This season, the San Antonio Spurs have used fan-favorite Sandro Mamukelashvili less than they ever have during his tenure with the team, but that hasn't stopped him from having his fair share of memorable moments. Just last week he went viral for scoring 34 points against the New York Knicks in front of his personal friend, Flavor Flav.
Since then, he hasn't seen the same amount of success, but he's been elevated from his garbage-time role and receives some rotational minutes. In the Spurs' most recent 122-96 loss to the Detroit Pistons, Mamukelashvili made three of his four shots from 3-point range and finished with 11 points.
However, his season-long story points to him bringing out the best in some key players.
This season, the Spurs are better on both ends of the court when Mamu plays, although, given that he only plays against weaker competition, that doesn't mean too much.
However, when he shares the court with young guards Stephon Castle and Blake Wesley, the Spurs manage to dominate. This season, the Spurs have a +18.9 points differential per 100 possessions when Castle and Mamukelashvili share the floor. When he and Wesley are together, their point differential sits at +13.8.
Mamu is a deadeye 42.4 percent shooter, and he can space the floor on offense when Wesley and Castle are running the floor. Neither of them is an elite shooting threat yet, so Mamu's skillset allows both of them to play to their strengths.
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His uncanny ability to come off the bench after sitting still for 20 or more minutes and make shots, handle the ball, and find the open man makes him a key bench player, and in his upcoming free agency, the Spurs will have to shell out real money if they want to keep him on the roster.
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This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 10:38 AM.