The San Antonia Spurs finished 13th in the Western Conference last season with a 34-48 record, missing the NBA Playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. Their 34 wins matched their highest total since 2021, with 34 wins being their largest total since 2019. With Victor Wembanyama shut down the rest of the season, the San Antonio Spurs have been looking forward to a new slate for quite some time.
With injuries delaying the progression of this young roster, it'll be promising to see franchise cornerstones return as point guard De'Aaron Fox and center Victor Wembanyama will be back in action. We've already gotten a taste of the defensive impact Wembanyama has on the floor, coupled with the explosive offense we've seen from De'Aaron Fox his whole career. With a true one-two punch at the helm of this young roster, the sky should be the limit for the Spurs if they can properly build around this core.
Howevers, roster spots are constantly fluctuating and there's a solid chance one of the current starting players could be at-risk of losing their starting job. We'll take a look at each position and see which is most in danger.
Spurs' starting rotation
The projected San Antonio Spurs depth chart is as follows:
PG: De'Aaron Fox – Jordan McLaughlin
SG: Stephon Castle – Dylan Harper
SF: Devin Vassell – Keldon Johnson
PF: Harrison Barnes – Jeremy Sochan
C: Victor Wembanyama – Luke Kornet
Key Notes: Right off the bat, we can assume that both De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama will be safe in their starting positions to begin the season. De'Aaron Fox has consistently been one of the top point guards in the Western Conference over the last few year, so it'll be exciting to see how is performance can elevate a much younger roster. Victor Wembanyama is already shaping up to be the generational talent we all thought he could be, looking to take this team to new heights as he continues to grow his skill set. Strengthening their insurance policies at those positions will only help their depth overall.
The same can also be said of Devin Vassell, whos consistent play has earned him a starting spot. Keldon Johnson poses a minor threat to the starting role, but he's been far more inconsistent with his performances, averaging 12.7 PPG to Vassell's 16.3 PPG. While Keldon Johnson has been slightly more accurate (48.2%) than Vassell (44.3%), Vassell has shown a much greater ability to create his own shot and play within the flow of the offense.
Finally, Stephon Castle will be safe in terms of his starting spot as well. While Dylan Harper stands as the Spurs' No. 2 overall pick, he's dealing with a recent surgery to his thumb and his status for the opener could still be shaky. Furthermore, they already have the reigning “Rookie of the Year” right in front of them, so there would be no reason to stray away from Castle considering what he's already done, as opposed to what Harper can do.
Harrison Barnes vs. Jeremy Sochan
This brings us to the final positional battle, Harrison Barnes and Jeremy Sochan at power forward. Both players basically boast the same physical attributes, with Barnes serving as the tested veteran opposite of Sochan, the athletic, swiss-army player for the Spurs. At one point, Jeremy Sochan was serving as the starting point guard for this team, but his inconsistencies on the floor got the best of him. Harrison Barnes, on the other hand, has managed to be a model of consistency throughout his NBA career and will serve as yet another veteran voice in this locker room.
Still, Jeremy Sochan's 11.4 PPG is right there with Barnes' 12.3 PPG and he does far more from a rebounding perspective with 6.5 RPG to Barnes' 3.8 RPG. Sochan is the better passer, given his previous experience running point for this offense, but his development will be a matter of locking-in and taking his game to the next level. Sochan is a far better prospect than he's shown up to this point and I think the Spurs' coaching staff is hoping to motivate him to take the next leap with his game.
While it may take the first few games of the season, I expect Jeremy Sochan to see an increased role given the elevation of this team as a potential contender this year. Sportsbooks are giving the San Antonio Spurs a -108 line to finish with at least 45 wins this season, so expect staunch improvements from this club as they continue to rebuild. Ultimately, the sky is the limit but the Spurs will have to remain consistent and healthy to reach their full potential.
