LAS VEGAS — Summer League is for three things: Improving your game, competing for a roster spot or experimenting with someone's game. For example, Cory Joseph is working on improving his game, particularly the floor leading aspect. Everyone not named Joseph, Aron Baynes and Nando De Colo are competing for a roster spot, be it with the Spurs or another team as there are coaches, general managers and scouts from all 30 teams here watching games. Meanwhile, Nando De Colo is experimenting with a new position, shooting guard.
We should say it's not completely new. De Colo often plays alongside Tony Parker on the French National Team. However, when it comes to the San Antonio Spurs, it's a new position. De Colo spent a considerable amount of time working off the ball. While he didn't shoot particularly well, De Colo showed an ability to get his shot off well if the space was there or use a screen to create for himself or others. Summer League coach Ime Udoka said the team thought De Colo looked good in the role despite his low shooting percentage.
"We really want to see him work off the ball. Also defensively he’s guarding bigger guys, two guards," Udoka said. "We want to see a little bit of that so it’s a benefit for him and we think he did a good job."
The Nando shooting guard experiment would give the Spurs another shot creator off the ball. Whether that will eventually create some playing time competition between he and Marco Bellinelli. If De Colo does develop an off the ball game, his skill set will start to look very similar to the newest Spurs guard.
