Welcome to IAI Sports! And welcome to the 2022-23 NBA Season!
To begin the season, we will be running through each NBA team and analysing what they’ve done throughout the off-season. Each article will start off with an introduction, telling a story of how this team is where they are at today. We quickly delve into the results of the 2021-2022 NBA season, before diving into the off-season in’s and out’s.
From there, we go into depth discussing some of the important rotation pieces for the upcoming season, before finishing with a quick analysis of a team’s win totals and a full conclusion of why this team has completed these moves, what their win total will be, and my own predictions of breakout players and what to expect from this team. It’s a season preview series with the purpose of getting you up-to-date with what has happened throughout the league.
A season preview of each of the 30 teams will be released, leading up to the beginning of the NBA season. All data and information included in these articles have been gathered from Basketball Reference, NBA.com and ESPN.
Today’s team is the San Antonio Spurs – a team in the beginning of a new and exciting rebuild.
Introduction
The San Antonio Spurs are one of the most successful franchises in ABA/NBA history. Their all-time win percentage of 61.1% leads the NBA, with the franchise missing the playoffs four times in 46 seasons in both the ABA and NBA (between 1974 and 2019). In the early days, the likes of George Gervin, Artis Gilmore and David Robinson helped the Spurs be a consistent playoff team, but things changed when the team brought in Gregg Popovich as head coach and selected Tim Duncan 1st overall at the 1997 draft.
This duo, alongside the aging Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard, would all contribute to one of the longest (and most successful) eras of basketball. The team made 22 consecutive playoff appearances, won 5 NBA championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014 and won 70% of their games (wow!). They were the model franchise for so long, and still are today, thanks to the work of Gregg Popovich and the greatness that was Tim Duncan.
Ultimately, this core of Spurs greats all moved on. Duncan gracefully retired as one of the best team players of all-time in 2016, Ginobili followed suit in 2018, while Parker and Leonard moved on to different teams in the 2018 off-season. The Spurs retooled and prepared for this moment, bringing in LaMarcus Aldridge as a free agent during the 2015 off-season and acquiring DeMar DeRozan in the Kawhi Leonard trade. Both Aldridge and DeRozan brought elite mid-range shooting, a unique move for the Spurs in a league transitioning to high volume 3-point shooting.
The Aldridge-DeRozan duo continued the Spurs playoff streak in 2019, but couldn’t get the job done in 2020 – ending the equal-longest NBA playoff stretch ever. A similar season followed in 2021, middling between playoffs and bottom of the Western Conference – which resulted in the Spurs waiving Aldridge at the trade deadline. They ultimately missed the playoffs once again – the first time the Spurs missed playoffs in consecutive seasons in franchise history.
Throughout this period of transition that wasn’t as successful as many expected, the Spurs began to bring in young prospects to slowly develop through the G-League and off the end of the bench. Dejounte Murray (29th pick, 2016 draft), Derrick White (29th pick, 2017 draft), Lonnie Walker IV (18th pick, 2018 draft), Keldon Johnson (29th pick, 2019 draft) and Devin Vassell (11th pick, 2020 draft) all would become key pieces of a young core that was slowly nurtured as the team competed for championships.
Last Season
The Spurs and Popovich began to transition their focus from championship aspirations to playing more of their young core. They decided to let DeMar DeRozan join the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade, while the team took a flyer on young, but oft-injured big man, Zach Collins.
The team started their season slowly, getting to a 4-13 record, before staying around .500 to reach the mid-season point at 15-27, sitting 13th in the Western Conference, despite Dejounte Murray’s break out as an All-Star. He embraced being the lone option, putting up ridiculous number across the stat sheet (21.1 pts, 8.3 reb, 9.2 asts and 2.0 stls per game) and single-handedly got the Spurs over the line.
The franchise saw that their season wouldn’t result in a playoff berth, completing trades prior to the trade deadline. They moved out the likes of Derrick White, Bryn Forbes, Thaddeus Young and Drew Eubanks for young prospects (like Romeo Langford), draft picks and waivable contracts. While other teams in the Western Conference struggled to end the season, the Spurs were able to reach the 10th seed with a record of 34-48, resulting in the team participating in the play-in tournament. However, they were no match for the New Orleans Pelicans, losing by 10 and being knocked out straight away. The Spurs finished the year middle of the pack in terms of offensive (17th) and defensive (16th) efficiency.
