San Antonio Spurs: Can Jeff Pendergraph Crack The Rotation?

Jeff Pendergraph, beginning his two-year, $4 million deal this coming season, has his work cut out for him to become a rotation player for the San Antonio Spurs.

In typical Spurs fashion, they didn’t make any big splashes this summer (though they tried with Andrei Kirilenko) and were content with bringing back the rotation that took them to the NBA Finals. However, Pendergraph was an addition in which the Spurs see real potential.

Firstly, the team brought over Jim Boylen, a former Indiana Pacers assistant coach. Known for working closely with the big men such as Roy Hibbert, his main assignments in San Antonio include Tiago Splitter and Aron Baynes.

However after Pendergraph’s talks of re-signing with the Pacers fell through, the Spurs grabbed him at his deal, presumably with a recommendation by Boylen. Boylen spoke highly of Pendergraph’s high energy and being a great teammate who can play power forward or center in the frontcourt.

Though he didn’t get off the bench a whole lot in Indiana, Pendergraph averaged 3.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10 minutes per game last year. He plays with an above-average IQ and, though in a small sample size, has shown he can shoot the mid-range jumper.

Pendergraph’s work on the defensive end wasn’t bad either last year. His athleticism and a 6’9″, 250-pound frame makes assignments easier on him. He’ll be expected to come in and work hard on the glass, similar to DeJuan Blair, who he is essentially replacing.

That is where the problem lies. Swapping Blair for Pendergraph is an improvement at that spot, but the fact remains that he still sees three big men in front of him in the rotation at least. There are also two others that have more experience than him, which in the Spurs system is very crucial.

The ceiling for Pendergraph is more than likely the fourth big on the depth chart, behind Tim Duncan, Splitter and Boris Diaw. Duncan and Splitter for obvious reasons, and Diaw’s versatility as an intelligent passing big on offense will make it very hard to lower him on the chart.

After the team signed Baynes in January, they may see potential in him as well that will cause a battle between the two for minutes. And when it’s all settled, it’s possible the Spurs settle for a stretch big in Matt Bonner who can go out to the three-point line.

Going by per-minute numbers, Pendergraph shows signs of potential that can pay off big time for the Spurs. If he can translate the high energy that he was known for in Indiana to production in San Antonio, he can find himself being a true contributor on a contending team.

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