Patience is a virtue, and few players exemplify it the way big man Chimezie Metu has since being drafted in the second round by the San Antonio Spurs last year. He’s only played a total of 202 minutes in the NBA in contrast with 1174 minutes played across 43-career G-League games.
It’s normal for players in San Antonio’s system to work their way up the rotation by paying dues in Austin, but Metu is nearing a point where he can contribute genuine NBA-caliber skills to the Spurs’ main rotation. As a “tweener,” meaning he’s not a true power forward or center but can play both positions, Metu is a fireball of energy who can bring some spunk to the Spurs’ bench.