Extra Short Shorts, Vol. IV
Trade deadline conjecture, a great head of hair, and a record-breaking prediction.
Keepin’ it brief, like a marathon runner’s running shorts.1
Will Thad Young remain a Spur?
The Spurs have already made two(!!) in-season trades this year, flipping Bryn Forbes for a future second-round pick and Juancho Hernangómez. Earlier this week they turned Hernangómez into another second round pick and Tomáš Satoranský.
I have to admit, my initial reaction was, “ANOTHER F@%&#*$ GUARD?!” even though yes I know Satoranský is an expiring contract and for several reasons, I will most likely not have to watch him play a game in the beloved Fiesta jersey.
So, future second round picks are cool and all, even if it is rare that they turn into key NBA contributors, but what I reallllllly want to know is… will Thaddeus Young still be a Spur when the clock strikes 3 p.m. ET today?
Feel free to blame it on me if he is. After all I did predict that Young would not be traded mid-season back in October.
But, as the astute Tom Petrini pointed out on Twitter, Satoranský is still eligible to be traded again today, and between him and Thad, the expiring contracts could be valuable to a franchise trying to become more liquid this Summer.
Let’s not hold our breaths, this is the San Antonio Spurs we’re talking about. But they’ve made two smart trades already this season, and both trades seemed to signal more moves are on the horizon.
Of course, those moves could be buy-outs, which is perhaps the most likely case.
…If Young is still a Spur tomorrow and you’re mad about any of this, please direct your anger to Tom, and not me. Thanks.2
Zach Collins sightings!
It took until February, but we’ve seen Zach Collins play two games of NBA basketball since I last published an article here. And as it turns out, his hair looks great, even when it’s not perfectly sculpted and seated in the second row of seats on the Spurs sideline.
I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do as he continues to ramp up minutes and get involved in the rotation. And also curious what that means for Keita Bates-Diop, whose usage has been all over the place long before Collins was activated.
In other news, now that Collins is back, perhaps it’s time for a new edition of “Let’s Meet a New Guy” and thank goodness I didn’t decide to do one of those for Hernangómez.
Pop-a-Prediction
Coach Gregg Popovich needs six more wins to break the all-time wins record. If the Spurs go on a six-game win streak beginning with the February 12 date with the Hawks, he’ll break the record against the Heat in Miami on February 27.
I’m going to predict that it happens at home against the Pelicans on March 19, though, in the final game of the seven-game homestand San Antonio will enjoy after playing eight of their next nine games on the road.
Thank you for reading, please be kind to each other out there.
I am running the Berlin marathon this summer, and I’m planning to rock it with some 4” inseam shorts and slightly longer inseam compression shorts. It’s a hot look. Maybe I can convince Dakota Mitchell to hook me up with a Fiesta headband for the occasion…
No hard feelings, Tom.