San Antonio Spurs last-minute bold predictions for 2024 NBA Draft

06/26/2024 08:51 AM

Predicting what any NBA team will do in the draft often proves tough. Predicting what the San Antonio Spurs will do seems almost impossible. Predicting what the Spurs will do with two top-ten picks in a 2024 NBA Draft field filled with parity and uncertainty near the top is probably futile. All that said, we predict the Black and Silver will select Stephon Castle and Rob Dillingham with the fourth and eighth picks in the first round.

Taking Stephon Castle with their first selection in the 2024 NBA Draft

This won’t surprise most. Just about every reputable mock draft has the Spurs taking Castle at four. There’s good reason.

At 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, Castle features coveted physical measurable characteristics. In an era where length is at a premium, Castle shows it off on the defensive end. And that’s just fine with San Antonio.

In a year that doesn’t feature sure-fire superstars, that doesn’t affect the Spurs as much as other teams selecting at the top. General Manager Brian Wright and Gregg Popovich already have their centerpiece in Victor Wembanyama. And no one needs to remind the Hall of Fame coach about the importance of the defensive end of the court. Guess which squad finished first in the NBA in defense this season? If you guessed the team that hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy last week, you’re correct.

The defending champion Denver Nuggets, who advanced to Game 7 of this year’s second round, came in second followed by fellow Western Conference semifinalist Oklahoma City. A Minnesota Timberwolves unit that reached the West Finals ranked fourth. Heck, the team the Boston Celtics beat in the Finals, the Dallas Mavericks, were sixth defensively league-wide.

Castle’s shooting won’t light the world on fire. At least not right away. But he’s athletic and often got into the lane for the UConn Huskies. The skills are there. His body type and athleticism lend themselves to a bright future – especially considering he’s 19 years old. And for an organization that stresses culture and fit, Castle’s a national champion.

Going with Rob Dillingham with the eighth pick

Unlike Castle, this will surprise some considering all the latest mocks have Rob Dillingham going much later. Limited workouts because of an ankle injury is a reason. Maybe more important, though, is his size. At 6-foot-1, the Kentucky guard doesn’t fit today’s mold of an NBA wing. The Spurs might be willing to overlook that.

Perhaps no player in this year’s soon-to-be rookie field possesses as much of an offensive bag as Dillingham. He can go off the dribble, he can shoot, he can score. Add that their second-best player is a work in progress when it comes to slashing from the wing, and San Antonio would benefit from a consistent threat alongside Devin Vassell and Wembanyama.

As good as Vassell, who was taken 11th overall in 2020, has been, the Spurs haven’t landed any dynamic scorers in their recent lottery opportunities outside of Wemby. Josh Primo is no longer in the Alamo City and Jeremy Sochan’s game is more rounded.

Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham says he's visited a bunch of NBA teams over the past month, but has had a conversation with exactly one NBA coach.

The oldest one.

"From afar, coach (Pop) looks crazy," Dillingham said. "But I love coach. He's more like a soft-spoken dude."

— Mike Finger (@mikefinger) June 25, 2024

While there’s always a possibility, don’t expect the Spurs to trade down in an effort to maximize coming away with Dillingham. They might not be willing to take that chance. Other top prospects in this draft are better passers and creators. Some might have higher upsides overall. All of them are taller. But maybe none are ready to be walking buckets as quickly as Dillingham.

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