The potential legacy of Spurs biggest surprise of the season

Sophomore point guard Blake Wesley's play of late has certainly turned heads. Especially after it initially seemed as though he would be buried on the bench behind several players. Now he is the team's backup point guard, and his future with the Spurs appears bright. At just 20 years old, there are a lot of tools to like, particularly his quickness, which has primarily served him on the defensive end thus far.

His speed helps him keep up with most guards, allowing him to hound his defensive assignment. That has helped the Spurs put more pressure on the ball, and his activity on the defensive end has led to him forcing an impressive number of turnovers in his limited playing time.

Offensively, he is still figuring things out. He isn't much of a shooter at this point, which limits his value on that end, but the flashes are there. He has also shown improved playmaking of late, with his speed helping him get into the paint and find shooters on the perimeter.

What is Blake Wesley's ceiling?

So what is Wesley's future with the Spurs? He has made plenty of progress this season, though the Spurs will almost certainly look to upgrade at point guard this summer. That could mean both drafting a point guard and signing one in free agency. Still, Wesley is sure to have a role and can solidify his position over the second half of the season as the Spurs look to give their youngest players more playing time.

The obvious next step in his development is for him to become more of a shooter. Doing so would allow him to utilize his speed more in the halfcourt. Teams can sag off of him without the ball. While he has done a capable job of using backdoor cuts to take advantage, a non-shooting point guard who's a burgeoning playmaker and defender only has a ceiling as a backup.

Historically, it's been about a 50/50 proposition in regards to the Spurs being able to teach players how to shoot. Dejounte Murray, Kawhi Leonard, and apparently Jeremy Sochan are the success stories, while others, such as Corey Joseph, didn't quite become one during his time with the Spurs.

Overall, Wesley's improvement suggests that he may have a future with the team. However, his development as a shooter will dictate how big of a role he'll have going forward. The most probable outcome is that he will become a serviceable shooter and carve out a role as both the backup point guard and playing alongside another guard, allowing for versatile lineups. That is a valuable NBA player.