Random Thoughts on Vic, Defense and Draft

[Chinook]

Just to add: Johnson went from the face of the franchise and first option to sixth man within two years. Vassell's status isn't going to exceed his relative talent or production, and the team will look to add more talent.

[JPB]

You don't pass up a top 10 pick because you are worried about Wesley, Branham, Cissoko, Champ, Bassey or Barlow not getting minutes. The team has three prospects of consequence and has plenty of room to develop outside of that.

A top 10 pick in a very weak draft who might correspond to a 15-20-ish pick in most others... maybe you do for the right deal. There's no univeral rules that say you do or don't do that in all eternity, that's not good business. Every situation is different and you have to anlyse all the paramaters:

- Wemby and the (real) quick help he needs, not a prospect who might take 4 years to develop (or not).

- the quality of your roster (bad, outside of Wemby).

- The quality of the draft. Don't expect Dilly or Sheppard to come and kick ass, or maybe even start, from day 1, iff they ever do. Wish the kid the best but not sure Sarr crack top 5 at very best in most other drafts. "Mobile but raw rim protector" is a pretty low bar for #1 pcik. So imagine the rest of the pool.

- Giving top 5 pick money for 4 years to a kid who might a bench a bench guy at best.

- All the prospects you already have (Wesley, Branham, Sochan, Sidy) not to mention the "bargain bin" guys (Champ, Barlow, Mamu) who can also be consdered as guys to develop gving their little NBA experience...

- Two years of terrible sucking.

- The moves you could make. If you add one or two rooikies, obviously, that's playing time you can't give to experienced vets you could sign.

Now if you ask me if I'd like around the same roster than last year + one or two rookiees... Well that's another awful year in perspective...

Tre/Dilly/Wesley
Devin, Branham, Champ
Keldon/Sochan/Mamu/Sidy/Cedi?
Wemby/Zollins/Barlow/Bassey?
A second rookie?

That's like 7 or 8 guys who have nothing to do here you'll have to give time in hope they develop into something.

[Snaq O'Meal]

Castle > McCain > Topic > Carter> UK guards

Tbh.

Folks are forgetting that the Spurs have invested heavily in Vassell as the #2 option. For this version of the Spurs we don’t need a little no-D, huntable, chucker, whether Trae or Dillingham. This team needs another Derrick White (which maybe more upside), Defensive versatility, reliable shooting, setup guy, and smarts.

Check out the respective stats of Castle and Carter when they went head-to-head, and see who's the closer facsimile of Derrick White.

[CGD]

^ my point is not to Stan for Devin or suggest the Spurs are incapable of moving, but more so to look at where the offense is going to be coming from over the next two years or so. Right now that is Wemby and Vassell. If folks are thinking the Spurs should prioritize a PG this draft (I’m not one of those), I’m not convinced that an undersized volume guard is the need. I’d be pleased with a high bbiq type with size that doesn’t need the ball, and can help set up people. They’re all flawed, but it’s why my preference is more in the Topic or Castle hue if they’re gonna go PG with the draft.

[Chinook]

A top 10 pick in a very weak draft who might correspond to a 15-20-ish pick in most others... maybe you do for the right deal. There's no univeral rules that say you do or don't do that in all eternity, that's not good business. Every situation is different and you have to anlyse all the paramaters:

- Wemby and the (real) quick help he needs, not a prospect who might take 4 years to develop (or not).

- the quality of your roster (bad, outside of Wemby).

- The quality of the draft. Don't expect Dilly or Sheppard to come and kick ass, or maybe even start, from day 1, iff they ever do. Wish the kid the best but not sure Sarr crack top 5 at very best in most other drafts. "Mobile but raw rim protector" is a pretty low bar for #1 pcik. So imagine the rest of the pool.

- Giving top 5 pick money for 4 years to a kid who might a bench a bench guy at best.

- All the prospects you already have (Wesley, Branham, Sochan, Sidy) not to mention the "bargain bin" guys (Champ, Barlow, Mamu) who can also be consdered as guys to develop gving their little NBA experience...

- Two years of terrible sucking.

- The moves you could make. If you add one or two rooikies, obviously, that's playing time you can't give to experienced vets you could sign.

Now if you ask me if I'd like around the same roster than last year + one or two rookiees... Well that's another awful year in perspective...

