'Dream Come True': Isaiah Roby Always Saw Himself with Spurs
In an offseason of loss, the San Antonio Spurs might have had one of the most underrated gains by picking up former Oklahoma City Thunder forward Isaiah Roby in July.
The Thunder released Roby on July 3 after he spent the last three seasons with the team. He was selected with the 45th overall pick in 2019 out of Nebraska, but has crafted himself into an NBA player that has proven versatility on both ends of the court.
Last season, he averaged 10.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists on 51.4 percent shooting. At 6-8, 230, he brings the kind of size this Spurs roster needs.
And it seems like for both sides, it's fixing to be a match made in heaven.
"This is a dream come true," Roby said in an interview with 1011Now. "Growing up, when I did in 2003 when I first started really watching basketball, and being able to see those great Spurs teams. Now being part of that organization is just awesome."
Roby's journey to the Spurs was a long one. He was selected by the Detroit Pistons 45th overall before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He never saw the court in Dallas, only managing to play for the team's G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, before again being traded to the Thunder.
His success in Oklahoma City seemed to make him primed for a continued career there, but destiny had other ideas, as Roby admitted that the Spurs were on his personal radar back on draft night in 2019.
“I thought (the Spurs) were a team that might take me in the draft,” Roby said. “It took a little bit longer than draft night four years ago, but I’m happy to be there.”
The Spurs are in a clear rebuild and lack frontcourt depth. While Jakob Poeltl is set to reclaim his role as the starting center next season barring a trade, the addition of Roby gives the Spurs an interesting piece to build around for the foreseeable future.
But even in the midst of a major rebuild, Roby's mindset is filled with positivity as he looks to embrace a championship culture.
"I've heard nothing but great things from people who have been part of the organization, players that have played there. I'm looking forward to getting down there and getting started," he said.
His stats may not reflect it, but Roby is an intelligent playmaker that can make the extra pass or create something out of nothing. And with his size at 6-8, 230, this can be an dangerous trait for opposing defenses to deal with.
Roby also had a career-high six blocks against the Blazers in the fourth-to-last game of the season last year and has shown he can be a disruptor on the inside against the league's best.
But when talking about what made last year such a big step for him, he pointed to his shooting ability.
"Just continued improvement. Last year, my big improvement was shooting. I shot the ball really well last year, played a lot more efficiently. That was the big difference between my second year and my third year just my efficiency."
The stats - and the film - certainly reflect this shooting improvement.
Last season, he went 44-99 (44 percent) from deep. Making 44 percent from that range with just under 100 attempts bodes well for his longterm usage as a shooter, especially considering he has a nice-looking shot that can extend out a few feet behind the line. His ability to get his feet and lower body set pre-catch allows him to get off a quick shot that can beat the closeout easily.
"That helped me get more playing time and helped me find a landing spot in San Antonio. So in San Antonio, looking forward to just keeping on and becoming more of a complete player."
Roby is one of the team's more exciting offseason additions and will get his first chance to show fans what he's all about when the Spurs begin preseason play against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on Sunday, Oct. 2.
The Spurs open up the regular season at home on Wednesday, Oct. 19 against the Charlotte Hornets.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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