Thunder series revealing perfect prototype Spurs would love to add to win titles

The Spurs are down the Western Conference Finals 2-1, and that means people are going to begin searching for answers. One of the first places any reasonable analyst would look is the roster, and that's exactly what Ric Bucher did before suggesting San Antonio add a "Jaden McDaniels type wing" to the team.

Well, yes. Jaden McDaniels is 6'9" with a 7'0" wingspan. He's the quintessential three-and-D guy every single team in the NBA would love to have on its roster. The Timberwolves' breakout forward shot 41% from deep in the regular season, and he led his team to victory in the first round against the Denver Nuggets when Anthony Edwards was sidelined with an injury.

Now, I know that Bucher said "type wing," meaning not McDaniels exactly, but someone similar to that. However, there aren't many players with his build. It's what makes him special. I'd also argue that San Antonio is not "small," and the real problem needing to be addressed shows up whenever Victor Wembanyama heads to the bench.

Spurs need a more versatile big to back up Wembanyama

The Spurs don't all of a sudden become a different team by adding a longer wing. They evolve by stemming the bleeding that happens every time the Alien needs to rest. Luke Kornet has been a valuable addition to San Antonio's roster. He'll continue to be that; however, there are three extra bigs on the bench who don't provide any real value on the floor.

Kelly Olynyk, Bismack Biyombo, and Miles Plumlee are holding spots for future players who may actually spend time on the court contributing minutes to the ultimate goal. The Spurs must find a way to stop teams from living in the paint when Wemby sits down, while not losing the versatility a stretch big provides.

Drafting a dynamic center like Henri Veesaar from North Carolina could help with that. Veesaar is 7'0", scores efficiently on the inside, shoots 42% from deep, catches lobs, and defends the rim. Adding him would be a tremendous pickup. Playing two-big lineups would immediately become more enticing, and their combinations could vary. Mitch Johnson would be like a kid in a candy store.

The Spurs only need a small tweak

If there were a team that was going to make the Spurs look small, it was Minnesota. The combination of Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and McDaniels gives them a large and strong presence in their frontcourt. The Silver and Black took them out in six games, and it could have ended sooner had Victor Wembanyama not been ejected in Game 4.

OKC may start two bigs, but the rest of their players aren't very imposing, and San Antonio matches up just fine. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Stephon Castle are the same height. Everyone else, from Jalen Williams and Alex Caruso to Devin Vassell and Dylan Harper, is about the same height. Jaylin Williams is listed at 6'9", but his size has little to do with why he has hurt the Spurs.

If another Jaden McDaniels-type player magically appeared, every team in basketball would line up to get him. But San Antonio doesn't need to chase unicorns when they already have an alien. What they need is a roster capable of surviving the minutes that Victor Wembanyama isn't on the floor.

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