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There was considerable hype surrounding the 2023-24 San Antonio Spurs after they were blessed by the lottery gods and became the team that drafted generational prospect Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama has been every good as bit as advertised, and he's improving at an alarmingly (for other teams) rapid rate, but it hasn't quite translated to team success just yet.
At the time of writing, the Spurs have a 13-48 record, making them the worst team in the Western Conference. They don't have much to play for in the final months of the season other than to monitor the development of their youngsters, but that should provide excitement nonetheless for fans of the team who are looking forward to a brighter future down the old river walk.
Here are three young players Spurs fans must especially tune into as they look to end what has otherwise been a difficult 2023-24 season on a high.
Victor Wembanyama
Every discussion about the Spurs franchise in this day and age ends and begins with Victor Wembanyama, the first overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft. Talent evaluators have been salivating over Wembanyama for years now as he blends otherworldly defensive potential with a tantalizing skillset on the offensive end, all the while standing at 7'4. And he's no ordinary 7'4 player, either, as he is quick on his feet.
But even the most optimistic Spurs fans could not have foreseen Wembanyama being as good as he has been in his rookie season. Wembanyama is swatting shots at a historic rate, and on some occasions, he doesn't even need to jump to protect the rim. The mere fact that he's parked in the lane deters many would-be shot-takers, and again, it's important to note that he's only 20 years old. When he grasps the finer subtleties of playing defense in the NBA, there's a chance he sweeps the Defensive Player of the Year award for a decade.
But Wembanyama's defense was always projected to be elite; it's the pace with which he has developed on that end of the court which makes him a marvel to watch on that end of the floor. It's his work on the offensive end that should excite Spurs fans all the more.
Wembanyama's ballhandling ability appears to be overstated (he was being compared to Kevin Durant, but he's not going to be close to KD in that respect); he projects to be more of a play finisher, someone who would thrive alongside a floor general who would make his life so much easier. But the ballhandling ability and the shot-creation off the bounce that he does have has already been incredible.
Against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Wembanyama put Chet Holmgren on toast during crunch time, carving him up with a nasty stepback three that got him hyped up. The Spurs rookie looks like a budding crunch-time option, as he can take on opposing big men off the bounce. He also has a nasty killer instinct that helps his chances of becoming one of the best big-game players in the association.
Moving forward, what Wembanyama needs to clean up is his decision-making, as he has been turning the ball over quite often, and his shot selection. But that should come with time for the sky is the limit for the Spurs rookie.
Devin Vassell
The Spurs had utmost trust in Devin Vassell's ability to develop into one of the best wings in the NBA when they signed him to a huge extension prior to the 2023-24 season. Vassell, especially as of late, has been repaying that faith, as he has stepped up his efficiency and defensive work rate.
Devin Vassell began his career as more of a catch-and-shoot, straight-line driver, pull-up artist; while he's still more comfortable playing more of a secondary role, he has been much more effective as a shot-creator and playmaker. He has tightened up his handles while adding to his bag of tricks.
Alas, Vassell tends to settle for jumpshots; the next step in his development would be to find a way to attack the rim more often and to draw more free throws.
At 23 years old, time is on Devin Vassell's side to round out his game, and Spurs fans should be very excited to see him purge the weaknesses from his game.
Jeremy Sochan
The Spurs tried to expand Jeremy Sochan's game by naming him as their starting point guard to begin the year. Gregg Popovich was persistent in squeezing every ounce of playmaking from Sochan, but it became clear early on that being a point guard is not second nature to the ninth overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft.
Now, Jeremy Sochan has settled into more of a glue-guy role, and he certainly looks more comfortable out there on the hardwood. He has been crashing the glass more relentlessly, and he has carried over the playmaking feel that he displayed when he was the team's point guard into more of a connective role in the team's offense.
Moving forward, fans can look forward to the development of Jeremy Sochan's outside shooting as he tries to become more consistent en route to becoming one of the more versatile, do-it-all, fill in the gaps forwards in the association.
