The San Antonio Spurs were famously known to utilize veterans during the Gregg Popovich era. These days, the team's roster features the likes of LaMarcus Aldrige and DeMar DeRozan who have been with the Spurs since 2015 and 2018, respectively.
Recently, the Spurs also installed a youth movement within the team. Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker IV, and Keldon Johnson have all made their presence felt in the early stages of their young careers. They have also been mixing well while sharing the court alongside Aldridge and DeRozan in recent seasons.
However, according to Cleaning the Glass, via Fivethirthyeight.com, the Spurs are evidently when their young guns are on the court and without Aldridge and DeRozan since the start of the 2019-2020 season. They have accumulated 103 possessions without the veteran duo and have garnered a +31.1 point differential per 100 possessions. Overall, their total point differential accounts for a +32 rating.
The numbers are comparably worse when they share the court with the veterans. They recorded 275 with both Aldridge and DeRozan on the floor and generated a -3.0 point differential per 100 possessions. In totality, their overall point differential produces a measly -8 rating.
So far, the Spurs are having a strong start to the 2020-2021 season. The team is currently riding the momentum of a two-game winning streak and is holding an 8-6 record for the fifth spot in the Western Conference.
They may not serve as serious contenders for the title anytime soon, most especially in a tough conference, but the numbers show that the Spurs have a bright future to look forward to with their young players at the helm in the years to come.
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