Spurs' draft strategy runs the risk of over-extending Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio has to be cautious.
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs | G Fiume/GettyImages

The San Antonio Spurs wound up with fantastic luck yet again this week, as they earned the second overall selection in next month's NBA Draft. They're projected to select Dylan Harper from Rutgers, who's a fairly easy choice at number two. The Spurs are reportedly confident in their ability to run a three-guard lineup with De'Aaron Fox, Harper and Stephon Castle, but there's real questions about how that will pan out for them long-term.

Those three players would obviously be your most valuable pieces not named Victor Wembanyama, so it's definitely an intriguing idea. However, we have to consider the specific implications of trotting out those guys with Wemby on the interior.

When you run with a guard-heavy lineup, one of the biggest things you always have to think about is your interior defenders. Victor may be the best defender on the planet, or at least the best shot-blocker. But it may still be putting a lot on his plate if you're thinking to go with three perimeter-heavy players around him, even if size isn't necessarily a big problem for those guys.

A three-guard setup may not be the best fit next to Wemby

Additionally, let's consider the three-point shooting power and overall offensive gravity Castle, Fox and the rookie Harper would hypothetically bring to the table. In 17 games since arriving in San Antonio, Fox shot just 27% from three-point range, while Castle was not much better at just 28% in his rookie season.

Then with Harper, his 33% shooting stroke from distance in college is going to take time to adjust to the NBA level. So all in all, you don't exactly have Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant roaming around on the perimeter.

My point here being this: Surrounding Wembanyama with average-to-sub-average shooters is probably not the best way to be maximizing his talent on the interior. Victor is going to get his regardless at some level, but why make life harder for him by putting non-shooting threats around him that opponents can sag off of?

Overall, this is something the Spurs will have to be very careful with. Fox, Castle and Harper can be an elite trio, but the downsides of their presence on the floor together at the same time may be too much to overcome.