Spurs add Blake Wesley with 3rd opening-round pick
The San Antonio Spurs selected Notre Dame guard Blake Wesley with the No. 25 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Wesley entered last season ranked 121st in his recruiting class, going relatively unnoticed before committing to his hometown Fighting Irish. He starred from the jump, leading Notre Dame to its first NCAA Tournament since 2017 and making the All-ACC second team.
The 19-year-old's modest stats don't jump off the page for two main reasons. Notre Dame played at one of the slower paces in college basketball, hampering the number of possessions available to rack up numbers. Wesley also led the conference in usage rate, dropping his shooting percentages based on volume. Still, he consistently demonstrated the raw tools of shot creation, playmaking, and athletic burst.
While Wesley could serve to put on some weight, his size, wingspan, and large hands draw comparisons to a less-developed version of Donovan Mitchell when he entered the league. Much like Mitchell, continued improvement as both a spot-up shooter and an on-ball playmaker would allow his NBA outlook to soar.
Bio
Position: Guard
School: Notre Dame
College experience: Freshman
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 187 lbs
Wingspan: 6-foot-9
Max vertical: 36 inches
Strengths
- Strong ability to get downhill as a driver
- Comfortable and balanced on shots off the dribble
- Size and athleticism to stay in front of talented guards
- Developing vision as a pick-and-roll and drive-and-kick passer
- Aggressive defender who gets his hands in passing lanes
- One of the youngest players in the draft, was a late bloomer
Weaknesses
- Can struggle as a shooter, especially from free-throw line
- Thin frame, can get physically overmatched
- Needs to improve finishing around basket
- Needs to work on value as an off-ball player