Windhorst: Wembanyama Not Thrilled With Where Spurs Are; Doesn't Think Spurs Can Get Away With Slow Build

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Put this here too. Speaks to what the general media narrative about the Spurs is. Legs on Wemby and Pop.

[Sugus]

I remember when SpursTalk used to make fun of Clutchfans. Oof how those days are over when you get 6 page threads like this.

Spurs are the youngest team in the league, ran a PF at PG for most of the season, lost some depth, and y'all think we should be winning an extra 10-15 meaningless games that still get us absolutely nowhere near the play-in?

Christ this place is sad.

What's the ceiling on a 24 year old team that shoots open 3 pointers at the lowest clip in the NBA? I'd like to know what everyone was expecting this season from a team that can't shoot and isn't old enough to qualify for cheaper car insurance.

Some sense in the thread, finally... The ing and moaning is hilarious to read though, much like ClutchFans in that regard :

[Cry Havoc]

i mean how many point guards in the NBA have no clear weakness? probably about 5?

just waiting for one such player to enter a draft, let alone be available when you are picking, could just mean waiting forever

Mitc in a vacuum is a better player than Young but banking on signing him in free agency is while the gambit compared to trading for somebody who is going to presumably want to sign an extension and lock in

Yeah, Mitc is a better player, but I wouldn't say no to Trae. He has a fantastic head for the game and it's not like there are a plethora of point guards who are both elite passers and + defenders. Shae, Jamal Murray, and... Ball? That's probably it. LaMelo would be an interesting get if he wasn't injured all the time, and he's also too limited offensively for what this team needs right now. Jrue and DeJounte are obviously good defenders but their passing skills and offensive awareness are much more limited than the other topflight PGs in the league. Luka is obviously the dream fit, even with his defensive issues, but short of that it's hard to see the Spurs landing a playmaking PG who's also an above average defender. They just don't exist in the modern NBA outside of a few fringe cases (and even SGA benefits on D massively from the way the Thunder stack guys behind him).

[FuzzyLumpkins]

"you traded Jedonte Murray"
"Vassal"

- Kenny the jet Smith

I see you mimicking him and not understanding what you are doing.

[Sugus]

Yeah, Mitc is a better player, but I wouldn't say no to Trae. He has a fantastic head for the game and it's not like there are a plethora of point guards who are both elite passers and + defenders. Shae, Jamal Murray, and... Ball? That's probably it. LaMelo would be an interesting get if he wasn't injured all the time, and he's also too limited offensively for what this team needs right now. Jrue and DeJounte are obviously good defenders but their passing skills and offensive awareness are much more limited than the other topflight PGs in the league. Luka is obviously the dream fit, even with his defensive issues, but short of that it's hard to see the Spurs landing a playmaking PG who's also an above average defender. They just don't exist in the modern NBA outside of a few fringe cases (and even SGA benefits on D massively from the way the Thunder stack guys behind him).

The more time passes, the more I'm welcoming the Trae idea (pipedream as it may be). Especially after seeing their interactions during the All-Star weekend.

It's a matter of price at this point for me. I don't want for the Spurs to wait to cash-in on the Hawks' picks necessarily, but they're certainly highly valuable in any trade to other teams besides the Hawks themselves. We'll see the offers this off-season, though I doubt the Hawks go for this, on a "pride" basis if nothing else.

[Seventyniner]

Mitc vs Young is a false dichotomy imo. If Mitc is already so discontented in Cleveland that he has said he won't re-sign, even though he is playing well and the Cavs are a good team, I don't think he can be trusted not to do the same in San Antonio. If he signs here as a FA then it would be fine because he would be choosing to be here, but trading for him as a rental, even if the Cavs would bite, is extremely risky.

Young is a very different kind of player. He is a less efficient scorer but a much better passer in the PnR and specifically with lob passes.

It is quite possible for Mitc to be the better player in a vacuum but for Young to be the better fit next to Wemby. Side-by-side comparisons without context don't really help.

[DAF86]

i mean how many point guards in the NBA have no clear weakness? probably about 5?

just waiting for one such player to enter a draft, let alone be available when you are picking, could just mean waiting forever

Mitc in a vacuum is a better player than Young but banking on signing him in free agency is while the gambit compared to trading for somebody who is going to presumably want to sign an extension and lock in

I don't expect to get a flawless player, just not the second worst defensive player in the league.

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/wor...ing-nba-player

[FuzzyLumpkins]

The more time passes, the more I'm welcoming the Trae idea (pipedream as it may be). Especially after seeing their interactions during the All-Star weekend.

It's a matter of price at this point for me. I don't want for the Spurs to wait to cash-in on the Hawks' picks necessarily, but they're certainly highly valuable in any trade to other teams besides the Hawks themselves. We'll see the offers this off-season, though I doubt the Hawks go for this, on a "pride" basis if nothing else.

The problem with Young is a potential Young/Vassell backcourt. It'd be like when the Warriors trotted out Curry and Ellis defensively but our guys aren't as good offensively.

