Why the Spurs shouldn't have "Victor or bust" mentality

As the old saying goes, what if you swing and miss?

The San Antonio Spurs are putting all their eggs in one basket for the 2022-23 NBA season with the hopes of having the best odds in the NBA Draft Lottery to land projected No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama. The 7-2 center from France has been described as a generation-changing player, being compared to Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.

However, even if the Spurs ended up with the worst record in the league by next May, they would not be guaranteed the top pick in the draft. In fact, they would only have a 14 percent shot at best of landing the top spot.

So what if the Silver and Black swing and miss on Wembanyama? Well, luckily for San Antonio, there is a batch of solid picks in next year's draft.

Scoot Henderson

One reason the Spurs shouldn't have a "Victor or bust" mentality is due to someone else that can be seen as a solid franchise-type player. His name is Scoot Henderson and he skipped his senior year of high school to join the NBA G League's Ignite. It might be the best decision he has made.

The 18-year-old is currently projected to be the second overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft behind Wembanyama and experts have compared him to a prime Russell Westbrook or Damian Lillard. That's pretty darn encouraging if you are a team looking to make an impact in the league for years to come. And since the Spurs traded away Dejounte Murray, an explosive point guard would be right up their alley.

Henderson averaged 14 points per game while shooting 43 percent from the field in 11 games during the 2021-22 season. So if the Spurs don't land Wembanyama but can get Scoot at No. 2, they will still be in good shape.

Nick Smith

If somehow the Spurs miss on both Wembanyama and Scoot, they would have another solid player at the No. 3 pick with Nick Smith.

Smith has been compared to Gilbert Arenas and is a guard that can play both ends of the floor, something Spurs fans and coaches have come accustomed to in seasons past. While at Arkansas, Smith has been rated the top shooting guard in the nation by ESPN and he has several other accolades to his name despite not even graduating college yet.

So while the San Antonio Spurs are swinging for the fences with Victor Wembanyama, there are plenty of picks to get the Silver and Black back in title contention in the future.