Tre/Dilly/Wesley
Devin, Branham, Champ
Keldon/Sochan/Mamu/Sidy/Cedi?
Wemby/Zollins/Barlow/Bassey?

that's like 7 or 8 guys who have nothing to do here you'll have to gove time to hope they develop into something.

People might be confusing what it means to be a weak draft. It's not that the players are worse. It's that we don't know who is going to be good. I'm not ignoring Wemby being a generational talent, but he alone wasn't the reason why last year's class was considered so great. It was also because of Scoot, Miller and the Thompsons. This draft lacks a Wemby, but it doesn't necessarily lack prospects to match those other guys. A top-10 pick from this draft is not equivalent to a top-20 pick last year. It's more like two top-10 picks this year have the same success rate as a single top-10 from last year. The talent is hard to spot, so it takes more tries. It's not like last year where the talent went pretty unambiguously at the very top. Straight up a 15-20 pick in this draft is better than the equivalent pick last year for precisely that reason. You're more likely to snag a Kawhi., George or Giannis because their talent wasn't being appropriately valued by the consensus. Holland has as much of a chance at being the best player in this draft than Risacher, and he's a mid-lotto guy. Collier came into the year as the favorite to go first-overall but he may slip out of the lottery entirely.

So no, I can't agree that these picks have to worry about competing with scrubs for minutes. Those guys do not deserve time they don't earn. That is good business, not letting old mediocre prospects linger.

[LeBowen]

Just to add: Johnson went from the face of the franchise and first option to sixth man within two years. Vassell's status isn't going to exceed his relative talent or production, and the team will look to add more talent.

True, but him being offered and taking a team friendly deal made it clear what the Spurs' intentions were.
On the other hand, Devin got a max extension.

[Chinook]

True, but him being offered and taking a team friendly deal made it clear what the Spurs' intentions were.
On the other hand, Devin got a max extension.

Devin didn't get close to a max extension. His contract is much closer to what Keldon got than what Maxey will get. Devin got $146M/5 including bonuses as far as I can recall. Maxey will get $204M/5.

[skin27]

Everyone eagerly anticipating combine measurements for the UK guards.
I still have Sheppard over Dillingham for now.

Lmao sheppard is like new version of korver

[R. DeMurre]

I'd love OG and badly wanted to trade for him, but now that New York has his Bird Rights I can't see him signing anywhere but there. Quickley is restricted so would take a massive overpay most likely. Maybe KCP would be gettable since re-signing him would surely put Denver over the second apron.

I read an interview with Quickley after that trade went through and was really surprised to hear him say that he knew nothing of it before it happened. I would've guessed that Toronto might have at least tried to put out feelers to his agent about the chances of re-signing, since he'll be a free agent, but there was no communication between them at all.

[LeBowen]

Devin didn't get close to a max extension. His contract is much closer to what Keldon got than what Maxey will get. Devin got $146M/5 including bonuses as far as I can recall. Maxey will get $204M/5.

Wait, isn't that because of the new CBA and cap increase?
Anyhow, Devin got paid on the level of someone who should become a legit second option, he better deliver.

[Chinook]

Wait, isn't that because of the new CBA and cap increase?
Anyhow, Devin got paid on the level of someone who should become a legit second option, he better deliver.

No. He just got paid a flattish contract at what is definitely not second-option money. He'd only be making about half of what George would make on a new contract, for example.

[jesterbobman]

On Vic: I think he got to a point of being the best defender in the NBA, but he wasn't the best over the course of the season, and I'd guess (without being courtside / in the right hemisphere, or listening to isolated audio) he's still got room to grow in communication from the back line / the teamwork of defending. That's a really important skill, and part of why Tim was so great. Those skills are a big part of his room to grow.

On the draft...
I think there's so much variety in the draft this year, and no clear star that you can go whatever way you want at the top. In most drafts, I've got pretty clearly informed opinions on who I think we should take, though I'm less certain this year.

The strong stats based prospects I'm normally inclined to like (Reed, Clingan) don't seem that sexy in terms of role (While I think they'll be a bit better, Red and Poeltl, as comps, aren't inspiring as top 5 picks and Clingan, at least, would strictly be a reserve unless you go huge), a lot of the wings are big question marks in shooting, and PGs have defense / shooting questions.
I don't think there's anyone other than Vassell and Wemby that you should plan around (Sochan is close, and you don't want to have that many non shooters), and those shouldn't impact your choices (E.g, I still think Clingan is an option, as looking at Embiid's Sixers playoff runs show how valuable a competent backup 5 can be).

