KOC has Castle #1 on his big board now.

As we are coming up on the end of the year, I wanted to get your takes on roster construction for next year. We honestly are going to have to make some decisions on who to keep and who to shake loose. We have potentially 2 firsts and 2 2nds to account for, and that's not factoring in any potential veterans we try and bring in to put around Vic.

FAs: Mamu, Graham ($2.9MM guaranteed), Cedi, Barlow

C: Vic (3/45), Collins (2/35), Bassey (2/5 unguaranteed)
PF: Sochan (2/12.6)
SF: Keldon (3/54), Julian (3/9 unguaranteed)
SG: Dev (5/135), Branham (2/8.1), Sidy (2/4 final year unguaranteed)
PG: Tre (1/9), Wesley (2/7.4)

So we have 11 guys on the roster, and all except Tre are on multi-year deals. If we land Toronto's pick then we have 4 guys coming in, although those second rounders could theoretically be put on two ways. So you are looking at 13-15 roster spots filled before any additional moves are made.

Graham and Cedi seem like sure bets to be gone. I like what both Barlow and Mamu have shown, but if you bring them both back then you have a full roster even if you put both your second rounders on two ways.

In 2025 we could have as many as 8 draft picks. While I think that we are eyeing the 2025 offseason as the one where we realistically try and make a splash, it seems inevitable that we are going to move off of some of the guys from our current roster this offseason and maybe some of those 2025 picks too. Outside of Vic, Dev, Sochan, and maybe Tre, I wouldn't be that surprised to see any of those other guys moving out. I'd personally be pretty bummed to see Julian go because I think he is great value at that contract. But I'd wager that at least two of Bassey/Sidy/Mamu/Barlow/Branham/Wesley/Julian are not on the roster next year. Which guys would you be most upset to see go and who are you ready to pack the bags for?

Keldon "Big Mike Tyson" Johnson

Love KJ but can you really see that dude on a championship squad? Lol

TheNotoriousP.I.P. said:

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As we are coming up on the end of the year, I wanted to get your takes on roster construction for next year. We honestly are going to have to make some decisions on who to keep and who to shake loose. We have potentially 2 firsts and 2 2nds to account for, and that's not factoring in any potential veterans we try and bring in to put around Vic.

FAs: Mamu, Graham ($2.9MM guaranteed), Cedi, Barlow

C: Vic (3/45), Collins (2/35), Bassey (2/5 unguaranteed)
PF: Sochan (2/12.6)
SF: Keldon (3/54), Julian (3/9 unguaranteed)
SG: Dev (5/135), Branham (2/8.1), Sidy (2/4 final year unguaranteed)
PG: Tre (1/9), Wesley (2/7.4)

So we have 11 guys on the roster, and all except Tre are on multi-year deals. If we land Toronto's pick then we have 4 guys coming in, although those second rounders could theoretically be put on two ways. So you are looking at 13-15 roster spots filled before any additional moves are made.

Graham and Cedi seem like sure bets to be gone. I like what both Barlow and Mamu have shown, but if you bring them both back then you have a full roster even if you put both your second rounders on two ways.

In 2025 we could have as many as 8 draft picks. While I think that we are eyeing the 2025 offseason as the one where we realistically try and make a splash, it seems inevitable that we are going to move off of some of the guys from our current roster this offseason and maybe some of those 2025 picks too. Outside of Vic, Dev, Sochan, and maybe Tre, I wouldn't be that surprised to see any of those other guys moving out. I'd personally be pretty bummed to see Julian go because I think he is great value at that contract. But I'd wager that at least two of Bassey/Sidy/Mamu/Barlow/Branham/Wesley/Julian are not on the roster next year. Which guys would you be most upset to see go and who are you ready to pack the bags for?

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I think the plan is to use our pick, hope Toronto pages to next year, maybe add a mid-level FA, and run it back.

One more year of tanking then push in all the chips.

OKC had two years under 25 wins with their superstar, then a 40 win team now a 55+ win team. I think our trajectory will be similar.

