The River Walk has life again. After years of futility and aimlessness, the San Antonio Spurs instantly feel like a prominent sports franchise again. That is the power of Victor Wembanyama.
The NBA Draft Lottery always presents hope to which ever team wins it, but this year's felt extra special. Or perhaps dire is the right word. The joy Spurs fans are feeling after jumping up to the No. 1 pick is equaled by the despair felt by those who just missed out.
That is because all of those in attendance Tuesday night see Wembanyama not just as the eye-popping basketball unicorn scouts have heralded him to be, but as a man who can immediately alter the trajectory of a franchise. That is what San Antonio will ask him to do when they officially make the 19-year-old their next cornerstone in June. Like the Hall of Famers that have preceded him as No. 1 overall Spurs picks, he is up to the task.
The whole outlook has changed. All of the questions concerning this organization's future seem irrelevant now. Extreme or not, the atmosphere around AT&T Center will soon resemble that of 1997.
For now, let's focus on the immediate impact the French star will have for his future employer. Here are 3 bold predictions for the Spurs in the 2023-24 season after emerging the lucky winners of the Victor Wembanyama lottery.
When Keith Van Horn worked out for the #Nets before the 1997 draft, he blew their minds when he hit a bunch of consecutive 3s and then when he finally missed, tip dunked the rebound. He did that on an empty court. Victor Wembanyama just did it in a game. pic.twitter.com/RHxkt8HH9w
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) April 3, 2023
1. Spurs will win more than 35 games
The Western Conference has become a battle royal with a mix of seasoned contenders, young upstarts and several interesting teams. Chaos ensued in the bottom half of the standings until game No. 82 and next season should be no different. While they are unlikely to make the postseason in 2023-24, the Spurs should still factor in this melee.
Their current core is actually more promising than their 22-win total suggests. Keldon Johnson became the team's top scorer following the Dejounte Murray trade and handled the role admirably. His 3-point shot fell by the wayside, which can be claimed by most Spurs these days, but Johnson still scored 22 points per game on 45 percent shooting from the field. Add in rookies Jeremy Sochan and Malaki Branham and improvement was already on the horizon.
Victor Wembanyama will change this timetable. He has poise and instincts beyond his years, which he regularly displayed while leading the Metropolitans 92 in the LNB Pro A French league- 21.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and over three blocks per game. His playmaking skills and big-man versatility fits the “Spurs Way” perfectly and will nicely complement the group around him. The front office still needs to bolster their perimeter attack, but Wembanyama's two-way impact will be reflected in the standings.
2. Spurs will make a key trade or two in 2023-24
The time for roster experimentation is over. Yes, this is still a rebuild, but every future organizational move will revolve around Wembanyama. The 2022 Pro A champion said himself that he is “trying to win a ring ASAP,” so there is no time to waste. Spurs CEO R.C. Buford and general manager Brian Wright will be aggressive and use the team's many draft picks (12 first-rounders over the next five years) to acquire ready-to-win talent.
Gregg Popovich is one of the greatest head coaches in NBA history. It is easy to forget that in this underwhelming transitional era. He has thrived with star bigs and rarely wastes a lottery pick. His track record with No. 1 speaks for itself. If history is to repeat itself with Wembanyama, then San Antonio will again be crowned a model organization in no time.
"I'm trying to win a ring ASAP, so be ready."
🗣️ Victor Wembanyamapic.twitter.com/kOAh5rBbcC
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 17, 2023
That means going out and finding key supplemental pieces that will catapult the Spurs back into contention. As stated above, a postseason berth is probably unlikely in 2023-24, but moves can still be made to ensure that there is no doubt about their spring plans for 2025.
3. Spurs national TV games will triple
It is not really bold to predict that the Spurs will live in prime-time much more often than they did pre-Wembanyama. The bar was very low after playing in just four nationally televised matchups this past season, but 12 or more such games this year would be a giant leap. The allure of the 7-foot-4 center who can play like a wing is great enough to reach those numbers.
The parity in the NBA is higher than it has been in decades, so there will be plenty of teams to compete against for air time. Still, San Antonio should not be too far away from the top 10 for most national games. Obviously, the basketball product is most important and will need to look drastically different even in Wembanyama's rookie year.
But the fan base is starving for that kind of hype and limelight. He will oblige. Passion and expectations will exponentially rise when this basketball prodigy enters cowboy country.
Victor Wembanyama has made one of the NBA's biggest nightmares a reality once again. The San Antonio Spurs have come back from the dead.
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