NBA Draft: Spurs Trade Up for Victor Wembanyama Running Mate?
The San Antonio Spurs may have landed a Hall-of-Fame lock in Victor Wembanyama. Still, if the team wants to repeat the success of Tim Duncan's glory days, rather than lose its generational talent a la Cleveland Cavaliers with a young LeBron James, it should get him a partner at point guard.
Reflecting on history, San Antonio drafted Duncan No. 1 overall in 1997, and he would win the team's first three Finals MVP honors. However, the Spurs dynasty wouldn't have been possible without the man who won Finals MVP in 2007, his running mate Tony Parker.
Before becoming an NBA legend, in 2001, Parker was selected with the last pick in the first round after a professional basketball career in France, where in his final season he averaged 14.7 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.7 rebounds.
Despite his non-spectacular pre-NBA career, the Frenchman would become a six-time All-Star, win four championship rings, and finish fifth all-time in playoff assists.
San Antonio has drafted some of the most outstanding big men in history at No. 1, but finding All-Stars outside of the lottery is where the franchise truly shines, so could this draft include Wembanyama's version of Parker?
Though extremely unlikely, the answer is perhaps. This draft class is thin at point guard, with many of them projected to be lottery picks, but one player that seems to be flying under the radar is Indiana Hoosiers freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino.
Measuring around 6-5 and weighing roughly 215 pounds, the 19-year-old prospect flashed potential throughout his lone college season and thrived in the pick and roll, becoming Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earning Second-team All-Big Ten honors.
Following an up and down season in which he averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, Hood-Schifino is projected to be selected late in the first round. Nevertheless, he displayed immense upside, eliciting a comparison from his head coach Mike Woodson, to NBA Hall of Famer Jason Kidd [who Woodson coached in 2012-13].
Although the Spurs currently hold just one first round pick in this draft, thanks to a slew of trades, they possess a combined total of 14 draft picks between 2023 and 2025 half of which are first rounders.
If the team deems Hood-Schifino or any other player for that mater, a talent worth trading up for they have the assets to so.
Now that Wemby is headed to San Antonio, the front office should focus on keeping him there, something that has proven easier said than done amonst organizations that have landed the No. 1 overall pick in recent history.
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