As the Spurs line up their draft board, we take an early swing at the groups of players from which they'll be picking. At the top, the hierarchy seems clear.
This is such a pivotal moment. The last 5 years have seen our program be scrutinized and lambasted. The very essence of what we built was suddently seen as stiffling to players. Kawhi, Dejounte and Captain Jack questioned our integrity in a very public fashion. And we even had to sit through Kawhi winning in 2019.
We also were prone to self-inflicted wounds. Probably should have started rebuilding sooner. But we now have the assets needed to get ahead. And we have a promising young core.
All we need is our next franchise player. And for that, well, we need a bit of luck.
I could stomach falling to 2 or 3. But beyond that, it would be a massive loss.
Some people have been cut pretty deep! And it is indeed a big day. While I believe these three have already separated themselves, I will say there are a couple of potential gems in the group beyond. Not as surefire, but they exist.
I have nothing to add to the great analysis. But, I want to thank you for all of the great coverage this season, and I have enjoyed your writing and perspective on the Spurs going back to 48moh.
I will add that there is one small petty corner of my brain that is hoping the Spurs land on the second pick, draft Henderson, and that he appears at the press conference with a #2 jersey. Just put a bow on the Leonard experience.
I do have questions for you, Matthew: your words have truly been the soundtrack of the post-Kawhi years, and you have often preached on the need to be patient.
1. Can you shed some light on the impact of thse years on your fandom of the team?
2. What is your current outlook? 5 years into a non-rebuilt that morphed into a full-on demolition of the team, what are you expecting from our team?
1. I grew up a Spurs fan, but it’s been a long time since I was invested in them from a fan’s perspective/emotion. I root for them to be successful because it’s better for everyone that way (fans, my friends, the city, my job) and I just generally want folks to be happy. It’s a much more enjoyable experience covering a winning team, but it’s the gig. So the last five years haven’t really changed that. I’m not really affected by the outcomes of games outside of story angles.
2. It depends somewhat on what happens in the upcoming draft, but I generally compare them to OKC the last few years. I also just believe they’re better than their record suggested. Had they not tanked I think they could’ve at least *pushed* ~30 wins. There really wasn’t a full demolition -- DJ wasn’t The Guy and they were about to have to pay him like he was, and Collins’ resurgence made Jakob expendable. There’s some talent in place, and they’re about to add more, but projecting ahead with them right now is tricky. It’s possible there will still be moving parts as they find the right fits, but my feeling is we’ll see some progress next season, then be in that play-in convo in the next 2-3 years.
Someone should consider making a draft lottery countdown. Whether that's a good idea or a bad one is a question I don't personally want to answer but seeing the days go by and seeing the reactions will be interesting if not anything else.
The lottery day anxiety is too real. Honestly debating on turning my phone off and going for a walk during that time.
I’d bet at least a quarter of invested Spurs fans are contemplating the same haha
This is such a pivotal moment. The last 5 years have seen our program be scrutinized and lambasted. The very essence of what we built was suddently seen as stiffling to players. Kawhi, Dejounte and Captain Jack questioned our integrity in a very public fashion. And we even had to sit through Kawhi winning in 2019.
We also were prone to self-inflicted wounds. Probably should have started rebuilding sooner. But we now have the assets needed to get ahead. And we have a promising young core.
All we need is our next franchise player. And for that, well, we need a bit of luck.
I could stomach falling to 2 or 3. But beyond that, it would be a massive loss.
Some people have been cut pretty deep! And it is indeed a big day. While I believe these three have already separated themselves, I will say there are a couple of potential gems in the group beyond. Not as surefire, but they exist.
I have nothing to add to the great analysis. But, I want to thank you for all of the great coverage this season, and I have enjoyed your writing and perspective on the Spurs going back to 48moh.
I will add that there is one small petty corner of my brain that is hoping the Spurs land on the second pick, draft Henderson, and that he appears at the press conference with a #2 jersey. Just put a bow on the Leonard experience.
I do have questions for you, Matthew: your words have truly been the soundtrack of the post-Kawhi years, and you have often preached on the need to be patient.
1. Can you shed some light on the impact of thse years on your fandom of the team?
2. What is your current outlook? 5 years into a non-rebuilt that morphed into a full-on demolition of the team, what are you expecting from our team?
1. I grew up a Spurs fan, but it’s been a long time since I was invested in them from a fan’s perspective/emotion. I root for them to be successful because it’s better for everyone that way (fans, my friends, the city, my job) and I just generally want folks to be happy. It’s a much more enjoyable experience covering a winning team, but it’s the gig. So the last five years haven’t really changed that. I’m not really affected by the outcomes of games outside of story angles.
2. It depends somewhat on what happens in the upcoming draft, but I generally compare them to OKC the last few years. I also just believe they’re better than their record suggested. Had they not tanked I think they could’ve at least *pushed* ~30 wins. There really wasn’t a full demolition -- DJ wasn’t The Guy and they were about to have to pay him like he was, and Collins’ resurgence made Jakob expendable. There’s some talent in place, and they’re about to add more, but projecting ahead with them right now is tricky. It’s possible there will still be moving parts as they find the right fits, but my feeling is we’ll see some progress next season, then be in that play-in convo in the next 2-3 years.
Do you think Miller is a possibility at 3?
Likely not to the Spurs
Someone should consider making a draft lottery countdown. Whether that's a good idea or a bad one is a question I don't personally want to answer but seeing the days go by and seeing the reactions will be interesting if not anything else.
Hmmm, what type of countdown do you mean?