Off-Season
Ins:
Jeremy Sochan (9th pick, NBA draft)
Malaki Branham (20th pick, NBA draft)
Blake Wesley (25th pick, NBA draft)
Gorgui Dieng (free agent, originally with Atlanta Hawks)
Isaiah Roby (free agent, originally with Oklahoma City Thunder)
Outs:
Dejounte Murray (trade to Atlanta Hawks)
Jock Landale (moved to Phoenix Suns, via trade to Atlanta Hawks)
Lonnie Walker IV (free agent, moved to LA Lakers)
Devontae Cook (free agent)
The Spurs were big players on draft day, having three 1st round picks and bringing in Jeremy Sochan 9th overall, Malaki Branham 20th overall and Blake Wesley 25th overall. The team took a flyer on waived big man, Isaiah Roby, while also signing veteran Gorgui Dieng. The rest of the off-season involved bringing back Joe Wisekamp and extending Keldon Johnson to a 4 yr/$74m extension.
The biggest news to come out of San Antonio was the trade that dealt Most Improved Player finalist, Dejounte Murray, to the Atlanta Hawks. Jock Landale was also included in that trade, where he ended up at the Phoenix Suns. Lonnie Walker IV was let go to sign with the LA Lakers, while Devontae Cook was left unsigned.
2022-23 Roster
Starting Five
PG – Tre Jones
| H: 6’1″ | W: 185lbs | Age: 22 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$1.8m | Years Pro: 2 |
Career Averages:
4.8 pts, 1.7 reb, 2.6 asts, 0.5 stls, 0.1 blks, 0.6 to, 48.7%/23.2%/80.0%, 13.4 mins
Averages Last Season:
6.0 pts, 2.2 reb, 3.4 asts, 0.6 stls, 0.1 blks, 0.7 to, 49.0%/19.6%/78.0%, 16.6 mins
2022-23 Projections:
5.7 pts, 2.1 reb, 2.8 asts, 0.5 stls, 0.1 blks, 0.6 to, 49.4%/26.7%/79.6%
A former 2nd round pick back in 2019, Tre Jones played significant backup minutes last season. He spent the majority of his rookie season in the G-League or at the end of the bench. Jones displayed at Duke University his potential as a solid, defensive-minded PG, who could play make and work well alongside superstar teammates like Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett. With Dejounte Murray traded during the off-season, Jones will step up and become a starter.
SG – Devin Vassell
| H: 6’5″ | W: 200lbs | Age: 22 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$10.3m (RC) | Years Pro: 2 |
Career Averages:
9.1 pts, 3.6 reb, 1.4 asts, 0.9 stls, 0.4 blks, 0.6 to, 42.1%/35.7%/84.0%, 22.5 mins
Averages Last Season:
12.3 pts, 4.3 reb, 1.9 asts, 1.1 stls, 0.6 blks, 0.8 to, 42.7%/36.1%/83.8%, 27.3 mins
2022-23 Projections
10.9 pts, 4.1 reb, 1.7 asts, 1.0 stls, 0.5 blks, 0.7 to, 43.7%/36.9%/83.9%
Devin Vassell also saw an uptick in minutes last season. Vassell (like his rookie season) began the year coming off the bench, but became a full-time starter once Derrick White left for the Boston Celtics. He’s a handy 3-and-D wing for this Spurs team, who showed solid signs as a perimeter defender, while shooting at league-average from 3-point range. The Spurs hope he can take the next step and become a trusted offensive weapon.
SF - Doug McDermott
| H: 6’7″ | W: 225lbs | Age: 30 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$27.2m | Years Pro: 8 |
Career Averages:
9.2 pts, 2.3 reb, 0.9 asts, 0.2 stls, 0.1 blks, 0.7 to, 47.6%/40.9%/82.0%, 20.9 mins
Averages Last Season:
11.3 pts, 2.3 reb, 1.3 asts, 0.3 stls, 0.1 blks, 0.8 to, 46.2%/42.2%/78.4%, 24.0 mins
2022-23 Projections:
11.2 pts, 2.6 reb, 1.2 asts, 0.2 stls, 0.1 blks, 0.8 to, 48.6%/40.7%/79.7%
Doug McDermott does one thing really well – shoot the basketball. He’s made his living doing just that; providing teams a floor spacing option off the bench. But during his time with the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs, became a starter. He will be a veteran presence for this young roster, while also allowing Vassell and Johnson to create and play make offensively. Just don’t expect McDermott to play defence.
