Despite the enthralling youth movement happening in San Antonio, the doubters still remain. In a league where the three-point shot is king, the Spurs don’t necessarily have what it takes to keep up. But with youth comes a unique playstyle that will keep them afloat.
The Spurs may not have a breadth of snipers, but what they do have is a bunch of knock-your-socks-off athletes and bubbling young ballers ready to prove the league wrong. The Spurs offense isn’t going to revolve around the success beyond the arc, but it will still serve buckets on a nightly basis. To achieve this feat, the Silver and Black will instill a different kind of offense that the NBA is not ready for.
The Spurs offense will be predicated on speed and intensity
When dissecting the Spurs’ roster, one common trait will stand out: youthfulness. And what do young players like to do? They want to run. From top to bottom, the Spurs roster is ready to get out in transition and out-hustle their opponents.
At the guard position, both De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle love to get after it. Known as the Swipa, Fox has made a name for himself as one of the fastest players in the NBA. Blink your eye, and he will go from one side of the court to the other. With the ball in his hands, the speedster can outrun anyone and make his way to the basket in a hurry.
Next to him, the reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle has proved to be similar to Fox in that way. The shooting guard earned his award by slicing and dicing through his defender and dominating around the rim. As a tandem, the pair will be impossible to slow down and will place a heavy burden on the opponent’s stamina.
Despite his size, Victor Wembanyama has been known to dominate in transition as well. With his skinny, spider-like legs, the big man can out-race anyone simply because his strides are longer than theirs. Alongside his guards, the trio will be a pack of animals running down the court.
Yet it doesn’t stop there. If opponents think they are getting a break when the Spurs turn to the bench, they thought wrong. San Antonio’s rookies, Dylan Harper and Carter Byrant, are two teenagers with superb athleticism. Following along, hopeful Sixth Man of the Year winner, Keldon Johnson, dedicates his game to his ability to get through defenders and attack the rim.
Even though the Spurs won’t be a dominant three-point shooting team, their offense will survive by wearing out their opponent and creating chaos. Much like we saw with the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, their best offense will come from an elite defense. The Spurs will capitalize on turnovers and missed shots to keep their offense thriving. Nonetheless, it will be a blast to watch.