[Cry Havoc]

Mitc vs Young is a false dichotomy imo. If Mitc is already so discontented in Cleveland that he has said he won't re-sign, even though he is playing well and the Cavs are a good team, I don't think he can be trusted not to do the same in San Antonio. If he signs here as a FA then it would be fine because he would be choosing to be here, but trading for him as a rental, even if the Cavs would bite, is extremely risky.

Young is a very different kind of player. He is a less efficient scorer but a much better passer in the PnR and specifically with lob passes.

It is quite possible for Mitc to be the better player in a vacuum but for Young to be the better fit next to Wemby. Side-by-side comparisons without context don't really help.

We have a <5% chance of landing Mitc .

It's more a thought experiment for me, trying to decide what/what type of players the Spurs should chase. I don't expect us to get Trae either, but there's probably a decent chance that he looks at what Wemby's doing and decides he wants to come here.

[spurraider21]

I don't expect to get a flawless player, just not the second worst defensive player in the league.

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/wor...ing-nba-player

defensive rating/offensive rating are in large part team stats. its why you often see teammates clumped together, and why boozer always had an elite defensive rating on Thibs' bulls

im not saying Trae isn't a negative defender, he is. he has similar physical limitations that Tre has. but more than makes up for it imo

[Cry Havoc]

The more time passes, the more I'm welcoming the Trae idea (pipedream as it may be). Especially after seeing their interactions during the All-Star weekend.

It's a matter of price at this point for me. I don't want for the Spurs to wait to cash-in on the Hawks' picks necessarily, but they're certainly highly valuable in any trade to other teams besides the Hawks themselves. We'll see the offers this off-season, though I doubt the Hawks go for this, on a "pride" basis if nothing else.

IMO the good news is that something has to give. There are going to be dozens of free agents over the next 2-3 years, and it doesn't take much analysis to see that anyone who wants to be set up to win could go to the team with a 20 year old who's already being talked about as the next top 10 player in NBA history. You don't even have to be a ring chaser to want to play alongside that kind of prodigious talent. The Spurs have picks and tons of cap room to work with, so I have to think along the way we'll see a premiere point/SG put San Antonio at the top of their list and the deal will get done, even if we have to take their expiring and resign them.

[JPB]

For sure, if the team brings a player like Trae, there will be less shot attempts to spread around. Wemby has 16 FGA, Vassel 15, Tre 7.5, Sochan 10 and Champagnie 4.8. Trae has 19 so pretty much the same as Tre, Sochan and Champagnie combined. Granted that Keldon will probably be gone and Trae, Wemby and Vassel will not play all their minutes at the same time but still there is only one ball.

Would Trae come, Vassell would have to learn and mostly become a spot up shooter, in the SL anyway.

[JPB]

I remember when SpursTalk used to make fun of Clutchfans. Oof how those days are over when you get 6 page threads like this.

Spurs are the youngest team in the league, ran a PF at PG for most of the season, lost some depth, and y'all think we should be winning an extra 10-15 meaningless games that still get us absolutely nowhere near the play-in?

Christ this place is sad.

What's the ceiling on a 24 year old team that shoots open 3 pointers at the lowest clip in the NBA? I'd like to know what everyone was expecting this season from a team that can't shoot and isn't old enough to qualify for cheaper car insurance.

Not regressing, to start... And not sucking so badly, when your coach himself in media day says that if last year was on developing the focus this year would be put on winning cos it's important for players confidence and validation of their work. And that is, adding a generational tlanet. Then, not having your coach looking lost at times, trying weird experiments, to the point you wonder if he's still up to the task...

You "wise cats" are on an extremely tiny minority right now. It's not just about spurs fans... Other fan bases, pundints, former and current players are basically seeing and saying the same things as we do...

Absolutely nobody, including yourself, was expecting this atrocious season. Don't come here, patronizing everyone, making your smart ass and pretend now you were...

[TD 21]

Now Wojnarowski just essentially said the same thing as Windhorst.

Johnson, Graham, Craptors 1st, Hawks '25, '27 1sts and '26 swap for Young and Griffin + Reid for Bulls '25 1st . . .

Reid/Sochan/Cissoko
Natural '24 pick (hopefully Risacher)/Champagnie
Wembanyama/Collins/Barlow
Vassell/Griffin/Branham
Young/Jones/Wesley

[DAF86]

defensive rating/offensive rating are in large part team stats. its why you often see teammates clumped together, and why boozer always had an elite defensive rating on Thibs' bulls

im not saying Trae isn't a negative defender, he is. he has similar physical limitations that Tre has. but more than makes up for it imo

Does he though?

I don't man, I don't feel strongly either way, that's why I said I'm constantly flip-flopping on this hypothetical move. If you ask me now, I wouldn't do it. If you wait for the right opportunity, I'm sure you can get a much better player than Trae for what he would cost, tbh.

[spurraider21]

Does he though?