PF - Keldon Johnson
| H: 6’5″ | W: 220lbs | Age: 22 |
| Contract: 5 yr/$77.9m | Years Pro: 5 |
Career Averages:
14.4 pts, 5.8 reb, 1.8 asts, 0.7 stls, 0.2 blks, 1.1 to, 47.8%/38.5%/75.3%, 29.0 mins
Averages Last Season:
17.0 pts, 6.1 reb, 2.1 asts, 0.8 stls, 0.2 blks, 1.2 to, 46.6%/39.8%/75.6%, 31.9 mins
2022-23 Projections:
15.5 pts, 6.0 reb, 2.0 asts, 0.8 stls, 0.3 blks, 1.2 to, 48.0%/39.6%/76.1%
Keldon Johnson broke out last season as someone that could develop into an impactful starter for the Spurs. Already a gifted athlete, Johnson blossomed into a high volume 3-point shooter (39.8% on 5.3 attempts per game), while maintaining his high rebound numbers for his height (6.1 rebounds per game last season). He has the chance this season to make the Spurs his own and turn himself into a borderline future All-Star.
C - Jakob Poeltl
| H: 7’1″ | W: 245lbs | Age: 26 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$9.4m | Years Pro: 6 |
Career Averages:
7.3 pts, 6.1 reb, 1.4 asts, 0.5 stls, 1.3 blks, 1.0 to, 62.8%/67.7%/51.8%, 20.2 mins
Averages Last Season:
13.1 pts, 9.3 reb, 2.8 asts, 0.7 stls, 1.7 blks, 1.6 to, 61.8%/100%/49.5%, 29.0 mins
2022-23 Projections:
10.3 pts, 7.6 reb, 2.2 asts, 0.6 stls, 1.5 blks, 1.3 to, 61.0%/0.0%/51.3%
Jakob Poeltl has spent the majority of his time in San Antonio playing back-up minutes to LaMarcus Aldridge. Since Aldridge left, Poeltl has provided consistent starting minutes for the Spurs, protecting the rim and showing an elite ability to score in the paint on offence. Last season, he became a double-double threat (13.1 pts and 9.3 reb per game) while maintaining his elite rim-protection (1.7 blks per game).
Backups
G - Joshua Primo
| H: 6’6″ | W: 190lbs | Age: 19 |
| Contract: 3 yr/$14.4m (RC) | Years Pro: 1 |
Joshua Primo was drafted higher than expected (12th overall) at the 2021 draft. At 18-years old, Primo came to the Spurs as a raw prospect that could develop an outside shot and be a competent NBA-level defender. He spent his rookie season between the NBA and G-League, where he shot 42.1% from 3-point range and averaged 5.9 assists and 1.6 steals. Primo has the potential – he just needs time to acclimatise to NBA level basketball.
G - Malaki Branham
| H: 6’5″ | W: 180lbs | Age: 19 |
| Contract: 4 yr/$14.2m (RC) | Years Pro: 0 |
Malaki Branham comes to the Spurs after being drafted 20th overall in the 2022 draft. In his one season with Ohio State, Branham showed a skillset matching that of a future 6th man/sharpshooter in the NBA, shooting 50% from the field and 41.6% from 3-point range. If he can match the percentages shown at the collegiate level, Branham will be a key contributor to the Spurs bench and future starting line-up.
G/F - Josh Richardson
| H: 6’5″ | W: 200lbs | Age: 29 |
| Contract: 1 yr/$12.2m | Years Pro: 7 |
At one point in his career, Josh Richardson was a secondary scorer that could provide stability defensively on the perimeter. Nowadays, he’s a role player coming off the bench, struggling to find consistency on a team. Richardson is in San Antonio after being dealt by the Boston Celtics at last season’s trade deadline – he and the team hope that he can rediscover some of his early-career form and be a veteran locker room presence.
F - Jeremy Sochan
| H: 6’9″ | W: 230lbs | Age: 19 |
| Contract: 4 yr/$23.1m (RC) | Years Pro: 0 |
Jeremy Sochan was selected with the 9th pick in the 2022 draft thanks to his build and future versatility. While he needs to grow a lot offensively, Sochan has a 7’0” wingspan that could one day defend every position on the court. Still only 19-years old, he has time and the opportunity with the rebuilding Spurs to one day slot alongside Vassell and Johnson on the wing.
