Can Draft Be Key To Reloading Spurs’ Bench?

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Others have started to eulogize the Spurs’ Big 3 era and really they started doing it after the stinkers Duncan had in the middle of the Spurs’ conference semifinals series against the Thunder. I’m not here to do that. Duncan and Ginobili both haven’t said what they’re doing next season, which is what they’ve said the last handful of years. Both have player options and proved during the season that they’re both still valuable rotation players. This about how the Spurs can tweak a roster that won 67 games with or without Duncan and Manu back in the fold.

Both Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, who we know is coming back next season, showed flashes of their prime selves this season, but we learned they can’t do it consistently anymore. The good news is both have adapted their games. They’re better 3-point shooters now and headier defenders than they once were. Parker and Ginobili’s ability to wreak havoc on defenses was crucial to the offense even a couple of years ago in the title run. It helped opened up the ball movement, got defenses in bad positions and led to open shots at the rim or open shots anywhere else around the court. Turns out that’s still the case, but neither did it nearly as consistently as they used to. And if there’s one thing we know Patty Mills and Danny Green don’t do very well, it’s get into the lane and create offense for themselves or others.

Decent chance the Spurs figured that out they needed out of their guard rotation before they stopped making jump shots against the Thunder, but that early exit accentuated the point. As ESPN’s Marc Stein reported Friday morning, the Spurs make look to address the backcourt in a big way this summer.

It’s a sound idea in principle, Conley is better than Parker and certainly will want to join a winner. But that means you’re committing at least $35 million a year to two points guards for the next two seasons at least. With the salary cap going up in the next two summers, that will become easier to stomach. The larger question is whether Tony Parker can stomach becoming the team’s sixth man. One would think seeing the smaller roles Ginobili and Duncan have taken would make it easier.

Conley isn’t the only way the Spurs are looking into how they can improve the production of the back court. The NBA Draft Combine took place over the last two days and the Spurs were busy interviewing (mostly) guards that would be ready to jump into the rotation relatively quickly. The first is Kentucky’s Tyler Ulis.

Ulis is probably the best pure point guard in the draft. He’s great at setting up teammates, can score the ball inside and out and is incredibly polished for 20 years old. The problem is he’s 5’10” in shoes. That makes it more likely for him to be a defensive liability. He proved to be a pretty good one in college, but his size makes it easier for him to be overpowered. What he can do offensively makes most people believe Ulis’ offense won’t be an issue. Take a look at the always excellent Mike Schmitz for a break down.

Ulis isn’t the only point guard being looked at. Notre Dame’s Demetrius Jackson also confirmed that he met with the Spurs during the combine interviews. Jackson played off the ball his first two years with the Fighting Irish. This season he moved to point guard and showed promise as a playmaker in Mike Brey’s pick and roll offense. He’s incredibly explosive and despite being just 6’1″ is a top notch finisher at the rim.

Jackson can shoot too. He wasn’t as good last season as his first two years, in part because he was taking more 3’s off the dribble instead of in catch and shoot situations. When he’s locked in he’s an excellent on ball defender. What he’ll need to learn is how to sustain that intensity and not get lost when playing defense off the ball. Most coaches in the NBA, especially Gregg Popovich, will light his ass up and send him to bench is he’s pulling a James Harden when defending off the ball. Still there’s so much potential there, if not as a starting point guard (eventually), then as a third guard.

If the Spurs were to pursue either Ulis or Jackson, they would almost certainly need to move up into the draft. Anywhere from late lottery to 20ish depending on what mock draft you’re looking at. Don’t be surprised to hear Danny Green, Patty Mills, Boris Diaw or Kyle Anderson’s names in a draft night trade if the Spurs decide to move up.

It’s tough to imagine a scenario where Green gets traded and a top 10 pick doesn’t come back their way. Would you trade Danny Green and Patty Mills in order to Sacramento for the eighth pick in the draft and Marco Belinelli? Yes, that is a mean thing to do to both Green and Mills, but Sacramento could very much use some outside shooting and more than anything they needs adults in their locker room. Spurs get a chance to find a gem and get back Belinelli, who it turns out they really missed off the bench this past season. The Spurs bench would’ve benefitted from Belinelli’s sometimes reckless fearlessness when they couldn’t buy a bucket against the Thunder.

The Magic and Jazz are two other teams that could use some veterans as they try to make the next step in the development as a team. It’s tough to imagine the Spurs parting with Green and Mills for the 11th or 12th pick in the draft, but perhaps Green by himself or Mills and Diaw or Anderson. However, much like the Kawhi Leonard-George Hill trade in 2011, the Spurs aren’t trading key rotation pieces unless they know they’re getting exactly who they want.

  • Justin

    Still no talk about the major disappointment of the playoffs?

    Still no mention of the biggest reason the Spurs couldn’t beat a good team? because they’re a mid-range jump shooting team! Because they have no roll big in the pic and roll?

    I thought this site was the best Spurs site, and the first post on here since that stupid Dab Kid story is about the draft? You should just shut this site down if you guys aren’t gonna keep up with it. “We’re working on a new layout,” bullsh1t.

  • Christopher Pitts

    Clearly this site should give Justin a full refund of every dollar he spent here.

    You can keep everything I paid though. I think you’re doing a fine job! You’re up there with PtR in my book, and miles ahead of SpursTalk.

  • Rambler

    I think this draft is an important one for us. We need to get younger and more athletic. The advantages the Thunder had in this department, which they exploited magnificently, will only be exacerbated in future years without some roster changes. We need size and rebounding - and we need some offensive firepower off the bench. San Antonio has always been fantastic at developing prospects properly, but in the last few years most of our draft picks have been kept overseas. Anderson looks like turning into a fine rotation player - proof again of our coaching staff’s amazing ability to work with talent. Let’s make sure we give our staff the chance to develop some more future stars this time around. The team is going to need them.

  • Vinnie Chan

    Absolutely no way Spurs would trade Green when we are paying 10mil a year while many teams would have paid 14mil

  • Vinnie Chan

    I hope we dont trade Green. We have Nicola Miluntinov whom we drafted last year stashed overseas. He was 7″1 220lb and put on like 36 punds this year. If we bring him in he would be cheaper than finding 1 inside the league. Then draft a young coachable PG with good brain and young energetic PF with good movement off the ball we can reignite that ball movement.