Think best case scenario:
Grab Castle
Sign tyus Jones
Win lottery next year with our pick or ATL pick, add Ace Bailey or Cooper Flagg as a legit #2 star.

I don't think we move guys on the rookie contacts unless something silly pops up. Hopefully get a healthy season out of bassey so we can know what we have.

I wonder if any team would trade a late first round pick for our 2 seconds? Maybe throw in a 2025 second.

jteagle said:

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I wonder if any team would trade a late first round pick for our 2 seconds? Maybe throw in a 2025 second.

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I think a team like Minnesota that doesn't want to take on guaranteed salary might consider that.

There are now exceptions for signing second round picks so you don't have to use any part of your mid-level exception on it. So for teams that are over the second apron and paying a ton of luxury tax that could be really beneficial for them to trade down.

I know we've seen the Spurs do that a few times over the years or we pick a draft and stash late in the first round like splitter

Guitarsoup said:

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jteagle said:

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I wonder if any team would trade a late first round pick for our 2 seconds? Maybe throw in a 2025 second.

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I think a team like Minnesota that doesn't want to take on guaranteed salary might consider that.

There are now exceptions for signing second round picks so you don't have to use any part of your mid-level exception on it. So for teams that are over the second apron and paying a ton of luxury tax that could be really beneficial for them to trade down.

I know we've seen the Spurs do that a few times over the years or we pick a draft and stash late in the first round like splitter

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Might be nice, especially if someone falls that they really like.

jteagle said:

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Guitarsoup said:

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jteagle said:

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I wonder if any team would trade a late first round pick for our 2 seconds? Maybe throw in a 2025 second.

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I think a team like Minnesota that doesn't want to take on guaranteed salary might consider that.

There are now exceptions for signing second round picks so you don't have to use any part of your mid-level exception on it. So for teams that are over the second apron and paying a ton of luxury tax that could be really beneficial for them to trade down.

I know we've seen the Spurs do that a few times over the years or we pick a draft and stash late in the first round like splitter

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Might be nice, especially if someone falls that they really like.

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Yeah, there are a lot of guys I would take a flier on at the end of the 1st or early second.

Tyler Kolek
Kam Jones
Daron Holmes
Collin Murray Boyles
Yves Missi
Ryan Dunn
Hunter Sallis

Kolek is one of the most underrated guys in the draft IMO. Will be a steal for somebody.

DTP02 said:

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Kolek is one of the most underrated guys in the draft IMO. Will be a steal for somebody.

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Yeah, if we didn't have Tre Jones, I think we would go after him early in the 2nd.

NOW ROB JUST SAID HE WOULD LOVE TO PLAY FOR THE SPURS ALONGSIDE WEMBY AND LEARN FROM POP ON ESPN

OMGGGGGG https://t.co/N4YafxoMMk pic.twitter.com/EUc6tbOmij

— BKB (@brayknowball) April 9, 2024

Love his offensive game, but we don't need another guard that's a defensive liability.

Exactly. Rob, Trae Young, and Malaki would be too many.

Some good stories about Pop's replacement

Enzo The Baker said:

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Exactly. Rob, Trae Young, and Malaki would be too many.

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Dilly -Branham is probably the only backcourt worse defensively than Dilly-Poole

SGA definitely breaks 100

Toronto up double digits right now against Indiana. A win (or Portland loss tonight) ensures that they don't get lower than 6th worst. Still possible that they get 7th worst from Memphis, who we play tonight.

What happens to our TOR pick if they're within the top 6? Converts to a pick next year?

AA said:

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What happens to our TOR pick if they're within the top 6? Converts to a pick next year?

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Top 6 protected next year. Ideal scenario next year

Dilly is #0 with the short dreads.

The team Memphis has on the floor tonight makes the Spurs look like the 85-86 Celtics.

