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Once the toughest team to beat in the NBA amid a dynasty that captured five titles, the San Antonio Spurs have found little to no success since the departures of Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker. Despite missing the playoffs in four consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history, the Spurs are holding their heads high because they have a young, high-potential core that will be led by one of the greatest prospects to ever enter the league.
Victor Wembanyama is the new face of the Spurs after being selected first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft and he is ready to help steer this organization back to its championship ways, something he was accustomed to watching growing up with Parker being one of his idols.
“San Antonio is synonymous with winning,” Wemby told reporters ahead of this year's draft. “When the Spurs got the No. 1 pick, I was just thinking that they were lucky that they got the pick as a franchise that has that culture and the experience in winning.”
Picking first overall is nothing new to the Spurs, as they've held that spot two different times before selecting Wembanyama this summer. The first time was in 1987 when they drafted David Robinson first overall and the second was in 1997 when they took Tim Duncan. Both players turned out alright, as they each went on to win championships with the Spurs en route to making the Hall of Fame.
With the guidance of these two legends- as well as other former Spurs greats- Wembanyama will look to follow in the footsteps of Robinson and Duncan. As good as Wemby is and projects to be long-term, he is not the only positive factor on San Antonio's roster entering the 2023-24 season.
Having just two players on their roster who've been in the league for at least six years, the Spurs are one of the youngest teams in the NBA. However, they have all been growing and learning the best way to win games together.
Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Tre Jones, Malaki Branham, and Zach Collins are all 25 years old or younger. They represent both the present and future of this organization, which is why Wembanyama will not be a one-man team entering his rookie year.
This offseason was all about continued development for the Spurs. Now that Wembanyama is a part of their core, the Spurs will be looking to grow and begin winning games during the 2023-24 season.
Spurs offseason additions and departures
Additions: F/C Victor Wembanyama (draft), G/F Cedi Osman (trade – CLE), F Sidy Cissoko (draft)
Departures: F Keita Bates-Diop (free agency – PHX), G Romeo Langford (free agency), C Khem Birch (waived)
Unlike other organizations who looked to make roster adjustments left and right, the Spurs focused on their recent draft picks during the summer. As mentioned previously, they are still one of the youngest teams in the entire league and if you want to feel old, just know that the Spurs have ten players on their roster who were born during or after the year 2000.
Unfortunately for fans who are always banking on their team to find success, sometimes it just takes time for a group like San Antonio to find their stride. Adding a player like Wembanyama obviously helps too, which is why he headlines everything about the last three months for this organization.
Besides his length, Wemby is a special player because of all the things he can do. Many 7-foot-4 players that have entered the league are back-to-the-basket type centers who cannot move much and wind up doing all of their damage in the paint.
For the French big man, his game revolves around setting his teammates up for success and playing perimeter-to-paint. He's as elusive as a guard, can pull up and shoot on the wing, and has the rim-protecting skills of a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. No player in this league is going to be able to block Wemby's shot and as he gets stronger, he will become impossible to move around.
As the 2023-24 season is set to begin, Wembanyama is clearly the favorite for the Rookie of the Year award. The key for him finding success right away will be to fully embrace being a rookie and not trying to do too much during his first NBA season. So far, Wembanyama has shown all the signs of humbleness and the willingness to learn from Gregg Popovich. This is why he is going to be a very special player in San Antonio for many years to come.
Aside from adding Wemby during the draft, the Spurs also found themselves involved in numerous trades during the offseason. In fact, San Antonio was included in four different trades and took on some unwanted contracts in order to add future value.
Cedi Osman, Reggie Bullock, Cam Payne, and Lamar Stevens were all dealt to the Spurs this summer. Only Osman remains on their roster entering the 2023-24 season, as Bullock, Payne, and Stevens were all waived by the team. In these three trades, the Spurs were able to acquire a first-round pick and two second-round picks. During the draft, they also acquired two future second-round picks from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the draft rights to Leonard Miller.
Building for the future continues to be the main point of emphasis for the Spurs' front office, hence why they were willing to agree to the trades made. By taking on some of these contracts as dead cap space right now, San Antonio has paved the way for continued development.
The Spurs did not lose much value whatsoever this summer, but Keita Bates-Diop's departure is worth noting. Bates-Diop averaged 9.7 points per game last season while shooting 39.4 percent from three-point range. He really proved to be an improved shooter and defender at either forward spot last season, which is why the 27-year-old should be able to help the Phoenix Suns coming off the bench.
