Where the Spurs’ young core ranks among the rest of the NBA

The San Antonio Spurs have routinely picked late in the first round of the NBA Draft over the last two decades because of their unprecedented regular season and playoff success. Yet, they have continually found a way to maximize relatively unheralded prospects, transforming them into reliable role players and everyday starters.

When the Silver and Black selected Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, and Keldon Johnson with the 29th pick in their respective drafts, few people envisioned them blossoming into vital cogs for a winning franchise. All three have become indispensable two-way contributors for a team that has exceeded almost every expectation this season.

Throw Lonnie Walker IV, Luka Samanic, Quinndary Weatherspoon, Devin Vassell, and Tre Jones into the mix, and PATFO have quietly put together one of the most gifted young cores in the league. With that said, San Antonio still seems to lack an all-world talent like Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson, Jayson Tatum, or Nikola Jokic.

Despite the absence of an undisputed organizational cornerstone, the good guys have outperformed each of the clubs that lay claim to the previously mentioned players, which brings up the age-old debate of quantity over quality. And while San Antonio has a unique mixture of both, how far can that take them in their pursuit of another title?

To get a better idea of how San Antonio’s collection of talent stacks up around the association, I gathered basketball pundits Robel, Alex Sturm, and Kaelin Tully from external media markets for a roundtable discussion. Tune in to find out which young Spurs could make the developmental leap the Silver and Black need to get to the next level.

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