Like the 2020/2021 season, Spurs finished in 10th place, synonymous with play-in. Opposed to the Pelicans, San Antonio had to bow (113-103), and concluded a new year in the soft underbelly. With a largely negative record (34-48), the Texans might retain from this good season despite everything, the record of Gregg Popovich, who on March 11 became the most successful coach in the NBA with 1,336 victories. Major maker of this moment in history, Dejounte Murray, named All-Star for the first time in his career. The point guard was the Spurs’ playmaker, finishing the season with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 steals on average! Such performances inevitably attracted envy and general surprise, Murray took over the management of Atlanta in a trade during the Free Agency. By selling off its best player once morest the first rounds of the draft, the message from San Antonio is clear, the reconstruction is now complete.
2021-2022 results: 34 wins – 48 losses
- Offseason moves
Arrives : Isaiah Roby (OKC), Alize Johnson (New Orleans), Gorgui Dieng (Atlanta),
Dparts : Dejounte Murray (Atlanta), Jock Landale (Phoenix), Lonnie Walker IV (Lakers).
Draft : Blake Wesley, Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham,
Leaders : Tre Jones, Blake Wesley
Back : Devin Vassel, Joshua Primo, Josh Richardson, Malaki Branham, Romeo Langford
Wingers : Keldon Johnson, Doug McDermott, Joe Wieskamp
Wingmen : Jeremy Sochan, Keita Bates-Diop, Isaiah Roby, Alize Johnson
Pivots : Jakob Poeltl, Zach Collins, Gorgui Dieng
PG By Joshua Primo, SG : Devin Vassel, SF : Keldon Johnson, PF : Doug McDermott, C : Jakob Poeltl
Three positions of the five major seem locked for the moment. That of winger, where we will find Keldon Johnson, new strongman of the Spurs, extended this summer for 80 million over 4 years. In pivot, Jakob Poeltl will be the holder. With his $ 9 million contract for the season, the Austrian is perfect in his role as a rebounder and defender in the paint (13 points, 9 rebounds, 1.7 once morest last season), despite limitations in attack. At post two, it’s a traffic jam, but the starting place should be played between Josh Richardson and Devin Vassel (22). In a logic of development of young people, the preference goes to the latter, he who will begin his 3rd season in Texas (12 points 42% in shooting including 36% 3 points last year) and who must pass a milestone. Regarding the strong winger, if Greg Popovich wants to keep continuity, Doug McDermott will be the logical holder, to bring his shot (42% three points last season), otherwise the rookie Jeremy Sochan might be thrown into the deep end on a position 4 which is sorely lacking in talent. Finally, the greatest uncertainty lies in position 1. The departure of Dejounte Murray leaves a huge void. Joshua Primo might gain in responsibility and take this place of leader, even if the Canadian has more a profile of back and is not a pure leader manager contrary to Tre Jones. But the Primo project is too intriguing not to attempt it (see elsewhere).
As noted above, the power forward position clearly lacks depth, although Keldon Johnson and Keita Bates Diop can play in different styles there. Unaccustomed to starting rookies from the start of the season, San Antonio might change the situation with Jeremy Sochan, as the 9th choice of the last draft will bring a physical profile, absent in the interior sector of Spurs. Once once more, the Texans are in a total rebuild and developing youngsters like 19-year-old Sochan is essential. Still inside, Zach Collins, interesting over the thirty games played with the Spurs, due to his offensive and passing skills, will be Poeltl’s backup, with Gorgui Dieng, who has already passed through San Antonio during the second half of the season in 2021. On the back lines, Tre Jones, if he is not a starter, will have playing time, he who played 69 matches last year. He will compete with Blake Wesley, 25th pick in the draft, author of a good Summer League and with a very offensive profile. Finally, Popovich can count on Josh Richardson in a role of mentor (28 years old..), and versatile player off the bench. Arrived during the last trade deadline, from Boston, he has integrated perfectly into the Spurs system. Behind him are two youngsters, Romo Langford, who also arrived from the Celtics in the same trade as Richardson, and rookie Malaki Branham, 20th pick in the draft, who will compete for the remaining minutes.
- Player to watch: Josh Primo
Selected with surprise in 12th position by San Antonio during the 2021 draft, the 19-year-old Canadian (he was the youngest player in the league last season), begins his second year in Texas, following a rookie season where he will have played 50 games, for an average of 19 minutes of play per game. A consistent playing time for a Spurs rookie, a sign that Popovich already wanted to involve him. It’s still a raw project (5 points, 2 rebounds 37% on shots), but the 1.98 meter guard has shown interesting sequences in defense, a sector where, as in scoring moreover, the potential is visible. If Spurs want to use him as a point guard, he will have to progress in his handle and creation. Among the many young people to develop, Joshua Primo will certainly be one to follow, especially with the departure of Dejounte Murray which will give him more responsibility.
Gregg Popovich : The magician Pop will not be able to work miracles. The most successful coach in history is leaving for a (last?) season with the desire to train and develop young players, who are just waiting to benefit from the expertise and advice of such a coach. Luckily, Popovich and the Spurs excel in this area.
A defensive potential : Devin Vassel has shown great defensive skills in his first two seasons. With Josh Primo and Jrmy Sochan, heralded as one of the best defensive insiders of the last draft, San Antonio has great potential to develop.
A lack of experience : Do you really need experience when the objective is not necessarily to win? Not necessarily and luckily the Spurs only have two players over 30 years old. At 32, Gorgui Dieng is the oldest member of the team. Primo, Sochan, Wesley and Branham are all 19 and the team’s average age is barely 23. For years the Spurs were considered too old, and times are changing and it might still be rejuvenated during the season if the most experienced players are traded.
The position of leader : With Tre Jones as the only real leader of the workforce, position 1 is a bit light.. A position so important in the NBA and which, San Antonio will be very poor this season in quality and quantity, especially following the fantastic last season of Dejounte Murray whose absence will be clearly felt.
The interior sector : With Sochan, the Spurs have finally drafted an interior player. But as seen before, the lack of attacking talent at the pivot position is glaring as is the lack of depth on the strong wing side.
Achieving 20 wins seems complicated and the objective is simple, develop the youngsters and see if one (or more) of them stands out. In an ever-growing West Conference and Southwest Division, San Antonio is expected to suffer with a very young roster and no real top-tier point guard. To reassure themselves, Spurs fans can tell themselves that the two times the Perons took out the tank, they left the draft with two generational talents, David Robinson and Tim Duncan. See you next May, not for the playoffs, but for the lottery, where the Spurs will hope for at least one choice in the top 3 of the draft.
