NBA Draft 2024: Prospects to Watch (Part 1)

The Situation

The Spurs concluded the season with a 22-60 record, placing 14th place in the Western Conference. Ranking 26th in offense and 22nd in defense by season’s end highlights the teams need to improve across the board. This performance secured them the 4th pick in this year’s draft. Furthermore, the Jakob Poeltl trade with the Raptors at the last deadline earned them the 8th pick.

Having two picks within a range that many experts consider a flat part of the draft is an enviable position, particularly for a team already in possession of a future centerpiece. Let’s explore three of the players who might be available for the Spurs to take at pick number 4.

The Strategy

For the purpose of this exercise, we will assume that the Spurs will not trade either of their draft picks. While they will certainly explore trade options, for simplicity, we will proceed under the assumption that the Spurs will be selecting at 4 and 8.

As the Spurs continue their rebuild, it’s evident they value positional size, a strategy highlighted by the “Point Sochan” experiment. In addition to size, the team needs to address several key areas: outside shooting, playmaking, and defensive capability. By focusing on these specific needs, we can strategically evaluate prospects who will not only improve the team immediately but also set the foundation for long-term success.

The Players

Zaccharie Risacher – 19 years old – Forward – 6’8 – 195 lb

Zaccharie Risacher is a French forward who has been rapidly climbing draft boards, rumored to be a favorite of the Spurs, and is even in talks for the first overall pick. Evaluating Risacher hinges significantly on one’s belief in his shooting potential.

Strengths:

  • Shooting Potential: At his best, Risacher could develop into a knockdown shooter. He started last season with a hot shooting streak that generated a lot of excitement.
  • Passing: Risacher is a connective passer, facilitating ball movement and creating opportunities for teammates.
  • On-Ball Upside: Risacher has shown the ability to attack closeouts effectively and has good vertical pop off two feet. While he sometimes tries to do too much, he has showcased flashes of self-creation, indicating potential for further development in this area.

Weaknesses:

  • Shooting Consistency: Risacher’s shooting cooled off after a hot start last season. His 70% free throw shooting suggests he might be a low 30% three-point shooter, rather than the near 50% he initially displayed. He is often not ready to shoot when catching the ball, preferring to hop into a shot when being closed out. His base and footwork look different on every shot he takes, which impacts his shooting efficiency.
  • Defense:
    • On-Ball Defense: Risacher struggles with lateral quickness, making it difficult for him to stay in front of faster, more agile opponents. His on-ball defense lacks the necessary intensity, and his contests are often ineffective, allowing shooters to get clean looks.
    • Off-Ball Defense: While Risacher appears engaged and shows good effort off the ball, he frequently gets lost. His awareness and anticipation need significant improvement to become a reliable team defender.

Conclusion: If Risacher can stabilize his shooting mechanics and improve his readiness to shoot when catching the ball, he has the potential to be a valuable asset. On defense I would love to see him play with more discipline instead of lunging into passing lanes and risking his positioning for steals. His future success heavily depends on his development in these areas, but his potential upside makes him an intriguing prospect.

Reed Sheppard – 20 years old – Guard – 6’2 – 180 lb

Kentucky guard, Reed Sheppard, is an elite shot taker, and an even better shot maker. His only crime is being a few inches too short. Given the Spurs desire for size at every position, it is unknown where Reed will rank on their board.

Strengths:

  • Shooting: Reed is comfortable shooting from beyond the NBA three-point line. He is efficient off the dribble or off the catch. His quick trigger makes it impossible to go under screens against him.
  • Passing: One of the best outlet passers and transition playmakers in the draft. When he gets into the paint, he identifies the holes in the defense and makes the right pass. He is a quick ball mover within the grand scheme of the offense.

Weaknesses:

  • Size: Not much needs to be said here. His size will negatively impact every aspect of his game. There is no way around it. He can do everything right on defense and still be targeted and exploited.
  • Ballhandling: His handle could be bothered in college. He will have an even harder time against NBA length and athleticism unless he improves.

Conclusion: If he does not improve at all, Reed would still be a valuable player for the Spurs. The thought of his pick and roll game with Wemby should be enough to get all of us excited. If one of the goals of the offseason is to surround Wemby with shooters, then Reed should be high on the Spurs draft board, despite his size.

Stephon Castle – 19 years old – Guard – 6’6 – 210 lb

A big guard that plays physically on both ends of the floor, Castle could be an ideal fit for the Spurs. A pesky point of attack defender, no opponent would have a chance to breathe against Castle and Sochan with Wemby behind them. The only question is, what would the offense look like with them on the floor?

