The following is the operation of the San Antonio Spurs this year's draft:
The 9th pick in the first round was Jeremy Sohan
The 20th pick in the first round was Maracai Branham
The 25th pick in the first round was Black Wesley
The 38th pick in the first round was signed and traded to the Grizzlies in exchange for the 2024 second round of pick
1. Is the big operation really valuable?
1.Jeremy Sohan
First of all, let’s talk about Spurs , who selected the ninth pick in the first round in the 2022 draft. As we all know, the Spurs lack a qualified fourth position. It is common to see that 6-foot-6-inch Kelden Johnson is carrying up to the fourth position, and whether it is protecting the basket or protecting the rebound, he is not surprised that he chose a double-choice forward in the ninth pick and playing defense.
In college, Jeremy Sohan had a passing vision and excellent defensive ability. When holding the ball at the top of the arc, you can notice your teammates’ free time, and you can run out of free time to complete C&S or slam dunk when you are out of the ball. The excellent sense of space makes his running position extremely threatening without the ball. In addition, the offensive methods are not monotonous. When receiving the ball at the top of the arc, you can judge the opponent's dynamic direction and make different offensive choices. The cutting-in depends on your own confrontation and explosive power, or the three-pointer bomb, and the middle distance can interpret the opponent's time difference in defense use. The biggest disadvantage is that the shooting degree and the high center of gravity of the ball, the three-point shooting rate is less than 30% and the free throw shooting rate is less than 60%. It will be more difficult to grasp after the three-point line distance is extended in the future, and shooting stability is required.
Defensive end is definitely Jeremy Sohan's biggest selling point. His defensive efficiency was 89.8 in college, fourth in the BIG12 league. He moved sideways quickly and could switch defenses without differences. The defensive position in the penalty area was accurately matched with an amazing 7-foot arm span, which allowed him to jump vertically and raise his hands high to avoid fouls and successfully interfere with his opponent. He also showed amazing rebounding ability in college, with a defensive rebounding rate of 20.5% in the league, and could effectively fill the Spurs' rebounding gap.
Based on the above views, Jeremy Sohan is very suitable for the Spurs, and I hope he can become the answer to the team's starting fourth position.
2.Marakay Blanham
This breakup from Ohio State fell to the 20th pick before being picked up by the Spurs, which fell below everyone's glasses. First of all, in terms of physical conditions, Maracai Blanham has a 6-foot-5 height and a 6-foot-10 arm span but only 180 pounds. Confrontation should be a major issue for him to enter NBA. Especially in college, he rarely takes action after collisions. He relies more on his personal ability and hand length characteristics to get rid of defenders. It is impossible for him to come and go freely when entering the NBA.
Marakay Blanham's offensive end is his biggest selling point. His soft shooting feel and a pair of long arms make it difficult for the opponent to block. The mid-range pull up hit rate is very high, and the 42% three-point shooting rate and excellent ball-free ability. His peripheral firepower is very terrible. He will not have only the basket in his eyes during fast attacks, and he will pay attention to the opponent's return to defense. Maracai Branham does not have Jeremy Sohan's center of gravity problem. He can use his arm span and lower center of gravity when playing in low singles, so that he can perform better in low pose. Although this is the case, it can be found that Maracai Branham has an obvious disadvantage in offensive end. He is not used with his hands and ends around the right side of the basket after cutting or breaking through on his own. It is an extremely obvious cover. It is easy to be targeted after entering the profession, which will greatly reduce its influence.
Compared to the offensive end, defense is definitely something that Maracai Blanham must strengthen as soon as possible. Although he has an impressive 6-foot-10 arm span, he has not converted it into defensive performance. If the horizontal movement is slower, there will be a situation where people will be missed, which will be a major disadvantage under Popovich , which attaches importance to defensive discipline.
Comprehensive the above, Maracai Blanham, who turned 19 last month, even though he is skilled in jump shot skills and has the independent offensive ability that seniors lack, compared to Jeremy Sohan, the team will definitely have less room tolerate him. If he can improve his defense and show his shooting confidence in limited playing time, he will have the possibility of continuing to be cultivated.
3.Blake Wesley
and Maracai Blanham are both swingers. He is the third player to be selected into the team with the 25th pick. He is not very good at both offense and defense, but he has extraordinary courage and motivation. When he was a student, Black Wesley used his first explosive power to the fullest. He used a big step to tear the defense line to break through. He relied heavily on the power step to make a breakthrough after passing. If he encountered assisting defense, he would make a mid-range emergency stop and jump shot, but the finish felt fine enough near the basket. He shot fast on the outside but his movements were unstable. He could run out of C&S without a three-point shooting percentage. If you hope to gain a foothold in the NBA, you must first gain weight. At present, he is 170 pounds lacks confrontation, so gaining weight must be the top priority. Furthermore, it is to overcome the problem of over-reliance on the explosive power of the first shot. Such a strong first shot is not uncommon in the NBA. Skill-equipped breakthroughs like speed change are needed, and finally to strengthen the stability of the three-pointers. In short, Black Wesley still needs to be considered on the offensive end and cannot be rushed.
Compared with the awkwardness of offense, Black Wesley has a 6-foot-11 arm span and agile footsteps, which can predict the opponent's pass attempt. When playing against North Carolina and Kentucky, he has repeatedly learned about the opponent's passing timing and made good use of the arm span and stealing and then scored fast breaks. In addition, his strong defensive attitude is undoubtedly a material for a big defensive lock.
Comprehensive the above, Black Wesley is not an NBA ready player. He has a high chance of staying in the Austin Spurs for the whole season, honing offensive skills and increasing experience, but from a long-term perspective and in the draft New Year, he is indeed a reasonable investment.
4. The 38th overall trading case of the Spurs and Grizzlies
Spurs gave out: the 38th overall draw (the Grizzlies then chose Kenny Chandler)
Grizzlies gave out: the 2024 second round draw
Spurs have selected three players in the first round. In the case of the draft, there is no need to accumulate talents. The potential for this ranking must be low, so it is wise to choose to trade to the Grizzlies for future assets.
2. Draft summary
The Blackshirts in the reconstruction included three young players with long wingspans in the draft. They hoped that Jeremy Sohan would become the No. 4 answer, while the other two swingers still need to be tempered. Overall, it is a higher risk draft. Considering that the overall rookie quality is mediocre, if one of Maracai Blanham or Black Wesley is successfully trained, this draft will be considered passing.
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