点击查看原文：Checking in on Juan Nuñez, Spurs stashed prospect and Barcelona guard
Checking in on Juan Nuñez, Spurs stashed prospect and Barcelona guard
The former second-rounder could be out for the season due to injury, so let’s look at how he did when he was on the floor.
A guard selected by the Spurs in the 2024 draft might be out for the year. Don’t worry, nothing happened to Stephon Castle. Juan Nuñez, the 36th overall pick San Antonio acquired from the Pacers by swapping second-rounders, has been battling with a knee injury and his coach has said he doesn’t expect him to be back this season.
Nuñez will be reevaluated and could return, so the injury should not be a long-term concern, but since he could be done for the year, this feels like a good moment to check in on the only young stashed prospect the Spurs have.
Who is Juan Nuñez again?
Nuñes is a 20-year-old Spanish point guard. The Spurs selected him with the 36th overall pick of the 2024 NBA draft and he remained in Europe to develop. Initially, there were some rumors that he would make the leap immediately, but once Chris Paul was in the picture, it was clear he was going to stay abroad, playing for European powerhouse Barcelona.
Nuñez has been a known quantity to scouts since he was a teenager and considered one of the best European guard prospects. He grew up playing for Real Madrid before going to the German league to play for Ulm and having a breakout season. Barcelona became interested in him and acquired his rights, not without some controversy. FIBA legend and former Grizzlie Juan Carlos Navarro is in charge of personnel in Barcelona. Nuñez was dating his daughter, leading to some accusations of nepotism by fans. His play in Germany, his youth and his extensive career in the Spanish national teams make the accusation laughable, but it was prevalent for a while, in part because he was a developing prospect on a win-now roster.
How has Nuñez’s season been going?
It’s been up and down, just like Barcelona’s, because of things beyond his control. The plan with Nuñez originally was to bring him along slowly, as his club had more established players like former Spurs Tomas Satoranski and Nicolas Laprovittola along with Kevin Punter and Dario Brizuela at guard. Injuries forced Barcelona’s coach Joan Peñarroya, to lean more on the young guard than it was projected, and Nuñez was up to the challenge, for the most part.
The stats — five points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in around 15 minutes a game in Euroleague matches — are not flashy, but games are shorter in Europe, most teams spread their playing time around and it’s harder to be credited with an assist than it is in the NBA. Barça also runs a lot of its offense through perimeter scorers like Punter and Alex Abrines, so Nuñez is asked to be a caretaker, not a featured creator, a similar role to the one Tre Jones played for the Spurs recently.
Nuñez mainly showcased the same strengths and weaknesses during the season that got him drafted originally. He runs the pick-and-roll as a veteran despite his age and can get an offense into its sets, which is what he’s been asked to do. He doesn’t have the tools to have a great defender but he hasn’t killed Barcelona on that end and he improved as the season went on, just like the team did. He does have good instincts off the ball and always brings the effort. The main concern remains his lateral quickness. Again, the pre-draft assessments seem to still apply.
The problem is that Nuñez’s outside shot has regressed. After connecting on 36 percent of his attempts in Eurocup competition last season, he’s gone down to 27 percent on Euroleague play. In domestic league play, he was bad in Germany and even worse in Spain. He still shoots threes at a decent volume, which is encouraging, but the jumper is just not reliable. He doesn’t have a mid-range game either and his poor free-throw shooting (under 70 percent for his career) offers even more reasons for concern.
Nuñez has shown that his strengths translate to a smaller role against better competition. The issue is that he hasn’t been able to mitigate his biggest weakness.
Should the Spurs bring Nuñez over next offseason?
He’s clearly not ready. Nuñez was supposed to have a relatively pressure-free season as a part of Barcelona’s guard platoon. Injuries to others made it impossible and Nuñez’s own injury might prevent him from finishing his first season playing at the highest level. He’s dealt with more responsibility well, but it feels like keeping him stashed so he can get valuable experience is the right decision.
Beyond not rushing to bring over a player who is younger than anyone currently on the Spurs’ roster except for Stephon Castle, the outside shot is such a big concern that until it stops being a glaring weakness, bringing Nuñez to the NBA doesn’t seem wise. The same applies to his point-of-attack defense, which needs refinement to make up for his less-than-ideal physical tools. Since he’s a second-round pick, there’s no rush to get him on a rookie contract.
Nuñes remains an intriguing prospect, not because he has star potential but because he could be a solid point guard with traditional traits. Every team could use a good passer with a high basketball IQ and Nuñez fits the bill. If the shot comes around, he’ll probably wear Silver and Black at some point.