SAN ANTONIO – CBS Sports recently released its Top 100 NBA player rankings for the start of the 2023-2024 season and some Silver and Black fans may feel snubbed.
The Spurs were deemed to only have two players worthy of inclusion and just one of those players has ever even played in a game in the NBA.
Recommended Videos
Wemby highest ranked Spur
San Antonio Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama was ranked No. 58 on the list, which is the CBS Sports’ staff’s average ranking of the top 100 players in the NBA based on how they are projected to perform in the upcoming season.
Wembanyama, 19, was the first overall pick by the Spurs in this past June’s NBA draft and was one of only two rookies who made the list. No. 3 overall selection Scoot Henderson of Portland came in ranked at No. 97.
The CBS staff wrote that it was difficult to rank Wembamyama since the league has yet to see anything like him.
“His combination of physical tools and tangible skills is unparalleled in basketball history. The only question is how long it will take for him to figure out how to use them on the NBA stage,” the article states.
Vassell only other Spur on list
Spurs guard Devin Vassell also was ranked this year, coming in at No. 82 overall. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard out of Florida State played in 38 games last year, averaged 18.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and shot 38% from deep in an injury-plagued season.
He’s expected by many to play a key role in the Spurs’ future success and is believed to make a big leap in his performance this year.
“Vassell’s diverse shot profile makes him a capable scorer, while his length and anticipation give him the tools to be a strong defender,” the article states.
Interesting omissions on the list from the Spurs roster include the team’s leading scorer from last season, Keldon Johnson, along with promising young forward Jeremy Sochan and big man Zach Collins.
Some former notable Spurs who made the list include former fan favorite and current Boston Celtics guard Derrick White, previous starting point guard and now Atlanta Hawk Dejounte Murray, the much-maligned Chicago Bulls scorer Demar DeRozan and the ever-notorious Kawhi Leonard, who was ranked at No. 15, despite his injury history.
The Top 10 included the usual stars, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Jimmy Butler and Damian Lillard.
Of note, the Lakers’ LeBron James, a household name in rankings such as these, came in at No. 12, which the article says is the lowest he’s been ranked since his rookie year.