San Antonio Spurs: Grading NBA Draft pick Joe Wieskamp

While news around the San Antonio Spurs is largely focused on the apparently awful 12th overall pick of Alabama guard Joshua Primo, the Spurs did make one quite nice pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. With the 41st pick, the Spurs landed Iowa Hawkeye Joe Wieskamp. 

While Wieskamp was not one of the best players in the Big Ten last season, he was a very solid piece to an overperforming Iowa team. The 6-6 guard (yes, another guard) could actually be a piece on the Spurs roster straight from the opening of the season.

Wieskamp could be the next Patty Mills. He could come off the bench, knock down some shots, and then sit back down. After being picked 41st, not much else is expected from him. 

In over three seasons in college (all of them a starter), Wieskamp averaged 13 points and six rebounds on 41% shooting from deep and 51% shooting on the inside. He can rebound and score from anywhere.

He can shoot off the dribble or after catching a pass and isn’t awful in the post. He doesn’t need the ball to excel, which is good because the Spurs have plenty of on-ball guards. He can also be trusted to find an open man and gives up his own shots, favoring a teammate to get an easier look. 

Unfortunately, Wieskamp is not athletic or quick and struggles to defend. He can rebound just because he’s strong but gets beat off the dribble far too often. He’ll probably need to be paired with Jakob Poeltl to back him up and prevent easy layups. 

I think this is a good pick is because Wieskamp will excel in the Summer League. He could easily grab five boards and put up double-digit points on lights-out shooting. If he does well, he could avoid being sent to Austin and immediately make an impact in San Antonio off the bench.

Will he ever be a solid starter? Probably not, but the 41st pick is for finding role players if you’re lucky. The Spurs did get lucky. Wieskamp meets a need, offers a solution, and doesn’t take away from players who are better than him. In a draft that left Spurs fans feeling forlorn, they got at least one hit. The only downside is his defense, but if he were an elite defender he wouldn’t have been there at 41.

Second Round Pick Grade: Solid A