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Spurs Thread

There will be some players that will want to play with Wemby next year. Spurs are looking good
 
I still think Sochan has a ton of upside. Gonna be really fun to see them play together.
 
I can’t see them playing Wemby at C. PF or SF, imo. Not sure which…I would guess PF.
 
Why not? He's a 7-5 shot blocker. He actually fits well as a C with Sochan and Johnson at the forward spots.
 
Sam Vecenie weighs in.

theathletic.com

San Antonio Spurs landed their centerpiece. How will Victor Wembanyama fit?

How will the Spurs build a winning team around one of the best prospects in NBA history? Here's a closer look at their options.
theathletic.com theathletic.com


My favorite long-term player on the Spurs outside of Wembanyama is last season’s No. 9 overall pick, Sochan, a 6-foot-9 Swiss Army knife forward. He and Zion Williamson are the only players to play a majority of their rookie seasons as teenagers and average 11 points, five rebounds and two assists while shooting 45 percent from the field. Genuinely, it is hard to play in the NBA as young as Sochan was this season. Even if you expand the sample out to include 20-year-olds, you still only get 21 names, per Basketball Reference. Outside of the four players (Evan Mobley, Josh Giddey, Alperen Şengün, Scottie Barnes) to reach those thresholds in the last two seasons, all of the other 16 players made an All-Star team.

Sochan’s a versatile defender, too, with real switchability and length. The big question is how well he performs as a scorer because his jump shot is still being reworked mechanically. But Wembanyama would help cover for that in a big way, giving Sochan more time to work on it. He profiles as a fascinating complement between Wembanyama and Vassell because of his ability to dribble, pass and defend at his size. I kind of imagine him as something of an Aaron Gordon-type, except with elite length as opposed to elite bounce. These are players who help you win games because they’re willing to take the tough assignments and do the dirty work. Gordon came quite close to making the All-Star team his season.
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I like that comp. I posted in a Spurs Facebook group that Jokic/Gordon/MPJ provided a model how to use a Wemby/Sochan/Keldon rotation. Add Green and Collins to that as well.

Really good read. It’s just great to see people cover and talk about the Spurs (and the Panthers too) this offseason. Love this comment:

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That and a high energy guy in Keldon is a nice frontcourt rotation.

I’m way too hype about next year but I feel like the Spurs are a VanVleet signing away from the playoffs.
 
warak said:
There will be some players that will want to play with Wemby next year. Spurs are looking good
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I hadn’t even thought about this but you are right. Even during the big three years, major free agents just weren’t interested in SA. Some will absolutely want to play with Wemby.
 
Obviously you have to draft him, but what is the realistic thought on Wemby's games-played future? Is he the next Zion? Putting aside the Too Athletic angle, looking down the list of NBA players significantly over 7 feet with any talent, they all have durability issues. George Muresan - always injured. Shawn Bradley - always injured. Yao Ming - always injured. Ralph Sampson - always injured. Boban - always injured. Granted Wemby is much more skilled than any of those guys, but their bodies are all similar. Do we really expect him to hold up with any longevity?
 
2&2 Slider To Leyritz said:
Obviously you have to draft him, but what is the realistic thought on Wemby's games-played future? Is he the next Zion? Putting aside the Too Athletic angle, looking down the list of NBA players significantly over 7 feet with any talent, they all have durability issues. George Muresan - always injured. Shawn Bradley - always injured. Yao Ming - always injured. Ralph Sampson - always injured. Boban - always injured. Granted Wemby is much more skilled than any of those guys, but their bodies are all similar. Do we really expect him to hold up with any longevity?
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You make a very good point. And you can add Greg Oden as the king of injured 7 footers. It does concern me. My question is, were the players you listed showing injury concerns prior to their nba days? Maybe, hopefully, Wemby is just built different.
 
Wemby has been playing pro ball with grown men for years without injury issues.

The two current players known for chronic injuries are All-Star Zion and MVP Embiid.
 
2&2 Slider To Leyritz said:
Obviously you have to draft him, but what is the realistic thought on Wemby's games-played future? Is he the next Zion? Putting aside the Too Athletic angle, looking down the list of NBA players significantly over 7 feet with any talent, they all have durability issues. George Muresan - always injured. Shawn Bradley - always injured. Yao Ming - always injured. Ralph Sampson - always injured. Boban - always injured. Granted Wemby is much more skilled than any of those guys, but their bodies are all similar. Do we really expect him to hold up with any longevity?
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Zion and Embiid notoriously came into the league out of shape when they were young and had very little to do but prepare for the opportunity. All reports indicate that Wemby takes strength and conditioning extremely seriously. I'm not sure the list of great players that didn't experience some injuries is very long. I think the question for long term success is what S&C and rehab resources are available to you and how motivated you are to use them. Who knows with Wemby, and the not so distant past of Kawhi's rehab fiasco from Zaza's dirty play certainly gives reason to be concerned. Will the first injury adversity he faces be more like Oden (get depressed and struggle to get back to it), Kawhi (handlers go ape shit), or Duncan late in his career where he dropped like 20 pounds and changed the way he played? Time will tell.

It's also worth remembering that the game has changed. He's unlikely to be asked to bang on the low post with guys like Shaq. He will play more like Durant or Dirk than Sampson or Yao.

It's certainly my biggest fear just looking at him. There's a track record of guys with sleight frames putting in the work to allow them to play at this level. Two notable examples in Giannis and Curry.

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Duncan added to a team with Hall of Fame David Robinson and 2 time all star Sean Elliott.

Add Hall of famers Parker and Ginobili.

Then Robinson retires, but Spurs add Hall of Famer Kawhi Leonard.

Wemby is being added to a team with no Hall of famers and no All Stars. Kelton is good, Sochan may blow up but no all stars.

So, who will Spurs add around Wemby?
 
Complacent Deac said:
Duncan added to a team with Hall of Fame David Robinson and 2 time all star Sean Elliott.

Add Hall of famers Parker and Ginobili.

Then Robinson retires, but Spurs add Hall of Famer Kawhi Leonard.

Wemby is being added to a team with no Hall of famers and no All Stars. Kelton is good, Sochan may blow up but no all stars.

So, who will Spurs add around Wemby?
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Parker and Ginobili came in for Duncan's 2nd or 3rd contract, and I agree with you that this roster is not the same roster Duncan walked into.
 
It will require very savy drafting with all of their upcoming picks in the next few years. And it could be that someone like Wemby helps elevate the game of those around him. Manu was special. But I think TP isn’t hall of fame level without Duncan.
 
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