Jason Burgos
Could the San Antonio Spurs have a next-gen version of the “Twin Towers” next season? ESPN’s new NBA mock draft opens the door to that possibility.
On Monday night, the Spurs took a big step closer to reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014 when they won Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. With arguably the best player in the NBA today, Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio has a very real chance to win the franchise’s sixth championship next month.
Yet, while the organization has nearly all of its attention on the West Finals they must also look ahead to June’s NBA Draft. Well, when it comes to their selection at 20th overall, ESPN’s Jeremy Woo predicts the Spurs will select Kentucky big man Jayden Quaintance.
Quaintance is a risky pick because he only played four games in his first season with the Wildcats after suffering a serious knee injury, which included a torn ACL. “Though he looked explosive and in good shape at his pro day, several NBA observers in the stands noted that he appeared to be favoring his right leg,” Woo reports.
Can Wembanyama and Quaintance be ‘Twin Towers’ 2.0 for the Spurs?
If he gets a clean bill of health, Woo notes that the 6-foot-10 big man could help form a pretty nasty defensive combo up front with Wembanyama (7-foot-5).
“San Antonio is heavy on perimeter talent and should be considering younger frontcourt depth with this pick. The Spurs have the advantage of being able to effectively pair Victor Wembanyama with nearly any big up front, with his shooting and rim protection enabling a wide range of lineups. Quaintance could create a fearsome defensive pairing here in a best-case scenario.”
– Jeremy Woo
If Quaintance can live up to his potential, which will take some time since he is still only a teenager, he and the French phenom could create a new version of a legendary duo in Spurs history, the “Twin Towers.” That pairing saw Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and David Robinson pair up for three seasons from 2000-2003, make the playoffs every season, and win a championship in year three.
Robinson, 7-foot-1, and Duncan, 6-foot-11, were a dominant front-court duo because of their mix of skills, athleticism, and toughness. Wembanyama and Quaintance are a bit different, but they could be together far longer and evolve into just as dominant a duo on defense.
