San Antonio may not be asking much from Tarris Reed Jr. on paper, but the rookie has a trait that could quietly matter a lot. He’s listed as the team’s third-string center, yet there’s a real chance he ends up playing more than expected this season.
The reason is simple: Reed Jr. brings a physical edge that the Spurs can use. He rebounds hard, finishes through contact, and does the kind of dirty work that can change possessions without drawing much attention. The most valuable piece of that package might be his screen setting.
That matters because San Antonio didn’t have enough of it last season. Luke Kornet was the only player who graded above average in that area, and when he missed 10 games - along with Victor Wembanyama missing 18 - the problem became even more obvious. The Spurs were short on players who could create the kind of separation guards need to operate cleanly.
Wembanyama, for all he gives San Antonio, is not a strong screen setter. Against OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges, he didn’t do enough to free De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper. That left the Spurs without the physical picks needed to make the offense hum.
Reed Jr. won’t be expected to solve everything, and nobody is claiming he would have changed the outcome of that NBA Finals series against the New York Knicks. But he does fill a need the roster clearly has. San Antonio needs more bigs who can lay a hard screen, force defenders into traffic, and open up cleaner looks for the perimeter.
That kind of work has long fit the Spurs’ best offensive versions. Big men who can set real screens help create separation, make defenses react, and open driving lanes for guards. San Antonio has moved away from that some in recent years, but Reed Jr. fits that mold.
He could even find an early role alongside Harper. Harper does not need help getting downhill, but a hard pick from Reed Jr. could give him a better angle against his defender. That can ripple out fast: defenders collapse, shooters get space, and Reed Jr. rolls into the lane with vertical spacing.
It’s a basic skill, but it’s one that can make an offense easier to run. And for a Spurs team that needs more of that kind of help, Reed Jr. should have a small but steady place in the rotation this season.
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Tarris Reed Jr. Faces The Spurs Test That Could Speed Up Everything
Tarris Reed Jr. has made enough of an impression in Spurs training camp to draw praise from De'Aaron Fox, who pointed to Reeds physical readiness and the progress he has already shown. For a young big trying to settle into the NBA, that kind of early notice matters, especially on a roster where every practice rep can come with extra pressure and a little education attached.
The biggest part of that education is the daily work against Victor Wembanyama, and that is hardly a normal introduction for an early-career center. Reed is being asked to absorb the lessons that come from facing one of the leagues toughest defenders day after day, and if he can turn those reps into real growth, it could help accelerate whatever comes next for him in San Antonio. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Just Sent A Clear Message About Julian Champagnie
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San Antonio is still sorting out its broader rotation and the competition around the perimeter figures to stay lively, especially with Harrison Barnes back in the fold and several young guards and wings pushing for minutes. The coaching staff has been tweaked as well, so Champagnies new deal says as much about what the Spurs already trust in him as it does about how much jostling still lies ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Preseason Puts Three Rotation Players Under Real Pressure
The Spurs preseason opens Oct. 8, and it arrives with more than the usual tune-up feel for a team still sorting out its rotation. Keldon Johnson, DeAaron Fox and Harrison Barnes all enter camp with real questions attached to their roles, making these early exhibition games feel more like an audition than a warmup. Johnson is still looking to answer for a stretch that left his standing less secure than it used to be, while Fox is expected to show he can bounce back from a disappointing season.
Barnes, meanwhile, is back on a one-year deal and likely fits as a depth piece unless the season takes a different turn. For San Antonio, that makes the preseason more than a chance to get legs under the roster - it is a first look at how the Spurs want to deploy veterans who could shape the season in different ways. If those roles do not settle quickly, the front office may have more options, and more decisions, than it would prefer this early. [Read more 🡒]