Spurs' Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham Swapping Roles?

As the San Antonio Spurs head into the All-Star Break, last year's draft picks have swapped roles.

The San Antonio Spurs added three talented young players in the 2022 NBA Draft, and all three of them have received significant minutes in the NBA. Jeremy Sochan was a day-one starter and has cemented himself as a key part of the future, and Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley have both received rotational minutes. 

Branham, picked 20th overall from Ohio State, finished last season as a key bench player, averaging 14.1 points in his final 29 games of the season. Wesley, on the other hand, spent much of last year in the G-League and became a rotational piece only after it was clear that the Spurs were tanking. 

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After Tre Jones took over the starting point guard duties this season, it was just assumed that Branham would be the main ball handler for the second unit, and Wesley would continue to develop in Austin. That worked for about two weeks until the Spurs lost to the Memphis Grizzlies on January 2. 

In that game, Branham could not find the basket, going zero-for-five in seven minutes of play. He sat out the next game, and since then, Welsey has stolen his role. 

Since that eight-point loss, the two have split minutes, playing 16 per game, but as the All-Star Break got closer, it was clear that Wesley was favored by coach Gregg Popovich, who played Wesley significantly more in the final five games before the break.

Patience is wearing thin with Branham, who has had several embarrassing outings. 18 times this season, he has shot worse than 33 percent from the floor. Wesley has only done that ten times, although he has played in fewer games. 

Both players are only 20 years old, so tough love is to be expected. As the Spurs start to build a winning roster, players like Victor Wembanyama, Sochan, Devin Vassell, and Jones will have a role, even if their minutes decrease. Branham and Wesley, on the other hand, still need to prove that they belong.

As long as Branham continues to struggle to find the basket, Wesley will get extended minutes. Both players have struggled from deep this season, but Wesley is a better passer and defender. 

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It's clear that both of them are with the main club for the remainder of the season, so shining in the G-League is not an option. The two are in competition with each other, as each has a team option in their contract this summer, and both will use the rest of the season to prove that they belong in the rebuild.