The Spurs’ crowded wing room may complicate Carter Bryant’s path to steady minutes, but it also hands the second-year forward something just as valuable: a built-in support system.
San Antonio’s offseason haul, headlined by the addition of Tobias Harris, has given the roster a deeper group of wings who can help on both ends. That naturally raises questions about how Bryant fits in after showing real flashes as a rookie, especially with his perimeter defense standing out. But while the rotation battle gets tougher, the learning environment around him gets a whole lot richer.
Harris looks like the ideal veteran to help Bryant sharpen the offensive side of his game. He’s been a double-digit scorer for most of his career and has done it while sharing the floor with stars such as James Harden, Joel Embiid, and Cade Cunningham. That kind of experience matters for a young forward trying to carve out his own lane next to Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, and the rest of San Antonio’s top-end talent.
There’s another layer to Harris’ value, too. He’s long been a steady decision-maker who takes care of the ball and keeps turnovers down. That sort of poise is exactly the kind of detail that can help Bryant when the games get tighter and every possession starts to matter more.
Then there’s the shooting help. If Bryant is looking to level up as a 3-point threat, he’s got Devin Vassell and Harrison Barnes close by.
Both shot 38 percent from deep last season, and both understand how to space the floor and thrive off the attention drawn by others. That’s a useful blueprint for a young wing trying to round out his scoring package.
Bryant, for his part, seems eager to soak it all in. Earlier this week, he talked about what he’s picking up from Vassell.
"If Dev was on any other team in the NBA, he'd be a 20-25 points a night guy, like easily," Bryant said. "Like, he's so skilled and so talented, but the sacrifices that he's [taken] for us to make that next step as a team, I mean, it's been amazing.
So yeah, I mean, I'm just going to keep learning from him, as long as, you know, he's willing to teach me. I'm grateful to learn from him."
That says plenty about where Bryant’s head is at. He’s not only studying how to score, but also how to fit into a winning structure and make the kind of sacrifices Vassell has made.
The Spurs can debate their wing rotation all they want. The bigger story is that Bryant is surrounded by veterans who can help shape him into a more complete player, and maybe an even more dangerous one when the postseason arrives.
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Devin Vassell and the rest of the locker room sound well aware that last seasons success does not buy anything now. The expectations are obvious, but so is the work still required to turn a strong roster into a team that can handle the grind of another long season and another run through the West. For the Spurs, the next step is not about celebrating what happened before. It is about finding out whether the breakthrough can hold up when everyone is aiming at them. [Read more 🡒]