5 NBA Draft prospects that could help Spurs' abysmal shooting

For the second season in a row, the San Antonio Spurs look to be in prime position to land a top five lottery pick in the NBA Draft. Currently owning the worst record in the Western Conference and third lowest winning percentage in the league as a whole, the numbers will favor San Antonio's pick landing in the top three a year after they drafted Victor Wembanyama first overall.

In their scouting and preparation for draft night, there is little doubt the Spurs are doing their homework on players of one specific variety: sharpshooters. It is painfully obvious that San Antonio is currently one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA.

For the season, they rank 29th in the association in three-point percentage on open threes (no defender within 4-6 feet) as well as 27th out of 30 on wide open threes (no defender for 6+ feet). This is a glaring issue, and one that can be improved upon through drafting high-level shooting talent.

The Spurs currently own four total picks in the 2024 NBA Draft, including their own first-rounder, Charlotte's first, Toronto's first, as well as a 2nd-rounder from the Lakers. With those four selections, there are several worthwhile shooters they can look at drafting.

Reed Sheppard

One option San Antonio can consider that will likely be available with their first-round pick is Reed Sheppard. A lights-out shooter, Sheppard is considered by many to be the best pure shooter in college basketball this season.

Currently knocking down an astounding 51.7% of his shots from beyond the arc, Reed is a lethal threat taking threes both off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot scenarios. Playing the third-most minutes of anyone on the University of Kentucky's roster this season, Sheppard gets the job done as a shooter on a consistent basis.

After losing arguably their most knockdown threat from beyond the arc at the deadline in Doug McDermott, the Spurs could use a guy like Sheppard from the jump. He may not be a day one starter in the NBA, but he will get minutes quickly simply for the the fact he can space the floor with his shooting.