I don't man, I don't feel strongly either way, that's why I said I'm constantly flip-flopping on this hypothetical move. If you ask me now, I wouldn't do it. If you wait for the right opportunity, I'm sure you can get a much better player than Trae for what he would cost, tbh.

offensively, his game is tailor-made for wemby, but notably, vice versa. we talk about how Trae could unlock Wemby, but Wemby could also unlock Trae. for as dynamic as he is offensively, the not so well kept secret about Young is that he's not a great rim finisher. he has gotten around that by having lob threats like john collins and clint capela keeping defenders at bay. now do that with Wemby.

im all aboard the young idea if the price isn't outrageous. if we pull it off and still have

Vassell
all of our own picks, and
the extra picks from TOR/Chicago and the Dallas swap

then its a no brainer imho

[spurraider21]

re: TD21's last comment, Raptors pick is hard to swallow with it looking like a perfect threading of the needle. if the trade for Young doesnt involve Collins anyway, im less excited about Reid

[scott]

IMO the good news is that something has to give. There are going to be dozens of free agents over the next 2-3 years, and it doesn't take much analysis to see that anyone who wants to be set up to win could go to the team with a 20 year old who's already being talked about as the next top 10 player in NBA history. You don't even have to be a ring chaser to want to play alongside that kind of prodigious talent. The Spurs have picks and tons of cap room to work with, so I have to think along the way we'll see a premiere point/SG put San Antonio at the top of their list and the deal will get done, even if we have to take their expiring and resign them.

While I hope you are right, you could have said the same thing at multiple different junctures in Spurs history but it never really panned out. Wemby may just be that different though.

[TD 21]

Mitc vs Young is a false dichotomy imo. If Mitc is already so discontented in Cleveland that he has said he won't re-sign, even though he is playing well and the Cavs are a good team, I don't think he can be trusted not to do the same in San Antonio. If he signs here as a FA then it would be fine because he would be choosing to be here, but trading for him as a rental, even if the Cavs would bite, is extremely risky.

No, it isn't. Mitc prefers to be home in New York, but the Knicks are rightly not overly interested (negative overlap with Brunson) and the Nets don't have a path to championship contention anytime soon.

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers are a structurally flawed team (core comprised of two non shooting C's, two small guards and no 3 and D wings).

The Spurs obviously wouldn't trade for him without knowing beforehand that he'd re-sign.

Does he though?

I don't man, I don't feel strongly either way, that's why I said I'm constantly flip-flopping on this hypothetical move. If you ask me now, I wouldn't do it. If you wait for the right opportunity, I'm sure you can get a much better player than Trae for what he would cost, tbh.

I'd like to say no to Young, but this is a unique situation and he's likely the best they can do anytime soon.

re: TD21's last comment, Raptors pick is hard to swallow with it looking like a perfect threading of the needle. if the trade for Young doesnt involve Collins anyway, im less excited about Reid

Reid is a true and rare combo big and the idea would be to relegate Collins to fourth big, which means spot minutes.

They could work him into a Young trade, but it'd mean taking Capela back, which would render Reid a strict PF.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Now Wojnarowski just essentially said the same thing as Windhorst.

Johnson, Graham, Craptors 1st, Hawks '25, '27 1sts and '26 swap for Young and Griffin + Reid for Bulls '25 1st . . .

Reid/Sochan/Cissoko
Natural '24 pick (hopefully Risacher)/Champagnie
Wembanyama/Collins/Barlow
Vassell/Griffin/Branham
Young/Jones/Wesley

You care to link it or did you just want to present a trade where we give all out capital for very little in return?

[ambchang]

link to windhorst saying wemby would be a great fit for LA?

https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/st...er-paths-spurs

Look at the “realistic” side. How being in san Antonio hurts his marketability and exposure on a national level.

[scott]

https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/st...er-paths-spurs

Look at the “realistic” side. How being in san Antonio hurts his marketability and exposure on a national level.

So you are admitting you just made up the LA part?

[TD 21]

You care to link it or did you just want to present a trade where we give all out capital for very little in return?

Full segment isn't in yet or at least I can't find it: Wemby wants to WIN IT ALL! He's a GEM! - Brian Windhorst | NBA Today - YouTube

You may not like those trades, but you either don't follow the league closely or don't know much about it if you think those are unrealistic or cons ute "very little".

By the way, the Spurs would still have all of their own 1sts, the Hornets, Celtics and Mavericks ones and all the 2nds.

[spurraider21]

Full segment isn't in yet or at least I can't find it: Wemby wants to WIN IT ALL! He's a GEM! - Brian Windhorst | NBA Today - YouTube

You may not like those trades, but you either don't follow the league closely or don't know much about it if you think those are unrealistic or cons ute "very little".

By the way, the Spurs would still have all of their own 1sts, the Hornets, Celtics and Mavericks ones and all the 2nds.

the real test of whether teams actually value these SRPs at all is to see if you can bundle like 8 of them for top 10 protected FRP

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Full segment isn't in yet or at least I can't find it: Wemby wants to WIN IT ALL! He's a GEM! - Brian Windhorst | NBA Today - YouTube

You may not like those trades, but you either don't follow the league closely or don't know much about it if you think those are unrealistic or cons ute "very little".

By the way, the Spurs would still have all of their own 1sts, the Hornets, Celtics and Mavericks ones and all the 2nds.

Your claim as about Woj. You seem like you are just posting. and yeah i got that we keep all the picks that are unlikely to translate to firsts and get rid of all the ones that did.