The Spurs’ offseason moves have a clear theme: make life easier for Victor Wembanyama, then let everybody else feast too. That’s the thread running through the additions of Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr., and it’s also why keeping Julian Champagnie and Harrison Barnes matters so much.
This isn’t just a Wemby-centered plan. It’s an offense built to fit the whole crew.
The frontcourt additions should take some of the burden off the guards, especially on the glass. Last season, there were stretches when one big man was on the floor and the perimeter players had to chip in more than they probably should have.
Sure, it’s fun to watch Stephon Castle rise up and rip a rebound away from a center. But it also makes sense to save some of that energy - and some wear and tear on those explosive knees.
The bigger upgrade may come in the pick game. De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Castle all want to attack the paint, and that gets a lot easier when a screen actually creates separation.
The Spurs were already decent there, finishing 10th in screen assists per game at 8.1. Now they’ve added more muscle to do that work.
Wembanyama can do a lot of things, but setting hard screens has never been one of his calling cards. He put in more work on that during the playoffs, though his slender frame makes it tougher to wall off high-level athletes.
Quaintance and Reed should change that. Quaintance weighed in at 253 pounds, and Reed was about 260.
That’s real size, and it gives the guards more room to turn the corner and put defenses in scramble mode.
Once that happens, the shooting starts to matter even more.
That’s where Champagnie and Barnes come in. Both can stretch the floor, and that spacing opens the lane for the drivers while also giving the offense clean outlets for threes.
It’s the kind of setup that forces defenses into constant tradeoffs. Help inside, and the shooters are waiting.
Stay home, and the paint is open.
For the Spurs, that’s the point. Whether the damage comes from threes or from pounding teams inside, the result is the same.
Winning. They haven’t just made the roster friendlier for Wembanyama.
They’ve put together an offense that can lift all of their playmakers, and with money still to spend and free agency just getting started, they may not be finished yet.
In Other News...
Spurs Suddenly Find Themselves In A Frustrating Knicks Free Agency Fight
The backup-center market has become a small but meaningful subplot for San Antonio as the offseason unfolds. The Spurs are looking for more certainty behind their frontcourt rotation, and Luke Kornet is part of the conversation as the team weighs whether it needs a real upgrade or can lean on younger internal options to handle the job.
New York is in the same search, only with a little more urgency attached to it. The Knicks have a glaring hole behind Karl-Anthony Towns, and the lack of a current backup center on the roster has put them in the same lane as San Antonio, even if the Spurs have more flexibility thanks to a handful of recent draft picks who could step into the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Billy Donovan Just Sent Bulls Fans A Brutal Final Message
Billy Donovans next stop is a long way from the spotlight he occupied in Chicago. After stepping down as Bulls head coach in April, Donovan is heading to San Antonio to join Mitch Johnsons staff, marking a rare return to the assistant ranks for the first time in more than 30 years. It is a notable shift for a veteran coach who has spent most of his career running the show, and it gives the Spurs another experienced voice as they continue building around Johnson.
The move also closes the door on any lingering idea of Donovan resurfacing in Chicago after his departure. He left the Bulls following discussions with ownership and did not return, and now he is stepping into the role previously held by Sean Sweeney on Johnsons staff. For San Antonio, it is a significant addition to the bench. For Bulls fans, it is the final reminder that Donovans chapter there has ended for good. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Still Have One Roster Problem Tobias Harris Didnt Solve
Tobias Harris gave the Spurs the kind of depth and lineup flexibility they wanted when they brought him in, but his arrival did not close every hole on the roster. San Antonio still has work to do in the frontcourt, where Victor Wembanyama is locked in as the starter and the team needs a dependable backup center to help absorb the regular-season load.
Luke Kornets playoff stint made the issue harder to ignore, and the Spurs still have two open roster spots to work with as they sort through the next move. Whether they lean toward a veteran, a younger option or another route entirely, the need is clear: Wembanyama cannot be asked to carry every minute at center, and San Antonio still has to find the right big man to spell him. [Read more 🡒]