Spurs Mock Draft: Who Does San Antonio Select?
With the San Antonio Spurs falling to 4-23 after losing last night to the Chicago Bulls, fans have little hope to hang onto outside of the 2024 NBA Draft and lottery.
A near-lock for one of the worst records in the league, the Spurs are in dire need of a point guard. Despite easily being the best player on the team, Victor Wembanyama only took eight shots in the most recent loss. The Spurs need to draft a facilitator to feed their young star.
Bleacher Report has the Spurs drafting Serbia’s Mega Basket star Nikola Topic with the No. 2 overall pick.
The 6-6, 18-year-old point guard is “practically good for 15 points or five assists in every game.”
We previously wrote that I was not sold on his potential and worried that he would end up like Killian Hayes, but he has been growing on me as I watch more of him.
Dec 15, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich talks with players during a timeout in the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Frost Bank Center.
© Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
I am not convinced that his scoring will translate to the NBA, but starting alongside Devin Vassell and Wembanyama, his shooting won’t matter too much. He will have two jobs: move the ball and play defense.
Bleacher Report compared him to Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, which is probably a stretch. If he is indeed as good as an MVP candidate, the Spurs will be lucky if he falls to them, but Detroit seems to be content with their backcourt and needs three-and-D players, so maybe Topic will be available.
While watching the Spurs play, fans have come to the stark realization that this roster doesn’t need a Steph Curry-type offensive weapon, they just need someone who realizes that Wembanyama is a one-of-a-kind player who does best with the ball in his hands. Topic fits that profile, despite concerns surrounding his scoring capacity.
With their other picks, Bleacher Report has the Spurs selecting Stephon Castle (guard, Connecticut) ninth overall, Carlton Carrington (wing, Pittsburgh) 33rd overall, and Zvonomir Ivisic (big, Kentucky) 48th overall.
Castle is a high-risk, high-reward wing who can pass, but his shot has been shaky. His draft stock probably won’t be cemented until the Huskies go dancing in March. Carrington was a lottery pick in earlier mock drafts, but his stock has fallen dramatically recently, similar to Keldon Johnson in 2019. He is an adept shooter with decent athleticism.
Finally, Ivisic is a 7-2 big man who is perhaps the most intriguing prospect in the entire draft. A full profile of him is in the works, but he is a 20-year-old freshman who has yet to play a game. However, in 18 games in the AdmiralBet ABA League last year, he posted 3.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and flashed some ball-handling and three-point potential. As the season goes on, expect his draft stock to rise rapidly.
