Guitarsoup said:

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DTP02 said:

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Guitarsoup said:

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The best comment in that entire segment was the quick aside by Kenny about the NBA not being that physical anymore.

It's a lot easier for a slender guy to make an impact now because it's not nearly as brutal inside as it used to be and you can't get as handsy on the perimeter either.

I think the notion that the Euro leagues are way more finesse than the NBA is a bit outdated.

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It's definitely not as physical as what Kenny played in. I think it'll still be more physical than what Victor is used to.

I also think that he is such an important player that he will be protected by the refs from day one, which is something you don't see a lot on rookies.

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I know the G-League isn't the big show, but he dominated the G-League Ignite in two games in the fall. Didn't seem to have a lot of problems with the physicality then.

Guitarsoup said:

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Sher Thing said:

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More like Jaylen Brown. Rumors are he doesn't want to play in Boston past his contract. Spurs should be active in their pursuit.

Friendly reminder that the Spurs still have 12 first round picks over the next 5 seasons.

Things are shaping up very nicely now that they have their guy to build around. Key for the franchise and fan base will be patience with Wemby and Pop is the master as seeing the big picture.

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I can't think of any way Boston would trade us Brown. Like Keldon plus 5 firsts might not do it and there is no guarantee he would stay in SA past next year.

What I hear is he wants to be the star of a team, so not sure he wants to go from Tatum's Pippen to Wemby's.

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I think teaming up with Wemby would be a perfect scenario for him. I highly doubt he wants to go to Washington and suck.. he's got to have some help. Wemby is still only 19 and it's going to take him awhile to find his footing in the league. The Spurs are also going to bring Wemby along very slowly.

As to how much it will take to get him, if he tells Boston he's leaving in Free Agency then that will force their hand a bit. We have a lot to offer compared to most clubs plus a load of cap room.

Anyhow, it's just a thought and a player that I think would fit nicely. My guess is the Spurs take a more methodical approach and run it back with the young core at least for next year while trying to preserve their cap space and flexibility. I don't think the Spurs are in any rush at all to try and "win now". Wemby needs time to develop and the Spurs still have a lot of first rounders to try and find him more running mates organically.

Also a thought, but as stated the Spurs have 12 first rounders over the next five years and they are going to have to unload some of those at some point. You know the Spurs did their homework on all the top 10 prospects in this draft in case they ended up at 6 or 7 somehow. I wonder if they will pursue trying to trade up to get another first rounder for a guy like Black who I would really love on this team now as another point forward.

I know Indiana has expressed interest in trading the 7 and Orlando has 6 and 11.

Also, Wemby's current teammate Bilal Coulibaly is also highly regarded as a prospect and will likely go top 15 in this draft.

I could possibly see the Spurs try and get another first in this years draft.

Not to mention the 32nd pick that has some value. I could see them trying to move up as well.

Enzo The Baker said:

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Not to mention the 32nd pick that has some value. I could see them trying to move up as well.

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That's true as well. I think the Warriors at 19 is a pick the Spurs could have if they wanted it.

If the Spurs keep 32, then Sasser from Houston is an interesting option.

Spurs should draft Edey from Purdue with the 44 lol. Not that I really like him that much but it would be fun to see two 7'4+ guys on the court at the same time.

Think he plays in Vegas summer league?

Really good stuff here on his development as a player....

Quote:

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It was then when Wembanyama met a man by the name of Karim Boubekri. Boubekri grew up a huge fan of Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas and his dribbling, so when Boubekri became a coach, and was developing strategies and lessons to impart, he was taken by two seemingly opposite ends of the basketball spectrum: "Pistol" Pete Maravich, the Hall of Fame former Jazz guard who revolutionized the game with his ball skills and VHS instructional videos in the 1980s, and the AND1 Mixtape Tour stars of the early 2000s.

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Quote:

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Bouberki's use of nontraditional techniques filtered down to his young prodigy. Wembanyama learned to handle the ball working with soccer goaltender gloves to help with feel and dexterity. Wembanyama learned that, despite his height, he had to dribble the ball low so he could control it and make it harder for it to be taken from him.

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And this bit about why he left Tony's team for Mets 92..

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He chose instead to play for a much less accomplished team in Paris, Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92. Mets 92, desperate to have a talent like Wembanyama come to the financially struggling club, allowed the young star to have input on the coach, his teammates and the staff.

The concept was to put Wembanyama through the rigors of a season as the centerpiece of a team and all the pressures that come with it.

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Maybe I'm drunk on Wembanyama talk but...its like this kid has been prepping to be a Spur his whole life.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/37651212/inside-decade-long-plan-bring-victor-wembanyama-nba-glory

Ok, let's get this off-season kicked off now.

