San Antonio Spurs celebrity Victor Wembanyama has been dominated out for the remainder of the season as a consequence of deep vein thrombosis in his proper shoulder. Followers shortly reacted, with many speculating that his absence may place San Antonio to safe Duke basketball star Cooper Flagg with the highest draft decide.
For the reason that draft lottery started in 1985, San Antonio has discovered success a number of occasions, successful it 3 times. They used these picks to pick out former MVPs David Robinson in 1987 and Tim Duncan in 1997. In 2023, they struck gold once more by drafting Wembanyama with the highest decide.
As of February 20, the five-time NBA champions maintain a 24-29 report, putting them twelfth within the Western Convention. They path the Tenth-place Golden State Warriors by three video games for the ultimate play-in spot.
This occurred earlier than with the Spurs
With 29 video games remaining, the Spurs have extra time than most groups, as others have performed between 54 and 56 video games. Nonetheless, that hole additionally provides them a chance to shift their focus towards maximizing their draft odds by shedding video games, probably securing Cooper Flagg as the highest prize within the 2025 NBA Draft.
Regardless of hinting at a doable return to Duke for one more yr, the Blue Devils star stays the projected high decide in numerous mock drafts.
The thought of pairing Cooper Flagg with Victor Wembanyama for the following decade is a nightmare situation for the remainder of the NBA. Nonetheless, San Antonio has been in an analogous place earlier than. One fan on X recalled the second completely, saying, “Bear in mind when David Robinson acquired injured, and the Spurs drafted Tim Duncan that low season?”
In the course of the 1996-97 season, the Spurs stumbled to a 20-62 report, largely as a consequence of Robinson’s absence. The legendary middle appeared in solely six video games that yr due to damage.
What appeared like a disastrous season on the time grew to become a turning level for San Antonio when it landed the highest decide. The Spurs used it to draft a towering 21-year-old from Wake Forest named Tim Duncan.
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Can the Spurs land Cooper Flagg?
The Spurs at the moment maintain a 3 % probability of securing the highest decide. Because the losses pile up, their odds of touchdown the primary choice will proceed to rise.
Historical past proves that even groups in the course of the pack nonetheless have a shot at successful the lottery. Final season, the Atlanta Hawks entered with only a three % probability of touchdown the highest decide within the 2024 NBA Draft however defied the chances, beating out Washington, Houston (by way of Brooklyn), San Antonio, and Detroit.
Sports activities Illustrated’s February 17 version projected the 6-foot-9 freshman as the highest decide for the Washington Wizards, simply days earlier than the Spurs revealed Wembanyama’s damage. Flagg is placing up 19.7 factors, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per sport for the Blue Devils this season.
The Spurs, at the moment slated to select Tenth general via their commerce with Atlanta, have been linked to Duke’s Kon Knueppel within the newest mock draft. Nonetheless, their draft place may change because the season winds down and the playoff race takes form.
The picture of Cooper Flagg strolling previous the Alamo and alongside the San Antonio Riverwalk will solely develop extra vivid.