What type of player do you add to Wemby to sniff playoffs?

[coolcono]

I was thinking about what type of player the Spurs could add to Wemby to get closer to playoff contention.
It seems like it would be hard, as he has a vast skillset, a skillset nobody has seen so far. What type of players would complement him?

[eminence]

Nothing too wild in terms of fit, just better versions of the players they've got.

Jones/Vassell/Johnson/Sochan/Wembanyama seems like a perfectly serviceable lineup already. Likely to need a stronger primary ballhandler than what those 1-3 guys could realistically develop into (for contending purposes). I like Sochan quite a bit when he's not being used as a PG.

[JimmyFromNz]

There's a kind of irony to it given the Chet-Wemby debates, but Josh Giddey would help and could do with a change of scenery.

Likewise nothing wild, it probably doesn't push the playoff envelope (let's say play-in), regardless I'd like to see it as a sensible mid-range acquisition.

[giberish]

Mostly just a bunch of decent guys. They give way too many minutes to guys who aren't rotation players on a team that's trying.

[The Master]

They have like the worst NBA roster in terms of 2-15 spots (they're ~20W team with Wembanyama, lol, imagine how atrocious they would've been without him), it's definitely not about one player they can add, but rather patient growth of the whole core.

The problem they have is that Wemby will be next season already MVP-calibre player most probably, so they may rush into sub-optimal decisions rather than being patient, when they should do the latter.

[homecourtloss]

Nothing too wild in terms of fit, just better versions of the players they've got.

Jones/Vassell/Johnson/Sochan/Wembanyama seems like a perfectly serviceable lineup already. Likely to need a stronger primary ballhandler than what those 1-3 guys could realistically develop into (for contending purposes). I like Sochan quite a bit when he's not being used as a PG.

Basically as Wemby gets better and better with each game. Since January 8th, the Spurs are +0.0 with Wemby on court while playing with a G-league type roster. The last 7 games , they’re +3.3 per 100 with Wemby on, -19.3 with him off. It wouldn’t take much, really.

[EmpireFalls]

Draft Rob Dillingham.

[rk2023]

Nothing too wild in terms of fit, just better versions of the players they've got.

Jones/Vassell/Johnson/Sochan/Wembanyama seems like a perfectly serviceable lineup already. Likely to need a stronger primary ballhandler than what those 1-3 guys could realistically develop into (for contending purposes). I like Sochan quite a bit when he's not being used as a PG.

Basically as Wemby gets better and better with each game. Since January 8th, the Spurs are +0.0 with Wemby on court while playing with a G-league type roster. The last 7 games , they’re +3.3 per 100 with Wemby on, -19.3 with him off. It wouldn’t take much, really.

How I see these guys moving forward -

Jones: solid backup point guard. I think the low turnover economy and good athleticism useful to tread water at the POA / find holes in the defense in PnR keeps him playable.

Vassell: One of the most underrated / overhated young players in the league as far as I’m concerned. Of course he doesn’t have a ceiling on Offense close to his draft peers like Edwards, Ball, Haliburton, Maxey, Bane - but I think he could be a really solid 3-O on a good team that is currently miscast. His shot diet is too tough for the caliber player he is, and someone else alongside Victor to take the load off of him could not only help his efficiency but also his defense.

Johnson: Very frustrating player, one of my least favorite archetypes with mediocre defense and playmaking - with streaky scoring being his biggest value proposition. Him and Collins are very clearly the two guys they should dump off.

Sochan: I think he got too much flack for being in a very awkward, experiment driven role as point guard. Even then, I think the “project” part of him being a prospect still sticks out a ton. His 3P% seems to have regressed back, while the biggest way he kills offense is those contested 3-10 foot shots he launches up (shooting like 30% on those, 30% of his shot diet good grief). I think his feel and touch have ways to go for him to be a useful connector at the PF - where his defense doesn’t outweigh such gaps tho. If he buys into a more Gordon-esque role, I could see him starting moving forward on a good team. Judging by his development though, I think he’s best served as a spark guy coming off the bench. He has some really cool indicators on defense. I wouldn’t trade unless it’s in a package where you could clearly get a star.

The Spurs have a long way to go Imo, but a ton of resources to expedite the process. Aside from Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham, none of the fits at point guard in this draft really appeal to me. They might be best served going for 3-D wings and guards (Eg. Johnny Furphy, Tyler Smith, Zacc Rissacher, Reed Sheppard) and double dipping in that archetype with the Raptors pick. Trae Young being a trade candidate also is too good of an opportunity to pass up.