Salaries:

Wemby: ~12
Keldon: 20
Dougie: 13.75
Graham: 12.1
Collins: 7.7 (unguaranteed, but huge steal)
Birch: 7 (career probably over, may get a medical waiver)
Vassell: 5.9
Sochan: 5.3
Branham: 3.1
Wesley: 2.5
Bassey: 2.5


91.85mm + 900k for empty roster spot.
Or the Spurs get granted a career ending waiver for Birch (like the Heat got with Bosh) and we are at 86.7

Salary cap 134mm

I think Keldon's best utilization is at 6th man. He's a defensive liability but great scorer that can create for himself.

Current depth (my opinion)

Collins/Bassey
Wemby/Doug
Sochan/Keldon
Vassell/Branham
Graham/Wesley

~40-47mm in cap space

Free agents:
Romeo Lankford (bye)
Tre Jones (eh... maybe as backup)
Sandro Mamu
Georgi
KBD
Barlow
Julian Champagnie

Needs:
1. Lead guard. Wemby, Sochan, Vassel, and Collins are all solid passers, but we still need someone at point and Graham and Jones ain't it.
2. Rim protector. Collins is great in a 20-25mpg role. Bassey may grow into it, but he took a 4y10mm with only half guaranteed because he isn't a sure thing.
3. Another wing. I think Sochan/Wemby can work some minutes at 3, but both are probably most comfortable at stretch4. Plus who knows how much Sochan's shot improves - it fell off a bit at the end of the season
4. DEFENSE. Spurs were historically bad last year. We need a good defensive PG/combo. We need a D&3 wing. We need a rim protector. I think Wemby, Collins, Vassell, and Sochan can be good-elite level defenders. Not sure about Branham, Wesley, Keldon, Bassey, Graham, and Doug.

Assets:
12 firsts over the next 5 years.

2024:
Charlotte 1st (lottery protected, so great they got #2)
Toronto 1st (top 6 protected
SA 1st

2025:
Charlotte 1st (if it didn't go in 2024, still lottery protected)
Toronto 1st (if it didn't go in 2024, top 6 protected)
Bulls 1st (top 10 protected)
Hawks 1st (unprotected)
Spurs 1st

2026:
Spurs or Hawks: unprotected pick swap, Spurs get the better pick
Chicago 1st (if it didn't go in 2025, top 8 protected)
Toronto 1st (if it didn't go in 2025 or 2024, top 6 protected)

2027:
Hawks 1st (unprotected)
Spurs 1st

2028:
Spurs or Boston: Pick Swap, Spurs get the best pick, top 1 protected

2nd Rounders:
2023:
Spurs 33rd
Toronto 44th

2024:
Bulls
Lakers
Pelicans
Spurs

2025:
Bulls
Raptors
Spurs

2026:
Blazers
Pacers
Heat
Pelicans
Spurs

2027:
Heat
Pacers
Rockets
Spurs
Thunder

2028:
Heat
Nuggets
Pelicans
Spurs

2029:
Pelicans
Spurs

Some of those seconds are protected or conditional in some way, but **** going over all that. Also, if the Charlotte/Chicago/Toronto picks don't convey, we get two seconds from each. That's 25-30 second round picks from here to 2029. Can fit so many Europeans we have never heard of in this baby!

Free agents available:

• Naz Reid, Minn, C: Perfect type of rim protected the Spurs need. Will be popular in the free agent market. Next year will be his age 24 season.
• Jakob, Toronto, C: Never say never, right? Great passer, knows his role, and is just 27yo right now.
• Fred VanVleet, Toronto, PG. Solid defender at point, has championship experience, but is 29.
• Bruce Brown, Nuggets, Combo. Mr. Do Everything. He is great defensively, will shoot, rebound, pass and hustles like a MF.
• Draymond Green, C, Warriors. If they blow up, I would bring him in despite his age and all his issues. You know he will have Victor's back and is a very versatile defender and passer.
• Brook Lopez, Bucks, C. Championship experience, elite defender, can step back and nail threes, but is old AF.
• Miles Bridges, SF, Hornets. I think the Hornets bring him back. Sat out 2023 after a domestic violence arrest, but is cleared to sign with teams next year. Elite defensively, and was a 20ppg guy offensively. Probably signs with Charlotte. But he would be a huge upgrade for us and you might be able to bring in Reid or Lopez, Bridges, and Brown. If the Spurs could move Graham or Doug or both, even better chance.
• Josh Hart, wing, Knicks. Not sure what he is worth on the FA market, but solid D&3 guy, but smaller than we would ideally want. Great rebounder for his size.
• Donte DiVincenzo, wing, Warriors. They can't resign him. Solid D&3 wing, good passer, and his defense is very underrated.
• Mattias Thybulle, wing, D&0. Not sure he has any skills offensively, but elite defender. May come cheap and I think if he was surrounded on the court with solid offensive players, we could hide him well enough.
• Jevon Carter, PG, Milwaukee. Very good shooter and tough defender. Would be a better choice as a backup PG than Tre.
• Josh Okogie, wing, Phoenix. D&3 without the wing, but more serviceable offensively than Thybulle. Smaller than we would want, but 7' wingspan. Maybe Pop can teach him the corner 3
• Dennis Smith, Jr. Very athletic and disruptive on defense. If Charlotte drafts Scoot, no way they keep him with Scoot, Melo, and Rozier. Not a great shooter, but neither is Tre. Could be had cheap, I think.

