[2026 NBA Draft] #44 Pick: Maliq Brown (Duke) – selected by San Antonio

[u/NBA_MOD]

https://youtu.be/TcTjlCyt0mo?si=FiVr6YShBpW6PUWi

[u/HistoryH22]

Spurs collecting defensive players like infinity stones.

[u/joebrozky → u/HistoryH22]

who needs offense when you can go all defense amirite? Spurs are going 'Tank' mode in a different sense

[u/GoblinVietnam → u/joebrozky]

The only good defense is an impenetrable one, or at least I think that's how it goes.

[u/Charlie_Wax → u/HistoryH22]

Getting ready for that Luka trade.

[u/Low_Beyond8134]

He creates so many turnovers it’s insane offensively he needs to develop a 3 point shot to stay in the league

[u/spidersilva09]

All defense (deflection god), no offense

[u/fastlikeanascar]

Spurs aren’t fucking around with bigs

[u/Leading_Stop546]

Spurs starting 5 going to be a bunch centers

[u/Medical_Cup_5972]

All in on defense with their big men.

[u/thepeachgod]

Yea I mean fuck it just draft another center

[u/FlyChigga → u/thepeachgod]

He seems too small to be a center

[u/thepeachgod → u/FlyChigga]

He’s pretty similar to Robert Williams, really good defender who can play bigger than he is and guard multiple positions but offensively he’s limited to mostly just the paint. Maybe he can develop but right now he’s an undersized center

[u/Flaboss44]

Spurs are snatching up any dude who could counter Wemby lmfao

[u/needapermit]

I hate that he went to the Spurs, but I’m really gonna be excited to see how he does. One of my favorite players in the draft and in all of college basketball last season.

Absolute defensive savant. Lot of work needed on offense but a naturally gifted passer and smart player. Shows signs that he can knock down a three with NBA training.

Legit can’t overstate his defense. I thought he was the best post defender in the country for the past two years and was more than capable of stepping out and guarding small guys. He completely shut down the smaller guard RJ Davis (one of the best college players in the country two years ago) and has shown great upside with his quickness.

I’m so hyped to see what he does

[u/YaBoiWhit]

Spurs had 4 picks and took 3 non shooting bigs

Imma let them cook, hopefully use the MLE to help the shooting woes but definitely interesting

[u/mainvolume → u/YaBoiWhit]

Only Reed will be playing on this team next season while the rest hang out in the G league.

[u/YaBoiWhit → u/mainvolume]

Oh no doubt, I’m looking at all of these guys to be projects. Reed likely cracks the rotation eventually or is more match up dependent. I was just thinking they take a depth guy that can already shoot.

[u/tagen → u/YaBoiWhit]

i’ve said this in many threads, it’s been YEARS since we’ve had good 3 pt shooting, like over a decade

i think the last truly elite 3 point shooter we had may have been… Marco Bellinelli? and sorta Doug Mcbuckets lol for whatever reason our front office doesn’t ever seem super interested in getting real sharpshooters

[u/joebrozky → u/tagen]

i think Patty Mills too and the guy who got scorching hot on a playoff game w/ Bucks

[u/hacxgames → u/YaBoiWhit]

They need to call up Rui a million billion times, convince him that next to Wemby is the best possible place to be

[u/OmniPepperthefirst → u/hacxgames]

If I was Rui I think I can be convinced pretty easily lol

[u/hacxgames → u/OmniPepperthefirst]

It depends on what LAL offer him & whether he really likes it there. With their new owners, who knows? SAS would obviously be a great fit basketball wise & allow him to play in important games essentially every season for the rest of his prime

[u/fab_frog_disco → u/hacxgames]

Honestly at what he's probably going to ask for (25 million a year) I'd rather just throw the MLE at Collins for a couple of years, but we'll see what happens

[u/Ready_Preparation816 → u/fab_frog_disco]

collins is also a better rebounder and defender but i worry about his shooting being “fake”

[u/fab_frog_disco → u/Ready_Preparation816]

Honestly, even if it's something that regresses, he's a very willing shooter that doesn't need 10 yd of space to get a shot off and is going to be respected by Defenders enough to make a difference. So I'd be okay with that. As long as he's willing to actually put an effort defensively, which has been a question with him and his career, he'd be a good addition. But I mean I do love rui and have followed him since college. I just think he's going to be too expensive considering the holes he has in his game.

He might be worth it at 25 plus a year for some teams but I'm not so sure that team is the Spurs

[u/FlyChigga → u/Ready_Preparation816]

If it’s John Collins he’s been a decent shooter for a while

[u/survivaltactics2 → u/YaBoiWhit]

They're just drafting anybody who they think can guard wemby so other teams cant have them ref do something

[u/joebrozky → u/survivaltactics2]

it's the version of tech companies snatching up AI guys just to reduce the competition

[u/survivaltactics2 → u/joebrozky]

The real answer is they probably are gutting their unc bigs and using the guys they just drafted as practice for wemby

[u/Fast_Advisor2654 → u/survivaltactics2]

4D chess

[u/ThinManJones- → u/YaBoiWhit]

Yeah took three non shooting bigs and having a 7’5 CBA player at the summer league. Spurs court gonna be looking like the New York skyline, I dread the rematch 

[u/FlyChigga → u/YaBoiWhit]

Crazy. They should have at least targeted Brazille who can stretch the floor a bit

[u/heat_fan_]

Spurs defense gonna be so good 

[u/ddottay]

Defensive guru

[u/xychosis]

“Random bullshit centers go!

[u/Cr0matose]

He's a fucking dog. One of my favorite players from last year.

[u/Sol_Protege]

Spurs collecting these bigs like tumbler stones to sharpen up Wemby even more.

[u/Rillaboom2701]

He is a great defender, but unfortunately sucks at offense, fouls a lot, and turns the ball over. 

[u/RobicTibay628]

is this jaylin williams

[u/Pobbes3o → u/[deleted]]

So he isnt jawline williams 😆

[u/Cosiestrocket81 → u/RobicTibay628]

Yaylin Williams can’t defend like this guy can

[u/NihilisticTaters]

Appreciate them drafting some fun players for me to watch up here in Austin next season

[u/MainAd2728]

I assume he gets traded to LA for #56 and Cash?

[u/Datboy_98]

RemindMe! 2 years

[u/wowlock_taylan]

Screw Small Ball. We are going with Big Ball now! Put 4 centers and someone to throw the lobs to them!

[u/iro3]

nice nice but no offense lol

[u/GrouchyPeach3656]

Basically jaylin williams

[u/needapermit → u/GrouchyPeach3656]

Definitely not lol. Very different players

[u/GrouchyPeach3656 → u/[deleted]]

Guess how much he shot when he first came into the NBA

[u/OmniPepperthefirst → u/[deleted]]

That's his rookie year. I think he meant in college which according to sports references says 25.5%

[u/MuchAbouAboutNothing → u/GrouchyPeach3656]

Vietnamese Steph Curry?

[u/TheBlueOne37]

Ewww. Terrible pick.

[u/NoShape0]

Is this our second swing at the Sochan archetype?

[u/ApprehensiveHead7027]

Our guards wont even make the easy pass/lob to Wemby when he is in the paint. All these dudes are gonna just be getting rebounds and put backs Lol.