[scott]

Wait, isn't that because of the new CBA and cap increase?
Anyhow, Devin got paid on the level of someone who should become a legit second option, he better deliver.

Nope. The max would have been 5/204. Edwards, Ball, Halliburton all signed this deal from the same draft class as Vassell. Devin got a lesser deal because he's a lesser player. Definitely don't view his contract as a "you'd better be a second option" kind of deal.

[objective]

Watching the success of Minnesota and OKC to a degree and their relative long term outlooks based on youth has definitely altered my view.

I now don't want any bums on defense that can be targeted and don't at least create deflections and events to make up for it. That means Branham needs to get lost.

Spurs need to be able to swarm and suffocate like Minnesota does and having Wemby should make that possible, but too many clueless guys looking around after a score confused on what just happened like Keldon.

And no elderly injury prone vets to be targeted. Conley might qualify but his IQ makes up for a lot plus his extension is for less than the mle and his backup in NAW is sensational. So he's an exception, but it means I don't want a Middleton, or harden or Tobias. Older vets acquired need to be plus defenders and mle or less.

Youth, athleticism and energy are going to matter more with shooting. I was on the Trae train, but I've come around to a lot of the anti-trae views

So I am now all in on Reed Shepperd. He can execute much of what Trae would have with better shooting and better defense for a lot less money. Not the lob passer Trae is but he can shoot probably as well as anyone in the league plus his hands make for a great addition to an attacking defense. Small but can be hidden on a Conley or NAW or Dort.

Shepperd's knack for getting the ball on strips is something I can really see being a plus as people struggle with the Wemby conundrum. Add in his great full court passing and I can see a bright future.

And of course I want them to get Patrick Williams in free agency either straight up or in a sign and trade. He can function as a defender at the 4, plenty of videos out there breaking down his defensive pluses. And he can shoot 40%+ from three reliably. Add in some synergy with Devin, and the recent history of Bulls picks having delayed development ... I could see it being a huge problem for other teams

Wemby-Williams-Sochan-Vassell-Shepperd makes a lot of sense to me as a lineup with multiple 40%+ 3 point shooters, length and swarming activity on defense, transition attacks, and all focused on a Wemby-centric offense. Rebounding might be a little weak, and some people might not believe in Shepperd as a point guard, but I think that lineup competes and competes very very well

[LeBowen]

Nope. The max would have been 5/204. Edwards, Ball, Halliburton all signed this deal from the same draft class as Vassell. Devin got a lesser deal because he's a lesser player. Definitely don't view his contract as a "you'd better be a second option" kind of deal.

Haliburton playing injured to get extra 40 million more misled me, I thought it was 200 million if he gets all-NBA, but that's just the regular max. Crazy.

[skin27]

Watching the success of Minnesota and OKC to a degree and their relative long term outlooks based on youth has definitely altered my view.

I now don't want any bums on defense that can be targeted and don't at least create deflections and events to make up for it. That means Branham needs to get lost.

Spurs need to be able to swarm and suffocate like Minnesota does and having Wemby should make that possible, but too many clueless guys looking around after a score confused on what just happened like Keldon.

And no elderly injury prone vets to be targeted. Conley might qualify but his IQ makes up for a lot plus his extension is for less than the mle and his backup in NAW is sensational. So he's an exception, but it means I don't want a Middleton, or harden or Tobias. Older vets acquired need to be plus defenders and mle or less.

Youth, athleticism and energy are going to matter more with shooting. I was on the Trae train, but I've come around to a lot of the anti-trae views

So I am now all in on Reed Shepperd. He can execute much of what Trae would have with better shooting and better defense for a lot less money. Not the lob passer Trae is but he can shoot probably as well as anyone in the league plus his hands make for a great addition to an attacking defense. Small but can be hidden on a Conley or NAW or Dort.

Shepperd's knack for getting the ball on strips is something I can really see being a plus as people struggle with the Wemby conundrum. Add in his great full court passing and I can see a bright future.

And of course I want them to get Patrick Williams in free agency either straight up or in a sign and trade. He can function as a defender at the 4, plenty of videos out there breaking down his defensive pluses. And he can shoot 40%+ from three reliably. Add in some synergy with Devin, and the recent history of Bulls picks having delayed development ... I could see it being a huge problem for other teams

Wemby-Williams-Sochan-Vassell-Shepperd makes a lot of sense to me as a lineup with multiple 40%+ 3 point shooters, length and swarming activity on defense, transition attacks, and all focused on a Wemby-centric offense. Rebounding might be a little weak, and some people might not believe in Shepperd as a point guard, but I think that lineup competes and competes very very well

Sheppard isnt a point guard. He is a SG more like a korver type of player

[Dejounte]

Watching the success of Minnesota and OKC to a degree and their relative long term outlooks based on youth has definitely altered my view.

