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San Antonio Spurs 2020 Offseason Thread -- What is this Lottery Shit?

Patrick Bateman

By Patrick Bateman
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Mitch Cumsteen

Mitch Cumsteen 18575

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That's a pretty terrible trade for the Bulls, a young team in rebuilding mode. It also doesn't make much sense from the Warriors side, either. Not sure that Carter helps them much short term and I'm too lazy to do the math on dropping from 2 to 4, but I would imagine they would be taking on more salary when you add Carter's contract in. The W's should be prioritizing dumping Andrew Wiggins contract. The Aldridge deal makes much more sense to me.

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49356

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Alright Spurs experts... Who should Spurs hope to fall to them??

Saw mock where Avery Johnson was making Spurs pick and of course he took the PG from Alabama that he coached...  Kira Lewis Jr., Alabama PG

 "One of the quickest players in the draft -- can change speeds or directions on a dime."

Edited by LTtxfan
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Patrick Bateman

Patrick Bateman 3932

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47 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

Alright Spurs experts... Who should Spurs hope to fall to them??

Saw mock where Avery Johnson was making Spurs pick and of course he took the PG from Alabama that he coached...  Kira Lewis Jr., Alabama PG

 "One of the quickest players in the draft -- can change speeds or directions on a dime."

That sounds like wish fulfillment.  We have tons of short guards.  That would be a bad pick unless he's the BPA on the board by a lot.

I'll guess Vassell or Bey unless someone has a bad drop.

 

 

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49356

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42 minutes ago, Patrick Bateman said:

That sounds like wish fulfillment.  We have tons of short guards.  That would be a bad pick unless he's the BPA on the board by a lot.

I'll guess Vassell or Bey unless someone has a bad drop.

Yeah, I've seen both Vassell and Bey -- not a fan of Bey at #11

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Patrick Bateman

Patrick Bateman 3932

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4 minutes ago, C-Man said:

I watch next-to-zero college hoops until the tournaments usually so I don’t know any of these kids anymore since this year’s were cancelled. What do we think about this kid?

He was a nobody coming out of HS.  He's considered one of the best if not the best wing defender in the draft.  He's worked hard on his shot, but doesn't have a ton of dribble drive to his game.  Very hard worker.  I'm fine with it.  If we didn't have 52 guards then Haliburton would have been the pick IMO.

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C-Man

C-Man 27262

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He was a nobody coming out of HS.  He's considered one of the best if not the best wing defender in the draft.  He's worked hard on his shot, but doesn't have a ton of dribble drive to his game.  Very hard worker.  I'm fine with it.  If we didn't have 52 guards then Haliburton would have been the pick IMO.


Sounds like Pop is looking for another Kawhi.

Wonder if the odd delay was due to working some trade.
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Patrick Bateman

Patrick Bateman 3932

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7 minutes ago, C-Man said:

 


Sounds like Pop is looking for another Kawhi.

Wonder if the odd delay was due to working some trade.

 

More like a super charged Bowen.  Kawhi was a post player in college and had very little range outside of 15.  They had to rebuild his shot but he had some good interior moves like his spin move and his hop step and crossover.  Vassell has a pretty good shot (it's odd coming out of his hand), he needs to discover how to put the ball on the court.  Think Trevor Ariza.

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angelfacedmongoloid

angelfacedmongoloid 80

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I like this guy, he gets steals, blocks shots, actually plays defense. That seems pretty cool. And he knocks down 3's, the more I think of it he does address a bunch of areas we were shitty at as a team. We'll still suck ass next year but maybe Vassell can be a glimmer of hope for the future. At the very least, he seems like could be a good role player.

Good article here to kind of get to know him a little.

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/devin-vassell-nba-draft-basketball

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LTtxfan

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5 minutes ago, angelfacedmongoloid said:

I like this guy, he gets steals, blocks shots, actually plays defense. That seems pretty cool. And he knocks down 3's, the more I think of it he does address a bunch of areas we were shitty at as a team. We'll still suck ass next year but maybe Vassell can be a glimmer of hope for the future. At the very least, he seems like could be a good role player.

