San Antonio Spurs: 5 Controversial 2021 NBA Draft picks

Controversial San Antonio Spurs draft prospect #4: Franz Wagner

In the modern NBA, teams can't seem to have enough wing players that provide good defense and three-point shooting. And while Franz Wagner can surely provide both of those things at least adequately for the Spurs, one of our contributors recently went in-depth as to why it would be his playmaking ability that would be the most impactful skill for the team.

Draft analysts seem to recognize that Wagner is quite the "Spursy" player considering his versatile defensive package and sound feel for the game on both ends of the floor. Several mock drafts even dating back to the beginning of the NCAA season had him going to the Spurs in the lottery.

Once again though, seeing his name attached to the Spurs has brought its fair share of controversy since the beginning. What seems to be most divisive about Wagner is his trajectory and ceiling as an NBA player. Based on sheer versatility alone, he's been considered by many to be a sort of Joe Ingles archetype that could serve as the proverbial "glue" that holds a team together.

While I don't necessarily disagree with that assessment, I also see a player that is good at many facets of the game, but not elite. While I think he has the most potential to become elite as a playmaker, it takes a special player for that to happen if they aren't at least a semi-respectable scorer. Because he isn't the best athlete nor shooter at this point, I think it will take time for him to make any significant impact on offense. His defense is by far his saving grace in my mind.