As each day passes, it is beginning to seem more and more likely that the NBA will not be resuming its 2020 season. As fans sit waiting with bated breath wondering how the rest of the season is going to play out, players around the NBA are most likely working on their development. They are trying to stay prepared for this season to resume, and if not then they are getting ahead start on next season.
One player that many Spurs fans are hoping that is using this down time for development is Lonnie Walker. The 6’5 guard that the Spurs used a first round draft choice on in 2018. Lonnie who was drafted at 18th overall, was the highest player drafted by San Antonio since James Anderson was drafted 20th in 2010. (Remember the team did not technically draft Kawhi Leonard.) Expectations, whether fairly assumed or not, were high for the young man as he entered the league.
In year one Lonnie entered the season as a training camp invitee on the Spurs roster. It seemed like the young man was on track to make the roster and maybe even see a little playing time, but unfortunately a knee injury kept that from happening right away. When Lonnie did return he split time between Austin and San Antonio. While in Austin Lonnie averaged 16.6 ppg on nearly 44% shooting in 29 games. This showed that he could be a menace on the NBA team, but alas Lonnie only was able to make it into 17 games in San Antonio averaging 2.6 ppg on 34.8% shooting. Not exactly numbers to set the world on fire, but he did have a game of 16 points against Denver in April of that season.
Lonnie came into season two with even higher expectations on him. Many thought that Lonnie could have a huge break out year, but unfortunately again his year was inconsistent. For much of the early part of the season, it seemed as if Lonnie was in coach Pop’s dog house. When he finally was able to gain playing time, Walker had either really great games or really terrible games. There was not really an in between. There was no consistency. A case in point would be The Houston game on December 3rd, 2019. Lonnie carried the Spurs, pretty much led the team back by himself. In that game he had a career high in points with 28, had 3 big steals, and went 4 for 7 from deep. He led the team in points that game and played the third most minutes with 35. It was a game to remember. The next outing against Sacramento, Lonnie had 2 points and did not have a meaningful impact on the game whatsoever.
In an inconsistent season, one thing Walker did have going for him was that he did manage to make 53 appearances on the year. This is a step in the right direction, as the Spurs were only able to play 63 games due to the Covid-19 crisis. This was 53 chances for the young player to build experience. In the 53 games he managed to play in, Lonnie was able to break double digits scoring wise 10 times. However, for the year he did have more turnovers than he created. He also did not pass the ball very well averaging less than 1 assist a game. In all Walker finished the season with stats of 5.6 ppg, on 43.4% shooting, with 40.8% from beyond the arc, with 2.2 rpg, and 0.9 asts. Not great numbers, nor consistent, but it does give Lonnie a starting base to improve on.
So what comes next for Walker and the Spurs? Well that could be entirely up to Lonnie. With Bryn Forbes becoming a free agent with no assurances of returning, Lonnie could be slotted as a starter for next year. Heck even if Bryn does return, Walker has the skill and the athletic ability to beat him out and be the starter anyway. A little consistency will go a long way for Lonnie. If he uses this time wisely, he could come back a star and be a piece that the Spurs can build around. If he can stay focused and work hard Lonnie could be a 15 to 16 point a night guy just as he was in Austin. He just has to prove he wants it bad enough.
As the days go by and NBA fans sit and wonder if the season will resume or be cancelled fully, front offices now have time to evaluate their rosters and see what went right this season and what went wrong. For the first time in a long time, there seemed to be more that went wrong for the San Antonio Spurs than went right. If the season does not resume the team will finish with their worst record since before drafting Tim Duncan in 1997 with a 27-36 record. For whatever reason the Spurs just could not get it going this season, and maybe the stoppage was a blessing in disguise. With the league on hold it is now time for PAFTO to start looking at the teams free agents to be. The front office will need to determine who they would like to bring back, or who they would like to set free.
One of those players that needs to be evaluated is 4th year shooting guard Bryn Forbes. Bryn has carved a nice role for himself in the Spurs organization. After being undrafted in 2016 out of Michigan St., Forbes has gone on to start 143 of a possible 145 games in the last 2 seasons. However his contract is up, and there is no guarantee the Spurs will resign him to a new contract. As an unrestricted free agent, the Spurs do not have the opportunity to match another team’s offer if it goes beyond a certain salary. So should the Spurs try to keep Forbes around a little longer? Or should they just let him go to free agency and sign with a new team?
