Is it Time for the Spurs to Call Up Devontae Cacok?

While the San Antonio Spurs are getting frequent double-doubles from Jakob Poeltl, Devontae Cacok has been on quite a streak of his own in Austin.

Thursday's game against the Sioux Falls Skyforce marked the power forward's 15th straight double-double in the NBA G League. Cacok had 22 points and 10 boards in the contest after putting up 14 points and 18 the game prior.

The league's Twitter account took notice of his consistency after his most recent effort.

Although most Spurs fans have been monitoring the play of Joshua Primo and, more recently, Zach Collins in Austin, Cacok has been one of the best players in the G League all season. Where he's been shining the most is with high energy around the basket, which has been reminiscent of former Spur Malik Rose at times.

In a loss to the New York Knicks while San Antonio was shorthanded a few weeks ago, Cacok nabbed 10 rebounds and six points in 23 minutes for the Spurs. Considering how much the Spurs seem to fall off when Poeltl is on the bench, they'll need to examine all possible ways to remedy that with the bodies they currently have.

Should the Spurs call up Devontae Cacok soon?

While there's a reason to be excited about what Cacok is currently doing in Austin, there are a few reasons a call-up in the near future probably won't happen. First off, the return of Zach Collins appears to be imminent as he works his way back to NBA action for the first time since 2020.

Collins offers more height (6-11 to 6-7) and thus a more intimidating presence defensively than would Cacok, who is averaging just 0.2 blocks per game through six games. He also has much more NBA experience and has shown he belongs in the league unquestionably while Devontae is still working his way up to that point.

Beyond Collins, it's still way too early to say Jock Landale should be at the end of the rotation despite his recent struggles. Landale has a feel for the game that you can't teach and he should only get better with some seasoning.

Although he's just 6-7 Cacok, should still be a better option off the bench than 6-9 center Drew Eubanks, who has been a disappointment this season with his questionable decisions and poor hands in the paint.

There haven't been rumblings of any teams being interested in Eubanks at the trade deadline, but if San Antonio is able to unload him somehow, Cacok should absolutely take his spot and should already be ahead of him in the rotation as it stands.

While the rotation may be too crowded for Cacok right now, his hard work in Austin should end up paying off for him eventually, even if it isn't with San Antonio. Still, if further injuries or health and safety protocols come back to hit them, they'll have a viable option waiting just a couple of hours away.