Catastrophe would strike Spurs' hopes down if latest NBA mock draft is right

San Antonio has several needs from shooting to wing defenders and backup bigs, but drafting Carter Bryant with the ninth pick and Noa Essengue with the 14th as predicted in NBA.com's most recent mock draft isn't the way to address them. Both players have something to bring to the table and have the potential to do well in the league, but they aren't the prospects the Spurs should be targeting right now.

The Athletic's Sam Vecenie is a veteran and well-respected journalist, but I believe he missed the mark here. The first thing the Silver and Black should be targeting is shooting. Granted, they couldn't get Kon Knueppel in his iteration because the 76ers took him at six. Knueppel is my favorite pick for SA, but if he isn't available, they should pivot entirely.

Spurs should go after Khaman Maluach and recreate Twin Towers

Carter Bryant has all the talent in the world at the perfect size to dominate games. He's 6'8", 220 pounds, with a 7'0" wingspan. He shoots 37.1% from three, and is athletic with a sudden burst in his leaping ability. Bryant can handle the ball well enough, too. So, with all of these tools, why did he only average 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and one assist?

The answer is likely found in the scouting report on NBADraft.net which states, "Scouts have noted questions about his toughness, effort, and motor in competitive settings … Needs to show he can impact the game even when not scoring … Some scouts have questioned the level of improvement over the past year or two …"

You can help a player with the technical aspects of their game, but you can't coach a player to want it. You can't force them to work hard to reach their potential. They're either motivated or not, and a lack of motivation is enough to disqualify a prospect from a top-10 selection.

There's no other shooter in the range of San Antonio's draft spot worth using that pick on, so go with a different strategy and focus on creating an impenetrable defense. At 7'2", Khaman Maluach could start next to Victor Wembanyama, but he doesn't have to. Vic was taking over eight threes per game last season, and he'll likely continue to work on that part of his game.

That opens up the middle for Maluach to do damage, but he also has a solid shooting form. It's easy to see him becoming a serviceable shooter in his own right. If he comes off the bench, the Spurs sure up the defense of their second unit, which currently has more holes than a beehive. If you start him, the starting lineup becomes the best defensive unit in the league by a country mile.

Spurs should trade their second pick in Vecenie's mock draft

Noa Essengue has been projected to the Spurs in a few different mock drafts, so it's not like Sam is on an island here, but I disagree that he belongs on the Spurs. The 6'9" forward from France has the athleticism to play in the NBA, no doubt, but he's not a shooter, and that issue still needs to be addressed. The Silver and Black can't afford to use both picks on guys who can't hit shots from the beginning.

The hope is for Maluach to evolve into a shooter, but he's not there yet. Essengue shot 29.4% from three for the ratiopharm Ulm in the EuroCup, and in Vecenie's article, he admits that Noa has "real mechanical issues regarding his base and balance that teams think will take a lot of time to work through."

I also noticed that there's no real mention of San Antonio or how he fits with this team in the paragraph that's supposed to explain the pick. That connection is made for just about every other prospect in the lottery of this mock draft.

The Spurs should look to trade the pick instead. Cam Johnson is still a player of interest, and if Brian Wright could entice Brooklyn to trade him using the 14th pick as bait, he shouldn't hesitate. Johnson would add the athletic wing that this roster needs, who can be Harrison Barnes' long-term replacement. He's a sniper from the perimeter, and young enough to stick around for years.

If Wright can't pry Johnson from the Nets, there could be an option to move down in the draft. If done right, the Spurs could move down a few slots out of the lottery, draft Liam McNeeley from UConn, and gain another asset or two in the process. McNeeley doesn't get selected until the 21st pick by Utah in Vecenie's draft, so that gives San Antonio some wiggle room.

McNeeley showcased a lot of ability for the Huskies last season. Wemby and the crew could use his shooting ability, and his skills as a playmaker will be helpful when defenses run him off the three-point line.

There are always other options that we don't see, but I'm sure that they'll be better than drafting these two players. Again, Bryant and Essengue will be good players if they go to the right franchise, but that place isn't in San Antonio, Texas.