'Fearless': Blake Wesley Confident Spurs Catalyst in Summer League
Blake Wesley has taken things into his own hands during his first NBA action in the Summer League with the San Antonio Spurs, even if he's been knocked down time and again during three disappointing losses for the team in Vegas.
Quite literally, the 19-year-old rookie has felt firsthand what it's like to get beaten and battered at the rim, as his thin 181-pound frame has tumbled to the floor numerous times against some of the best young talent in Vegas.
Not even two minutes into the Spurs' 99-90 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday, the Notre Dame product got blocked as he went driving toward the cup. And in the second quarter, two more of his shots were blocked by Cleveland's Luke Travers.
The constant bludgeoning at the rim didn't deter him from tying the game-high of 20 points. But Sunday's game against the Golden State Warriors saw more of the same trials and tribulations, as Wesley's night began with a blocked shot off the hand of budding Warriors center James Wiseman and ended with a turnover in traffic as he made a desperate attempt at a game-winner that never came. The Spurs had blown a 17-point lead in the 86-85 loss.
In between it all, Wesley had still managed to finish with a 22-point outing that saw him nearly steal away the game with two huge 3-pointers in the final two minutes.
Through two games of evaluation, Spurs general manager Brian Wright made a stop by the ESPN broadcast table during San Antonio's Monday night matchup with the Houston Rockets. He talked about what he's seen from Wesley, the third first-rounder he selected in this year's draft, and what he's able to bring to a young Spurs team.
Following the in-game interview, Wesley was rejected on a vicious block by Houston's Josh Christopher that was one of the highlights of the night. Once again, the rookie found himself on the hardwood. But it's this fearless approach that made him an intriguing pick for Wright and the Spurs when they had a chance to grab him late in the first round at No. 25.
"I think it's a lot of the same that we saw when we evaluated him throughout the college season,” Wright said. “He's got amazing speed, the ability to get downhill, really good in transition, and he's just fearless on both ends of the floor. He's competitive, he gets into you, you feel him, and he really can change the complexion of the game with his speed and just the way he pushes the pace and pushes the ball."
Through three games, Wesley has averaged 18.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, three assists, 1.3 steals, and three turnovers while shooting just 30.4 percent from the field. There’s more to be desired efficiency wise, but that’s to be expected from a raw first-rounder in Summer League.
But the competitiveness Wright touched on was clearly visible despite the three losses. Whether it was relentless drives to the rim, straight-line sprints past defenders in transition, or the emotion he showed in the final minutes of Sunday’s loss vs the Warriors, Wesley hasn’t show that initial timidness commonly seen in most rookies.
As expected, Wright said Wesley will be spending some time with the Austin Spurs in the G League, but his ability to contribute as a shooter off-ball gives him the chance to contribute on both ends of I-35 next season.
“I think he'll have the opportunity to prove a lot and learn a lot,” Wright said. “He has the ability to play on and off the ball so I think he'll have those opportunities in both places. But for all these guys, it's just learning, development, progress ... we've seen growth from the start of his freshman season till now and even from the draft process ... we just look forward to playing a part of that process and watch him continue to grow."
San Antonio’s top selection at No. 9, Jeremy Sochan, still hasn’t gotten the chance to shine as he continues to sit in Vegas after recovering from COVID. Malaki Branham played well on Monday after getting off to a quiet start in the first two games.
This has left Wesley as the trendy topic of conversation for a Spurs team that hasn’t had a lot to cheer about over the last month.
With no way to go but up, Wright recognizes the opportunity the franchise has in front of it. And seemingly at the forefront is Wesley, who could be fixing to jumpstart the youth movement in San Antonio.
"A lot of youth, but a lot of opportunity for growth with all these guys. I think we started four 19-year-olds on the Summer League roster and they all have tremendous upside. We have a roster that's very versatile, that's what we're looking to build with size and versatility, knowing how to play, and basketball IQ. We got a lot of different ways to build with cap flexibility and obviously the draft picks that we've acquired over the last year, so there's a lot of excitement around watching this group grow together over the next few years."
Looking to pick up their first win in Vegas, the Spurs will face the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday at 3 p.m. C.T. at Cox Pavilion.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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