ESPN’s Jonathan Givony recently released a 2024 NBA mock draft that had the San Antonio Spurs taking Matas Buzelis as the first overall pick. Givony also made the bold prediction that Bronny James will be a top-ten pick. Spurs fans may take this as a slight, meaning Givony doesn’t believe the Spurs will select Victor Wembenyama or Scoot Henderson. Even our very own Project Spurs panel lamented at the idea of the Spurs still being at the bottom of the league next season in a recent episode of Spurs Rewind.
Despite being the prizes of the upcoming draft, Wembenyama, and Henderson are not saviors. A top pick in the draft doesn’t automatically mean instant success. Even with talent as we’ve never seen before in Wembenyama it will take time for the Spurs to get back to playoff contention. Fans must accept the situation’s reality and ask, are the Spurs tanking or are they just that bad?
Top 10 2024 ESPN NBA Mock Draft
Matas Buzelis | G League Ignite | PG/SG | Age: 18.3
Cody Williams | Colorado | PG/SG | Age: 18.2
Zaccharie Risacher | ASVEL | SF | Age: 17.8
Justin Edwards | Kentucky | SG/SF | Age: 19.1
Isaiah Collier | USC | PG | Age: 18.3
6. Utah Jazz
Ron Holland | Texas | SF/PF | Age: 17.6
D.J. Wagner | Kentucky | PG/SG | Age: 17.8
Bilal Coulibaly | Metropolitans 92 | SG/SF | Age: 18.5
9. New Orleans Pelicans (via Los Angeles Lakers)
Kwame Evans | Oregon | PF | Age: 18.5
10. Orlando Magic
Bronny James | Uncommitted | PG/SG | Age: 18.3
1997 Isn’t Happening Again
Currently, the Spurs have a 14% chance of landing the top pick for the first time since selecting Tim Duncan in 1997. It only took two years for the Spurs to win an NBA championship after selecting Duncan. It seems that Spurs fans sometimes expect a similar result if Wembenyama is selected. However, the team is in a completely different position than it was in 1997. Avery Johnson was cut and re-signed to the spurs three times by then. The Spurs already had a number one pick in David Robinson and a number 3 pick Sean Elliot. Both had been on the team for ten years when Duncan was drafted.
The current roster is very young, the most tenured player is Keldon Johnson at 4 seasons with the team. Adding a top talent from the draft won’t change the fact that none of the starters have played in a playoff series. It won’t magically make the team play better defense. There is still a lot of work to do, to get back to the top.
Are They Tanking Or Just Bad?
The Spurs have the second-worst record this season. Some fans will point to sitting players or weird lineups but that’s wishful thinking. The Spurs haven’t won a single game this season when they were down by 10 at any point in the game. The lack of experience is blinding sometimes. We’ve seen multiple instances where inbounding the ball was a problem. We’ve seen players standing still while the player they were guarding runs past them. For some reason, guards will try to attack the rim while it’s being guarded by seven-footers. Perhaps it’s not a tanking strategy, maybe the Spurs are just that bad.
All that being said, this young team has grown tremendously throughout the season. There have been vast improvements for returning players, and rookies. With some time to grow and a few key additions, the rebuild should be a successful endeavor.
Family 🖤
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 23, 2023
24 hours until game time🤩 Can't wait for our squad to get back on the court tomorrow! #Spurs50 | @SelfCreditApp | #ad pic.twitter.com/Y4NGlPEhxQ
Spurs Are Set To Build For The Future
Over the next three seasons, Brian Wright will have six first-round draft picks to build a championship-caliber team. By then it would be fair for fans to expect the Spurs to be making playoff appearances. Putting the weight of the franchise on a 19-year-old to turn the franchise around on day one is not realistic. The Spurs have to build a new core to invest in, replace a hall-of-fame coach, and attract veterans. It’s a long road ahead but the journey should be fun to watch.
If anyone is still thinking Wembenyama is gonna destroy the league in his rookie year check out this highlight.
Victor Wembanyama got put on a poster 😳 🤯 pic.twitter.com/fZw4hANISa
— Digits Hoops (🏀,📊) (@Digits3Hoops) February 24, 2023
How Are You Liking The Rebuild So Far?
Do you think the Spurs are one draft pick away from glory or do you think the Spurs have a few more years at the bottom? Comment your take below. Ensure you follow Project Spurs on Twitter and Facebook to keep up on all Spurs-related things.
