Spurs Should Look to Surround Wembanyama with Shooting, Defense at 2024 Draft

The hard part is over for the San Antonio Spurs.

At 2023 NBA Draft, they landed a generational talent — a term not used lightly in this instance — and in the 2023-24 regular season rolled him out to high praise.

Victor Wembanyama is as centrifugal force as they come. At 7-foot-4, he’s a gargantuan presence in the paint on both ends, but has the coordination, elasticity and prowess to success on the perimeter, too.

Now, San Antonio is tasked with surrounding Wembanyama with talent, specifically in the areas of shooting and passing. And the 2024 NBA Draft should do just that.

Despite a late run of success near the end, the Spurs ended their most recent season with a 22-60 record, good for fifth-worst in the NBA and the fifth-best odds at the No. 1 pick.

Additionally, via the Jakob Poeltl trade, San Antonio also owns the Raptors first rounder, which is protected top-six. Toronto has over a 50% chance to relinquish that to the Spurs at picks No. 7 through 10.

A primary playmaker will of course be pivotal at one point or another in the team’s rebuild. But if they’re out on their options this season, plenty of projectable elite role players litter the top of the draft.

Reed Shepard provides some of the more elite shooting in the draft, with some defensive playmaking, and could even be right in the Spurs’ range at six. Zaccharie Risacher projects to be a three-and-D player at 6-foot-9, and at his peak would do wonders alongside Wembanyama.

Regardless, the Spurs have important decisions to make at the 2024 draft, and will soon be able to plan those out more following the lottery on Sunday, May 12.