San Antonio, three creators around Wembanyama

NBA Finals runners-up in the spring, San Antonio are no longer just looking to support Victor Wembanyama's progress. The Spurs must turn a 62-win team into a lasting title contender. Their decision to pair De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper puts ball-sharing and defensive balance at the heart of the season.

San Antonio come off a regular season of 62–20 and an NBA Finals defeat to New York. That run changes the yardstick. A good stretch of games will no longer be enough to define progress: the Spurs will have to show they can hold their level while answering the adjustments prepared against them. Mitch Johnson has a recognised foundation, but also players whose roles are still evolving.

The challenge is to keep the spontaneity of a young group without relying on energy alone. Against the best defences, the first screen does not always deliver the hoped-for advantage. San Antonio must then find a second action, a switch of sides or a drive to the rim before the possession is reduced to a difficult shot at the end of the shot clock.

Tobias Harris joins the group, as do rookies Jayden Quaintance, Tarris Reed Jr., Maliq Brown and Ja’Kobi Gillespie. Their arrival adds different profiles around the core players. Harris can provide an experienced option at the forward spots; Reed offers an interior option to develop. Depth will only be useful, however, if everyone knows the situations in which they are expected to step in.

Billy Donovan joins the staff as lead assistant, bringing his experience to Mitch Johnson. Several players can initiate the offence, which gives the coaching staff a significant coordination task. The turnover also affects depth: Bismack Biyombo, Kelly Olynyk, Mason Plumlee and Lindy Waters III are no longer in the squad. The main movement remains internal, though: Harper may be given more responsibility and Castle must confirm the progress of his second season. A return to the Finals will not be prepared with new names alone, but with better use of the group already in place.

As of 18 October, the projected starting five is Fox, Castle, Harper, Vassell and Wembanyama. The decision to play the three creators together was announced by Mitch Johnson for the opener; the lineup presented here remains a projection based on availability, and may change before the game. It replaces the earlier assumption of Harper consistently coming off the bench as sixth man.

Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes and Luke Kornet are the relief options. Tobias Harris remains one to watch and Jayden Quaintance is listed as unavailable at the cut-off point used. Kornet or Reed can allow a bigger lineup. The bench therefore does not just serve to rest the starters: it can change the size, the rim presence and the defensive responsibilities of a sequence.

With Wembanyama as the only big man in the projected starting five, the perimeter players must help on the boards and close off the driving lanes. Good initial defence can lose its value if it concedes a second chance. The Spurs will also have to avoid asking the Frenchman to fix every lapse: his influence is more useful when he can step in from a stable collective structure.

The other test concerns outside shooting. If defenders can tighten up without being punished, the three creators will see less room to drive and feed the centre. The right indicator will not simply be one night's percentage, but the ability to produce open attempts and to keep moving after a pass. Talent offers several ways in; ball movement has to connect them.

The Spurs will host Oklahoma City on Wednesday 21 October at 02:30 Brazzaville time, which is Tuesday evening in Texas. The opener will give the three-creator starting five its first test: quality of spacing, protection of the defensive glass and solutions when the first move is blocked. The schedule and the match sheet below will allow readers to track availability as tip-off approaches.