Spurs waive Wieskamp to reach roster limit
Romeo Langford, right, survived the final roster cut and will get a longer look after having been acquired from the Celtics in the Derrick White trade.When the Spurs drafted Iowa forward Joe Wieskamp in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft, they did so hoping he would become a sharpshooter along the lines of a Davis Bertans or Duncan Robinson.
But Wieskamp never found his stroke, a failure that prompted the Spurs to waive him Monday to reach the 17-man roster limit ahead of Wednesday’s opener against Charlotte at the AT&T Center. It was no secret that Wieskamp and Romeo Langford were on the bubble after the Spurs completed their preseason schedule last week. In Langford, the Spurs hung onto a 22-year-old shooting guard who entered the league in 2019 as a first-round selection by Boston. Injuries prevented the Spurs from getting a good look at Langford last season after they acquired him in the trade deadline swap that sent Derrick White to the Celtics. “It’s still the worst part of the job,” coach Gregg Popovich said after practice of letting players go. “It never gets easier.” The Spurs selected the 6-foot-7 Wieskamp after he shot 46.2 percent from 3-point range on 5.1 attempts while averaging 14.8 points per game as a junior. Wieskamp averaged just 7 minutes per game over 29 outings with the Spurs as a rookie, shooting just 32.6 percent from beyond the arc. With the Spurs announcing their roster is set for opening night, the contracts of guards Tre Jones and forward Keita Bates-Diop will be fully guaranteed for this season.Popovich indicated Monday his opening night starting lineup will be the same unit he used for the final two preseason games. Guards Jones and Devin Vassel, forwards Keldon Johnson and rookie Jeremy Sochan and center Jakob Poeltl will give the Spurs a versatile, up-tempo group when they take the floor against the Hornets at 7 p.m. “We are energetic, we get up and down,” Vassell said. “Whoever gets the ball on the rebound, besides Jak, we are getting it and going. We can switch a lot one through four.” Guard Josh Richardson also pointed to the unit’s versatility when asked what he likes about the group. “They are very switchable with Devin, Keldon and Jeremy,” Richardson said. “Tre gets into the ball really well and is a good floor general. He’s been getting his confidence up this year. You know what Jakob brings to the table. He’s very solid and steady. I think they will be getting us off to some good starts.” On the injury front, Richardson and forward/center Zach Collins participated in the majority of practice, doing contact work but sitting out the end-of-the-workout scrimmage. Richardson said he will be ready to play Wednesday.The Spurs celebrated Poeltl’s 27th birthday after practice Saturday by singing their usual rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday.” Afterward, Jones talked about how the Spurs expect another strong two-way season from the 7-foot-1 Austrian. “His rim protection — he ranks up in the best in the league last year at protecting the rim,” Jones said when asked what immediately stands out about Poeltl’s play. “He’s always there, contesting shots, blocking shots, making it difficult for guys to finish over him. Really just holding down the paint for us.”But Poeltl is by no means a one-dimensional big man. He finished his fourth season with the Spurs averaging 13.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists - all career highs - and ranked as one of three best offensive rebounders in the league with 3.9 per game.“He’s really easy to play with,” Jones said. “He understands the game. Whatever coverage we are in, it’s easy to be on the same page with him. On the offensive end, he makes really good reads. He’s really smart. He reads the defense really well, so it’s easy to play off of him.” Said Vassell, “He is as solid as they come on both, whether it’s setting screens or protecting the paint. He’s going to be huge for us, a big focal point.”
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