Tag: 2024-25 san antonio spurs

Who ought the San Antonio Spurs have on their top-10 2024 NBA draft prospect list?

The San Antonio Spurs are poised to reshape the storied ball club’s roster through the 2024 NBA draft,

The San Antonio Spurs are poised to reshape the storied ball club’s roster through the 2024 NBA draft with a total of four selections in both rounds of the draft, including a pair of lottery picks at Nos. 4 and 8. They may well elect to use those draft assets in a trade instead, but it seems likely they will instead build a core around star French forward Victor Wembanyama with those selections.

Who are the top Spurs draft prospects in this year’s cohort? Does it include University of Connecticut standouts Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle? What about fellow countrymen of Wemby Alexandre Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher?

Or perhaps University of Kentucky guards Reed Sheppard or Rob Dillingham? The possibilities are considerable for San Antonio to select from reasonably.

The folks behind the “SSPN: A San Antonio Spurs Podcast” YouTube channel recently broke down who they believe the Spurs ought to have on their top ten draft list. Check it out above!

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San Antonio Spurs guard Devonte’ Graham on joining Basketball Without Borders

They also got into whether Graham picked up a foreign language in the process, and how his coaching skills match up with Gregg Popovich’s.

The NBA has truly grown into a global game, and with it, so has the talent populating its 30 teams in two countries. But since the early years of the league when the Association contracted, the sport and the league have since both seen great growth.

Much of that growth has been spurred by the league’s “Basketball Without Borders” program, and veteran San Antonio Spurs floor general Devonte’ Graham has been an enthusiastic supporter of that program since being named a coach for the 2024 events. The host of the “Locked On Spurs” podcast, Jeff Garcia, recently sat down with Graham on a recent episode to talk about his participation in the overseas basketball advocacy program.

They also got into whether Graham picked up a foreign language in the process, and how he thinks his coaching skills match up with Gregg Popovich’s.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say!

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Can the San Antonio Spurs draft both Stephon Castle and Zaccharie Risacher?

Given both are frequently mocked as top five players in this cohort, it could require some skill.

Can the San Antonio Spurs draft both University of Connecticut champion guard Stephon Castle and JL Bourg small forward Zaccharie Risacher? The Spurs will be selecting at Nos. 4 and 8 in the 2024 NBA draft, so securing both Castle and Risacher is not out of the question, but given both are frequently mocked as top five players in this cohort, it could also require some skill.

Specifically, in cutting deals to move up in the draft if they want to be certain they get both. The other picks that the Spurs have in the draft (Nos. 35 and 48 in the draft’s second round) might be enough to seal the deal, but it could also require San Antonio to throw in future draft assets and perhaps also younger talent.

The folks behind the “TSR Sports” YouTube channel recently put together a clip exploring how it might go down.

Take a look at the video embedded above to hear what they had to say for yourself.

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Can San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama be the NBA’s best player in year two?

We have seen such rapid growth from Wemby that it is not an absurd question to ask.

Can the San Antonio Spurs’ star French forward Victor Wembanyama be the NBA’s best player in year two of his career in the league? On one hand, this is a tall order for the San Antonio big man to live up to if ever there was one. On the other, we have seen such rapid growth from Wemby that it is not an absurd question to ask, either.

After entering the Association a bit sloppy on defense, Wembanyama quickly got up to speed on the defensive end of the court, picking up All-Defensive First Team honors on the way to earning second place in the Defensive Player of the Year vote.

Did we mention he won Rookie of the Year as well? So you can see why a similar leap might actually have him in the best-player debate.

The host of the “Locked On Spurs” podcast, Jeff Garcia, sat down with KENS 5’s Casey Viera to talk it over. Check it out above!

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Breaking down Alexandre Sarr as a San Antonio Spurs 2024 NBA draft prospect

Whether or not one believes in his recently sagging 3-point shot likely determines whether one takes him.

Breaking down Alexandre Sarr as a San Antonio Spurs 2024 NBA draft prospect may seem like a counterproductive chore for some, given the general consensus we are seeing in mock drafts that he will likely be gone before the Spurs draft with their earliest (No. 4) first round selection.

But when it comes to top picks in weak drafts as this one is, things can be very fluid, and can shift rapidly if a team in the low lottery elects to buck convention with an unexpected pick. So it makes all the sense in the world to look into how the 7-foot-1 swingman could fit alongside star French forward Victor Wembanyama.

Whether or not one believes in his recently sagging 3-point shot likely determines whether one takes him even at No. 4 overall, which is far from all there is to his game, even if it is critical.

The folks behind the “SSPN: A San Antonio Spurs Podcast” YouTube channel took a closer look on a recent show. Check it out above!

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Should the San Antonio Spurs draft NBA G League Ignite small forward Matas Buzelis?

He averaged 1.9 per game with the Ignite last season, along with 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and just under a steal per contest.

