Bol Bol And Victor Wembanyama Would Make A Great Frontcourt For The San Antonio Spurs
With the San Antonio Spurs sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 4-20 record and just recently ending a franchise-worst 18-game losing streak, they are looking to make some changes.
According to Hoops Wire, one player the Spurs have expressed interest in is Phoenix Suns forward Bol Bol.
Last year, Bol played for the Orlando Magic with whom he averaged 9.1 points and 21.5 minutes in the 70 games he played. But since signing with the Suns on an one-year deal worth $2,165,000, he hasn’t seen much of the basketball court. He only played six games while averaging just 0.7 points and 2.5 minutes, both career lows.
If the Spurs do decide to go after Bol, they would likely have to trade Jeremy Sochan. Although his defense isn’t as great as it was last year, Sochan is still a reliable defender who can guard a variety of positions for the Spurs. He only averages 0.7 steals and 0.4 blocks for his career but has a defensive rating of 120.
As for offense, Sochan hasn’t really impressed most in that department. He only averages 10.9 points for his career and isn’t the best jump shooter. He only shoots 27.6% from the 3-point line but he does a decent job in the paint. This season, he averages 6.1 points in the paint and 7.1 last year.
Despite his poor offense, Sochan is also great at keeping the basketball moving. For his career, he averages 4.0 assists per 36 minutes. His unselfish attitude even influenced Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich to place him at the point guard position near the beginning of the season, though it didn’t work to perfection.
Unlike the Suns, the Spurs could take advantage of having Bol on their roster.
If the Spurs acquire Bol via trade, he could automatically be inserted into the starting lineup. With Bol in the five-man lineup, he would be paired with Rookie of the Year candidate Victor Wembanyama. Bol and Wembanyama together would form a lethal defensive frontcourt.
Bol possess the height and wingspan to be an elite shot blocker. He only averages 0.8 blocks for his career but has never been given a fair opporunity. He only played in 129 of the possible 315 games of his career, starting in just 35 of them.
But his college days are a testament to how great he is on defense. While playing at University of Oregon, he averaged 2.7 blocks a game while recording a grand total of 24 in just nine games.
Considering the Spurs are one of the worst defensive teams in the league, a frontcourt of Wembanyama and Bol would help them tremendously.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to Fansided’s “Wiz of Awes”. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson and Instagram @ckenzynelson
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