San Antonio Spurs projected lineup and rotations heading into 2023-24 season
San Antonio Spurs starting small forward: Keldon Johnson
Keldon Johnson led the Spurs in scoring with 22.0 points per game last season. His days as top scorer are probably over, but it’s impossible to not express optimism about a 23-year-old wing with Johnson’s physical tools and track record of production.
He’s far from perfect — Johnson tends to get overestimated as a defender and he doesn’t provide much as a playmaker for others — but Johnson is a physical driver who can use his broad shoulders to absorb contact on drives to the rim. He has gotten significantly more comfortable as a pull-up shooter and he’s good, not great from 3-point range (32.9 percent) with room to grow.
As Wemby transitions into the role of No. 1 scorer in San Antonio, Johnson should be better positioned to play to his strengths. He’s going to get clean looks on the perimeter and ample opportunities to get downhill against rotating defenses. Jones, Vassell, and Wemby should control most of the playmaking burden, which will allow Johnson to focus on making quick decisions and operating as a play-finisher, where he’s best suited. Tobias Harris is a good point of comparison for Johnson, who ultimately profiles as a better version of that kind of complementary scorer.
Johnson has traditionally been very good on the glass and he should get those numbers back up with less energy expended on scoring. He has the length to be an extremely valuable defender on the wing; hopefully, Wembanyama’s pervasive presence in the paint empowers Johnson to take risks and focus his energy on that side of the ball.
Primary backup small forward: Reggie Bullock
The Spurs acquired Reggie Bullock from the Mavs as a salary dump. It works on pretty much every level. Off the court, Bullock is a great leader to have in a young locker room. On the court, he’s a competitive wing defender with a quick trigger from 3-point range and a career success rate of 38.4 percent. On the financial side, he’s in the last year of his contract worth $10.4 million, making him a useful trade chip.
Others who could receive minutes at small forward: Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Cedi Osman, Malaki Branham
The Spurs have built up quite the reserve of wing depth, to the point where it’s difficult to determine exactly how and where and when Popovich will deploy certain players. That said, Julian Champagnie came on strong toward the end of last season and he was a true shining star in Summer League. He’s a player to monitor, even as the Spurs presumably move away from a full-on tank. His three-year, $9 million contract could turn into a bargain.