29. San Antonio Spurs: Anzejs Pasecniks, Gran Canaria
Ultimate Upside Comparison: Kristaps Porzingis
Safe Upside Comparison: Raef Lafrentz
Position: Center
Age: 21 (12/20/1995)
Height & Weight: 7’2″ & 229 pounds
2016-17 Slash Line: .652/.444/.564
2016-17 Season Averages: 15.5 MPG, 7.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.2 ORPG, 0.7 BPG
The San Antonio Spurs need a franchise center who can both anchor the defensive interior and contribute on offense. The player whom the Spurs attempt to build with in this scenario has played and shined alongside Kristaps Porzingis.
An excellent athlete for a player his size, as well as a skilled offensive player with improving defensive value, Anzejs Pasecniks could be a steal.
Pasecniks runs the floor exceptionally well, and has soft hands that enable him to catch passes and keep the ball high for finished above the rim. When he can’t dunk the ball, he displays solid touch both at the rim and from beyond the arc.
A contemporary big man in most senses of the word, that combination of size, athleticism, and shooting range justifiably earns an upside comparison to Porzingis.
A more conservative projection is that Pasecniks will have an impact similar to Raef Lafrentz. He has the size and shooting range to be a matchup nightmare, as well as the ability to alter shots at the rim—but he may gravitate to the 3-point line too often for his own good.
The Spurs may not be inclined to draft a 3-point shooting big man, but Pasecniks is a talent that Gregg Popovich could work his magic with.