The San Antonio Spurs selected Joshua Primo with the 12th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. There were quite a few people who were not exactly thrilled with the pick. That’s understandable as he was nowhere near that range in most mock drafts. However, now isn’t the time to panic or be furious.
There is some good to be taken from this seemingly random pick. Primo is an incredibly young draft pick:
Josh Primo (18 years, 217 days) is the youngest draft pick by the Spurs since they joined the NBA in 1976.
Previous youngest was Ian Mahinmi (18 years, 235 days) in 2005.
H/t @EliasSports
— Jordan Howenstine (@AirlessJordan) July 30, 2021
It has also been reported that Primo had serious interest from other teams in the teens and early 20s, so the Spurs got their guy at the pick they had with no real opportunity to trade back. This might sound like making excuses, but we as spectators never truly can know what happens behind the scenes. So put on your relaxing suit and chomp down on a chill pill.
Here’s the good news. We will get to see what Primo has in his bag very soon as the NBA Summer League is set to start. We will get an idea of how he might play with the likes of Devin Vassell and Tre Jones along with other summer league guys.
Primo is mature for his age and was a likely lottery pick next year anyway. This way, the Spurs got the player a year earlier in their system and he could give them an extra guard option if Jones or another player don’t work out or are dealt by the trade deadline.
If you want to know more about Primo, you can check out our prospect profile on him last month. For now, all you need to do is watch him in Summer League play and then make some judgments on your own.
He will likely play a little more there than he will in San Antonio this season, so soak it all in. He should be fun to watch at the very least and you’ll get a better idea of what he can do against grown men and other guys desperate to make the league.
The front office has spent all its good will with the fans. They are now in prove it to me territory. Free agency is another big chance for them to earn their big bucks. And so is providing better and more communication about the decisions, direction, and priorities of the franchise.