Spurs Summer League Observations
Thoughts on Malaki Branham, Dominick Barlow, and More
The San Antonio Spurs shut down Victor Wembanyama for the rest of the summer following his stellar performance in Las Vegas on Sunday, allowing the rest of the Summer League Spurs to step back into the spotlight.
Malaki Branham shined brightest, scoring 29 points on 12-for-20 shooting, including 5-for-6 from deep. The 6-foot-5 second-year player is better than most of his summer league competition, and he was productive, scoring double figures over the final three months of last season. The biggest question is how much room the Spurs give Branham to operate freely as a creator on a healthy roster with direction.
He’s hitting a scorching 47.6 percent from deep on seven attempts per game in the summer league. Only the outdoor Las Vegas air is hotter.
The number is unsustainable, but an improved 3-point shot will go a long way toward minutes and utility in the Spurs’ rotation. He hit 30.2 percent of his 3-point attempts as a rookie, dropping his true shooting percentage into the low 50s on a game that needs to add better 3-point shooting or more free throws to complement his midrange game.
In February, Branham showed how an outside shot unlocked the rest of his game when he averaged a season-best 16.8 points for the month, hitting 38.6 percent from deep and a .587 TS%.
Call it the Danny Green Paradox, but there are players in the summer league with superior shot creation skills to current NBA players who will never sniff an NBA rotation. The issue is their primary creation skills aren’t good enough to lean on against NBA defenses, and their supplementary skills aren’t good enough to do anything off the ball.
Hitting spot-up shots will buy Branham time to cook, and the man can serve up some damn good meals when he heats up.
Branham’s greatest attributes are plus-strength for a guard and excellent balance. He can bounce off defenders like the ragged bobsled in Cool Runnings on drives but maintain his course and use the contact to create space.
People rarely mention balance when discussing athleticism, but it’s a highly underrated skill. Balance connects Chris Paul, Kawhi Leonard, and pre-injuries Brandon Roy as play-at-your-own-pace scorers.
Every dribble Branham takes, he’s in an athletic position, ready to explode in any direction or rise for a jumper.
So, with every dribble, there are countless variables in a defender’s mind. Branham exploits that with hesitations, feints, and initiating contact to free himself. It’s a trait Chris Paul has used to keep himself an effective player well into his late 30s.
Branham has a similar scoring package to the Rockets’ version of Paul, snaking pick and rolls, starting and stopping to get defenders off balance to get to his pull-up jumper.
The style of play bodes well for developing playmaking skills down the road, with multiple layers he can branch out on towards becoming a Sixth Man of the Year candidate if things break right.
Julian Champagnie posted back-to-back off-shooting nights after burning the nets to open summer league. Still, he looks every bit the 3-and-D wing teams need to succeed, with potential for plus skills.
His shot maintains its form under less-than-ideal conditions, whether from a bad pass, strong close-out, or off movement. He also moves the ball well with quick decisions and cuts off the ball well enough, potentially like Danny Green with better finishing ability due to his superior size.
Champagnie’s development would unlock more lineup flexibility for the Spurs, shifting large or small with his ability to guard multiple positions or help in defensive rotations.
Behind Branham, Champagnie, and Wembanyama, Dominick Barlow has been the most impressive Spur.
Barlow is a restricted free agent whose contract is pending, but he’s good enough to earn a spot somewhere, and it should be with the Spurs.
He’s a talented big who falls more on the fluid than explosive athleticism spectrum.
Barlow quickly moves side-to-side for a big, but not powerful going downhill, nor is he a good finisher in traffic. He accentuates his physical tools with a solid handle and soft shooting touch from midrange and floater range.
He’s shown he can create a driving angle off the dribble but isn’t always able to finish over the recovering defender. Since last summer, he has an improved spin move as a counter, bolstered by added muscle.
These qualities, and an intuitive sense for slipping into passing lanes, make Barlow a promising short roll or pressure release valve capable of finishing or connecting plays.
They make Barlow a better switch defender than rim protector, sticking with no. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller and other forwards and guards this summer.
Second-round draft pick Sidy Cissoko looks like he can step in and guard 1 through 4 from Day 1. The moment defenders make contact with him, they lose all momentum, and he moves his feet quickly enough to take that contact without fouling.
He has serious best basketball player on a football team vibes, and I mean that in a good way.
Anyone who has played pick-up basketball against football players knows the hell it can be.
Think of someone with superior strength, athleticism, and just enough skill and bravado to be dangerous to both teams.
Opposing offensive players will be in hell dealing with his defense, and will feel it the next day.
Jrue Holiday is the best current example of this, and Cissoko is a long way off. He can get to spots off the dribble and has decent passing vision with some flare, offering behind-the-back and no-look dishes. But he’s shown no scoring touch, and a career as anything more than a fringe NBA player depends entirely on finding and developing a role in the offensive end.
He’ll probably spend much time in Austin, where I expect Blake Wesley to get some part-time reps.
Wesley is almost like a second shot at developing a Lonnie Walker type. He has a jarring first step and intriguing skills that need time to come together.
The Spurs slow played this summer, allowing a year to evaluate this young core.