San Antonio Spurs Season Preview: Sandro Mamukelashvili Gets Another Chance

The San Antonio Spurs have a rich history of bench players becoming fan favorites. Matt Bonner, Patty Mills, Boban Marjanovic, and Jonathon Simmons, to name a few, were all role-players at one point in their career and endeared themselves to the fiercely loyal San Antonio fanbase. In a season and a half with the Spurs, Sandro Mamukelashvili has joined those ranks.

"Mamu" is not an elite player, although he does all the little things to earn playing time. He can get physical down low at 6-11 and 240 pounds, but he plays with a bit more finesse than most backup big men, averaging 1.5 assists per game in limited minutes in the Silver and Black. His ability to put the ball on the floor and his outside shot (career 33.0 percent from deep) allows him to play with other, more traditional bigs, like Charles Bassey.

This summer, the Spurs signed him to a $2.2 million, one-year deal. he is only 25 years old and there is hope within the organization that he can turn into a floor-spacing backup big who adds some versatility to the lineup.

He often makes the most of it when he is given the chance to play significant minutes. In 30 career games logging at least 20 minutes, he has averaged 10.8 points, 7.9 boards, and 2.5 assists. While he is not as solid on the defensive end as Zach Collins or even Bassey, his offensive prowess rivals both of theirs, making him a solid bench piece.

While Mamukelashvili will likely remain on the bench for most of the season, both Bassey and Collins have had injury problems throughout their careers, while Mamu has remained healthy. Should Victor Wembanyama go down short-term, number 54 will likely be called to provide the starting lineup with Wemby-lite versatility, especially on the offensive end.

Related: San Antonio Spurs Season Preview: Sidy Cissoko Needs to Establish a Role

Mamukelashvili dominated the NBA G League in his lone appearance last season, so he has proved that the NBA is the level best suited for his skills. If he can get some minutes, expect him to make the most of them.