The Spurs may be sitting on something that could turn late-game possessions into a nightmare for opponents.
San Antonio already has one of the deepest, most skilled rosters in the NBA heading into next season, which gives the team plenty of ways to finish games. But the combination that stands out most in the clutch is De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, Carter Bryant, and Victor Wembanyama. That five-man group, according to Databallr, didn’t play a single minute together last season.
There’s already some evidence that part of this idea can work. Fox, Harper, Castle, and Wembanyama shared the floor at times last season, and those stretches flashed real promise and upside. Add in the growth those players can make plus a veteran forward like Tobias Harris, and San Antonio has the look of a team that could be very hard to outplay when the game tightens up.
The three-guard look is where things get especially interesting. Fox, Harper, and Castle all bring ball-handling and downhill pressure, and that creates a problem for defenses trying to stop them at the same time. There’s no easy way to sit on one threat when all three can put the ball on the floor and get into the paint.
For that lineup to reach its full ceiling, though, the shot-making has to come along. If those slashers can also punish teams off the catch, the spacing changes completely. Defenders won’t be able to sag off the perimeter to clog driving lanes, which would open cleaner paths to the rim.
And if opponents do manage to cut off the drives and force the ball back out, San Antonio’s guards still have a way to make teams pay. Their speed allows them to attack closeouts, and that can quickly turn into trouble for rotating defenses. When every player in the group can threaten the rim and hit threes, the options for the defense start disappearing fast.
The upside isn’t limited to offense, either. Wembanyama gives this lineup a massive anchor on the interior, and there’s reason to think he could be even more effective next season when switching out onto quicker perimeter players. Tobias Harris doesn’t bring All-Defense credentials, but he does offer experience and solid team defense, along with the size to handle multiple positions at 6'8" with a 6'11" wingspan.
The backcourt trio also has some real defensive intrigue. Castle is already elite against primary scoring options, Harper has shown some promise as a stopper, and Fox is serviceable on that end as well.
If each player keeps progressing and does his part this offseason, the Spurs could have a clutch lineup that overwhelms opponents on both ends. That matters for a team whose biggest issue in the NBA Finals was finishing games.
In Other News...
Julian Champagnie May Be More Important To The Spurs Than Fans Realize
Julian Champagnie spent last season looking like the kind of complementary forward every good roster needs, the sort who doesnt always grab headlines but keeps lineups balanced when hes on the floor. His overall impact showed up in the Spurs on/off numbers, and that kind of quiet value matters on a team still sorting out which role players can reliably fit around its young core. He has already shown he can handle that supporting job effectively, which is part of why he keeps coming up as someone the Spurs may need more than casual observers realize.
The next step is less about flash and more about tightening the edges of his game. Better shooting consistency, more physical play and stronger rebounding would make his minutes even harder to take away, especially with his fit alongside the teams key pieces already pointing in the right direction. If those pieces fall into place, Champagnie could move from useful to indispensable, which is exactly the kind of leap that can quietly reshape a rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Stephon Castle Is Earning Praise For What Could Set Him Apart
Stephon Castles second NBA season gave the Spurs more evidence that his value goes well beyond the box score. He finished the year averaging 16.7 points and 7.4 assists, but the attention around him has increasingly centered on what he can do on the other end, where his defensive versatility has already started to separate him from a lot of young guards.
Castles trainer, Olin Simplis, has been among the loudest voices pointing to that side of his game, praising his ability to handle multiple positions and turn defense into a calling card. It is the kind of trait that can make a player stand out in a league filled with scorers, and it helps explain why some around the Spurs see a different kind of ceiling for Castle even as comparisons to bigger-name wings continue to swirl. [Read more 🡒]
Carter Bryant Has One Big Step Left In Spurs Core Build
Carter Bryants early run with the Spurs has already given the organization something it values deeply: a young wing who can make life hard on opposing scorers. His defensive profile has stood out from the start, giving San Antonio reason to believe it has another long, versatile piece to work with as the roster keeps taking shape around its next core.
The bigger question is how far Bryant can go on the other end. His development as a three-point shooter and a more reliable scorer will go a long way toward determining whether he becomes a useful stopper or a true two-way difference-maker, and for a Spurs team still building toward title-level expectations, that kind of offensive jump could end up being the final piece they are waiting on. [Read more 🡒]