With Victor Wembanyma expected to be sidelined for the better part of the next month, it will prove much tougher if the San Antonio Spurs are to remain near the top of the NBA's Western Conference Standings.
Following a couple of key off-season additions and boosted by a good start that has already seen a share of injuries, several members of the Silver and Black have boasted about a deep roster.
Given that Stephon Castle has missed consecutive games with a hip issue and Dylan Harper is working his way back from, like Wemby, a calf strain, the Spurs' talented young core has become more of a necessity than a luxury.
Here are three Spurs positioned to leave a mark in the absence of their generational talent.
Jeremy Sochan
Considered an integral part of the Spurs' core through his first three NBA seasons, Jeremy Sochan has averaged less than 16 minutes per game since a sprained wrist off the heels of a calf strain sidelined him for the team's first six contests. In a limited time, Sochan has put up pedestrian numbers at 6.6 and 2.7 rebounds per outing. And though massive statistics have never been his strong suit, his impact has dwindled.
To give a sense of how able the Spurs think Sochan is, they started Wembanyama's career with the 6-foot-8 natural forward at point guard. Though the “experiment,” as described by former coach Gregg Popovich, didn't work, it's that kind of versatility that could allow Sochan to stand out without their 7-foot-5 center.
The ninth overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, Sochan has played the five in spots before. That's not a necessity with the summer additions of Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk. What could prove essential is that Sochan gets back to the 11 points and six rebounds he's averaged through his career.
Carter Bryant
The Spurs' second first-round pick of 2025 wowed with his knack for tenacious defense and athleticism during the Summer League. Off that, Carter Bryant has since managed to hang around with the big club to start the season.
For years, Spurs first-round picks, even touted ones, spent most of their rookie years with the organization's G League club in Austin. Lately, most of their second-rounders have as well. Bryant has avoided the state's capital thus far and figures to do so for a while, given San Antonio's rash of injuries.
The former Arizona standout has seen action in eight of the Silver and Black's first 13 games, averaging seven minutes per contest. Combine his defensive efforts with an offensive game that's yielding a basket per game, and an uptick from the talented Bryant could contribute to the shorthanded Spurs.
Devin Vasell
The Spurs' second-leading scorer for the better part of the previous three seasons, Vassell is used to a big role offensively. He averaged 19.5 points per game in Wemby's rookie year, 18.5 the season before.
The sixth-year Spur's 13.6 points per outing rank behind Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox, Castle, and Harper. If San Antonio is to continue to run with the best in the West over the next month, a return to the production that the 11th overall draft pick of 2020 has put up will almost certainly prove key.