Why the Spurs should re-sign Bryn:
This past year Bryn started 62 games for the team averaging 11.2 ppg, 2 rebs, and 1.8 asts. While not great numbers, the 11.2 ppg were enough for fourth highest average on the team. Bryn also was one of the Spurs better 3 point shooters shooting at a clip of 38.8% while shooting 6 threes per game. Bryn is a decent free throw shooter at 83%. He has been in Coach Pop’s system for 4 years now, and that is experience that is hard to replace. Forbes works hard and has done a lot to get to where he is now (yes you have to work hard to make the NBA, but for Bryn going from undrafted to starter means he had to put in even more work) so he deserves a chance to remain with the team.
Why it’s better to just walk away:
Bryn Forbes tries hard. He really does. Unfortunately, sometimes trying is not enough. Bryn is easily one one of the worst defensive players on the roster with a defensive rating of 114. This high number is up from even last season, when his defensive rating was 110. Unfortunately for Bryn, he is undersized and often gets bullied around when he is on defense. Forbes also does not help his cause because he can not create turnovers. On the season he only averaged 0.5 steals per game. Bryn’s shooting averages were also lower this season compared to last. Last season Bryn was a 45.6% shooter with 42.6% from beyond the arc, where this season he was at 41.7% at 38.8% beyond the arc. For a man trying to gain another contract, the dip in production hurts. Bryn also played less minutes this year, showing that maybe coach Pop doesn’t trust him as much. Removing Forbes from the equation would also allow more playing time for Lonnie Walker, who could develop into a piece that the Spurs can build around in the future. It may just be best to let Bryn go.
Prediction:
This may turn into a Kyle Anderson type scenario. The Spurs wouldn’t mind Forbes coming back, but on a cheap contract. If he receives an offer the Spurs are unwilling to match he’ll be gone. If he leaves however, Bryn may not be able to replicate the success he has had in San Antonio. He seems like a system player, who needs Pop’s system to succeed. Without that he could find himself out of a rotation fairly quickly. Unfortunately for him, it seems the Spurs will move on.
On March 11th the NBA became the first major sports league to shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While the NBA remained hopeful that the season would resume, the more that comes out, the more it seems like the NBA season will be canceled. While the NBA tries to sort out its next move, it may be time for teams to start thinking about next season.
In the midst of all the madness the San Antonio Spurs were on pace to miss the playoffs for the first time in 22 seasons. At 27-36 they sat 4 games back of Memphis for the 8 seed in the Western Conference. An odd season no doubt that left many Spurs fans frustrated and confused on where the organization goes next.
If rumors are to be believed, fans may not be the only ones who are upset with the organization. While news has been slow and hard to come by during this time, one rumor that has been reported multiple times is that Demar DeRozan is unhappy in the Alamo City. Even though Demar has denied the rumors, it is hard to not find some truth in what has been said.
Could Demar be on the move this offseason?
Demar DeRozan had a great year for the Spurs. He averaged 22 ppg on a career high 52.6% shooting, along with 5 and a half rebounds and 5 and a half assists per game this year in 61 games. DeRozan though as good as he has been, just has not felt like a fit for the Spurs since he was traded for Kawhi Leonard. DeRozan is a ball dominant guard who needs the ball in his hands. The problem with this is the Spurs have always been a team who is best served with ball movement and getting everyone involved ( i.e. “The Beautiful Game” Spurs of 2014). Demar has also been reluctant to shoot 3’s which would open the floor for the offense. DeRozan is also not a great defender, which defense has been a staple of the team until the last couple of seasons. Unfortunately it seems that the Demar experiment has run its course in San Antonio. It may be time for PAFTO to start looking at ending DeRozan’s time with the team, and if they were to cut his time short, these are the trades that could be possibilities.
Demar goes home:
Demar DeRozan is an LA boy. He grew up in Compton just 15 minutes from Los Angeles. He went to college at the University of Southern California. If there was anywhere Demar wants to go in a trade, it would be back home. But which Los Angeles team does he go to in this scenario? As much as it would pain Spurs fans, DeRozan would be heading to the Lakers to form a big 3 with Anthony Davis and Lebron James. This is a trade that would most likely put the Lakers as an overwhelmingly favorite to win the NBA championship in 2021. While Coach Pop would hate to make a team he is chasing to win a title, a trade with the Lakers may prove to be the best return the Spurs could get for DeRozan. So who returns to the Alamo City in this trade? While many may hope that Danny Green is included, it is hard to see the team even pursuing that as an option. Instead what would be the most likely scenario would be the Spurs receiving Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, and a 2023 second round draft pick.
