San Antonio Spurs: 3 versatile big men the Spurs need to be watching

The San Antonio Spurs can add some skill to their frontcourt this summer

Between their rumored interest in Chicago Bulls big man Lauri Markkanen and speculation over various draft targets, it sounds like the San Antonio Spurs could be making upgrades to their frontcourt this summer. The Spurs have a versatile and dynamic young backcourt, it’s time to get a frontcourt to match.

Before we look at the big men that the San Antonio Spurs should be looking at in this draft class, we should mention the guys they’ve got on their roster today.

Jakob Poeltl has proven that he can flourish as the Spurs starting center and even if he’s not scoring as much as his peers, his elite defense and high-level passing make him a strong starting option. Luka Samanic has shown flashes potential but still hasn’t gotten the playing time he needs to pull it all together. He’s talented, there’s no doubt about that, but that talent alone shouldn’t dissuade San Antonio from adding to their frontcourt.

As for the rest of the members of the frontcourt, Rudy Gay is approaching free agency and seems the least likely of the Spurs veterans to return. Trey Lyles could also be looking for a new destination and for all of the energy and physicality that Drew Eubanks brings, the Spurs still need to add someone more dynamic if they want to take the next step as a team.

Evan Mobley is the perfect big man prospect for the San Antonio Spurs

As it stands today, the San Antonio Spurs’ chances of adding Evan Mobley to their team someplace just between nonexistent and tantalizingly slim. Tankathon currently gives the Spurs an encouraging 2.4 percent chance of landing a pick in the top-three of the 2021 Draft. And long as there’s a chance, no matter how slim, I’m not giving up hope.

The Spurs have a chance of getting into the top three, but even that might not be enough for them to get Mobley. He’s a lock to go in the top-three and, depending on how picks shake out, could go first overall.

As far as young big’s go, Mobley is the most complete prospect we’ve seen come to the NBA since Anthony Davis. That’s not an exaggeration and that’s a fair comparison for just how good Mobley can be. Don’t buy it? Here’s how the two compare per 100 possessions after their freshman seasons.

• Mobley: 28.5 pts, 15.1 reb, 4.2 ast, 5 blks, 1.4 stls, 57.8 FG%, 30% 3P%


• Davis: 26.7 pts, 19.5 reb, 2.4 ast, 8.8 blks, 2.5 stls, 62.3 FG%, 15% 3P%

The highlights of Mobley’s game are clear. He’s an elite shot-blocker, has the agility to stay with faster players out on the perimeter, comes to the NBA with an advanced ability to score inside and with a developing outside game. But one of the aspects of Mobley’s game that I really want to focus on is his advanced feel for the game and his impressive passing ability.

We’ve seen how destructive players like Nikola Jokic can be running the offense from the high post and while Mobley isn’t on that level quite yet he’s got a great touch on his passes already.

Against Arizona State he dished out 7 assists while still bringing down 9 rebounds, scoring 22 points, and sending back 3 shot attempts. He found teammates for easy dump off’s in the paint, on cuts, and even put the ball on the floor to draw the defense in before kicking it out for an easy three.

His playmaking isn’t likely to be the calling card of his game but it shouldn’t be overlooked when we’re talking about what he brings to the table either.

Mobley is probably going to end up wearing another team’s jersey but he’s the easy choice if the Spurs luck into getting a top-three pick.

Next: Kai Jones

The San Antonio Spurs can bring the best out of Kai Jones

Kai Jones and Evan Mobley are similar in that both are hyper-athletic, floor stretching, rim-protecting big men who project to be able to impact the game in a variety of ways. Where they differ is in how prepared they are to play in the NBA today.

Mobley will go through the same growing pains that afflict most young bigs but Jones seems like he would need to spend some time in the G-League before he’s ready to crack the Spurs rotation. The play of Aleksej Pokuševski in Oklahoma City has shown us that most rookies can find success in the NBA if their teams are willing to play them through their mistakes. But the chances of that happening in San Antonio are slim.

In terms of pure athletic potential, Jones might be one of the most unique players in this draft class. He’s an outstanding athlete who seems to relish in flying in from behind defenders for fast-break alley-oops. On defense, he uses his reach and leaping ability to protect the rim but also has the lateral agility to stay in front of guards when he’s switched on to them.

He’s also shown promise as a three-point shooter. After connecting on just 29 percent of his attempts as a freshman, Jones came back and shot 38 percent from behind the arc as a sophomore. A floor-spacing big man is something the Spurs have been looking for for a while now, Jones could finally be the answer.

One of the things that Jones is going to have to spend a lot of time working on is filling out his frame. He can fly out on the court and can elevate with the best of them but as his current weight, he’s going to have a hard time defending NBA big men.

Finally, Jones’s lack of production at the college level is a reason for hesitation. He’s got potential, but he also only started 14 games in his two seasons at Texas and finished his sophomore season averaging 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Drafting for potential is one thing but using a lottery pick on a player with those kinds of averages in his sophomore season is a little worrisome.

Next: Isaiah Jackson

Isaiah Jackson would be a project player for the San Antonio Spurs

Isaiah Jackson is another big man who can impact the game who can impact the game on both ends of the floor. But he’s going to need more time to develop than both Mobley and Jones and doesn’t have as high of a ceiling.

What Jackson would give San Antonio right away is another elite defender to pair with Jakob Poeltl. A tremendous athlete with an intimidating 7-5 wingspan, Jackson has a scary blend of physical gifts that helped him be a real disruptor on the defensive end.

Jackson ranked 12th in the NCAA in total blocks, a feat made even more impressive when you consider that he was only playing around 20 minutes per game. His playing time fluctuated but Jackson made his moments count, blocking 12.7 of opponent two pointers when he was on the floor.

Any team that drafts Jackson will have to have a good plan in place to help grow his offensive game. He’s pretty raw on that end of the floor, his impact has mostly been limited to finishing off easy looks at the rim.

But he has shot 70 percent from the free-throw line and that’s historically been a strong indicator of a player’s ability to develop a jump shot in the NBA. If there is a team that can help bring that out of Jackson it’ll be the Spurs and their proven system of developing young talent in Austin.

Jackson is one of the youngest players in this draft class and it shows. He just turned 19 in January and even though he might physically be able to play in the NBA today it would likely be a while before he ever cracked Gregg Popovich’s rotation.

That would be a good thing though. The Spurs recently started a lineup full of players who had all gone back and forth between San Antonio and Austin at some point in their young careers. They know what they’re doing and it works. If you put Isaiah Jackson into that system I’d bet on him becoming a high-end role player at the very least.

We’ve still got a long way until the 2021 NBA Draft but these young bigs are all players that the San Antonio Spurs should be scouting as part of their draft prep.