The Spurs with the most to prove after the All-Star break
Zach Collins and Malaki Branham are the obvious answers, but who else needs to prove their worth before the offseason?
What would you like to see from Zach Collins that would make you optimistic about him going into next year?
Marilyn Dubinski: I feel for him because he’s had a rough shooting year while probably having to go through the most adjustments on the team due to the acquisition of Victor Wembanyama. What has been bothering me is not so much him taking (and badly missing) all these top-of-the-arc threes, but it seems to be by design that he’s receiving the ball there even though defenses are sagging off him and taking away his passing lanes. At the same time, he has a solid jump hook and is one of the Spurs better finishers around the rim, so I would like to see more plays designed for him down there, and then start working back out towards the three as his confidence returns. He has been a bit of a victim of circumstance this season, so I won’t completely write him off unless the same problems persist into next season (assuming he’s still around).
Mark Barrington: That’s a tough question, because he’s had a terrible year so far. The thing I’d look for the most is for him to find his shooting touch again. He’s not a great defensive big, but if he can hit open shots, he can be useful as a backup center and occasionally as a stretch four playing with Wembanyama. Unless he can get some confidence back in his offense, I’m not sure he has much of a role in the rotation next year.
Bruno Passos: It’s been quite the fall this year for Zach, which is a shame. It doesn’t feel that long ago that he got the definitive Gregg Popovich vote of confidence as a starter! At his best last season, he was a viable threat from deep who helped make things happen on dribble hand-offs and passes to cutters, as well as a post game that could get you a bucket in a pinch. I think his outlook as a starter alongside Wemby is past him given how much better the Spurs look with Vic at the 5, so now it’s all about demonstrating some of those strengths with the second unit and building back some equity. Dominick Barlow definitely seems ready for a crack at that gig, too.
Jesus Gomez: If he could suddenly shoot 40 percent from three that would be great, but the entire season has proved that he’s not a high-usage pick and pop big, at least from three-point range. It’s more about how he’s used. I’d be optimistic if he could be effective on defense for 15 minutes a game while taking shots closer to the basket and facilitating from the low block. The defense part is tricky because he’s injured and has never been a good rim protector, but offensively Collins should be able to feast inside against second units. If he can do that, he’ll earn his contract.
What would you like to see from Malaki Branham that would make you optimistic about him going into next year?
Dubinski: Effort on both ends, which has improved after his recent benching before a rotation spot opened back up following the Doug McDermott trade. It’s kind of crazy how quickly the roles have reversed between Branham and Blake Wesley, who both feel like if you could combine them into one player — with Branham’s shooting touch and Wesley’s energy and effort — you’d have the perfect player. Right now, Pop is leaning towards Wesley’s strengths, so Branham has to catch up on that side and prove he can bring more to the table.
Barrington: I’m just gonna say that I’m not worried about Branham. I think he’s on target for becoming the backup bench scorer when Devin Vassell has to sit. I think he just needs to keep doing what he’s currently doing, and just keep shooting.
Passos: I have been a Branham believer and was pretty optimistic about him going into this season, but I have a few alarm bells going off beyond the lack of rhythm on offense and the 42/31 splits from the field and 3-point line. He’s currently bottom 3 on the team in per-36 rebounds, blocks and steals. He is the only player with negative win shares (-0.5), and is among the worst in the league in defensive EPM. His free throw rate has dropped from .115 to .077 this season (he’s averaging 0.6 attempts per game). My answer to the question is still Get More Buckets, but that’s mostly because I’m increasingly concerned about how he closes the gap with the rest of the game.
Gomez: Branham is probably going to be a significant minus on defense for a while, so his improvement has to come on offense and through effort. The latter is going to be the biggest factor. Malaki was a little too selfish on offense and took plays off on defense before Pop benched him. He’s been better since then, but there are still lapses when he just floats around when he doesn’t have the ball and dies on screens. More assertiveness and focus would go a long way, because he clearly has talent.
Who else do you think has something to prove before the offseason?
Dubinski: A few weeks ago I would have said Wesley for sure, and although he is in the process of proving himself now, it would still be nice to see more scoring consistency from him. Beyond him, Collins and Branham, I’m sure Dominick Barlow would love the chance to prove (or more like solidify) that he’s NBA-ready, and Julian Champagnie currently sits in the interesting position of being a starter as a 3-and-D glue guy but whose position is the least safe going forward since the Spurs could easily upgrade their wing talent this offseason. Also, while Tre Jones doesn’t have much to prove in terms of being a very solid point guard, the Spurs will likely be looking to upgrade that position this summer, so he’ll have a lot to prove if he wants to convince them he’s the guy to start going forward.
Barrington: There are a lot of players that need to improve in the long term, but most of them aren’t going to show much before next season. I’m going to give Sidy Cissoko a pass, because he’s just where he needs to be, getting lots of minutes in the G League. I would love him to take a big role late in the season in San Antonio after the G League season concludes, but I’m not going to worry too much if he’s still too raw to have much of an impact this season. His time is coming, but probably not without some more seasoning. I think Dom Barlow is a little further along in his development, and it’d be great if he could earn a roster spot by balling out for the rest of the regular season. I’m hoping he signs a regular contract as soon as Morris accepts a buyout.
I think what I really would like to see is whether Blake Wesley can improve his passing and offense enough to become a credible offensive threat running the point. He’s already a terrific defender, and if he can become a threat on offense, he’s going to have a role on this team for a long time.
Passos: There’s roughly a third of a losing season left, Vic has proven to be a destroyer of worlds, Vassell will probably retain a claim on a top 3 role, and how active the FO will be in the offseason is a mystery, which means only one thing: it’s Dominick Barlow SZN.
Gomez: Are we sure Keldon Johnson is a scoring wing and not an energy power forward? Against the right opponent Johnson can score, but so far it seems like the coaching staff trusts him to create for himself from the perimeter, and it just might not be what he excels at. Even last year, when he dropped 22 points per game, he was assisted on around 60 percent of his makes and shot 33 percent from outside. I’m keeping an eye on Keldon to see how he fits with the rest of the core on offense, because if he’s not a floor-spacer and he’s not a reliable shot-creator, his impact on that end will decrease, which could cost him the tag of “core player” despite him arguably being the emotional leader of this group. An uptick in three-point shooting percentage and more consistent production in areas other than scoring would help alleviate most concerns.
