Spurs 'Dangerous' Depth Goes Beyond Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama is sitting out of the San Antonio Spurs' California Classic two-game tour, allowing other players the chance to shine.

Matt Guzman | Jul 5, 2023

Spurs 'Dangerous' Depth Goes Beyond Victor Wembanyama /

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San Antonio Spurs

Victor Wembanyama was not in sight in Sacramento on Monday for the San Antonio Spurs' California Classic game against the Charlotte Hornets..

Perhaps he was still at lunch with Tony Parker, watching film (or even the game), or maybe he was training with newly-hired Spurs trainer Guillaume Alquier. Either way, he wasn't suited up for San Antonio, and won't be until Friday. But that didn't matter for the young team.

Saying the Spurs need Wembanyama is an understatement. If he pans out the way he's expected to, San Antonio could once again host a championship parade, or multiple. Wembanyama has the ability to propel the Spurs back to the top of the Western Conference and the NBA — but just not quite yet.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich isn't highly regarded for no reason. He's one of the best talent developers that exists in the NBA, and proved it last season. Both Dominick Barlow and Julian Champagnie went from being undrafted to 20-plus point scorers Monday night. Manu Ginobili is in the Hall-of-Fame — he was a second-round pick, too.

Wembanyama will get his chance with Popovich, and very soon, the league will once again see the effect that a coach like him can have. But Wembanyama isn't the only piece of the puzzle.

Monday night showed that the Spurs have depth. Barlow. Champagnie. Malaki Branham. Jeremy Sochan. Keldon Johnson. All of those players have put up 20-point games at the NBA level, and all of those players aren't close to being done improving.

Yes, the Spurs have a real shot at winning the Summer League, especially when they add Wembanyama into the fold in Las Vegas. In fact, some might even consider it a disappointment if they don't. But as far as Popovich is concerned, none of that matters.

If San Antonio wins the Summer League, it won't prove anything. When they continue to play that way in the NBA, however, it will. It'll just show once more why the Spurs can and will be dangerous in the coming seasons.

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Published Jul 5, 2023

MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.