It took these players years to win their first ring, and he thinks Wembanyama is on the same path. He believes these great players need to take their time to go through the process, and rookies are no exception.
“When they see us drafting a guy like Victor, everyone knows he’s talented. But it’s not just about talent. Michael Jordan’s first championship came in his seventh year. Niko La Jokic just won his first ring that took him eight years. We have every right to hope that things will move faster with Victor, but you can’t skip stages. Building a team takes time. If it were that simple, there would be a different champion every year. We’ve had the same organization for the past twenty years. Our cycle of success is long, more than thirty years. At some point, you have to start from scratch. “This is where we are today. “
Gregg Popovich
Additionally, he explained his mentality of “experimenting” with the point guard and center/pivot roles with the Spurs. Popovich believes the era of strict and defined roles is over. With the league being more position-flexible right now, Wembanya fits everything he wants from the young big man.
“He plays the pivot at times, and a lot of people look at him that way because he’s the tallest guy on the floor, but now, there’s no such thing as an old-school point guard or pivot. So you can see Victor isolated on the wing, on the wing. Participate in the middle pick-and-roll in the penalty area. Sometimes he will hold the ball in this option, or bring the ball with him after rebounding. “He does everything, which is what I expect from him. “
Gregg Popovich
Why don’t the Spurs bring in veterans to help Wembanya?
The head coach explained that adding a veteran for the sake of adding a veteran would be imprudent. Not only that, he wants to solidify the existing core first before adding more members to the team. This creates the perfect potential for a solid team with the financial freedom to add more members to their roster.
“We didn’t do that for two reasons. First, to ‘nip it in the bud’, i.e. spend money for the sake of spending money and preserve financial wiggle room. Once the structure is established, it will be important to add some free agents. This season with A veteran battle won’t get us a championship. In other words, it’s a waste of money and, more importantly, a waste of time that we would have spent developing other players around Victor. An experienced player would do the trick for him and the others. People slow down the process. But I hope this core can develop together and let Victor grow with them.”
Gregg Popovich
The Spurs are in a very uncomfortable position this season. They are the 15th seed in the West. The only team worse than them was the Detroit Pistons, who luckily ended their losing streak before making NBA history.
Still, Popovich seems to trust the process. Time will only tell if this process works for San Antonio.