Gregg Popovich has ended the debate of the offseason. Which starter from last year is moving to the bench now that Victor Wembanyama is on the team? With Tre Jones moving out of the starting lineup it leaves the primary ball-handling responsibilities to Jeremy Sochan. We saw flashes of greatness from Sochan in the “point forward” position last season. Including an amazing 30-point performance against the Phoenix Suns.
It would be great for Sochan to build off of last year’s success at the position. And help the Spurs usher in a new era of positionless basketball. However, if things don’t go as planned the Spurs have a few good options moving forward. Let’s evaluate them.
Who Else Could The Spurs Start?
Tre Jones
The most immediate and obvious option is to reinsert Tre Jones into the starting lineup. The Spurs may never have intended for Jones to be a full-time starter, but last season he held his own. He performed so well that a large percentage of the Spurs fan base is upset that he’s no longer a starter.
As discussed in a previous post, Jones coming off the bench shows the brilliance of Popovich, because essentially Jones can be subbed in for any starter. He would take over point guard and the others would shift accordingly.
Jones just signed a $20 million two-year deal, so we know that at least for the time being the Spurs trust that he will improve and be extended or even move on to another team. If the Spurs were to decide Jones isn’t a long-term solution for point guard there are a few other options to look at
The Other 2022 Draft Picks
Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley have both been picked up for their third-year team options. So we have at least two more seasons with them.
Malaki Branham
Branham seems more polished are can handle himself with starers minutes as we saw last year. Hopefully this season we’ll see improvements from Branham on the defensive side of the ball.
If he continues to grow and becomes more aggressive on defense he could find himself eventually taking over for Tre Jones as the sixth man. If the Spurs have to trade away a key piece like Keldon Johnson or Devin Vassell for a bonafide all-star caliber player he could even be poised to move to the starting lineup.
Blake Wesley
Wesley has made it clear that he intends to be a point guard in the NBA. Unfortunately, he missed a good chunk of last season with a knee injury. It seems at times that he is a step or two behind Branham in terms of decision-making and just being confident on the court. Where Wesley shines is in the fast break. He may be one of the fastest players in the NBA. He’s also aggressive defensively on every possession, he’s almost always pressuring the opposing team’s point guard before they cross half-court.
If Wesley takes these next two seasons to slow his game down a bit and hone his defensive skills he’ll earn minutes in a Popovich rotation. If he plays his cards right the Spurs may decide he is a better option over Jones. Earning him an extension and solidifying his position as point guard for the future.
The 2024 NBA Draft
Another way to determine how the Spurs feel about their point guard depth is how the draft in 2024. The Spurs will potentially have three first-round picks. If they use one of them to select a point guard like Isaiah Collier or Bronny James, it’ll signal that they aren’t 100% comfortable with the point guard options.
The Lebron Effect
If Lebron James intends to keep his word of signing a veterans minimum contract with whoever drafts his son Bronny, the Spurs may jump on this opportunity. Not only would the Spurs get one of the most athletic point guard prospects in the draft. But they would also get one year of Lebron James as a veteran mentor for the young Spurs core. Wembanyama and the rest of the team would be exposed to a wealth of basketball knowledge. Lebron’s value in the locker room is incalculable
Also financially speaking, it would be huge for the Spurs and the city of San Antonio to have Lebron play his final season in Spurs uniform. There would be an increase in ticket sales and nationally televised games. The Spurs and the city would also be talked about more in the national sports media.
That being said if the Spurs do draft Bronny James it may be more of a business decision. Not necessarily a lack of faith in the starting point guard. But you’d have to imagine if he can stay healthy he’d be a fine addition to the roster.
How do you feel about the Spurs point guard situation? comment your take below.
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