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"I like everything about him"- The San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich praises the former Milwaukee Buck Sandro Mamukelashvili

This former Milwaukee Buck may have found a home in the San Antonio Spurs.
Matthew Dugandzic|
"I like everything about him"- The San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich praises the former Milwaukee Buck Sandro Mamukelashvili
"I like everything about him"- The San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich praises the former Milwaukee Buck Sandro Mamukelashvili

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Milwaukee BucksSan Antonio Spurs

Someone's loss, someone's gain. That was the case when the Milwaukee Bucks waived Sandro Mamukelashvili, and he ended up joining the San Antonio Spurs.

Impressing the new boss

Mamukelashvili is turning out to be a good pick-up for the Spurs, with legendary head coach Greg Popovich liking what he sees with the 6-foot-10 Georgian big man.

"He moves without the ball. He shoots it pretty well. He can pass. He's got good speed. I like everything about him," Popovich said of Mamukelashvili before the Spurs lost badly to the Bucks, 130-94, on Wednesday night.

Mamukelashvili received a warm reception when he returned to the Fiserv Forum for the first time since the Bucks waived him last March 1st.

The Bucks' 54th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft was on a two-way contract during his tenure with the Bucks. He played 65 games with the Bucks for two seasons, averaging 3.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in just 9.6 minutes per game.

Getting the chance to play

The two-way forward is getting minutes with the Spurs, averaging 21.9 minutes in the ten games he has played with the Spurs so far.

Mamukelashvili is reciprocating the trust being given to him by his new team by submitting 9.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.1 blocks a game.

In his first meeting with his former teammates, Mamukelashvili played for 28 minutes and finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and a block.

From the looks of it, Mamukelashvili may have found a home in San Antonio.

"He's European, which makes me love him right off the bat because I think those guys are unbelievably well-coached and overall understand the game better than most of us here," Popovich said.

Published
Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.