[Cavsfansince84]

After this year it won't take much. He will be a top 20 player next year and probably top 10 the year after that while being a dpoy contender. Its obvious this year that the Spurs wanted another top 4 pick. They surrounded him with the worst supporting cast in the league on purpose. Next year its time for them to stop ****ing around and make an honest attempt at signing some decent players and building a playoff team.

[zero rings]

Trae Young would be a nice fit and can probably be had in the offseason. I’m sure the Hawks would like to have their draft picks back, too.

[AEnigma]

They have like the worst NBA roster in terms of 2-15 spots (they're ~20W team with Wembanyama, lol, imagine how atrocious they would've been without him)

Eh they were a 20-win team last year with generally the same core group other than Wemby in place of Poeltl. They would be bad, yeah, but I think the transformational degree is being pretty overstated unless people sincerely think worse depth alone is dragging them down to a 5-win team or something.

[Johnny Firpo]

Able bodied basketball players will do, if we are talking about the playoffs in 2-3 years. But seriously, you need a playmaker, doesn't have to be an elite passer, a Jamal Murray or Fox quality would do. Then a couple of floor spacers, two perimeter 3&D and a secondary star, if that secondary star is not the Murray or Fox-type. It's not that difficult, although the upcoming draft is a crapshoot, so they might not find that secondary star there.

[The Master]

Eh they were a 20-win team last year with generally the same core group other than Wemby in place of Poeltl. They would be bad, yeah, but I think the transformational degree is being pretty overstated unless people sincerely think worse depth alone is dragging them down to a 5-win team or something.

Well, they were -10 SRS team a year ago and I guess Wemby-less they would've been even worse this season. Whether that gives you 12-70 or 18-64 is always very circumstantial, but they're on pace for 16W with Wemby, while Johnson, Collins actually regressed and Poeltl, Bates-Diop, Richardson were some playable role players that they don't have right now, so yeah, I guess they're -11-12 SRS team without Wemby, and that's alltime bad. And as great Wemby is, this is very concerning, Vassell seems to hit his ceiling (he's good though), Keldon's contract should be moved as long as he may have any value and Sochan is still a raw project. Branham and Wesley are terrible, Tre's upside is back-up PG. Their core is basically Wemby and a 24yo starter (Vassell) right now with some guys that may be something but also may become absolutely nothing.

They have assets (Hawks' picks, Raptors' pick, top5 pick, cap space) to get much better in two-three years, but that's why the biggest scare that I have is that they make rush into some suboptimal decision making.

[One_and_Done]

Just let their young guys get another year under their belts, and add a real point guard (a vet like FVV, if they draft a PG he won't be ready in yr 1).

[trelos6]

They need to pair him with Cooper Flagg.

[Ryoga Hibiki]

Luka would be good

[The-Power]

An on-ball creator that can run the PnR with him and provide a scoring threat on his own while being a willing passer would be a great start and the most important acquisition. Tre Jones and Victor are already a very solid combo (+3.3 net rating) but his severe scoring limitations are problematic at times and overall limiting. Victor eventually needs his Jamal Murray or Tyrese Maxey.

Considering Victor's interior passing flashes, I think he can play next to someone who's not a super reliable shooter but cuts and finishes well with some size à la Aaron Gordon. Perhaps that someone is Sochan but that remains to be seen; he needs to become a better player to start on a playoff team. That someone may also be a Center provided that he's not a complete non-shooter and mobile enough to defend out on the perimeter if needed to keep Victor closer to the basket.

Then fill out the line-up with two shooters who are not reluctant to take 3s and cut while at the same time being aware enough that they are not primary options and should understand how to find Victor when he's in good position. If one of the two also has some on-ball creation chops as a tertiary option – all the better. I think Vassell can be one of the two players with that profile but a second one (with more size but not necessarily the same scoring chops) is needed.

The bench then needs a back-up PG that can keep the offense flowing with and without Victor. Maybe that's Tre Jones. It needs a proper Center who can handle physical match-ups either playing next to Victor or backing him up. Zach Collins will have to turn the corner if he wants to be that player. Right now he isn't. Add another playable combo Forward and a wing shooter and it seems like a good start for a 9 player rotation.

The rest of the roster can be filled with talent to see if anyone else emerges as a potential long-term piece next to Victor, with the exception of maybe 1-2 veterans that can help a young team with their experience and attitude even if they aren't good NBA players anymore.

Victor instead of Jokic on that Nuggets team looks pretty well to me. Maybe replace KCP with someone who can do a bit more on-ball creation (Vassell, for example) to help bridge the creation gap between Victor and Jokic with Victor covering for the loss of defense. Obviously that team would be much worse compared to having Jokic at least for the next couple years but the blueprint could very well work here, too.