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The San Antonio Spurs had two picks in the 2021 NBA Draft and they selected Joshua Primo of Alabama and Joe Wieskamp of Iowa. In response to that, in this post we'll be doing a San Antonio Spurs 2021 NBA Draft grades post.
While most basketball fans have never heard of their names until they were read by Adam Silver, you can never doubt the Spurs' ability to spot talent. After all, they were the ones who picked the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker. They weren't considered the best of their draft class yet look at where they are in NBA history.
It's still a matter of wait-and-see if Primo and Wieskamp develop into the likes of the aforementioned. As they stand, the two newly-minted Spurs have a lot of goodies in their game which the Gregg Popovich and crew can unveil. Let's examine Primo and Wieskamp and see how good they could be with the San Antonio Spurs.
Spurs 2021 NBA Draft Grades
12th pick Joshua Primo: B+
Almost everyone in the NBA was caught off guard when the San Antonio Spurs selected the 6-foot-6 guard Joshua Primo as their 12th overall pick. After all, for all of Primo's talents, he was not really considered to be among the top 15 prospects of his draft class. Perhaps this is due to his measly output of just 8.1 points per game on 43.1 shooting from the field and 38.1 percent from deep in his lone year with Alabama. But then again, Primo played fourth or even fifth fiddle in an experienced Alabama squad.
What immediately stands out from Primo's offensive game is his catch-and-shoot ability from deep. In fact, he shot 44.3 percent in these situations. NBA shooting coaches might have some lingering concerns about his form (his left elbow is all over the place). But his shooting percentage is already a good indicator that funky as it looks to some, Primo's mechanics get the job done. Having a decent catch-and-shoot player (especially from the short corners) seems fundamental in Gregg Popovich's playbook. Just think of Bruce Bowen and the millions of short corner 3-pointers he knocked down during his heyday.
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Speaking of Bowen, while Primo is nowhere near his defensive capabilities (at least not yet), the 18-year-old has tremendous upside. This might be the major reason why the San Antonio Spurs picked him up. As for one, the young gun has a 6-foot-11 wingspan. This makes him one heck of a versatile defender who can match up against guards and forwards slightly bigger than him. In addition, Primo has shown advanced defensive abilities as he knows how to cut off drives and effectively contest the offensive player without fouling.
Like most prospects his age, Primo's strength is still a liability. It's very understandable as the young man is still growing into his body. In relation to this, Primo has a difficult time finishing driving plays. His go-to move is the Euro-step, a tendency that has been read and effectively slapped down by his foes. In time, Primo will boost his core strength. But in his first two or three seasons in the NBA, this might be a big disadvantage for the San Antonio Spurs.
Spurs 2021 NBA Draft Grades Continued
41st pick Joe Wieskamp: A
It was surprising to see Joe Wieskamp, widely considered one of the best pure shooters in the draft class, to be available deep in the second round. Wieskamp shot 46.2 percent from deep with Iowa last season. Broken down, he shot 50 percent in catch-and-shoot situations and 51 percent from shots off screens. Standing a 6-foot-6, Wieskamp is not bothered by defenders launching onto him. He's always ready to shoot and has that pristine shooting mechanics that would make NBA coaches drool.
While it seems that Wieskamp looks like your typical 3-point assassin who just camps behind the 3-point line, he has other good things in his toolbox. As for one, he has very good fundamentals which allow him to create his own shots. This comes very useful when the play breaks down during offensive sets. It's not always that Wieskamp is able to throw up a shot upon catching the ball. Defenders are smart enough to stick to him by any means. When this happens, Wieskamp shows off his good fakes which then transform into midrange pull-ups or even a step-back 3-pointer. Wieskamp knows how to create space. In addition, he's also a decent finisher around the ring, another aspect to his game that's been overlooked.
One weakness that stands out is Wieskamp is not a defensive presence at all. He doesn't have lateral quickness and strength as guards and forwards easily bully him en route to the ring. This is a major hole in his game, especially since he spent three seasons at Iowa. Other players of his size would've developed the heft and mobility to defend positions one through three. Wieskamp seems to have skipped on this key aspect. To be fair with Wieskamp, defense hasn't been a priority in Iowa. They've been one of the worst defensive teams in college. We might see Wieskamp's defense improve with the San Antonio Spurs little by little.
