Projected lottery-bound prospect emerges as fascinating partner for Wembanyama

The Spurs have several needs, so they won't be able to take care of everything in the draft, but they can address a couple of major flaws. Their first pick should be spent on a reliable shooter. Someone like Kon Knueppel from Duke or UConn's Liam McNeeley would move the needle for San Antonio in that area. Both players project to be snipers at the next level, and Silver and Black need a Carlos Hathcock.

The next thing they need to address is their backup center position, but the player I have in mind can also play alongside Wemby if need be, and that's Georgia's center Asa Newell. The 6'10" freshman has the skills necessary to address several areas of need for San Antonio, and Brian Wright should do everything possible to snag him, including trading up.

Spurs may need to be aggressive to draft Asa Newell

The pick San Antonio received from Atlanta is not looking like it will end up landing in a spot fans the front office hoped for. It still has value in a stacked draft, though. Current projections see the ATL pick falling somewhere between 14-16, and Newell was selected 12 in the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report. If they're correct, the Spurs would need to move up to grab him.

They shouldn't hesitate to do so unless someone more impactful, like Duke's Khaman Maluach, happens to slide down the draft board for some strange reason. Maluach probably wouldn't play much next to Wembanyama, if at all, but he'd be a fantastic backup for him.

Newell's scouting report reads like a dream come true for Spurs fans. He has all the tools the Silver and Black are looking for. He's not the most efficient outside shooter, but he's a willing shooter, and his form will translate. As long as he puts the work in, he'll evolve his skills in that area.

The freshman Bulldog is an athletic defender with a quick hop ability, allowing him to attack the glass and grab boards on both sides of the ball. SA desperately needs that. He'll need to get in the weight room and put on some muscle, but that's usually the case for young players. He'll naturally get stronger as he grows into his body, and the work put in will get him the necessary strength to dominate the paint.

Even his listed weaknesses fit into the current age of the NBA. They don't really feel like shortcomings unless you were looking to draft him in 2008. One of the concerns stated that he "isn’t always too heavily involved with the offense." That's fine.

The Spurs wouldn't be drafting him as someone to run plays for. He needs to be someone who gets his buckets in the flow of the game, which happens to be his specialty. The strengths written in the report claim that he runs the floor well, sets good screens, scores efficiently, and cuts well off the ball.

It also says that he's a versatile defender, and if you've watched him play or seen his highlights, you'd know these things to be true.

This is the second player San Antonio should be going after in the draft this summer. Newell could be a key piece in building a championship squad. Teams need to have versatility on their rosters more than ever to compete at a high level, and Newell is that type of prospect. Brian Wright should make sure Newell leaves the Barclays Center with a Spurs hat this June.