San Antonio Spurs: What can past greats in the Summer League teach us about the future?
The San Antonio Spurs have wrapped up 2019 Summer League play. With overreactions at an all-time high, can the Spurs learn anything from the past greats?
As the old saying goes, the first impression is generally the most imperative. With their Summer League performance officially in the rear view mirror, the San Antonio Spurs now have the opportunity to evaluate their takeaways and see what drives them closer to contention.
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Last week, the Spurs confirmed an 18-man roster to represent the franchise for the exhibition games, with extra eyes particularly focused on their three 2019 draftees as well the players they expect to take the jump to the next level (see Lonnie Walker IV).
The Spurs and their prospects haven’t generated the type of mainstream notoriety that other marquee prospects have.
The Summer League and preseason have routinely become a cause for overreaction — for better or worse — a lesson that lottery picks RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson have already learned all too well.
The Summer League itself was established in 1984, beginning as a Utah-hosted event known as the Rocky Mountain Revue. Since that time, the Spurs have been able to harvest numerous all-time greats.
That being the case, they haven’t always had the most welcoming of starts to their careers. It’s time to look through history, and see how some of the Spurs’ greatest players have fared in the exhibitions, and what could explain, in regards to expectations for this new crop of Spurs.