The Spurs’ draft day decisions are looking great after Summer League

Stephon Castle look good in limited time, Rob Dillingham wasn’t an insta star and Harrison Ingram played like someone who could eventually make it in the NBA.

Has Summer League changed your opinion of Stephon Castle and Harrison Ingram in any way?

Marilyn Dubinski: I’m admittedly not much into college basketball, so the only opinions I had of them before were what I had read. For Castle, there was the occasional “Brian Wright sure loves tall guards who can’t shoot”, but for the most part I liked the pick because of all the praise I had read about it. Although the sample size was small, Summer League confirmed it. His calm demeanor and level of control remind me of Tim Duncan (not to put that level of expectation on him), his defensive skills and effort are exactly what the Spurs need, and while inconsistent, his shooting stroke is smooth and just needs some tweaks. We could look back one day and say the Spurs got the best player in this (admittedly weak) draft. As for Ingram, he looks like a solid player with 3&D potential and should be signed to a two-way contract.

Mark Barrington: I really didn’t know much about Ingram before the Spurs drafted him, and he seems to be as advertised. He had a slow start in the California Classic, but by the time he got to Vegas, he showed himself to be a good contributor at the Summer League level. That’s still a long way from being an NBA player, but he did enough to earn a 2-way spot and become a development player for the team.

Stephon Castle is a stud, and he showed that in his limited playing time in Summer League. He’s a good defender and his court awareness and handle are excellent. His shot is inconsistent, but he’s not afraid to take it when he’s open. That’s his biggest weakness, and playing aggressively is the right way to work it out. He’s probably going to miss a lot of shots this year, but he’s got time to do that. I’m looking forward to a big leap in his second year, but this year, he can still get a lot of court time and work with Chris Paul to get better.

Jesus Gomez: I was a huge fan of Castle during the predraft process, mostly because of his defense, and defense is not what typically gets the spotlight in Summer League. So I was pleasantly surprised to see his offensive game look more developed than I expected. He needs a lot of work before he can be a primary ball handler in the NBA but the tools are there, including the shot. As for Ingram, I wasn’t familiar with his game but he seemed comfortable in his 3-and-D projected role in Vegas and was a little better than I expected at putting the ball on the floor and attacking closeouts. Overall, I was impressed.

Bill Huan: I was quite iffy about Castle’s fit when the Spurs drafted him, and I’ve definitely become higher on him after Summer League. Yes, the shot’s still concerning, but he showed real playmaking flashes that I wasn’t sure he had. I can now see Castle being a full-time point guard, but a lower-usage one in the mold of a Jrue Holiday or Derrick White – two guys whom he is often compared to. With that said, I still think he might be best utilized as an off-guard with secondary playmaking duties, although that also depends on how much his shot improves.

Transitioning to Ingram, I can confidently say that I watched 0 minutes of him prior to Summer League, so I’ll just vigorously nod and agree with everything that my esteemed fellow writers have said about him.

Rob Dillingham will always be tied to the Spurs after the draft day trade. It’s early, but do you think the franchise will regret passing on him?

Dubinski: I don’t think so. While Spurs have managed to make it look unusually hard to find shooters in recently years, they do exist out there beyond Dillingham, and his ceiling is limited by his small stature and lack of defensive upside. If the Spurs wanted to keep the 8th pick, there were better options available, and he probably wouldn’t have been who they chose. In the same way that Kawhi Leonard was officially drafted by the Pacers but can be seen as the Spurs’ pick because it was at their behest, Dillingham is Minnesota’s pick.

Barrington: I think Dillingham is going to be a very good scorer and a minus defender. His slight frame is always going to be a liability in a league filled with athletic freaks like the NBA, but shooting at an elite level is something that every team needs. I feel pretty confident he’s going to be a good player, but not the kind of player that the Spurs look for to build their team. I look forward to watching him play, but I don’t regret the fact that it won’t be in a Silver and Black uniform, and I think that Brian Wright feels the same way.

Gomez: I can see Dillingham having a good rookie season, causing some fans to freak out, but unless he becomes a star right off the bat, I doubt anyone should be too concerned about the Spurs passing on him, especially since he likely wasn’t their choice for the pick. There’s always a risk of looking foolish in the short term when making future-oriented moves but for now, trading the pick still looks like an easily justifiable decision.

Huan: If there’s a bus called the Dillingham Skeptics, I would quit my job right now and apply to be the driver. I’m not just saying that because the Spurs traded him, either: I let out an audible groan when he was drafted and screamed with joy when the deal happened. It was like watching the 2013 and 2014 finals all over again, except on a much smaller scale with the entire experience ending after a minute.

Folks, if you were concerned about Trae’s potential fit due to his size, just remember that Dillingham is roughly 15 pounds lighter than the former, although he is an inch taller. Dillingham also isn’t close to what Trae was coming out of college, so even if he scores at a high level, he’ll also give up more points on his own end.

I’m sure he’s a great kid and all, but I just have a hard time believing that someone who’s the same size as me can be a positive contributor in the NBA. Maybe that says more about myself than anything, but hey, it is what it is.

Are you surprised that Dominick Barlow and Cedi Osman haven’t been signed yet?

Dubinski: I can see how Barlow is not necessarily on anyone else’s radar (to outsiders, he’s an undersized center without much shooting range and unimpressive numbers), but Osman surprises me a bit. He’s a consummate professional who can shoot, would be a positive presence in any locker room, and likely wouldn’t cost more than the exception, but there’s just something about this free agency period that has been odd. I can’t pretend to be a CBA master or understander of this apron stuff, but it clearly has teams terrified to commit to anyone long-term and has vastly slowed down free agency. In fact, it kind of feels like the “middle class” of the NBA is getting smaller, and we’re heading towards a place where everyone will either be on max extensions or one-year contracts.

Barrington: Not at all surprised. Osman isn’t coming back, and most likely Barlow isn’t either. Cedi is a lot of fun, and he’s probably better now than some of the young players that the Spurs are currently developing. But he’s not part of their future plans, so he’s going to end up playing somewhere else this season.

Barlow is a fan favorite, and the Spurs do need improved depth at the center and power forward positions. The Spurs could just go light on bigs this season, and let Barlow try to find a spot on another team. As an undersized player with limited upside, the Spurs might just be ready to move on from him now, or he could be interested in finding a team that could give him more playing time. Feels like a mutually beneficial decision.

Gomez: I think it’s easy for fans who are invested in the development of players on their team to overrate them a little, and I believe that’s what happened with Barlow. Personally, I thought someone would have taken a chance on him by now, but he does have some significant weaknesses and is stuck between positions. He belongs on an NBA roster but it might take time before he gets an offer and Europe could come calling. Osman not being signed is more of a surprise. He can shoot, has size and doesn’t complain about his role, so a contender could probably use him. It’s possible he doesn’t want to sign for the minimum and ends up in Europe but he still seems to have some gas in the tank as an NBA player.

Huan: Barlow remaining unsigned does surprise me a bit given that the Spurs lack bigs on their current roster. I have no clue what the rationale is, but he can be a pleasant surprise for another team if San Antonio lets him go.

On the other hand, Cedi not being signed isn’t too surprising. Sure, he’s a good locker room presence, but it seemed like things were heading toward an amicable divorce, and that’s playing out right now.