Good article here to kind of get to know him a little.

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/devin-vassell-nba-draft-basketball

Bilas said  Vassell was rated the 2nd best defender in this draft...

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BradInATX

BradInATX 9208

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More like a super charged Bowen.  Kawhi was a post player in college and had very little range outside of 15.  They had to rebuild his shot but he had some good interior moves like his spin move and his hop step and crossover.  Vassell has a pretty good shot (it's odd coming out of his hand), he needs to discover how to put the ball on the court.  Think Trevor Ariza.
Good defender, pretty good shot, can't dribble for shit you say?

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C-Man

C-Man 27262

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Athletic on Vassell:
 

Quote
Devin Vassell arrived at Florida State as a scrawny, underrecruited and frankly ticked-off player, certain he was capable of doing more than what the recruiting prognosticators thought he could do. He itched to prove them wrong, maybe make them eat their words a little bit.

Those chances, of course, aren’t necessarily gifted to a person simply because he wishes for them. Vassell got lucky. He got his wish. During the ACC tournament in his freshman season, the clock winding down and the Seminoles staring at an exit at the hands of Virginia Tech, Vassell snuck to the corner and, with Isaiah Wilkins flashing toward him — and near fouling him — Vassell rose up and drained a 3-pointer. “That was it,’’ says his coach Leonard Hamilton. “That’s when he showed everybody what we saw in him.’’

What Hamilton saw is not something definable. Sure Vassell was long and lean, had good mechanics and a good head on his shoulders but there was something more, something he couldn’t label but could sense. “The ‘it’ factor,’’ the coach says. “He has it. The game is on the line, he knows what he’s supposed to do, the big moment, he’s comfortable being it it. That’s what separated him.’’

It’s ultimately what also turned Vassell from skipped-on recruit to early-entry NBA player, and the 11th overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs.

He remains less of a household name, but that is more a byproduct of Florida State’s chronic anonymity on the national scene, and Hamilton’s proven methods. The coach is not into star-making, but team-building and player development, and rather than dump Vassell directly into the ACC mayhem, he allowed his freshman to come along gradually. He averaged just 10.7 minutes per game that year, and 4.5 points, delivering his big moments — like the one against Virginia Tech — when he could.

But this is also the thing with Florida State/Hamilton players. They intuitively and intelligently seem to understand the greater purpose for them. Rather than chafe at his playing time, Vassell understood what he was supposed to do, to use that season as a time to get better and grow his game. “Coachable,’’ Hamilton says. “Very coachable.’’

The payoff, as it so often does under Hamilton, came immediately, Vassell going from role player to best player on a team that won the ACC regular-season title for the first time in program history. Named to both the midseason defensive player of the year and small forward of the year watch lists, Vassell showed off a collection of skill sets that seemingly don’t match. He finished second on the team in blocked shots and steals, for example, while also ranking as the leading scorer (12.7 points) and rebounder (5.1). In other words, he was as good offensively as he was defensively. Most telling, a player Hamilton says wasn’t a great shooter in high school — “maybe 24 percent,’’ the coach says — drained 41.5 percent from the arc in his sophomore season.

It’s that sort of quick development that ought to make the Spurs especially happy. At 6-5 with a gracefulness and agility to his game, Vassell already looks the part of an NBA player. And he checks all of the measurable boxes people want to see checked. But it’s what’s under the hood that truly will separate Vassell from the pack. He is not only accustomed to working, but he also welcomes it.

Because for all of the attention he’s garnered and the quick trajectory he has followed, Vassell remains at his core the same kid who felt overlooked and disrespected in high school. “He is very confident in the route he’s taken,’’ Hamilton says. “And he’s earned it. He’s a gamer.’’

[/Quote]
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C-Man

C-Man 27262

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Athletic on Jones:

Quick trivia question: How many players in ACC history have been named Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season?