C - Zach Collins
| H: 6’11” | W: 250lbs | Age: 24 |
| Contract: 2 yr/$15.1m | Years Pro: 4 |
Zach Collins showed promising signs early days during his time with the Portland Trail Blazers. While still developing, Collins showed promising signs as a hybrid 4-5 that could score from the mid-range, rebound using his height and frame, and potentially be able to space the floor. However, injuries have ruined his past 3 seasons, and is now in San Antonio where he can make up for lost time – playing backup minutes until he gets more trust in his feet and ankles.
The Rest
11. Romeo Langford (SG)
12. Isaiah Roby (PF/C)
13. Gorgui Dieng (C)
14. Blake Wesley (SG)
15. Joe Wieskamp (SG/SF)
16. Keita Bates-Diop (SF)
T-W. Dominick Barlow (SF/PF)
T-W. Jordan Hall (SG/SF)
Season Projections
Sports betting agencies currently have the Sacramento Kings win totals sitting at 33.5 wins, 11th best in the Western Conference. It’s understandable why the Kings are predicted to miss the play-in tournament – there are so many unknowns with the new formation of the squad, combined with their historically poor record. The NBA needs to see the Kings perform before we can say that they’ll be a definite playoff team.
Conclusion
For almost 25 years, the Spurs have presented a constant threat in the Western Conference – a team that could challenge for a championship at any moment. Now, for the first time in decades (heck, maybe the first time in franchise history), the San Antonio Spurs are rebuilding their roster from the ground up.
The signs were there, especially when the team moved off Derrick White at last season’s trade deadline. It was convenient timing that brought the Spurs up as high as the 10th seed and to the play-in tournament, as the LA Lakers fell apart and Portland Trail Blazers played the equivalent of a G-League squad to finish last season. But there’s a reason why the Spurs are so respected around the league: they know themselves very well, and knew that the play-in tournament roster wasn’t good enough to be a perennial contender for championships.
Getting the haul for Dejounte Murray (four 1st round picks) will help accelerate their rebuild promptly. Murray was excellent on both sides of the ball for the Spurs last season, and helped them get into the play-in tournament. It was a beneficial trade for both Murray and the Spurs – Murray has the opportunity to play for the contending Atlanta Hawks, and the Spurs can now fully reset and begin to develop their players.
The three 1st round picks acquired in this year’s draft are all not expected to contribute to team’s success right away. Jeremy Sochan has the tools to be a great defensive player, but has much room to improve on the offensive side of the ball. And we’re not certain if Malaki Branham’s breakout college season offensively will translate into the NBA. David Wesley, on the other hand, is a raw athlete who is primed to get plenty of minutes in the G-League this season. It’s exciting for the future of Spurs basketball, because we have seen time and time again similar players developed into meaningful rotation players for good NBA teams.
The vertible basketball factory the Spurs have cultivated over decades has allowed the team to begin this rebuild far from rock-bottom. Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson are two pieces that the Spurs will include in their long-term plans. Both are just 22-years old and have played 1-2 seasons of meaningful starting and bench minutes. Vassell has the chance to become a go-to scorer in this league, and already projects to be a solid 3-and-D SG if he doesn’t reach his full potential. While Johnson’s progression as a 3-point shooter expands his repertoire to one day become the #1 option or at least a complementary scorer.
Despite this, all this is hypothetical until we see results. And the fact of the matter is that this super young Spurs team needs time to develop and grow. The opportunities players like Tre Jones, Joshua Primo and Zach Collins will get this season to show their worth and determine if they are worthy pieces to retain. The PG battle between Jones and Primo will be very interesting to watch. Jones should be the starter to begin the year, but the Spurs didn’t reach for Primo at pick #11 to have him come off the bench. If Popovich decides that development is the way, Primo could see some starting reps by the end of the season.
It’s going to be a very up-and-down season for the Spurs. Player development will be the benchmark for how this team is tracking. The experienced, brilliant mind of Gregg Popovich has the opportunity to instil some wisdom into this young roster before his Hall of Fame coaching career comes to an end. I’m predicting the Spurs to get to 21 wins for this upcoming season. Johnson will progress to become a 20+ point scorer this season, while Vassell will see a similar uptick in these points per game totals, now that Murray has departed. Jakob Poeltl will continue to be a solid rim-running presence, where he’ll average 10+ rebounds for the first time in his career, while Branham will show that he’s the most NBA-ready rookie out of the trio, by being a solid scorer off the bench.