/or size is why I thought he was a bad pick -- and these first two games show he's still a highly questionable athlete for his size and that open growth plate nonsense hasn't come to fruition.

[timvp]

It's hard to ever say that coming to Las Vegas has been a sobering experience, but this has been.

timvp do the Spurs really view Primo as a PG of the future? We need some updates here

That's still the latest I've heard. Obviously, that may change if he keeps struggling in summer league.

I personally think it's extremely unlikely he's the PG of the future due to his physical limitations -- but I'd gladly be wrong. Great kid, by all accounts. Works hard. Sponsor friendly. Natural leader. It's just too bad he moves like he's Matt Bonner's son, tbh. He's 19 so there's still a chance for it to change -- but I was hoping to see more in this summer league.

I didn't expect Primo to dominate this summer league but dammit I expected him to improve some and he looks no different than last years SL.

He looked better last year, if we're being honest.

It should be evident to everyone by now that Primo is Slo Mo 2.0. He doesn't have speed to break down a defender and didn't show any last season. He was constantly covered defensively as he tried to drive with no problem by his defender and often got caught down low with nowhere to go and no shot. I was surprised that he defended as well as he did, considering his lack of speed.

He drives me crazy with his limp-wristed flip pass that doesn't have enough speed or snap to it and is often picked off by a defender of his intended target. I suppose they can break him of that as a bad habit.

The one change to Primo's game I've noticed in summer league is that he's not longer making as many one-handed passes. Last season, I'd say like 90% of his passes when on the move were of the one-handed variety. Now, he's more fundamentally sound in that regard. But, yeah, it seems like defenses know the scouting report on him now and know he has the bad habit of still lobbing one-handed passes from time to time.

[MannyIsGod]

Primo looked legit last year. No reason why to overreact over some summer league guys in July lol.

Primo looked nothing like a legit NBA player last year but we were grading on a curve and because he's 19 and he showed flashes it was completely fine. But by no means is Primo's production last year what I would consider NBA player level.

[BackHome]

I like Primo but I really hate when the Spurs try their same bull - trying to put a square in a round whole - Primo is not and never will be a PG.

[RC_Drunkford]

I like Primo but I really hate when Pop tries the same bull - trying to put a square in a round whole - Primo is not and never will be a PG.

FIFY

[TD 21]

Yeah, his defensive upside is why he was such an exciting boom-or-bust candidate. He could very well not take the necessary leaps and become an inefficient gunner. But, man, if he figures it out and comes close to his ceiling, he'll be awesome.

I don't see how defensive upside in a 2/1 can make one an "exciting boom-or-bust" candidate considering the limited impact they can have on that side of the ball.

To me, the intrigue with him lies in whether he's going to be an inefficient gunner (more likely than not) or something more.

[timvp]

I don't see how defensive upside in a 2/1 can make one an "exciting boom-or-bust" candidate considering the limited impact they can have on that side of the ball.

To me, the intrigue with him lies in whether he's going to be an inefficient gunner (more likely than not) or something more.

Meh, maybe it came out wrong, but Wesley being a possible strong defender in addition to his offensive ceiling makes him exciting.

For example, even if LW4 panned out as an ace scorer, his lack of defense was always going to put a cap on what he could become. A guard who isn't a defensive liability who can also be a go-to scorer in a perfect world? Yeah, that'd be great.

[spurraider21]

Wait, since when does timvp like Primo, tbh?

I don't hate him and I'm obviously rooting for him to succeed .......... but his lack of athleticism and/or size is why I thought he was a bad pick -- and these first two games show he's still a highly questionable athlete for his size and that open growth plate nonsense hasn't come to fruition.

brah i'm just surprised you didnt throw in a meaningless pla ude like "he looks like he knew what he was doing out there" or something unquantifiable like "his team defense and rotations were ok"