It’s not a long list — only two names long, to be exact. The first is Malcolm Brogdon, who did it in 2016 for Virginia. The second? Well, that would be Tre Jones, who accomplished the feat for Duke last season.

And considering how Brogdon’s NBA career has turned out — winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2017 and then registering a 50-40-90 season — there’s optimism about Jones’ pro potential. It’s the reason the San Antonio Spurs ultimately made him the No. 41 pick in the draft on Wednesday night, and it’s the reason he’ll be asked to play an immediate role.

The thing about Jones is, he’s capable of that. And while he doesn’t have otherworldly physical tools, he’s a reliable, no-nonsense player with a knack for thriving on the biggest stage. How else would you explain taking a backseat role to Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett one year, then turning into the alpha the next?

“He’s been the heart and soul of our program over the last two seasons, and it’s been a joy for me to watch him develop as a player and leader,” Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement when Jones declared for the draft. “There aren’t many as competitive as him, and I know the best is yet to come.”

That competitiveness isn’t just coach-speak either. Jones’ intentionally missed free throw late against UNC last season wasn’t just a tremendous physical feat, but the embodiment of Jones’ never-say-die mindset. Couple that with tremendous on-ball defense, upper echelon court vision, a high basketball IQ and crafty finishing around the rim? Well, that’s a pretty high floor for any player.

But as for how high Jones can elevate his game, it all comes down to his shooting. And here, there are reasons for optimism, even if pundits are split. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound guard made 36.1 percent of his 3-point attempts last season, up significantly over the 26.2 percent he made as a freshman. But hone in on the last seven games of Jones’ college career, and that number spikes to 46.7 percent of his 3s. That late-season surge inflated his numbers from over the course of the year, but it also begs the question: Is Jones now the player he was in those last seven games, or will he revert to the form he showed the majority of the year?

How you answer that question most likely colors your perception of Jones. Regardless, though, he has been grinding all summer to ensure that isn’t the case. He has been working out at P3 (Peak Performance Project) in California, trying to pack as much physical power into his frame as possible. By the sound of things, it’s been working. “He’s really done well,” Krzyzewski said recently. “He’s showing even more athleticism.”

Indeed. According to P3, Jones registered a 40-inch vertical, to go along with a facility record in the 5-yard slide (which measures lateral change of direction ability). Basically, Jones’ leaping, which already enabled him to finish well at the rim, has improved, as has his ability to explode laterally on ends of the floor.

These are things the Spurs took notice of.

So how does Jones project in the NBA? For now, at the very least, he’s capable of leading a second unit. That means not just setting up teammates with accurate passes and smart reads, but also getting buckets for himself when necessary. And on defense, despite his limited height, his sturdiness and quick hands make him a pesky cover.

That’s a pretty solid floor. But if you believe the shooting — and again, there are reasons to — then perhaps Jones develops into even more. Plus, he has the virtue of insider info through older brother Tyus, still with the Memphis Grizzlies. The two spent time together this offseason, including Tre briefly moving in with brother.

While yes, there’s some projecting with Jones’ upside, the Spurs are already getting a rock-solid prospect. If they’re lucky, they’ll be getting even more.
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Coach pop a bitch

Coach pop a bitch 5496

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3 hours ago, angelfacedmongoloid said:

I like this guy, he gets steals, blocks shots, actually plays defense. That seems pretty cool. And he knocks down 3's, the more I think of it he does address a bunch of areas we were shitty at as a team. We'll still suck ass next year but maybe Vassell can be a glimmer of hope for the future. At the very least, he seems like could be a good role player.

Good article here to kind of get to know him a little.

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/devin-vassell-nba-draft-basketball

Would have preferred a big but his 6'7 is good size in the perimeter. Was reading somewhere that a lot of his slashing gets blocked at the rim might have something to do with his mass. Dude needs to bulk up a bit but I love the pick. 

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