San Antonio Spurs: Tracking Chimezie Metu’s growth in the G League

Although his impact on the regular season of the San Antonio Spurs has been minimal, rookie Chimezie Metu is improving during his time in the G League.

Spectators were mostly unsure of the San Antonio Spurs’ selection of USC forward Chimezie Metu with their second-round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The young Trojan took noticeable advances in each of his three years spent under Andy Enfield in Los Angeles, drawing the interest of San Antonio in the process.

Since being drafted in June of 2018, Metu has worked tirelessly to expand his game while embracing the values of the San Antonio Spurs. It’s no secret that Metu is a raw prospect – his natural athletic ability and array of talents make him a valuable asset in the modern NBA.

There’s no telling just what kind of player he’ll turn out to be and the Spurs development staff is known to put their players in position to succeed. If he makes the right choices and continues working, he’ll have a valuable spot in the franchise’s future.

More from Air Alamo

• Spurs fans show Dejounte Murray support, buy all the New Balance shoes
• Spurs: The Athletic posts conflicting Aldridge rumors minutes apart
• Spurs: Kawhi Leonard ironically complains over lack of “consistency”
• Should the San Antonio Spurs keep Rudy Gay after all?
• San Antonio Spurs should focus on getting draft picks for Aldridge

Through 19 appearances with the Austin Spurs, Metu is averaging 13.9 points on 48.2 percent shooting from the field along with 7.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 blocked shots per game. He’s a consistent rebounder and remains active on both ends of the floor but shot selection has been an issue at times.

Metu was a capable jump shooter in college and has shown signs of improvement in this sense, especially from the mid-range. He is shooting an abysmal 2-of-16 from behind the arc in the G League; nothing an offseason with legendary shooting coach Chip Engelland can’t remedy.

Seven rebounds per game is an admirable average for a power forward but there’s certainly room to improve, especially for a player with his vertical leap and strength. Metu has the physical nature to become a beast on the glass, all it’ll take is some extra commitment and focus by the 21-year-old.

Intelligence is key for a young player coming up in the Spurs locker room. While he’s prone to take a contested mid-range jumper or miss a defensive read, Chimezie Metu is becoming a fine player by putting in the hours necessary and learning from his elders.

He’s a bright young player with all of the tools necessary to make it in the NBA, as seen by his progress with the Austin Spurs this season.