I now don't want any bums on defense that can be targeted and don't at least create deflections and events to make up for it. That means Branham needs to get lost.

Spurs need to be able to swarm and suffocate like Minnesota does and having Wemby should make that possible, but too many clueless guys looking around after a score confused on what just happened like Keldon.

And no elderly injury prone vets to be targeted. Conley might qualify but his IQ makes up for a lot plus his extension is for less than the mle and his backup in NAW is sensational. So he's an exception, but it means I don't want a Middleton, or harden or Tobias. Older vets acquired need to be plus defenders and mle or less.

Youth, athleticism and energy are going to matter more with shooting. I was on the Trae train, but I've come around to a lot of the anti-trae views

So I am now all in on Reed Shepperd. He can execute much of what Trae would have with better shooting and better defense for a lot less money. Not the lob passer Trae is but he can shoot probably as well as anyone in the league plus his hands make for a great addition to an attacking defense. Small but can be hidden on a Conley or NAW or Dort.

Shepperd's knack for getting the ball on strips is something I can really see being a plus as people struggle with the Wemby conundrum. Add in his great full court passing and I can see a bright future.

And of course I want them to get Patrick Williams in free agency either straight up or in a sign and trade. He can function as a defender at the 4, plenty of videos out there breaking down his defensive pluses. And he can shoot 40%+ from three reliably. Add in some synergy with Devin, and the recent history of Bulls picks having delayed development ... I could see it being a huge problem for other teams

Wemby-Williams-Sochan-Vassell-Shepperd makes a lot of sense to me as a lineup with multiple 40%+ 3 point shooters, length and swarming activity on defense, transition attacks, and all focused on a Wemby-centric offense. Rebounding might be a little weak, and some people might not believe in Shepperd as a point guard, but I think that lineup competes and competes very very well

This guy has watched the tape. His timing on his passes and overall vision is incredible. One of the best in the draft.

[ginobilized]

Watching the success of Minnesota and OKC to a degree and their relative long term outlooks based on youth has definitely altered my view.

I now don't want any bums on defense that can be targeted and don't at least create deflections and events to make up for it. That means Branham needs to get lost.

Spurs need to be able to swarm and suffocate like Minnesota does and having Wemby should make that possible, but too many clueless guys looking around after a score confused on what just happened like Keldon.

And no elderly injury prone vets to be targeted. Conley might qualify but his IQ makes up for a lot plus his extension is for less than the mle and his backup in NAW is sensational. So he's an exception, but it means I don't want a Middleton, or harden or Tobias. Older vets acquired need to be plus defenders and mle or less.

Youth, athleticism and energy are going to matter more with shooting. I was on the Trae train, but I've come around to a lot of the anti-trae views

So I am now all in on Reed Shepperd. He can execute much of what Trae would have with better shooting and better defense for a lot less money. Not the lob passer Trae is but he can shoot probably as well as anyone in the league plus his hands make for a great addition to an attacking defense. Small but can be hidden on a Conley or NAW or Dort.

Shepperd's knack for getting the ball on strips is something I can really see being a plus as people struggle with the Wemby conundrum. Add in his great full court passing and I can see a bright future.

And of course I want them to get Patrick Williams in free agency either straight up or in a sign and trade. He can function as a defender at the 4, plenty of videos out there breaking down his defensive pluses. And he can shoot 40%+ from three reliably. Add in some synergy with Devin, and the recent history of Bulls picks having delayed development ... I could see it being a huge problem for other teams

Wemby-Williams-Sochan-Vassell-Shepperd makes a lot of sense to me as a lineup with multiple 40%+ 3 point shooters, length and swarming activity on defense, transition attacks, and all focused on a Wemby-centric offense. Rebounding might be a little weak, and some people might not believe in Shepperd as a point guard, but I think that lineup competes and competes very very well

I agree wholeheartedly that we should avoid aging vets right now.

Reed Sheppard definitely has his merits and could be a fit. He'd provide improved shooting and would fit well with the ball movement that Pop espouses.

