Could Victor Wembanyama, Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell be the NBA's next great trio with the San Antonio Spurs?
The San Antonio Spurs will likely build around the young trio of Victor Wembanyama, Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell going forward. While Johnson and Vassell are already on the roster, Wembanyama isn't officialy a member of the team just yet.
San Antonio recently won the 2023 NBA draft lottery and Wembanyama is widely expected to be the first pick barring a monumental surprise. The 7-foot-4 French phenom is possibly the most hyped prospect since LeBron James and maybe even the most hyped in NBA history. He possesses an 8-foot wingspan and has the ability to shoot, handle the rock and block shots. He can basically do it all.
The Spurs have won the 2023 NBA draft lottery and the opportunity to draft Victor Wembanyama ‼️ https://t.co/pEUXLv3lEl
The Spurs know a thing or two about winning draft lotteries as they hit the jackpot in both 1987 and 1997. In '87, they drafted Navy's David Robinson, who became perhaps one of the NBA's top-10 greatest centers of all time. Then in 1997, they took Wake Forest's Tim Duncan, who is argubaly the best power forward we've ever seen.
Gregg Popovich had the luxury of coaching both Hall of Fame big men, guiding the Spurs to a total of five NBA championships. He's still serves as the team's head coach today, meaning he'll get the opportunity to help Wembanyama develop into the next David Robinson/Tim Duncan.
With Wembanyama on board, a trio also featuring Kledon Johnson and Devin Vassell becomes a tantalizing propect for the San Antonio Spurs.
Victor Wembanyama, Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell could change the San Antonio Spurs' fortunes
If Wembanyama does indeed end up in San Antonio, he will immediately become the star of the show. Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell definitely don't have Wembanyama's superstar potential, but they're both immensely talented players nonetheless.
Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson have a chance to be a Tatum/Jaylen-type duo https://t.co/i4aUrFYEF0
This season, Johnson led the San Antonio Spurs in scoring with a career-high 22 points per game. Vassell averaged a career-best 18.5 points per contest although he missed 44 games due to injury. Johnson is one of the league's top catch-and-shoot threats while Vassell has shown the ability to create for himself and is a solid secondary creator for his teammates.
The Spurs finished with a forgettable 22-60 record this season, missing the postseason for the fourth straight season. They had reached the playoffs 22 consecutive years from 1998 to 2019, including 18 straight 50-win seasons and five titles.
Things just haven't gone right for the franchise over the past few years. However, the trio of Victor Wembanyama (age 19), Keldon Johnson (23) and Devin Vassell (22) could eventually turn out to be special and get the San Antonio Spurs back to their winning ways.