SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 20: Head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs calls out a play to his players against the Golden State Warriors in the fist half of an NBA basketball game at Chase Center on March 20, 2022 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 11: Blake Wesley #14 of the San Antonio Spurs walks on the court during a game against the Houston Rockets during the 2022 NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 11, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Gregg Popovich isn’t coaching a playoff contender this year, but the Spurs can still be an interesting watch for these three reasons.
The San Antonio Spurs have a much better chance at winning the NBA Draft Lottery than they do of securing a Western Conference playoff berth this season. That doesn’t mean San Antonio doesn’t feature several fascinating storylines heading into the 2022-23 regular season.
This may not be the ideal roster for Gregg Popovich to preside over during the twilight of his coaching career, but San Antonio’s rebuild already has some promising building blocks. The challenge for Popovich and his staff will be to prioritize individual talent over amassing wins this year.
That might frustrate Popovich and some Spurs fans on a personal level, but it’s the right course of action for the franchise. San Antonio fans can distract themselves by focusing on these three exciting storylines over the coming months.
3. The San Antonio Spurs’ Blake Wesley experiment
Wesley is not going to be ready to efficiently operate an NBA offense as a rookie. He threw the ball all around the gym in Summer League and was only marginally better during the preseason. It may be a while until Spurs fans see him playing in anything other than garbage time of a regular season contest.
Then again, San Antonio is a good bet to start taking for Victor Wembanyama pretty soon after Opening Night. Giving Wesley a lot of reps with the ball in his hands will be a terrific way to lose games without making too many other changes.
The good news for Spurs fans is that Wesley does have the potential to be a long-term building block. He’s got an explosive first step that can’t be taught. If given the proper tutelage he could emerge from a painful rookie season as a player who is ready to be a good rotation option in year two.