The Wemby-Williams-Sochan-Vassell-Sheppard lineup sounds like a strong SL for where we are now. If we could offload KJ and Branham for 2 3&D types, I'd be ecstatic.

[objective]

Basically with regards to point guard defense the instinct is that the presence of Wemby provides an excuse to have a questionable/bad defender because Wemby will be back there to clean it up (Trae Young, Darius Garland, Rob Dillingham)

Instead i see Wemby now as a mandate to be aggressive on defense to leverage how good Wemby is rather than passively accept a lame give up on defense.

Attack attack attack. Exhaust teams before they even get to Wemby. The more tired and harried they are when they get to Wemby the more Wemby will be able to feast on them. The shorter the shot clock is when they finally get in their sets the more pressure will load as the clock ticks down and Wemby looms while long arms and quick hands are lurking.

No more no-defense clowns to shoe wipe their way into disadvantages.

[Seventyniner]

I don't like the idea of trying to specifically emulate teams like the Wolves or Thunder just because they look good now. Would it have been worth trying to emulate the Warriors or Mavs from two years ago?

Wemby is the most unique superstar the league has seen in a long time. There are many ways to build around him that will result in a contender because he will just be that good. Yes he will need to have talented supporting players with a good mix of shooting, playmaking, and defense, but there's a lot more than one way to skin that cat.

[objective]

I don't like the idea of trying to specifically emulate teams like the Wolves or Thunder just because they look good now. Would it have been worth trying to emulate the Warriors or Mavs from two years ago?

Wemby is the most unique superstar the league has seen in a long time. There are many ways to build around him that will result in a contender because he will just be that good. Yes he will need to have talented supporting players with a good mix of shooting, playmaking, and defense, but there's a lot more than one way to skin that cat.

For me it's not so much trying to copy or emulate, more of a revelation of what can still happen in the NBA on defense.

That's how the Spurs used to play with the rotations and speed and disruption but it's been gone for years and I like many probably just accepted it as what the rules of the NBA are now with the bad defense. I was conditioned to accept confusion and slow rotations and missed rotations and guys not watching ball and man and getting backdoored and pouting and show wipes etc

But some of those Minnesota sequences were such a breath of fresh air. And what the Spurs can do again with the right personnel. Relying on Wemby to save a bad defense is what got Gobert cooked in Utah. Now that he's in a team with other good defenders plus guys who might not be good but have good tools like KAT and the defense is so hot that even when he sits they're cooking. Unlike the Spurs who without Wemby were pure trash

I appreciate not wanting to overreact or focus on one team ... There's drawbacks to being too match up crazy. Teams in the west all signed big ass centers to handle Shaq, but then he's traded out east and everyone is stuck with their own Rasho and no use for him.

That's not what I'm hoping for. I'm hoping for a commitment to defense that's both achievable and beneficial to Wemby in results and also not putting too much of a burden on him.

[Chinook]

I don't like the idea of trying to specifically emulate teams like the Wolves or Thunder just because they look good now. Would it have been worth trying to emulate the Warriors or Mavs from two years ago?

Wemby is the most unique superstar the league has seen in a long time. There are many ways to build around him that will result in a contender because he will just be that good. Yes he will need to have talented supporting players with a good mix of shooting, playmaking, and defense, but there's a lot more than one way to skin that cat.

Moreover, I don't get this idea that the Wolves and Nuggets didn't have vets. I've talked specifically about Paul Millsap and his importance to getting the Nuggets started on the right path. The Wolves player credit Conley and Gobert for establishing their iden y. The Bucks and Celtics were laden with vets not just in the years that they won but in the years leading up to it. It's just such a bizarre claim.

The Spurs in Wemby's absolute prime should feat him and guys near his age or younger as the prominent players while older guys support him. But we are years away from that. The way you build the younger guys up is first by drafting them. All this talk about how Wemby can't wait for a guy to develop is bull . Dude's a rookie. Second is you bring in vets who can teach the young guys.

Take advantage of these picks to bring in talent. Add legit vet starters to build the guys up. Face the reality that the Spurs aren't going to win a championship over the next year or two. Stop conflating being unrealistic with having high standards. Take advantage of this time when Wemby's still somewhat mortal to build. Make guys earn minutes through their play rather than gifting them minutes. Let the chips fall where they may until it's actually time to hit the gas. If you want to take any lesson from the Wolves and Nuggets it should be that.

