The San Antonio Spurs have lengthy had a status for making “all the suitable strikes”, however in fact no workforce is ideal. There can at all times be a free agent or draft choose that appeared proper on the time however didn’t work out. At this time we will likely be few such Spurs, from gamers we beloved and wished to work out however didn’t, to ones that wanted to work for the workforce’s sake or status however failed.
Pau Gasol
When the Spurs first signed Pau Gasol in 2016, it was a comforting transfer. With Tim Duncan having simply retired and the Spurs wanting so as to add one other middle to pair with LaMarcus Aldridge (who on the time solely noticed himself as an influence ahead, plus they had been working to speak him off the commerce request ledge), they introduced in Gasol, who was coming off two straight All Star appearances in Chicago. A selfless participant from Spain and at all times energetic in the neighborhood, Gasol had at all times appeared like he’d make a fantastic Spur.
It felt like a very good signing on the time, and for half a season it seemingly was. Gasol proved to be succesful three-point shooter as stretch-fives had been simply turning into in vogue, making the imperfect match subsequent to Aldridge ok because the Spurs contended for an additional championship. Sadly, Gasol suffered a shoulder damage halfway via the season, and he was by no means fairly the identical after that. He once more began many of the 2017-18 season, however his three-point capturing dipped from over 53% the earlier season to only 36% on the identical variety of makes an attempt, and his age was exhibiting in different areas (corresponding to general versatility).
Lastly, by 2018-19, it was clear that with out a three-point shot, the 38-year-old Gasol was now not a helpful asset, and the Spurs traded him to the Bucks halfway via the season whereas transferring ahead with the a lot youthful Jakob Poeltl as their foremost middle. By then, followers had been prepared to maneuver on too, but it surely was nonetheless unhappy that issues didn’t go as deliberate with Gasol. He at all times one of the vital likeable human beings within the NBA and would have been the right Spur earlier in his profession, however sadly, his age and imperfect match with Aldridge meant it simply wasn’t meant to be.
Lonnie Walker
If there was a silver lining to that tough 2017-18 season, when the Spurs completed as a seventh seed (in hindsight fairly spectacular contemplating the circumstances), it was that they obtained their highest draft choose in 21 years, deciding on Lonnie Walker IV out of Miami with the 18th general choose. Whereas uncooked, Walker was a high-flying wing who would seemingly infuse the Spurs with some athleticism and pleasure that had been missing. It solely helped that he was extraordinarily likeable from the outset and instantly embraced the San Antonio neighborhood.
He endeared himself to followers even additional when he had his breakout recreation in a wild outing towards the Rockets his rookie season, scoring 19 factors within the fourth quarter to safe the dramatic victory. Sadly, that might find yourself being the spotlight of his Spurs profession. Regardless of having a gradual function starting his second season, he was an inconsistent presence, his capturing numbers slowly dipped every season, and Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell ultimately surpassed him within the rotation.
By the top of Walker’s rookie contract, each side had been prepared for change. At his request, the Spurs allowed him to change into an unrestricted free agent, and he signal a one-year cope with the Lakers for the mini midlevel exception. He once more was okay for them final season however fell out of their beginning rotation (though he did give them one huge recreation within the playoffs), and he’s now headed to the Nets on a minimal deal for the 2023-24 season. As an especially likeable individual with seemingly a lot untapped potential, Spurs followers nonetheless want Walker had made it with the workforce, however he simply didn’t.
Luka Samanic and Josh Primo
Though the explanations they didn’t work out are vastly totally different, these two are being clumped collectively as a result of they each fall into the identical class: complicated draft picks that examined Spurs followers’ belief, however we wished them to succeed to maintain PATFO’s sterling draft status intact. If the Spurs may make so many picks within the late within the first spherical exceed expectations, why no more gifted ones additional up the boards? The issue is the upper the choose, the much less room for experimentation, and each Luka Samanic and Josh Primo had been experimental picks primarily based on potential that was unseen by most different franchises.
Samanic was at the least a considerably justifiable choose on the time. The nineteenth choose general choose doesn’t carry the very best expectations, he match a positional want, and rumor has it that different groups within the 20’s had been additionally him, therefore why the Spurs selected him then and saved the twenty ninth choose for Johnson. Sadly, Samanic’s motor and work ethic was low, he seemingly obtained discouraged too simply, and he was waived within the 2021 preseason. Whereas it wasn’t precisely painful for followers when he was launched (he hadn’t endeared himself in any method), he was a uncommon draft bust for the Spurs, and there would most likely be much more criticism surrounding this draft it if weren’t for Johnson saving face.
Then again, Primo was a a lot much less justifiable choose at twelfth general contemplating he wasn’t even on anybody else’s radar as a primary spherical choose. Nonetheless, regardless of being the youngest participant within the 2021 draft, he didn’t take lengthy to win followers over with some flashes of potential within the preseason and sprinkled all through his rookie 12 months, however then we was shockingly waived early within the 2022-23 season for what would grow to be inappropriate conduct in the direction of girls, together with the workforce psychologist Dr. Hillary Cauthen. Followers had fallen in love with the baby-faced guard and his potential, so it was a heartbreaking state of affairs and the second draft bust in three years for the Spurs.
What do you say, Pounders? Are there every other gamers the Spurs signed or drafted that you just actually appreciated and had been hoping would succeed, but it surely simply didn’t work out for no matter cause? Tell us within the feedback beneath.
