San Antonio Spurs: Joe Wieskamp can be Duncan Robinson 2.0

Wieskamp has the edge over Robinson in other areas of his game

While Wieskamp's shooting ability and struggles on defense are remarkably similar to Robinson's, that is where the similarities end between the two players. In terms of both skill and natural ability, Wieskamp has a clear edge in a few key areas of his game.

Unlike Robinson, Wieskamp can make an impact on stat sheets in ways other than shooting the ball well. Most importantly, he's a very good rebounder for his size and position. In his final season with the Hawkeyes, he managed to grab 6.6 boards per game which, for a 6'6" wing, is very impressive. If the Spurs are truly looking to make a shift toward positionless basketball as Brian Wright suggests, this could be a critical skill for Wieskamp to bring to the team.

Even if this was partially due to the nature of Iowa's offense, it's also worth noting that he has potential as a playmaker. For being a player that isn't known as a creator in any sense of the term, averaging 1.7 assists per game is nothing to scoff at. He did particularly well shooting and creating in the pick-and-roll, which is a very useful NBA skill to have in his bag.

Perhaps most importantly, though, Wieskamp's athleticism is still being tremendously underrated. It's been a bit shocking lately to see how many have assessed his athleticism as being mediocre or underwhelming, as that evaluation is simply not true.

At the 2021 NBA Combine, Wieskamp placed in the top 6 out of all participants in lane agility, the three-quarter sprint, and maximum vertical jump. In fact, his maximum vertical jump (42 inches) beat Lonnie Walker's maximum vertical measurement at the 2018 combine (40 inches).

While there were certainly some occasions when Wieskamp struggled with lateral quickness during games in college, it's incorrect to say that he doesn't have the athleticism to become a better defender. He already has a good foundation of power and speed to build off of, and with the proper strength training program, he could certainly learn to become a better and more versatile on-ball defender.

Ultimately, because of these advantages, Wieskamp has a very good chance of eventually becoming a more well-rounded two-way version of Robinson. With the Spurs having one of the better development staffs in the league, the team may have found themselves a draft-night steal once again.