SB Nation Blogger Mock Draft: The Spurs select Ryan Rollins with the 25th pick

The San Antonio Spurs bolstered their frontcourt with their first two picks, and they are pursuing a golden mean between the highest upside and the best player on the board with their final at-bat in the first round. Will Brian Wright keep this selection? Who knows, but trades were off-limits for us.

Dejounte Murray is the only consistent self-creator on this roster who can also generate open looks for his teammates on a nightly basis. Josh Primo and Tre Jones can do a bit of both in small spurts, but the former is an iffy decision-maker, and the former is only a so-so scoring threat off the pine.

Here is how the draft panned out after the Spurs took Kendall Brown 20th overall:

21. Denver Nuggets: Ochai Agbaji

22. Memphis Grizzlies: Dalen Terry

23. Philadelphia 76ers: Jaden Hardy

24. Milwaukee Bucks: Justin Lewis

With the 25th overall pick of the 2022 SB Nation Blogger Mock Draft, the San Antonio Spurs landed Ryan Rollins from Toledo University. Most fans have probably never seen the sophomore play a minute of college hoops since he suited up at a small school, but the six-four shooting guard is the 19th best prospect in my books, making him a total bargain for PATFO.

Rollins is among the most polished scorers in this draft. He can snake ball screens in the pick-and-roll to get to his favorite spots around the elbows, break down defenders one-on-one with vicious dribble combinations, and walk smaller guards into the post with his back to the basket before rising into a turnaround jumper. The main setback is his lack of shooting range.

San Antonio would be getting instant offense and creative playmaking off the bench from Rollins in a sixth-man role. Although he could afford to put some muscle on his 179-pound frame, his six-ten wingspan and incredible anticipation in the passing lanes give him value as a fastbreak initiator off steals. Switchable? Not really, though he is adequate as a team defender.

If you want to see every pick from the SB Nation Blogger Mock Draft, click here.

And make sure to check out all of Pounding the Rock’s 2022 NBA Draft coverage.