There aren't really any max FAs that the Spurs would go after, but I think several teams may have the prospects of blowing up and the Spurs are positioned well with two decent players on ending contracts (Doug and Graham), tons of 1st and 2nd round picks, and cap space. Clearing out Doug/Graham and bringing in 2-3 great role players would move the Spurs up several notches.

Friend at SSE said ticket sales (season and group) were fielding calls last night till like 1am.

superunknown said:

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Someone on the spurs subreddit posted this...you can see the Spurs logo when the Ernst and Young guy is walking to the podium

https://streamable.com/0lj7xj

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Not sure I'm following, what does this indicate?

I love the idea of Draymond if we can get him on a shorter contract, but let him have a very high AAV. He would be great to protect Wemby from the more bruising centers until his body is ready, and is about as perfect of a mentor for Sochan's game as you could ask for. I wonder if we could pry him with something like a 2 year max.

Brian Earl Spilner said:

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superunknown said:

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Someone on the spurs subreddit posted this...you can see the Spurs logo when the Ernst and Young guy is walking to the podium

https://streamable.com/0lj7xj

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Not sure I'm following, what does this indicate?

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That if you looked closely, you could see the Spurs onthe bottom, so they would be called last - ie. first pick.

I would love to have Draymond on board to be an enforcer and vet presence

Center seems to be the big gaping whole on the roster right now. I like what we saw from Collins last year and I think he's a solid fit next to Wemby. Another C seems like a must though. Peoltl would be great; however, he's going to command a big multi-year deal and I'm not sure the Spurs want to handcuff their cap space right off the bat as Wemby is still probably a few years away from really hitting his stride.

Will be really interesting to see how the Spurs handle the PG position. A veteran PG sounds good on paper; however, the Spurs essentially ran there offense through Sochan at the end of last season and it wouldn't surprise me to see them essentially try to do that again. Tre Jones is certainly a formidable option but well see what kind of deal he gets in free agency. I'm not necessarily opposed to bringing him back if the deal is right.

Sher Thing said:

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Center seems to be the big gaping whole on the roster right now. I like what we saw from Collins last year and I think he's a solid fit next to Wemby. Another C seems like a must though. Peoltl would be great; however, he's going to command a big multi-year deal and I'm not sure the Spurs want to handcuff their cap space right off the bat as Wemby is still probably a few years away from really hitting his stride.

Will be really interesting to see how the Spurs handle the PG position. A veteran PG sounds good on paper; however, the Spurs essentially ran there offense through Sochan at the end of last season and it wouldn't surprise me to see them essentially try to do that again. Tre Jones is certainly a formidable option but well see what kind of deal he gets in free agency. I'm not necessarily opposed to bringing him back if the deal is right.

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Tre isn't a good defender and his ceiling is a backup.

Spurs have money this year, but next year Vassell gets his extension.

We need a starting PG or someone for that slot, more wing defense and a rim protection.

I agree that Tre is not a long-term solution; however, I'm just saying that I would temper expectations that the Spurs are about to go "all in" on winning this year. I'm not sure how much people realize how slow and careful they are going to bring Wemby along. Obviously they want to win this season but I believe this is still a developmental year in their eyes. I certainly don't want to crowd the roster with veterans all of a sudden to take minutes away from the young guys either. We need to see what other guys like Branham and Wesley can do this year also.

Wemby is 19 and doesn't turn 20 until January. He plays in the French league where they play 1 game a week. I could see him averaging 25mpg this first year just to make sure they are taking care of his body correctly.

I agree, patience is the best approach until we know exactly what we have and where our core guys fit best. Thankfully I think the Spurs agree too. The splashiest thing I could see them doing is trying to rehab Jordan Poole or Ben Simmons.

