Stephen Spillman/Associated Press
Wesley and fellow second-year guard Malaki Branham hit northern California with a different mission in mind than simply serving up Wembanyama dunks.The Spurs will finish their short stay in Sacramento with a game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. It has also lit a fire under members of last year’s draft class to prove themselves worthy to come along for Wemby’s wild ride.“Their attitudes are in the right spot right now,” said assistant coach Matt Neilsen, who is at the helm of the summer Spurs. “They are hungry. They want to get better. You can say all that, but their actions back it up.”
Malaki Branham, laughing with Gregg Popovich last season, is coming off an impressive rookie season in which he averaged 10.2 points.Branham, 20, is coming off an impressive rookie season in which he averaged 10.2 points. Were it not for Sochan’s 11 points-per-game average, Branham would have been the first Spurs rookie to score at a double-digit clip since Tim Duncan in 1997.Branham is confident he can produce more of the same in his second NBA campaign.
Wesley’s summer was spent getting his body right, after his rookie season was sidetracked by an MCL tear suffered in October.