Wembanyama's arrival, as well as the team holding onto Osman, resulted in the Spurs not really having a need for Bates-Diop anymore. Not wanting to spend any extra money in free agency and not having a roster spot available, it made the most sense to let KBD walk this offseason.
Jeremy Sochan's impact entering Year 2
All the hype surrounding the Spurs this summer has been about Victor Wembanyama and his anticipated debut. However, Wemby is not going to be a one-man team and San Antonio doesn't want to put all the pressure of the team on his back. The Spurs know that they have a handful of youthful, high-potential talents around their first overall pick, Jeremy Sochan being one of these players.
Playing in 56 games for the Spurs last year, Sochan had an intriguing rookie season. He averaged 11.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while showcasing his versatility on the defensive end of the court. A lengthy forward who looks very comfortable with the ball in his hands offensively, Sochan is going to play a much different role during the upcoming year than he saw during his rookie season.
Popovich has never been shy about switching up his rotations. With Wembanyama's arrival, the Spurs' head coach has changed the team's starting lineup to have the rookie at power forward and Sochan at the starting point guard spot. Tre Jones, a traditional playmaker at point guard for San Antonio, is still going to be involved, but it is Sochan who can do a little bit of everything and be the switchable defender the Spurs need in the backcourt.
“He can play 1 through 4, and depending on circumstances, who we're playing, injuries and that sort of thing, I can see him going to the 5 position and us playing small,” Popovich said of Sochan during media day. “He's like a utility infielder in baseball, they still have that? The sky is the limit for him. He's so competitive, he handles the ball, he's one of our best passers, what is he 6'8”? Something like that. He can find people. He's really gonna be important in creating pace for us, that up-tempo style that we did so much better last year.
“He's gonna be very, very fun to watch.”
Sochan, Wemby, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Zach Collins will be the team's five starters on opening night. It is going to take time for this group to adjust to playing with one another, but they are long, they are athletic, and this Spurs lineup could cause a lot of headaches for teams who look to try and score in the paint.
As good as Wembanyama is, the key to the Spurs becoming a great team again does not lie only in his potential. Players like Johnson, Vassell, and especially Sochan will be integral to their overall success, which is why Popovich is confident in what this new starting group can achieve.
Outside of scoring, we should be prepared to see tremendous growth from Sochan in Year 2.
2023-24 season outlook
Finding ways to win close games and begin making some noise in the Western Conference is how the Spurs will take the next step in their rebuild. Every young team's greatest asset is time and for the Spurs, they are an organization that understands what it is like to build a championship-worthy team over the course of a decade.
Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker found a lot of success when they first started playing together because the Spurs had built themselves into one of the best teams in the league prior. However, this group went through some rough playoff patches following their championship in 2007, forcing them to learn more about themselves in order to win another title in 2014.
The Spurs understand that they have a young, inexperienced team. Expecting a title right away would be selfish and foolish of this organization. Popovich is going to guide this ship in the right direction, and he is one of the greatest basketball minds in NBA history. The teachings and philosophies he instills in this young group are going to go a long way in the core ultimately arriving at long-term success.
“I probably shouldn't say this, but I'll say it anyway. What the hell. Nobody here should go to Vegas with the thought of betting on us to win the championship,” Popovich said ahead of the start of training camp a few weeks back, via RJ Marquez of KSAT News in San Antonio. “And I know somebody will say, ‘Gosh, what a Debbie downer. There's a chance. What if they work really hard?' It's probably not going to happen.”
Making the playoffs is obviously a goal every team has, but the Spurs do not want to rush anything at the expense of ruining what they've been building. Developing players takes time and the best way for them to learn how to win is by losing. These lessons and experiences are invaluable to the growth of players like Wemby, Johnson, Sochan and others.
“The point is to develop this group and give them the best possible opportunity to have long NBA careers and enjoy the hell out of it. And whoever comes after me will have an opportunity to take them to the next level,” Popovich continued. “So at this point the job is really [to] start them out the right way, just like a new baby. Giving that baby all the nutrients it needs to develop properly in the best environment. So that's our goal. Everything else will take care of itself. Whatever success we might have will come from that.”
The Spurs are in a very good place as a franchise. They have the face of their organization moving forward, plus plenty of depth that is going to continue to get better as time goes on. It won't happen this year, but the Spurs are on the verge of getting back to the NBA playoffs.