Kinda wanna run the squad out to see what they can do now and most importantly, see what glaring hole there is and address it next offseason but if say, something crazy happens and Portland picks Scoot and decides to blow it up and ship Dame out...that's a call I'm willing to take if I'm the GM. If there's something wild and unexpected, the Spurs have the room to do something but if not...we'll have room to wiggle next year too.

Next time you watch it pay close attention to the area I've got circled.

According to the Spurs ticket office, deposits for new season tickets began rolling in "minutes" after the draft lottery announcement last night.

There were 2,000 new season ticket packages ordered within the first 12 hours following the announcement.

— Jeff McDonald (@JMcDonald_SAEN) May 17, 2023

Sher Thing said:

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I agree that Tre is not a long-term solution; however, I'm just saying that I would temper expectations that the Spurs are about to go "all in" on winning this year. I'm not sure how much people realize how slow and careful they are going to bring Wemby along. Obviously they want to win this season but I believe this is still a developmental year in their eyes. I certainly don't want to crowd the roster with veterans all of a sudden to take minutes away from the young guys either. We need to see what other guys like Branham and Wesley can do this year also.

Wemby is 19 and doesn't turn 20 until January. He plays in the French league where they play 1 game a week. I could see him averaging 25mpg this first year just to make sure they are taking care of his body correctly.

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I don't think that signing two or three role players that meet specific and immediate needs is going all in to win right now.

If you went after Draymond or Brooke Lopez then you're trying to win it right now.

But at the same time with several teams looking like they may implode, there may be the opportunity to get the veteran presence that the Spurs could utilize where they could win right now and you shouldn't pass up doing that just because Jeremy and Victor are probably 2 years away from being elite.

If Minnesota blows it up, f it. Go get Rudy Gobert and roll out Wemby at the 4. The French Foreign Legion Twin Towers.

superunknown said:

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If Minnesota blows it up, f it. Go get Rudy Gobert and roll out Wemby at the 4. The French Foreign Legion Twin Towers.

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Gobert would be an awful, awful pickup. He can't switch on anytime and gets exposed and obliterated in the playoffs every year

One tidbit I heard today from a draft/scout type who is unaffiliated with the Spurs and familiar with Wembanyama and those around him:

“His camp is excited about (San Antonio). This is where he wanted to be.”

— Jeff McDonald (@JMcDonald_SAEN) May 17, 2023

...but he's a steal at $41MM a season? I kid I kid. Maybe I'm still in the afterglow but I'm 100% trusting PATFO. God if anything this means we'll get on some national broadcasts this year. Maybe need have opening night in the dome. Play our Austin games at that Austin FC field or whatever.

We also have the 33rd pick and 44th pick. If the Spurs really like someone late, I wouldn't mind seeing them move up for them.

Again team needs as I see them:
1. Lead Guard (doubt we get from a 2nd rounder)
2. Rim Protector
3. D&3 wing, or upgrade defense overall

Some possible options that could be around in the 20-45th picks:

Wings:

• Bilal Coulibaly, France. 6'7 with 7'3 wingspan. Plays on Wemby's Metropolitans team. 36% 3pt shooter, defensive stopper and super athletic.
• Rayan Rupert, France. 6'6, 200, 7'3 wingspan. He's a D&3 wing that is relentless on defense, but hasn't figured out the 3 part yet. Dad was French Basketball team captain and sister was a 1st rounder in the WNBA.
• Colby Jones, Xavier. 6'5 200 wing that is a defense-first guy. Good passer and team player, and hit 38% of his threes. Sounds like Vassell starter kit.
• Andre Jackson, Jr, UCONN. Wing, 6'6 200 with 6'10 swingspan. Another D&3 guy with no offense, but a very good passer.
• Jordan Walsh, Arkansas, wing. 6'6 with 7'2 wingspan. Plays hard and seems to be a menace. Probably around for Toronto pick.
• Kris Murray, Iowa. D&3 stretch 4.
• Julian Strawther, Gonzaga, D&3 wing. 41% from 3.

Points:

• Marcus Sasser, Houston, PG. 6'1 195, 6'7 wingspan. Great defender and team player, 38% 3pt shooter. Would be a backup PG.

Posts:

• James Nnaji, Nigeria. 6'10 with 7'7 wingspan. Plays for Barca, but hasn't had tons of minutes as he is very raw. Bad FT shooter.
• Dereck Lively, Duke. 7'1 with 7'7 wingspan. Not great fish year, but solid body and great rebounder and shot blocker. Needs some more intensity