Injuries have revealed that the Spurs are deeper than expected
11/22/2024 06:49 PM
Several big names have missed time for the Spurs, but the absences have provided less heralded players with an opportunity to shine.
The Spurs have not been lucky in the health department to start the season. Victor Wembanyama hurt his knee and has been out for a few games. Devin Vassell missed the first nine games and 12 in total so far, the same number Tre Jones missed with an ankle injury. Jeremy Sochan broke his thumb and is not expected back for a while. We haven't been able to see San Antonio at full strength.
The upside of the injuries to rotation players is that they have freed up minutes for others. The Silver and Black are trying to win and not force-feed playing time to prospects but development remains important and most of the players getting an opportunity have made the most of it so far.
Julian Champagnie was the first to be asked to step up and fill in for Devin Vassell in the starting lineup. The wing was not a stranger to the role, as he played 59 games as a starter last season, but the Spurs brought in veteran Harrison Barnes to take his spot. He got to keep it first because of Vassell's health issues and then because of Sochan's injury and has looked like he belongs. Champagnie is averaging 11 points and five rebounds while shooting 36 percent on a large number of three-point attempts. His defense remains solid, especially when he's not asked to guard quicker guards, and he doesn't turn the ball over much on a team that does. He seems perfectly comfortable in a traditional 3-and-D role while also being opportunistic and efficient at attacking closeouts. Champagnie is shooting 70.6 percent on drives, up from 40.9 last season.
Champagnie's experience in a similar and moderate role makes his improvement not surprising. Few expected Stephon Castle, a member of a draft class that was seemingly correctly pegged as weak, to be as NBA-ready as he's looked once he was slotted into the starting lineup. In seven games as a starter, Castle is averaging 13.8 points and 4.7 assists while shooting 34 percent on over four attempts from beyond the arc. The numbers are not blinding, but Castle's offense was expected to be a major work in progress and appears to be more developed than anticipated. He gets to the line, takes good care of the ball, and has shown a Doncic-like ability to decelerate on drives and use his strength to make up for his lack of an explosive first step. There are rookie moments but he's been good both as a wing and a point guard on both ends.
Those two have made the absences of important players not as damming. Others have not had a big positive impact but have shown individual development. Sandro Mamukelashvili might still be stuck between positions but is much more confident in his shot and remains a good rebounder and relentless cutter. Blake Wesley still only shows intermittent flashes of offensive competence but is an energizer and a dogged defender. Malaki Branham's outside shot has been falling and while he remains a limited player on defense, he's made the occasional play. Charles Bassey has been productive when he's gotten playing time and is quickly becoming a fan favorite by changing games with his activity and highlight plays. None of those players have made a strong case for a rotation spot when the team is at full strength but the guards have shown they are not lost causes and the bigs have proved they can help when needed.
When the Spurs get everyone back, their rotation will likely look similar to what everyone expected it to be before the season and the starting lineup will probably be Chris Paul, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Harrison Barnes and Victor Wembanyama. It's good to know, however, that the coaching staff has options, like keeping one of Castle or Champagnie as a starter or giving Bassey the backup center minutes if his athleticism continues to make an impact. There's enough talent in the first and second units for the team to be competitive even through injuries and a few wildcards in the deep bench that can handle small roles. Having a deeper roster gives San Antonio a level of lineup versatility it lacked during the rebuild.
Some of the players currently wearing Silver and Black will not be there to see the rise to contender status. It's the nature of rebuilds to accumulate and then consolidate young talent and to bring in veterans who can help establish a culture on their way out of the league. The Spurs are keenly aware of this, going by how they've managed their cap and hoarded picks to eventually replace contributors who will continue their careers elsewhere. Getting too attached to non-core players who step up throughout the season might result in heartbreak sooner rather than later.
Even with the long view in mind, the contributions of guys like Champagnie and Bassey should be celebrated even while understanding they might not be here in a few years and it's impossible to see what Stephon Castle is doing in a bigger role as a rookie and not get excited.
Injuries have hindered the Spurs in obvious ways, but they have also revealed unexpected depth and provided opportunities for players to shine. As frustrating as it has been to see some of the biggest names in the injury report, the adversity San Antonio has experienced early in the season could make the team better in the long haul.
