Mitch Johnson
Mitch Johnson | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Although the San Antonio Spurs have arguably the deepest team in the NBA, depth will only get them so far if they hope to knock off the New York Knicks. Depth could help them get back to the NBA Finals, and the Spurs have plenty of it after revamping their front court over the summer.
The addition of Tobias Harris will give San Antonio another starting option at power forward along with Julian Champagnie. Harris will also push Harrison Barnes down to third in the depth chart.
Barnes showed clear signs of slowing down last season, leading to him being replaced by Champagnie in the starting lineup. Barnes ended up playing much better off the bench, but he doesn't have as much left in the tank as Harris does, though he can still be a useful depth piece.
The Spurs also added Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr., both of whom will replace a trio of unplayable veteran centers. That will do wonders for their frontcourt depth, but for the Spurs to beat the Knicks in an NBA Finals rematch, they'll need their best players to show up.
The Spurs' elite depth will only get them so far in quest to beat the Knicks
The Spurs lost the NBA Finals not due to a lack of depth but because their stars didn't show up. De'Aaron Fox flamed out spectacularly, including a disaster-class Game 4 fourth quarter.
Victor Wembanyama mostly played well during the NBA Finals but had a costly turnover in the final minute of Game 2. He then followed that up with an inexplicable foul that sealed the Spurs' fate.
Wembanyama also ran out of gas in Game 4 and was powerless to stop the Knicks from coming back in Game 5. To be blunt, they needed for Fox and Wembanyama to be better—Fox especially.
The Spurs need their stars to show up when it matters the most
Fox simply needs to be better than he was in the NBA Finals. Yes, he was playing injured, but he wasn't playing at an all-star level during the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Granted, he averaged 18.8points and 5.8 assists against the Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves. However, that is still far below his peak production with the Sacramento Kings. He simply hasn't been the same player, and San Antonio needs to figure out the best way to maximize his strengths.
Having him play more point guard and running more pick and roll with Wembanyama would be a great start. As for Wembanyama, he ran out of gas in Game 4 after playing big minutes in the first three quarters. In Game 5, his scoring dried up, and he wasn't able to get easy baskets when they needed him the most.
That speaks to him needing a go-to shot that he can unleash when the going gets tough to get San Antonio reliable baskets. That, or simply having better stamina, could do wonders for his game.
All told, the Spurs have arguably the deepest team in the NBA. That's all well and good, but if they want to topple the Knicks in an NBA Finals rematch this season, they will need the stars to play like actual stars.
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