With the San Antonio Spurs falling to 4-23 after losing last night to the Chicago Bullsfans have little hope of hanging on beyond 2024 NBA Draft and the lottery.
Nearly locked in for one of the worst records in the league, the Spurs are in dire need of a point guard. Although he is easily the best player on the team, Victor Wembanyama took only eight shots in the last loss. The Spurs need to recruit a facilitator to nurture their young star.
Launderer’s Report Spurs recruit Serbian Mega Basket star Topic Nikola with the No. 2 overall pick.
The 18-year-old 6-6 point guard is “pretty much good for 15 points or five assists in every game.”
We previously written that I wasn’t convinced by his potential and worried that he would end up like Killian Hayes, but he grew on me as I watched him more.
December 15, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, United States; 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’m not convinced his scoring will translate to the NBA, but alongside Devin Vassell and Wembanyama, his shooting won’t matter too much. He will have two tasks: move the ball and play defense.
Bleacher Report compared him to Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, which is probably an exaggeration. If he is indeed as good as an MVP candidate, the Spurs will be lucky if he falls to them, but Detroit seems content with its backcourt and needs three and D players, so maybe Topic will be available.
Watching the Spurs play, fans realized that this team didn’t need a Steph Curry type offensive weapon, they just needed someone who realized that Wembanyama is a unique player. the kind who does his best with the ball in his hands. The subject fits this profile, despite concerns about his ability to score.
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 shooting has been shaky. His draft stock likely won’t be cemented until the Huskies go dancing in March. Carrington was a lottery pick in early mock drafts, but his stock has dropped dramatically recently, similar to Keldon Johnson in 2019. He’s 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 showed some ball skills and three-point potential. As the season progresses, expect his draft stock to rise quickly.
