High-stakes season for key players will determine much for Brian Wright's legacy

San Antonio is in a weird spot right now. They have a reputation for drafting well and developing guys, but both of those things have been called into question recently, and for good reason. Sure, they knocked the Stephon Castle pick out of the park, but that's not enough to calm the legitimate concern from fans who are looking at Brian Wright's spotty track record.

Spurs Nation has high expectations. That word has been thrown around a lot recently, but what do you expect from a franchise that won as often as they did during the Tim Duncan era? The fans have gotten spoiled, but that's not a bad thing. Not for them, at least. But it does mean that they'll hold the players, coaches, and executives accountable for the jobs they were hired to do.

The Spurs went several years without a standout pick

Brian Wright took over general manager duties from RC Buford in July 2019. They'll share blame for that draft when Luka Samanic and Keldon Johnson were selected in the first round. It wasn't a particularly special draft, though, so there's no need to go overboard with criticism. Although we did discover that Samanic had some maturity issues that didn't align with Spurs culture.

They didn't even waste effort trading him. He was waived. Keldon has been on the team for six years, and the fans can't get rid of him fast enough. The constant complaining about his lack of development has been loud, and most of it is justified.

Devin Vassell was picked the next year (2020), and there were certainly other talented players who could have gone in that spot. Tyrese Haliburton and Desmond Bane were in that class. Bane wasn't projected to be as good as he's turned out to be, but that's why scouts and GMs are there—to have the foresight and make great choices.

Yet Vassell finds himself in a similar boat to KJ. After so much excitement about who he could be, he's now a key piece of several trade proposals. If he's dealt, many fans will be happy about it, unlike when Derrick White was moved. There was a sadness there. Interestingly enough, White is the last pick pre-Wembanyama that was awesome. That was in 2017. (Lonnie Walker was in 2018)

Joshua Primo was selected at the 12 spot in 2021. Enough said. Jeremy Sochan followed him the next season in 2022, and he's lost his starter spot. Everyone is wondering if and hoping that he'll improve his offensive game. If not, he could find himself on the trade block sooner rather than later, as it's hard to find a spot strictly as a defensive specialist these days.

This is a make-or-break season for all of those guys, and if they falter, fans will look at Brian Wright with a side-eye. It's finally winning time, so the heat will be turned up. These players need to perform this year. There won't be any excuses that the fans will accept otherwise.