San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup
- Western Southwest
- Stadium
- Frost Bank Center
San Antonio Spurs forward/center Victor Wembanyama has taken the basketball world by storm ever since he declared for the NBA Draft. After showing some of the skills that made him this amazing prospect in Summer League, it provided even more excitement for Spurs fans. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Spurs are going to experiment at the start of the season with slotting him into the power forward position. This means Zach Collins would provide even more size and interior presence alongside the young prospect and allow Wembanyama to play in an array of spots on the offensive end.
San Antonio Spurs guard/forward Malaki Branham is looking to build on a solid rookie campaign and improve further in 2023-24. "I don't want to be the same player I was last year," Branham told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. "I know there is more room to improve." The 20-year-old averaged 10.2 points during his first year in the league, adding 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 23.5 minutes. A significant improvement could come from three-point shooting alone, as Branham hit barely 30 percent from deep in 2022-23 with nearly four attempts per game.
San Antonio Spurs power forward Jeremy Sochan believes the team will take a huge step forward with No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama in the lineup. "I think it's going to be scary," Sochan told Bryan Kalbrosky of For The Win. "Defensively, it's going to be hard to score against us. We are long. We're pesky. Offensively, I'm going to be able to find him, and I think the beautiful thing about it is whoever gets the board, just push it. There is no need to pause after getting the defensive board. The way we want to play is: Whoever gets it, you run. You dribble the ball up. It's going to make everything so much easier. It's going to make it flow more. I think the potential on both sides is endless." The team's overall improvement should also boost the players' productivity. Sochan will be hoping to enjoy a strong sophomore campaign after posting 11.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists last term.
San Antonio Spurs forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili has drawn a lot of praise for his performances at the FIBA World Cup. Playing for Georgia, the 24-year-old has averaged 13.0 points with 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 27.3 minutes. His efforts include a 21-point performance against Luka Doncic and Slovenia. "I believe that he has a great future," Georgia national team head coach Ilias Zouros said at the tournament. "He can do good things. He of course needs to improve some parts of his game, but he's young and I think he can be one of the top players not (just) in Europe, but in the world." Zouros is, of course, a bit biased in his assessment of Mamukelashvili's ability, but the former second-round pick has been playing well at the World Cup and didn't look out of place in the NBA either when Spurs picked him up off waivers last season. Mamukelashvili averaged 10.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in 23.3 minutes, earning himself a new one-year, $2 million deal.
San Antonio Spurs guard Devonte' Graham has been suspended for the first two games of the upcoming 2023-2024 season. Graham will be suspended after pleading guilty to a charge of impaired judgement while driving in North Carolina. The 28-year-old was traded from the Charlotte Hornets to the Spurs last season. He averaged 13.0 points, 4.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds across 20 appearances with San Antonio. The expectation is that Graham will probably fall into a depth role with the Spurs next season. His fantasy value could be inconsistent depending on where he fits into the rotation.
