The 2016-17 season will go down as a big ‘what if’ for the San Antonio Spurs. After defeating the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Playoffs, the Spurs were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
The frustrating part for the Spurs is that they played most of the series without their star Kawhi Leonard. In Game 1, Leonard was injured on a jump shot, as Zaza Pachulia slid underneath him. Leonard came down awkwardly and rolled his ankle. Prior to Leonard getting injured, the Spurs were well in control of Game 1, and that could have been an excellent series.
Now, the Spurs will be back to the drawing board. In recent years, they have done an excellent job transitioning from the Tim Duncan era into the Leonard one. With some talented young players on the team, the Spurs will be adding another one with the 29th pick. Creighton center, Justin Patton, was one of the best players in the Big East Conference, and he would be an excellent addition for the Spurs.
Patton would be able to play alongside LaMarcus Aldridge and give the Spurs a strong front court. As a rookie, Patton should be able to make an impact on the defensive end right away as a good shot blocker. Landing in San Antonio would be a dream scenario for Patton to thrive.