With the odds of a temperate playoff, the San Antonio Spurs youth can shine

Of the 13 Western Conference teams invited to the NBA bubble, the San Antonio Spurs came in with the group’s second-worst record, 27-36, and had very little chance of making the postseason. It will take a significant run to the 32-33 Memphis Grizzlies to trigger a change and a perfect run from the team that has made the playoffs every season since 1997-98.

The Spurs enter the bubble short of hand and hurt, however, losing LaMarcus Aldridge and Trey Lyles from their front line due to shoulder surgery and an appendectomy respectively. So, the frontcourt is by Jakob Poeltl, Chimezie Metu, Tyler Zeller and stretches four to complete them.

The team was already behind, but now exhausted, the road to seed no. 8 has multiple obstacles. This does not mean that these games have minimal value, however, since San Antonio still has its future to play on.

Over the past four years, Spurs have steadily accumulated young talent through the NBA Draft. This group has merged with veterans and even made itself more pronounced in 2019-2020, especially with the sub-parts record. Injuries will only amplify him now, and falling from the playoff hunt early in the resurrection can further increase the focus on the following players:

Jakob Poeltl

As noted, the injuries hit the Spurs’ front field, probably confusing the assigned minutes compared to what happened before the NBA stopped the season. One of those beneficiaries could be Poeltl, despite his small role in two years with the Spurs – 5.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 16.6 minutes per game.

Although not the new modern game center, by default, Poeltl may receive an increase in minutes. The big 24 year old man potentially sits in line for 20-25 minutes per game and a handful of starts, receiving his best chance of playing a significant time this season.

Poeltl may also become a limited free agent in this low season, playing for at least one valid offer from San Antonio. A promising performance prepares him for this, with the potential for an offer sheet to go elsewhere.

Lonnie Walker IV

Lonnie Walker’s first full season with the lead role hasn’t always made progress, unlike the previous work of Dejounte Murray and Derrick White. He made only five attempts to score in double digits after the calendar changed to 2020, but he averaged over 20 minutes per game in the past eight matchups before shutting down.

As the San Antonio Express-NewsJeff McDonald noted, Walker spent some time alongside Murray and White in a series of guard experiments, possibly due to the injuries mentioned above. It indicates the young future, especially if this is the last stretch of DeMar DeRozan with the team. So regardless of what happened before the season came to an end, choosing the first round of 2018 has a chance to shine alongside its long-term racing buddies.

Keldon Johnson

With the potential for a breakout game if granted, Keldon Johnson is the Spurs roster’s wild card to stand out. The rookie’s first-round pick made just nine NBA appearances before the season stopped, but he appeared in the last four games early and had 21 points in 25 minutes in one of the San Antonio scenes in Orlando.

Meaningless games are opportunities for players lower on the bench to participate, so this briefly expanded role could have been just that. However, if the first seeding games go wrong, the Kentucky product can sneak in for a more stable role, so head coach Gregg Popovich and staff can take another look.