Spurs' botched draft decision stings more as rival wing shines into stardom

Playoff action in the NBA is heating up, and the San Antonio Spurs are once again watching from home. For a franchise that once seemingly never missed the postseason, the Spurs have now been out of the playoff picture for the last six years in a row.

But as depressing as that statistic may sound, we know that there is hope for the immediate future. San Antonio made a lot of progress in their pursuit of getting back to the playoffs this season, and with Victor Wembanyama at the center of their process, it reasonably won't be long until we see the Spurs' court decorated with "playoffs" stickers once again.

As we ponder the process that got San Antonio to where they are now, it's important to reflect on some of their biggest wins and losses during the last half-decade-plus. Obviously, winning the 2023 draft lottery tops the list when it comes to most important wins.

But one of the Spurs' most costly negatives from this time frame involves the 2021 draft. If you recall, San Antonio had the 12th overall selection in the draft, and they used it to select... Josh Primo.

Alperen Sengun is thriving — after the Spurs passed on him in '21

Of course, if the Spurs' front office could go back in time and re-do this pick, there's a host of other guys they would have taken ahead of Primo, who's currently not in the NBA. Trey Murphy, Tre Mann, Jalen Johnson, Quentin Grimes, Herb Jones, Miles McBride... Well, you get the point. There was a ton of talent in this draft class.

But perhaps the most jarring name that San Antonio could have selected over Primo is Alperen Sengun. The Houston Rockets took him 16th overall, and he's now arguably the best player on the second-seeded team in the Western Conference.

The Rockets have a lot of young talent, but Sengun is likely the best and the most consistent. Every draft class is likely to hold some regret for any team, as there is always a better player available that people don't know about at the time. But for the Spurs in particular, missing out on Sengun really hurts.

Now, maybe if San Antonio takes Sengun in 2021, they don't end up with Wemby in 2023. That's a pretty fair assessment. But let's say they do, can you imagine that frontcourt? The Spurs might already be back in the playoffs with that pairing.

Historically, San Antonio has been great at finding draft steals. But the flip side of swinging on a raw, high-upside prospect is that you're going to end up with a Josh Primo for every Manu Ginobili. Watching the Rockets has to be extra painful for Spurs fans, knowing they could have had Alperen Sengun wearing silver and black.