Strengths:

  • Defense: Castle is big and strong. He fights over screens and plays physically on the ball. He is capable off ball but has room to improve. He looks great on film even though he doesn’t have the numbers of a defensive playmaker.
  • Playmaking Upside: He makes timely passes and plays well within the offense. As an above average rebounder for his position, he is a threat to grab and go, pushing the pace in transition. He considers himself a point guard. Maybe with some time and reps he can become one.

Weaknesses:

  • Shooting: Castle is not a shooter yet. He hit 26% of his threes last season on only 2 attempts per game. Though his form is not broken, he looked unwilling to shoot, preferring to drive into the lane and use his physicality at the rim.

Conclusion: Stephon Castle presents an intriguing prospect for the Spurs with his physicality, defensive prowess, and playmaking potential. His defensive intensity and ability to push the pace in transition align well with the Spurs’ strategic vision. However, his shooting remains a significant area for improvement. His recent improvement as a free throw shooter is promising. If Castle can develop a reliable outside shot, he could become a versatile guard capable of making a substantial impact on both ends of the floor. Drafting Castle would mean betting on his development, particularly his ability to grow into a more complete offensive player.

The Thoughts

I would be excited for the Spurs to take any of these players with the 4th pick. It would indicate to me that the team is confident in their potential to be key contributors moving forward. That being said, any of these players could also end up being available at the 8th pick, which would surely be cause for celebration. In Part 2, I will dive into three more players who are more likely to be available when the 8th pick comes around. Stay tuned for further analysis and insights as we continue to explore the best options for the Spurs in this crucial draft.

The Legacy of Tony Parker

A little over a week ago Tony Parker announced his retirement from the NBA. He may have played his last season with the Charlotte Hornets, but he never stopped being a Spur. Even though I would have never said that Tony was my favorite player, I’ve taken the news of his retirement pretty hard. Though the Big 3 chapter of the Spurs may have been closed for some time, it has never felt so real or final as it does now. To honor his career I have spent this past week watching highlight videos, delving the depths of Basketball Reference, and just reminiscing about my favorite moments.

When I was a kid I exclusively shot off the backboard because I wanted to be Tim Duncan. In college I euro stepped my way through intramural and pickup games in the styling of Manu Ginobili. But if you were to ask me to pick my favorite, most clear basketball memories of the past 15 years, they would all be of Tony Parker.

Tony Parker – the only man in NBA history to never land on his feet after attempting a layup. He couldn’t play transition defense because he was too busy sliding into a cameraman after every shot at the basket, even when there wasn’t any contact. The man was a legend. That’s the thing that made him so special to me and so fun to watch. He was lightning fast and too quick to stay on his feet. His ability to drive and spin between two defenders and get the shot up before they even turned around was remarkable. The other team was always in trouble when he came off of a screen with the ball in his hands. If it was a race to the basket he’d usually win, if not he’d hit you with possibly the deadliest floater in NBA history. All of the hours practicing his jump shot began to pay off as his age was about the only thing that could catch him. He never became a serious threat from outside the arc, but if he took one dribble in it was about as reliable as a long 2 could be.

None of his spin moves, floaters, or deep middies could hold a candle to my favorite Tony Parker memory, however. I’m talking about the best time he fell onto the floor. It was game 1 of the 2013 finals against Lebron and the Heat. I was back home for the Summer watching the game with my dad. There was 14 seconds left in the 4th quarter and 6 seconds on the shot clock with Tony dribbling outside the 3 point line, and I had to pee. He drives into Bosh’s chest and tries to slip by him running straight into Lebron who was ready to help. Tony lost his footing and almost lost the ball with both Lebron and Wade taking swipes at it. He managed to get back to his feet without traveling, got Lebron up in the air, went under him for a shot from 16 ft that somehow went in putting the Spurs up 4 with 6 seconds left, sealing the game.

At the end of the day that’s who he is. A winner. He is retiring having won 71% of his regular season games and 60% of his playoff games over the course of his whole career. I don’t believe his legacy ends here. A big reason why he left the Spurs last year was because he has passed the torch to the next point guard. In the 17-18 season, Tony stepped down from the starting role so that Dejounte Murray could run the show. Murray is a young, quick guard that has struggled with a jump shot early in his career. They are different physical specimens, but their stories are playing out in a similar fashion. Becoming the starting point guard at such a young age was an important part of Tony’s development, and hopefully it’s an important part of Murray’s. With Tony moving back to San Antonio soon for his new job with NorthRock Partners, hopefully he’ll be able to resume his mentor-ship of the young man. Maybe one day Dejounte will be an All-Star, a winner, a champion, just like Tony.