In just a few days, we sit (un) patiently and wait to find someone to become the next San Antonio Spar. Before we got there, I felt that the name was forced to add to the numerous parts placed on the Internet that decompose potential potential callers.
My inspiration for this was to read some of the comparisons made — most notably to see how Ringer Kevin O Connor compared. Jabari Smith Jr. becomes “Two-way Rashard Lewis” and Chet Holmgren becomes “Gen Z Pau Gasol”. These comps have a vision of what we can expect from that player. This is both fair and unfair. It’s fair because most of us (not draft experts) haven’t seen a ton of movies on these players. Therefore, comparing them with someone we have seen helps us to better understand their game. Hearing that Player X resembles Player Y is unfair because it sets the expectation that the player must respond to it, or hopefully exceed it.
Needless to say, I took the time to watch a movie of 22 players and Spurs could see a draft on each of the three picks, rather than comparing them to the ones they remind me of earlier. Compared with Spur. Based on size / position / athletic ability and style of play.
I decided to avoid writing about Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, and Smith and Holmgren mentioned above. Pick (King is possible, but you can’t see the Spurs jumping to 4). I also tried my best to avoid comparisons with the Big Three, but I saw one player tape and broke that rule.
Keep in mind that we will be releasing new batches of prospects in the next three days. And, without any further effort, here is the first outlook, but first, remember:
Disclaimer 1: These are not perfect. The game has changed a lot over the years. This is revealed in the video I added for the Spurs player that I’m comparing to prospects, so it takes some imagination.
Disclaimer 2: Regarding the spar that was comparing the outlook, there were some videos that were harder to find than other videos, so I included the one that I thought was the best.
Modern Fords
First, let’s focus on the three players who will help fill the front court and add the required depth to 4 (and potentially small ball 5).
Keegan Murray
Comparison: Sean Elliott
Throughout the year, I saw a significant portion of college basketball and understood that the Spurs would probably win the lottery. Iowa was on TV so much that I could see what Keegan Murray was offering. No matter where you look, you can see that his books are relatively the same. He can win the ball. He led the Big Ten Conference in points per game at 23.5, shooting 39.8% in a 3-point attempt. He may not be as far from dribbling as Smith and Banchero, but Iowa was able to move him to another position and open him. Looking at the combination of size, speed and skill, he looks like Sean Elliott does in the NBA today. As for Murray, as mentioned earlier, there is a question about his ability to make shots, but it turns out that Sean has been able to play against others for years.
Jeremy Sochan
Comparison: Boris Diaw
Perhaps my favorite comparison of everyone the Spurs could draft, and the player. Jeremy Sochan should be able to play the spurt as a small ball 5 with a Swiss Army knife power forward. He has great maneuverability, so he can stay with guards and wings and is big enough to bang with almost everyone in the league. Probably with the exception of Nikola Jokić and Joel Embiid, which applies to everyone). Bobo’s playmaking ability made him very important during his time at Spurs, and Sochan has the same skills. Sochan’s only knock at the moment is his shooting, but if you believe in the 90/10 rule, getting 90% good from the player will be 10% bad. In addition, looking at his touch around the basket and seeing what Keldon Johnson could do in a few years, I have to believe that if he becomes a spar, shooting around him will come. ..
EJ Liddell
Comparison: DeJuan Blair (with jumper)
Liddell makes this comparison with one of my favorite role-playing spurs so far, Defan Blair. This is mainly due to the size in the position they play. At the combine, Liddell weighed 6’7 “with shoes and weighed 243 pounds, while Blair weighed 6’6.5” and weighed 276. Shooting also made Liddell more versatile than Blair, shooting 3 to 37.4% in 3.8 attempts per game last year in Ohio. His per-game ranking in the Big 10 was 4th in points at 19.4, 7th in rebounds at 7.9 and 1st in blocks at 2.6. One of the main reasons the Spurs could be able to draft Liddell on a later pick is because he will be 22 in December. But his size and skill will make him a great addition to the Spurs need position.
Bigs
Given the greatness of this year’s Jakob Poeltl, it seems strange for the Spurs to draft the center with one of the top picks, especially the ninth pick. However, Poeltl will be paid in the near future, so there are complaints about potential transactions. All this will draft one of the following prospects that Spurs may consider in depth.
Mark Williams
Comparison: Artis Gilmore
Mark Williams, one of the few players whose stocks have risen exponentially due to play during the season, has some sort of throwback in his game. He measured at 7’2 “with a combine with a standing reach of 9’9”, not to mention the wingspan of 7’6.5 “, all of which are the highest of all who measured / It was the longest. The Williams game was in the paint, he authoritatively finished the lob and hit the shot with a reckless abandonment. The Spurs once had a long center, so they controlled the best interior. Williams may not have the sweet afro that Gilmour had, but he has a game that can remedy the lack of depth that the Spurs have on the front court.
Jalen Duren
Comparison: David Robinson
I know Big Dave is in the Pantheon of every NBA player, but looking at Durene on the court gives a glimpse of what he is like. His year in Memphis didn’t go according to plan, but it happens more often in the raw outlook than most people want. And yes, Durene is a bit cheeky about potential lottery choices, but he has tools that you can’t teach. The way he runs the court in his size, his jumping ability, and strength all help the Admiral in what he can do in court. Durene isn’t a terrifying shooter, but he’s not afraid to take them from time to time. And to be fair, Robinson wasn’t the best archer out there – in fact, starting in the ’96 -97 season for years with the data they have available, he’s 10 feet. The jump shot from was 39.2% (682/1739) and out. The biggest difference between the two is that Durene will make his NBA debut five years younger than Robinson, leaving plenty of room for his growth.
Walker Kessler
Comparison: Defensive LaMarcus Aldridge
Kessler, the second best shot blocker at this year’s NCAA, was a defensive anchor that was in Ken Pom’s top 10 tuned defensive efficiencies. Twice this season he had a triple-double with blocks. This shows Kessler’s inner strength this year. Unfortunately, it’s hard to match LaMarcus Aldridge’s skill, so Kessler doesn’t say so, but he can sometimes knock down some shots. This comparison is about how I saw the same shapes and movements that Aldridge showed in silver and black when I watched the movie.
