The 2023 NBA Draft takes place on Thursday, June 22, as both rounds are wrapped up in one night. As it approaches, TGH will be taking a quick look some teams’ draft strategies, and shedding some light on what direction they will go with their picks.. Here is the San Antonio Spurs NBA Draft profile for 2023.
Summary
The Spurs finished the 2022-2023 season with a record of just 22-60, finishing last in both their division and in the Western Conference as a whole. They’ve now gone four consecutive seasons without qualifying for the NBA playoffs. This was their worst season since 1996, when they finished with two fewer wins than they did this year.
2023 Draft Picks
The Spurs have three picks in the 2023 NBA Draft.
First Round (one pick):
- Pick #1
Second Round (two picks):
- Pick #33
- Pick #44
Team Needs
- Playmaking: The Spurs were starting from behind almost every single night last season, as they lacked a true playmaker. They need someone to run the offense and create better shots.
- Overall depth: It should come as no surprise that a team with the first overall pick in the draft needs to get deeper all around. The Spurs’ role players are streaky and San Antonio needs to pivot to players who can help support their new cornerstone, Wembanyama.
Projected Targets
Pick #1: Victor Wembanyama, PF/C, France
There’s not a lot to say here that hasn’t already been said.
Wembanyama has been touted as maybe “the best prospect in the history of team sports.” He’s been the apple of many teams’ eyes since they started racking up losses in October. In short, he’s a 7-foot-2 combo forward/center that can reportedly reach the shooting prowess of Kevin Durant.
Given the Spurs’ success in drafting bigs with the first overall pick (David Robinson, Tim Duncan), and their success in turning foreign-born players into starts (Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili), Wemby couldn’t have asked for a better place to end up. The Spurs will take him first, and all there will be left to do is wait to see if he can live up to these sky-high expectations.
Pick #33: Colby Jones, SF, Xavier
The Spurs could take the best non-guard passer in the entire draft with this pick. Jones is athletic, and ready for the NBA right now. His shooting capabilities are a bit of a question mark right out of the gate, but they need crisp ball distribution at every position, so Jones works with their team needs.
Pick #44: Brandin Podziemski, SG, Santa Clara
Podziemski is a rising star in this draft, thus he is being mocked all over the place. But he could fall to the Spurs at number 44.
Maybe one of the best pure shooters in the 2023 class, Podziemski fits the Spurs’ need for bench depth. There is a distinct possibility that he becomes a productive second unit scorer right away. He has the chance to become a reliable scoring threat in just a season or two, especially if he’s utilized as a sixth man.
Stay tuned for more breaking NBA content, including offseason moves, contract updates and more news from every team.
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