The Spurs revamped their roster over the past few months, adding key pieces like De’Aaron Fox and Luke Kornet while also shoring up their depth. The days of rostering players that they couldn’t trust seem behind them, as they parted ways with guys that struggled to crack their rotation in the past. They are taking the next step in their rebuild.
It’s undeniably good to have more proven talent in tow to not only be in a better position in case of injuries but also to create healthy competition for
roles. San Antonio can now throw together all kinds of intriguing lineups. At the same time, there is an issue that comes with it: deserving players might not get as many minutes as they would like, if any at all.
Again, we are not talking about playing time for fringe prospects or veterans. If the Spurs utilize the players they added this summer, someone who was previously providing productive minutes will likely have to sit more than they did before. Let’s take a look at how the rotation could shake out.
The logjam at the guard spots could roll over to the wing
There are 48 minutes to fill at point guard every night. For now, let’s say Fox plays around his career average of 33 minutes a game in his first full season with the Spurs. That leaves 15 minutes available to be split between Harper and Castle. Let’s pencil in Harper for all 15 minutes while Castle slots at the two for 27 minutes a night, the number he got as a rookie. That only leaves 21 minutes to split between Harper and Devin Vassell at shooting guard. Let’s assume Harper gets just five to get him to a total of 20 minutes a game, a reasonable figure. It leaves Vassell with 16 minutes at shooting guard and 15 at small forward, if we want to get him to the 31 he got last season.
So far, this doesn’t appear to be a significant issue, but in the aggregate, it essentially means clearing up the logjam at guard by creating one at the wing, once we delve deeper into the rotation. Even assuming rookie Carter Bryant spends most of his time in Austin and Lindy Waters IV is glued to the bench, can the Spurs get enough playing time for both Keldon Johnson and Julian Champagnie at small forward with Vassell there? It doesn’t seem possible. The 23 minutes available in this projected rotation are plenty for one of them, but would leave the other with scraps.
The simple solution would be to move one of them to the four for some minutes, which is something the coaching staff did last season. But that would be tough to do because…
The Spurs will have a logjam at power forward if they play two-center lineups
San Antonio heads into the season with two very different but useful options as natural power forwards. Harrison Barnes provides indispensable spacing thanks to his reliable outside shooting, while Jeremy Sochan brings physicality and defense to the table. Those two could easily split the 48 minutes slotted for the position between them, leaving no playing time for others. But it might even be hard to find enough minutes for them if the coaching staff decides to play big with Victor Wembanyama getting some minutes at the four, which seems likely after the addition of Luke Kornet
Kornet played with Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis in Boston, and his experience in those configurations was likely part of his appeal in free agency. It’s easy to see him being a part of two-center lineups in San Antonio. Let’s be conservative and say it only happens for seven minutes a game. Splitting 41 minutes between Sochan and Barnes while keeping both happy during respective contract years is doable, but if that number gets any smaller as the Spurs try to squeeze in either Johnson or Champagnie (also on a contract year) consistently, it becomes impossible.
The Spurs’ guard logjam can be mitigated by moving guys up a position, but that potential solution results in a bottleneck at the power forward spot, especially if, at the same time, Wemby moves down a spot for stretches.
Injuries and matchups will open up minutes, but tough decisions are ahead
Injuries are unavoidable and will open up playing time. In an entire season, there are almost 20,000 total minutes available across the five positions. Assuming less than perfect health, there should be floor time for all the deserving rotation guys in the aggregate, even if it isn’t as consistent as they would like.
Still, the Spurs will have to make tough decisions when it comes to their rotation. Spoon-feeding Harper and Castle minutes and playing Wembanyama at power forward in big lineups makes sense, but someone else will see their playing time affected by it if it happens. On paper, it seems like Johnson or Champagnie are the most likely candidates to see their role from past years reduced, but it could be Barnes, Sochan, or even Vassell who end up having to sacrifice, depending on performance and skill set needs.
The Spurs have built a deep, solid roster. The downside is that competent players might struggle to get playing time. Winning will be the key to keeping everyone happy, but don’t be surprised if there’s a midseason trade to consolidate talent, establish a hierarchy, and make everyone’s role clear.