Should the San Antonio Spurs draft NBA G League Ignite small forward Matas Buzelis? The Chicago native is a 6-foot-10, 209 lb. swingman with a wing span as wide as he is tall, so that he already is a solid defender at the G League level ought not to surprise. He averaged 1.9 per game with the Ignite last season, along with 14.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and just under a steal per contest.

His shot from beyond the arc could use some work, however, at just 26.1%, 45.5% from the floor overall, and 69.6% from the free throw line. Buzelis recorded a 38.0 inch max vertical at the NBA Combine, a 10.73 in lane agility, 2.9 in shuttle, 3.09 in 3/4 sprint, and has an 8-foot-9.5 standing reach.

The folks behind the “SSPN: A San Antonio Spurs Podcast” show put together a clip exploring the idea not that long ago.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.

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Another mock draft has San Antonio Spurs take UConn guard Stephon Castle

He’s a popular selection for the Spurs for a number of reasons, from the need in San Antonio for a floor general and defense.

Another mock draft has San Antonio Spurs take NCAA champion UConn combo guard Stephon Castle at No. 4 overall, this one put together by Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey.

A popular selection for the Spurs for a number of reasons from the need in San Antonio for a floor general and defense to the fact that the Husky point guard appears to be trying to steer himself to the Spurs, a Castle selection makes sense for San Antonio. Tied to the Spurs as well by the Athletic’s Kelly Iko, “Castle is probably more of a combo guard than a true floor general,” writes Bailey.

Still, he “shows an ability to manipulate defenses that you seldom see out of non-primary playmakers.”

“His jumper needs work, but there are already fiery flashes of 3-point storms that could be coming in his future,” adds the B/R analyst.

“Defensively, he’s a tone-setter with all of the physical attributes needed to check players across the perimeter.”

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San Antonio Spurs projected to draft Nikola Topic again, this time at No. 8

Topic as a target makes sense at either pick for the Spurs.

KK Crvena Zvezda point guard Nikola Topic has been a popular selection by NBA draft analysts to be taken by the San Antonio Spurs, though most of the mocks so doing have him going to the Spurs at No. 4 overall. As San Antonio’s front office looks to find the right players to surround star French forward Victor Wembanyama, point guard is indeed a position of need.

So Topic as a target makes sense at either pick for the Spurs, and Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey has San Antonio going eighth overall, assuming the Spurs don’t go the trade route to fill the position.

A 6-foot-6 floor general “who pressures opponents off the dribble and either finishes drives himself or feeds teammates with dump-downs, wraparounds or corner kicks,” the Serbian guard will “never hold onto the ball longer than he should,” per Bailey.

“When he sniffs out a passing lane, he’ll zip the ball through it, often threading needles like an experienced tailor,” he adds. “His jumper is a bit of a work in progress, though simply cranking up his perimeter volume would go a long way toward easing that concern.”

“The bigger worry is a lack of athleticism that could pose problems with his self-sufficient scoring and anything related to defense. Still, this would be good value for San Antonio, considering it isn’t hard to find mocks with Topic inside the top five.”

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Is former UConn point guard Stephon Castle trying to force his way to the San Antonio Spurs?

We’d be surprised if Castle made it past No. 8 overall.

Is former University of Connecticut point guard Stephon Castle trying to force his way to the San Antonio Spurs? If the champion floor general is not, he is certainly trying to ensure that his landing spot is free from obstacles to his development as a team’s future starting 1 guard, according to recent reporting from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

Per Givony, Castle  “appears to be avoiding private workouts with teams that already have starting point guards in place,” which, as he notes, may not be as effective as in the past given all teams in the top 15 of the draft will get his medicals thanks to new rules put in place for this draft.

Teams with no clear-cut, long-term starting floor general who could select in Castle’s projected range (first overall to late lottery by most accounts) include the Washington Wizards (No. 2), the Spurs (Nos. 4 and 8), and the Utah Jazz (No. 10).

We’d be surprised if Castle made it past No. 8 overall, and the Wiz may take another player that early in the draft, so don’t be surprised if you see the former Husky suiting up for San Antonio this fall.\

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Another trade proposal sees the San Antonio Spurs slow down their rebuild with Ben Simmons

What if the Spurs went the opposite direction from expectations?

A recent trade proposal from Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report fame had the San Antonio Spurs speed up their rebuild to get star Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Donovan Mitchell to play alongside San Antonio star forward Victor Wembanyama next season.

But what if the Spurs went the opposite direction from expectations, and got worse on purpose for next season? That’s exactly the idea Bailey had later on in the same article as his other San Antonio proposal. The deal would send Keldon Johnson for Simmons and a pair of second round picks added to the pot to sweeten the deal.

Noting that the 2025 draft class has much more lauded prospects like Cooper Flagg in it, the B/R analyst writes that despite the inevitable losses, “a future with Wembanyama and Flagg would be worth it.”

“Johnson may not be a surefire future star, but he’s at least a rotation player,” adds Bailey.

“Since the Nets can’t really tank—the … Rockets have control of their first-round picks through 2027—replacing Simmons’ minimal contributions with another rotation wing to pair with Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson would make sense.”

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