The San Antonio Spurs finished last in the Western Conference this year with a 22-60 record, scoring 113 PPG while giving up the most points in the league at 123 PPG. It was not a pretty season by any stretch of the imagination, but there is a little room for hope to get back up into the top teams for one last run. How will it happen though?
The Spurs Good
The Spurs have a 14% chance to land the number 1 pick in the lottery, tied with Detroit and Houston. That pick obviously will turn into Victor Wembenyama. While there is a lot of hope, you cannot bank on it until it happens. Another thing the Spurs have going for them is their head coach, Gregg Popovich. Arguably one of the greatest coaches of all time, Pop can make up for a lot of holes on a roster. If he weren’t the coach of the Spurs, I’m not sure they would have hit 10 wins, so that counts for a lot.
The Spurs Bad
The Spurs don’t have a star. The most well-known name on the team is Zach Collins, which if that is the most well known name on your team, you are doing something wrong. This is not me saying that they don’t have a talented core, they do have a talented core of young guys but that won’t get you very far, even IF you make the playoffs. You need to get a star. Even if you get Wembenyama, you should find a veteran star that can lead this team.
When it comes to turning this roster into a winning roster, you’re going to need to make a couple of moves. You are going to want to target a team that has a star that can drop 25+ on any given night. A guy who is either unhappy with his team or find a team who just has not been able to get it done and needs to make a change. Here are a few reasonable options.
Brandon Ingram
Brandon Ingram was an absolute baller for the Pelicans this season, averaging 25/5/6 this season. While you would be giving up McDermott and Graham, you would be obvious upgrades to the roster. You may have to sweeten the deal with a pick or something but I won’t completely rule this out.
Alex Caruso
While this is also very unlikely, The Spurs could get a hard worker and a decent scorer in Caruso. The Bulls have failed to get it done for a few years now and it may be time for them to retool and try with a few new dudes.
Jrue Holiday
The most unlikely of these options, but if they can pull it off, the best. Jrue Holiday is arguably the best defending point guard in the league and is a capable scorer. With the Bucks getting bounced first round and Firing their coach, there’s a chance they may be willing to move off a guy or two.
As unlikely as these all are, there is the ability to improve somewhere in the league, regardless if they are able to land Wembenyama or not. If they are really desperate for someone that’s already established, they could easily use their top pick to get a superstar, someone will bite.
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