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2015 NBA Summer League: Wayne Blackshear Must Seize His Summer Opportunity with the San Antonio Spurs

By James Fitzgerald

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Former Louisville Cardinals’ guard/forward Wayne Blackshear showed a lot of promise when he hit the Louisville campus.

He was a 2011 McDonald’s All-American with talent to spare heading into his freshman campaign.

His 6-foot-5 frame and 7-foot wingspan were things that Rick Pitino felt he could cultivate and mold into a matchup nightmare for opponents.

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But for whatever reason, Blackshear could never really find his groove on the collegiate level.

Though he made a solid contribution in helping the Louisville Cardinals capture the National Championship in 2013, it is not disrespectful in the slightest to say that Wayne Blackshear underachieved in his collegiate career.

He averaged and underwhelming 8.3 points per contest shooting 40.8% from the field and 34.4% from three-point range in his 126 game college experience.

He had his moments playing on the wing for Pitino like his 31-point performance against Cal-State Northridge, or his 28-point outing against Michigan State in Louisville’s Elite Eight loss in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. But those moments were few and far in between.

That is why it was not a surprise that Blackshear was not drafted in the 2015 NBA Draft in either round.

But there is still promise in his potential or the San Antonio Spurs would not have put him on their Summer League Roster.

If people are completely honest with themselves, San Antonio is the kind of place where Blackshear could flourish in spite of what critics would view as an underwhelming college resume.

The Spurs organization sees the same thing that Louisville saw when they recruited him; work-ethic, 6-foot-5, 7- foot wingspan, all tools that if properly harnessed could make a solid contribution in San Antonio’s system.

The Spurs have a way of taking players who people would view as underachievers and maximizing their talents to have them fit within their team structure in order to win championship.

That is one thing no one can say Blackshear is not capable of, he can definitely fit within a championship structure.

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The type of game that Wayne Blackshear brings to the floor and the humility that he goes about his work with are perfect fits for the Spurs way of doing things.

San Antonio has a way of looking like the smartest team in the room, and it is clear that Blackshear’s ability to get to the rim and use his strength to get buckets, knockdown shots from deep in spot-ups, and defend on the wing can help their cause.

It is just up to Wayne Blackshear to put in the work and take advantage of the opportunity in front of him.

The NBA Summer League is a fresh start for him, and he has to seize the moment.

Blackshear’s Summer League journey starts  July 6th thru July 9th when the Spurs take the court for the Utah Summer League which will involve San Antonio, Boston, Philadelphia and Utah.

That four-day event will be the prelude to the 24-team Las Vegas Summer League which will span from July 10th thru July 20th.

Wayne Blackshear has a real opportunity to make a name for himself this summer, and San Antonio is the perfect place for him to land in the end.

It is going to be interesting to watch how he fairs in these upcoming Summer Leagues.

Next: Potential Sleepers Selected in the Second Round

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