TheBallsDeeper wrote:*Disclaimer* Philly fan in Australia, I watch all teams - I've watched a lot of Spurs because of Mills and Baynes.
Just looking at the Spurs this season. Do they have one player on their roster that you could see being part of a championship team? It's worse than the Philly tanking years without the draft picks
I don't think I've seen a team in a worse position. They have a couple of extra draft picks 2 years from now, but unless they hit the jackpot in the lottery about 3 years in a row I think that are not making the playoffs for the next decade.
Can Spurs fans see anyone that could be a part of a decent team?
Well there's a few things to unpack here. First, we're in a great position - tons of cap space, flexible contracts, lots of high picks in the cupboard. So for the sake of accuracy it's not 'a couple of extra draft picks' but more like a dozen or so in the next few years, plus at least as many 2nd rounders.
The 1sts include our own top tier pick this draft, plus unprotected picks in the Murray trade, plus only a top-6 protected 1st in the Jakob trade.
Here are the details:
https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/draft/future_drafts/teamNext, it's important to remember that this is the FIRST year of a rebuild where the focus has been development as priority #1 rather than spinning wheels at around the playin. We've tried that for a couple of years and pivoted to the rebuild.
To that end, what's a more accurate study is looking into how players have grown. If you look at month to month numbers for Sochan and Branham, in particular, their improvement stands out really well. Blake was stifled by an injury so he's not had as many reps.
Devin went from 5.5 to 12.3 to 18.5PPG in his first three seasons with good D and improved handles, passing, and 3-level scoring. He's just 22.
Keldon went from 9.1 to 12.8 to 17 to 22PPG in his first four seasons so far. His efficiency is lower as he's in a role that's too big for him but the trials of being the main guy defenses focus on can only help him. His finishing at the rim with body control, footwork, and use of glass are better. Even goes left sometimes. His D is bad but for the occasional block or strip or contest. Has to improve. He's just 23.
Tre is our best pure PG in terms of unselfish distribution and being a steadying cog but long term he's best suited as a high end back-up. And that's fine. He's had a career season, too, as have just about all our players.
The point in development is also evaluation in who we go forward with. We have some UFAs and RFAs who are playing for their next contract be it with us or another team. We have some vets that will not be here by the time we reach the goal of contender status.
So given it's only the first year, the comparison to a contender isn't yet the right one to make. The guys we keep - let's say Sochan, Devin, Malaki, Keldon, Tre - are either in the early stages of their development and we don't yet know what they could be, or they will have different roles on a contender, ie/ Keldon will not be a #1 option.
We have the time and the foundations in terms of culture and coaching as well as picks, contracts, and cap space to be putting it all together while infusing the team with much needed talent to the guys we have.
This is about as comprehensive an approach to a rebuild as a team can hope for.
Oh WOW!!! 
