Those waiting for Carter Bryant to burst into a bigger role for the Spurs may need to keep waiting. Through San Antonio’s first seven games, the forward has played only 68 minutes, and that kind of workload doesn’t leave much room to find a groove.
The bigger issue is that Bryant hasn’t done enough with the chances he’s gotten. His defense hasn’t matched the lockdown level he showed last season, and while he has been more aggressive on offense - taking open threes and driving into the paint - the results haven’t followed. He’s hitting just 26.7% of his threes, even if the shot itself still looks workable.
For Bryant, the formula is simple: play better in the minutes he gets, and the minutes should follow. If he can’t convince coach Mitch Johnson now, the road only gets tougher once Tobias Harris makes his Spurs debut. Harris would add another forward to the bench mix and make the rotation even tighter for Bryant.
That’s because San Antonio’s current setup already crowds the position. After shifting to a starting group built around four guards and a center, the second unit now includes three forwards in Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie, and Harris. With that kind of traffic ahead of him, Bryant could have a hard time finding consistent run when Harris is back in the fold.
Still, Johnson has kept Bryant in the mix with small but steady minutes, clearly hoping to develop him gradually. Even with the roster at full strength, there should still be openings if Bryant earns them.
The path is there, but it’s narrow. Johnson has also gotten off to a rough start, and if his play doesn’t improve, Mitch Johnson could eventually turn to Bryant instead. That would make sense on paper: Bryant has the tools to be a strong defender and knock down open threes, which is exactly the kind of wing the Spurs need.
Beating out an eight-year veteran won’t be easy, especially while Bryant is still searching for his own rhythm. But the upside is obvious enough.
If he can become a dependable three-and-D wing, he can work his way into a real role. For now, though, he still has to prove it.
In Other News...
Spurs Are Making Fans Wait On Two Key Additions For A Reason
The Spurs have spent the early part of the season waiting on two offseason additions who were supposed to deepen the rotation right away. Tobias Harris is still working back from a calf strain, while Jayden Quaintance remains sidelined as he rehabs a torn meniscus and ACL, leaving San Antonio without two players it expected to lean on as the year got underway.
Mitch Johnson has made the reasoning plain: the team is not interested in rushing either player just to get them back on the floor. Harris is expected to return sooner, but the bigger picture is the same for both, with the Spurs taking a cautious approach and making sure each is fully recovered before he is asked to play meaningful minutes again. [Read more 🡒]
Keldon Johnson Knows One Big Spurs Night Changed Nothing
Keldon Johnsons strong night in the Spurs win over the Jazz gave San Antonio a useful reminder of what he can bring when hes aggressive and engaged. It also fit neatly into the teams broader push to keep building habits, because Johnson made it clear afterward that one good game does not change the bigger picture for him or for the group.
Johnson said his focus stays on improving every day and keeping his effort level high, even with playing time up for grabs around him. For a Spurs team still sorting out roles and looking for consistency, that mindset matters as much as any box-score burst, and Johnson seems determined to keep contributing without letting one encouraging performance turn into a comfort zone. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Still Face One Big Wembanyama Question On Offense
The Spurs have spent this season testing a wrinkle that could matter a lot for Victor Wembanyamas long-term offensive ceiling, even if it has not become the centerpiece of the attack. At times, San Antonio has used him as a playmaker from the top of the 3-point line, a look that hints at how much more he could eventually do with the ball in his hands. For now, though, his role has mostly stayed off-ball, with the focus on stretching the floor, rolling to the basket and using his size to create advantages without always being the one initiating them.
Wembanyama has shown enough passing feel in limited chances to keep the idea alive, but the Spurs are still leaning on their three starting point guards to handle most of the creation. That leaves him in a more familiar job description for the moment: setting screens, drawing extra attention and opening lanes for teammates rather than running the offense himself. It is a useful setup for now, but it also leaves one of the teams most intriguing questions hanging over what the next version of this offense could look like. [Read more 🡒]