NBA Summer League Primer: What to Watch from Key Spurs Players
LAS VEGAS — The San Antonio Spurs are set to begin their participation in the NBA Summer League on Friday in a matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The team will be without the No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Jeremy Sochan, as he works on his conditioning after testing positive for COVID-19.
There is still no shortage of recently drafted prospects to keep a close eye on for the Spurs. They had two additional selections in the first round aside from Sochan: Malaki Branham (No. 20) and Blake Wesley (No. 25). Such status automatically will draw attention to their performance.
Another notable name to pay close attention to is Joshua Primo, who was selected in the lottery during the 2021 NBA Draft. Given the value attributed to being a lottery pick and being a more experienced prospect, arguably Primo will be the Spurs player to watch the closest.
Here is one thing to watch from each of the Spurs' key participants in this year's NBA Summer League:
Joshua Primo
Area to Watch: Impact as 'Head of the Snake'
The expectations are naturally going to be high for lottery picks with Joshua Primo being no exception. With Sochan ruled out, he will be the only player with such status participating for the Spurs in NBA Summer League.
During his rookie campaign, Primo struggled to consistently produce positive results in any particular area offensively. Whether he was attacking off the catch as a floor spacer, running a ball screen, or being deployed in a handoff, the results were inefficient. He needs to establish strengths and consistency.
The Spurs have a massive void to fill at the point guard spot after trading Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks. San Antonio has not made an external roster move to address — affording a significant opportunity for internal personnel to step up.
As the 'veteran' of the Spurs' core in this year's NBA Summer League, Primo surely will be tasked with being an initiator often. He produced just 0.796 points per possession (38th percentile) running pick-and-roll and 0.774 points per possession (29th percentile) in handoffs in 2021-22. He only logged 10 isolation plays, too.
The NBA Summer League will be the final opportunity for Primo to leave an impression of the strides he's made in his development before training camp.
Blake Wesley
Area to Watch: Offensive Execution Within Half-Court
Many are intrigued by the physical tools that Blake Wesley has for a guard. He's 6-foot-4 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan and has explosiveness that leaves scouts' jaws dropped to the floor. However, his skill-set is considered raw, and given he's just 19 years old, that's to be expected.
Wesley knocked down open catch-and-shoot looks at a high clip — producing 1.125 points per possession last season. Aside from that, there was a lot of inefficiency within the half-court. He will
With NBA spacing, he should be able to utilize his explosiveness and be more challenging for the defense to contain. It'll be needed when considering his output of just 0.857 points per possession on finishes (half-court) ranked 396th out of 398 NCAA Division I players with at least 100 attempts.
In terms of shot creation, Wesley showed some flashes within the half-court, but again, establishing greater consistency will be important. He was solid getting to pull-up jumpers inside the 3-point line out of ball screens, but can he display NBA 3-point range? Can he counter aggressive closeouts? Can he consistently win isolation plays?
If the Spurs leave the NBA Summer League pleasantly surprised about where Wesley is at in his development, it could change some things for 2022-23.
Malaki Branham
Area to Watch: How Dynamic Does He Look Offensively?
There is a lot to like about the overall skill-set that Malaki Branham offers. He checks all of the boxes as a 3-and-D option on the wing, but what makes him rare in such a role is his proficiency as a short-range shot creator. He can shoot over the top with his 6-foot-10 wingspan and general craftiness.
Branham was a highly efficient player for Ohio State last season. His overall output on scoring possessions was 1.029 (87th percentile) and he made a major impact orchestrating pick-and-rolls and attacking off the catch.
If there is any knock on Branham as a prospect entering the NBA Draft, it is related to what his ceiling will be at the next level. Most teams want to take the best player available and attribute the perceived potential as a key factor in that evaluation. He wasn't much of a perimeter shot creator or isolation scorer.
It'll be intriguing to see the types of half-court actions the Spurs deploy Branham. He wasn't particularly efficient in handoffs or when using off-ball screens last season. If he can display a higher degree of execution in these areas, his overall value as an offensive player becomes greater.
You can follow Grant Afseth on Twitter at @GrantAfseth.
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