This was hilarious. 3-on-1 fastbreak but no one wanted to challenge Wemby at the rim pic.twitter.com/cuyyeO8P9R

— Jeje Gomez (@JejeGomezNBA) April 10, 2024

The Shammgod. 😱
The Spin. 🌪️
Prime Wemby. 👽 https://t.co/8XcAkJxSLo pic.twitter.com/EPdbIiEWfv

— NBA (@NBA) April 10, 2024

West Texan said:

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AA said:

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LawHall88 said:

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This was hilarious. 3-on-1 fastbreak but no one wanted to challenge Wemby at the rim pic.twitter.com/cuyyeO8P9R

— Jeje Gomez (@JejeGomezNBA) April 10, 2024

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Bill and Sean's commentary after this was spot on. Wemby not only has far superior defensive stats, but nobody else in the league is intentionally avoided to this degree. DPOY voters will give it to Gobert because he shares the floor with Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels, and Kyle Anderson.

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For most of season I’ve felt on/off stats were close enough to keep Gobert in command of DPOY convo — his presence was/is CLEAR on a very good defensive team — but now Spurs are allowing 10.1 pp100p fewer w/ Vic on the floor; Wolves allowing 3.6 pp100p fewer w/ Rudy on floor.

— Matthew Tynan (@Matthew_Tynan) April 10, 2024

The Spurs being ****ty is gonna cost Wemby DPOY, but it's pretty obvious that he's the most impactful defender in the world and it's not really close.

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I'm okay with Gobert getting it. I think the top defender on a top defensive team deserves it. If Wemby did what he is doing now the whole year, maybe he has a chance.

But he is certainly going to make all defense 1st team. Not even Tim or David did that their rookie year.

Spurs fall out of the bottom 3. Given their remaining schedule and the state of the hornets, I think it's likely we won't be in the bottom 3 again. Could fall to 5th worst but the 4th worst might come down to a coin flip with Portland. I'm assuming Wemby finishes out against the pistons at home.

With the blazers loss tonight, the Spurs are guaranteed a 54% chance at their pick.

Sidy getting some good minutes tonight and I like what I see. Good defense and good hustle. 10 points, all dunks. Would be nice if he could make it into the rotation next year.

Watched him in person when the Austin Spurs came to town - he was on a completely different level of strength and athleticism than everyone else on the court. He was fun to watch.

https://theathletic.com/5400337/2024/04/10/victor-wembanyama-block-jump-shot-spurs/

Good article with some embedded videos. Nothing we don't know ,but has a video where Victor is 27 feet away when a pass is thrown to the corner and he blocks the three.

The NBA considers wide open shots as shots where the defender is more than 6' from the shooter. This shot counted as wide open, but was also blocked by Wemby.

Quote:

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According to Synergy data, 86 percent of the 3-pointers that Wembanyama has contested fall into that "wide open" label, one of the "worst" rates in the league. In other words, when opposing players take shots, he's rarely considered "close" enough to them to affect them. But the league is shooting slightly less than 36 percent on "wide open" 3s that he has contested, noticeably lower than the 39.2 percent league average. In other words, a "wide open" 3 isn't wide open when Wembanyama contests it.

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Quote:

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Opponents aren't so lucky. Irving said he passed up a shot similar to the blocked pull-up jumper later in the game to instead find a shooter nowhere near Wembanyama. Allen said he might just back up further. Connaughton thinks it might even require him to shoot differently.

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Quote:

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Jump shots have always held air superiority, using the space far above defenders' reaches to avoid them.
But Wembanyama hasn't only entered the league; he's also launched himself to literal heights previously unreachable. And now, he's at least one player fighting back.
"(He's defying physics) as I did understand them," Connaughton said. "Now I'm recalibrating."

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Vic out tonight. Was looking forward to more Chet domination.

It looks like we want to hold on to 4th worst record. I don't think it's a bad move.

Yep. Only one game up on Portland and one game back from Charlotte.

https://www.tankathon.com/pick_odds

OKC, Denver, and Detroit left. Detroit has essentially clinched worst title. Detroit has Bulls, Mavs, and us.

Charlotte has Hawks, Celtics, Cavs and only the Celtics arent fighting for position.

Portland has Warriors, Rockets, Kings.

Also, don't look now, but my boy Scoot is at 43/36/85 shooting with 18p/8a/1.3s over his last 10 games.