Who cares if a guy is targeted on defense? First, that's not really a thing in the modern NBA. Yes, you exploit mismatches, but the game isn't one-on-one anymore. Secondly, the Spurs are not going to win a le. They don't have to make their roster moves based on that season's WCF. They won't be there.

Finally, where does this idea that Sheppard isn't weak defensively come from? He's good at getting steals, but I'd argue he's harder to project in a good defensive scheme than Dillingham is. You can account for Dillingham being small if he's pesky ala Mills. You can't account nearly as much for a guy who has to gamble to have his defensive value and who isn't switchable at all. Sheppard seems like a guy who can feast in an elite defense where he has no actual responsibilities. That's not an impossible role to play in SA, but it's a luxury that works best after a very specific series of moves sets it up.

[ginobilized]

Moreover, I don't get this idea that the Wolves and Nuggets didn't have vets. I've talked specifically about Paul Millsap and his importance to getting the Nuggets started on the right path. The Wolves player credit Conley and Gobert for establishing their iden y. The Bucks and Celtics were laden with vets not just in the years that they won but in the years leading up to it. It's just such a bizarre claim.

The Spurs in Wemby's absolute prime should feat him and guys near his age or younger as the prominent players while older guys support him. But we are years away from that. The way you build the younger guys up is first by drafting them. All this talk about how Wemby can't wait for a guy to develop is bull . Dude's a rookie. Second is you bring in vets who can teach the young guys.

Take advantage of these picks to bring in talent. Add legit vet starters to build the guys up. Face the reality that the Spurs aren't going to win a championship over the next year or two. Stop conflating being unrealistic with having high standards. Take advantage of this time when Wemby's still somewhat mortal to build. Make guys earn minutes through their play rather than gifting them minutes. Let the chips fall where they may until it's actually time to hit the gas. If you want to take any lesson from the Wolves and Nuggets it should be that.

Who cares if a guy is targeted on defense? First, that's not really a thing in the modern NBA. Yes, you exploit mismatches, but the game isn't one-on-one anymore. Secondly, the Spurs are not going to win a le. They don't have to make their roster moves based on that season's WCF. They won't be there.

Finally, where does this idea that Sheppard isn't weak defensively come from? He's good at getting steals, but I'd argue he's harder to project in a good defensive scheme than Dillingham is. You can account for Dillingham being small if he's pesky ala Mills. You can't account nearly as much for a guy who has to gamble to have his defensive value and who isn't switchable at all. Sheppard seems like a guy who can feast in an elite defense where he has no actual responsibilities. That's not an impossible role to play in SA, but it's a luxury that works best after a very specific series of moves sets it up.

Great points, all of them.

I wonder, though, if that applies under a coach like Pop who seems like the ultimate vet. At this stage, I think he is handling the bulk of the teaching.
Who are some ideal vets for this squad in your eyes?

[scott]

the Spurs are not going to win a le.

Well, not with that at ude.

[Chinook]

Great points, all of them.

I wonder, though, if that applies under a coach like Pop who seems like the ultimate vet. At this stage, I think he is handling the bulk of the teaching.
Who are some ideal vets for this squad in your eyes?

Pop is the elder statesman, but he's not close to the only vet coach out there. They only do so much. It takes actual players on the court to implement those lessons and to provide a standard for the young guys to meet. It's why the token vets on small contracts don't make sense. They need starters and key bench players.

If I had my way, the Spurs rotation would look like the following:

Blue-Chip PG, Jones, Wesley
Vassell, Vet Play-Making SG, Branham
Vet Play-Making SF, Johnson, Blue-Chip Forward
Sochan, Vet PF, Cissoko
Wembanyama, Rim-Running Vet Center, Rim-Running Center Prospect With Size

In Scott's "Ideal Off-Season" thread, I proposed an off-season which met the biggest of these wishes. The results were as follows:

Blue-Chip PG = Rob Dillingham
Vet Play-Making SF = Khris Middleton
Vet Play-Making SG = No one. I didn't fill this hole and instead let the Blue-Chip Forward play with Johnson
Blue-Chip Forward = Ron Holland
Vet PF = Royce O'Neale
Rim-Running Vet Center = Bobby Portis (who doesn't meet that description but is a flex big that would let Wemby play in a big lineup while also being a good single big)
Rim-Running Center Prospect With Size = Tyler Smith, who isn't a center and not much of a rim-runner but is a strong big prospect who should work his way into the rotation and might eventually become the starting PF.