Spurs Salt Lake City Summer League schedule
(All games at Vivint Smart Home Arena)
Monday: vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 6 p.m. (NBA TV)
Tuesday: vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 6 p.m. (NBA TV)
Wednesday: vs. Utah Jazz, 8 p.m. (NBA TV)
SAN ANTONIO – It didn’t take the Spurs’ 2019 draft picks long to pick up on the best way to get playing time when your coach is a guy named Gregg Popovich.
After only two days of practice with the Silver and Black’s summer league team, Luka Samanic, Keldon Johnson and Quinndary Weatherspoon already are keenly aware of what Popovich demands from his players every time they step on the court.
“It’s defense, for sure,” Samanic said Friday. “First thing is defense and then offense. If you deserve to play, it’s by defense, especially the young guys.”
Johnson understands what it will take to earn minutes in games.
“You can’t stay on the court if you don’t play defense,” Johnson said.
Although Popovich hasn’t been at the workouts this week, assistant coach Becky Hammon opened the squad’s first practice by addressing the importance of defense and sharing the ball.
“Just create for each other and trust each other,” Johnson said. “If you’re doing that, I think we’ll be straight. As long as we’re sharing the ball, playing defense and talking, communicating, I think we’ll be a pretty good team. Defense and sharing the ball, those are our keys.”
Weatherspoon smiled when he was asked if defense was the point of emphasis at the beginning of the team’s first workout.
“First thing we did was shell drill,” Weatherspoon said, referring to the most basic defensive drill in basketball. “They emphasis defense a lot. They say you play defense, you can stay on the floor. Only thing they really worry about is defense around here, so if you can defend, you’ve got a chance to get minutes.”
Samanic, Johnson and Weatherspoon will play in next week’s Salt Lake City Summer League in Utah, which tips off Monday and ends Wednesday.
Asked how excited he is about playing in the summer league, Samanic said: “Can’t wait, can’t wait.”
Forward Chimezie Metu, a rookie on the 2018-19 team, is on the Spurs’ summer league roster, but will not play after missing practice the last two days following a procedure to have an abscess on his right foot drained. Metu will be re-evaluated in 10 days and could join the team when it plays in the Las Vegas Summer League, scheduled July 5-15.
The Spurs will practice twice Saturday and are scheduled to fly to Salt Lake City on Sunday morning. Blake Ahearn, head coach of San Antonio’s G League affiliate in Austin, will coach the team in Salt Lake City and Hammon will take the reins in Las Vegas.
Ahearn and Hammon spoke highly of the three players the Silver and Black selected in last week’s draft.
“Hopefully they’re with me in Austin a lot (next season),” Ahearn said, smiling. “Make me a better coach.”
Hammon said she thinks Samanic, Johnson and Weatherspoon “have a lot of upside” after watching them in practice this week.
“Luka is like just a raw talent, great athlete, so I’m excited to see what his upside is,” Hammon said. “I think we did great in the draft. I’m excited about the guys we brought in.”
Selected by the Spurs with the No. 19 overall pick, Samanic is a 6-foot-11 power forward from Croatia. Johnson, a 6-6 swingman who played only one season at Kentucky before turning pro, was taken with the No. 29 selection in the first round. Samanic and Johnson are both only 19 years old.
Weatherspoon, a combo guard, played four seasons at Mississippi State before San Antonio drafted him in the second round with the 49th overall pick.
Samanic, who weighs only 210 pounds, light for a power forward by any standard, was asked what he will do to add more weight and bulk.
“Actually, the first day when I came, I started,” he said. “I think the easiest thing is just to put (on) weight on the body. I think it has to be smart, not to lose speed, to gain speed. Again, you have so many players that are not the biggest guys in the league.
“For example, KD (Kevin Durant) is not that big, but he can play. I mean, I don’t want to compare myself to him, but I have time and I’ll just put in work every day.”
Asked if he’s stronger than he looks, Samanic said: “I think so, but it’s also mental.”
Samanic played the 2018-19 season with KK Olimpija, averaging 9.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 19.6 minutes in the Slovenian League.
Johnson was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year, and was one of three Kentucky players selected in the first round. He averaged 13.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 30.7 minutes in all of the Wildcats’ 37 games, helping lead Kentucky to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight. He earned All-SEC second-team honors.
“I’m definitely eager,” Johnson said, when asked about playing in Salt Lake City next week. “I think I’m just ready to go out there and compete, have fun, and just bond with my teammates and enjoy the process.”
Weatherspoon, who completed his career as the No. 3 scorer in school history, was an All-SEC selection in his final three seasons. He earned a spot on the first team as a senior, averaging a career-best 18.5 points to go with 4.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.68 steals.
Johnson and Weatherspoon faced off twice in SEC play last season.
“That’s my guy,” Johnson said. “We’re really cool with each other and we’re having a good time out here. We’re really close with Luka as well.”