The San Antonio Spurs have already shown enough this season to quiet some of the panic that came with an 0-2 start, but their need for more shooting hasn’t gone away. That’s the kind of issue that sticks around until it gets fixed, and for a team that just reached the NBA Finals, it’s hard to ignore what the playoff numbers said.
San Antonio didn’t make a ton of offseason additions, but it did try to patch a few holes, including the signing of veteran sharpshooter Tobias Harris. The problem is that Harris has been slowed before the season even fully gets going.
“Tobias Harris suffered a left calf strain in training camp and is now questionable for the regular season opener on October 20 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, per Spurs. Harris will be reevaluated after the preseason," The Athletic's Jared Weiss wrote.
That leaves the Spurs looking for more help on the perimeter, especially after last year’s playoff run exposed the shooting dip. As Air Alamo’s Jahlil Williams pointed out, San Antonio cleared the first-round hurdle by shooting better than 40% from deep, but the accuracy fell off sharply after that. The next three series came in at 35.8%, 34.1%, and then 33.9% in the NBA Finals, and the result followed that slide.
That’s why Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale sees a trade target in Denver Nuggets wing Cam Johnson, a player who fits the mold of a 3-and-D upgrade for the Spurs.
“Cam Johnson falls into a similar bucket. Murphy has him beat as an athlete (and contract), but Johnson is the more dynamic passer. His foray into 2027 free agency must be a factor, but the Denver Nuggets' financial situation should also make him easier to acquire,” Favale wrote.
For San Antonio, the appeal is straightforward. Johnson would give the Spurs a dependable outside shot and another defender who can hold up on the other end. That’s the kind of addition that would make sense around Victor Wembanyama.
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All of that puts the spotlight back on the matchup everyone wants to see: Nikola Jokic against Victor Wembanyama. Jokic has had the upper hand in their previous meetings, but this feels like the kind of game where Wembanyama can finally have the support around him to make the duel look different, and perhaps shift the tone of that one-on-one history before it becomes another familiar script. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Have A Real Opening In The West But One Big Test Remains
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Still, the Spurs are dealing with their own reality, and it is not one built on easy assumptions. Their starting lineup has changed, and any real surge in the West will have to come from figuring out how this group fits together in the moment, not just from what happens elsewhere. The opening is there, but whether San Antonio can take advantage of it is the part that still needs to be proven. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Bench Struggles Are Raising A Bigger Dylan Harper Debate
Mitch Johnson has made it clear he is not hanging the Spurs bench issues on Luke Kornet alone. After recent criticism of the backup center, the coach pushed the conversation toward the players around him, while Keldon Johnson and Victor Wembanyama also acknowledged the groups defensive challenges and the growing strain on the system when the second unit is on the floor.
Beneath that broader concern is a sharper roster question involving Dylan Harper. His move into the starting lineup has changed the shape of San Antonios rotation, and the bench has not looked as steady since. Harpers efficiency has also shifted from one season to the next, adding another layer to a debate the Spurs are likely to keep revisiting as they try to settle on the right balance. [Read more 🡒]