When looking at this trade the most valuable piece seems to be Kyle Kuzma. He will be just 25 years old at the start of the new season and is getting ready to enter his prime. For whatever reason though, it seems he has fallen out of favor with the Lakers as this year saw him post career lows in points (12.5), field goal percentage (43.2 %), assists (1.3), rebounds (4.5), and minutes played (24.6). A change of scenery might be just what the young man needs to get his career back on track, and adding him to the Spurs front court would help build the depth with LaMarcus Aldridge, Trey Lyles, and Jakob Poeltl. If need be Kuzma can also play minutes at the 3 spot.
As for Caldwell-Pope, he is really just added to the trade to help balance salaries. With an expiring contract, maybe at the trade deadline the Spurs try to flip him once again for draft capital or a veteran player. Who knows what Pop would like to do with him? He did average 9.5 ppg last season, so maybe he could crack the playing rotation, but with the type of personality that Caldwell-Pope has shown and his off court disciplinary issues, it is doubtful that he would see meaningful time with the team.
Demar is headed to Disney:
In a trade that some really hoped for all season that never came, this trade sees Derozan traded to Orlando. Orlando is a team that for whatever reason can never get over the hump. Even though they were a playoff team in 2019, they were a team that was expected to take a leap forward that did not come. Many expected the Magic to be a winning team, but at the time of the suspension of the season their record stood at 30-35. Maybe a trade for a second tier star would help them? Even though DeRozan is not All-NBA, he still is a pretty good veteran player that could help the team. In this trade San Antonio get back high flyer Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Issac.
Aaron Gordon, who is still only going to be 25 when the season starts, will be entering his 7th season in the NBA. He is a player who has much potential, but being on a Magic team that is not known for developing players well, that potential has been wasted. Pairing Gordon with coach Pop could be the thing that reignites his career. This is a player who averaged almost 18 ppg just two seasons ago. During this shortened season however, he was down to 14.4 ppg. He might not get back to the 18 ppg, but as a Spur this is a player that could easily average 15 points or so per game in the system that Coach Pop runs. Pop could help Gordon reach his potential and fans would love to see him don the silver and black.
Jonathan Isaac has the versatility to play multiple positions, and this is why the Spurs would be wise to include him in this trade. Last season Isaac was the starting small forward for the Magic, but the two years prior he was a power forward. He is pretty much would play the role Josh Smith used to play for the Atlanta Hawks, but Isaac is a better 3 point shooter. Every year his points per game average has gone up, capping out at 12 ppg during this shortened season. With Lonnie Walker on the roster it is hard to see Isaac getting much playing time at the 3 spot, but he could be a serviceable 4 for Coach Pop.
Hello South Beach:
There aren’t many nicer places in America than Miami Florida, and in this trade scenario that is where Demar DeRozan is headed. Joining Jimmy Butler gives Demar another superstar to play with, and its one who can pick up the slack defensively. In order for this trade to work however, there will have to be some maneuvering. In order for this trade to work it will have to be a sign and trade. Coming back to the Spurs will be Goran Dragic who will be an unristricted free agent, Tyler Herro, and the 2022 2nd round draft choice the Heat are owed from either Denver or Philadelphia whoever has the less favorable pick.
Back in 2008 Goran Dragic was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs before his draft rights were traded to Phoenix. Coming to San Antonio he would most likely switch positions from point guard to shooting guard, but he is someone who could come and start in Coach Pop’s system. Last year he averaged 16 ppg and could easily do that in the Spurs system as well. As he moves from point guard his assists would likely go down, but with him and Dejounte Murray both on the court the team ball movement could return to what it once was a few seasons ago.
Tyler Herro had a pretty good rookie season. He shot 41% from the field, which admittedly could be better, 39% from 3 point range, and averaged almost 13 ppg. Adding another shooter to the mix would help the Spurs as they only shot around 37% from the 3 point line this season. Adding Herro and letting him develop an outside shot could make the spurs lethal, as they would have Herro, Bryn Forbes (provided he is resigned), and Patty Mills launching 3 balls. That would be a trio many spurs fans would love to see shooting at the AT&T center.
While these are just some of the scenarios that could play out if the Spurs were looking to trade DeRozan, they all seem highly unlikely to happen. Demar does have a player option for next season, and if he really is tired of San Antonio he could just leave and the good guys will get nothing in return. Only time will tell what happens, but the most likely scenario in all of this is the Spurs give DeRozan an extension and Spurs fans will be talking about this all over again next season.
Silver and Black in the Paint 