Spurs Depth Chart 1.0: Analyzing Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes Fits

LAS VEGAS – The Spurs have had an unremarkable summer compared to the rest of the league, but they are displaying a level of under-the-radar efficiency that is historically comparable to that of San Antonio and the franchise.

The majority of their off-season transfers were low-risk, potentially high-return and, most importantly, revolved around the future of Victor Wembanyama – and their rebuild as a whole.

From the moment Wembanyama was drafted No. 1 in 2023, every organizational decision had to be made with the French phenom in mind. The success of San Antonio’s rebuild depends on it. His historic rookie season, in which he was named to an All-Defensive team and earned Rookie of the Year honors, only lends more credibility to that mentality.

Team building is a crucial part of their hoped-for turnaround. One of the most glaring themes of the Spurs’ dismal 22-win season was the lack of quality playmakers and two-way role players around Wembanyama. Signing Stephon Castle from Connecticut with the No. 4 pick last month, adding veteran point guard Chris Paul and trading for NBA champion Harrison Barnes is a step in the right direction — especially because of the added experience.

During their introductory press conferences, both Paul and Barnes spoke about their admiration and respect for the Spurs as a historic franchise. Both players made it clear that they are in San Antonio not just to play for a legendary coach like Gregg Popovich, but also to help the young players around them grow.

Paul is one of the game’s most respected playmakers and brings a tremendous amount of expertise and leadership skills. He’s still a few steps away from the All-Star he once was, but his will to win will provide a needed boost of professionalism in the locker room. The 39-year-old mentioned superstars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Devin Booker as examples of young players he’s spent time with and how that can impact a rising star like Wembanyama. Barnes was an integral part of a franchise that won the NBA Finals and knows what it takes to build something from the ground up.

“For me, there is a connection,” Paul said earlier this week. “What we all have in common is this game and the constant effort to get better.”

As for San Antonio’s rotation — and the 2024-25 projection — that part is unclear. Could a blockbuster transfer be in the cards? Last week, our Tony Jones reported on the availability of Utah Jazz talented big man Lauri Markkanen and the teams that have been in contact about a potential move, including San Antonio. While transfer rumors swirl, one thing is certain: the Spurs are making a notable change in their rebuild, looking for the right mix of veterans around a core that’s better than a 22-60 record.

“We start doing that in training camp,” Paul said. “We all have to come together and make sure we understand our goals and what we’re going to do to help each other achieve them.”

For a roster and team that is currently undergoing a rebuild, nothing should be set in stone at this point other than the development of Wembanyama and Castle being paramount, but I still expect some flexibility in their rotations. Here’s version 1.0 of our Spurs depth chart projection after their early offseason additions.

• We’ll start with Paul, as this is probably the most important addition of the summer, aside from signing Castle. Yes, Paul is 39, his game has slipped in recent years, and he’s not the 20-and-10 wizard he once was. I’m not sure that matters to Paul – or Popovich. Reading between the lines of Paul’s press conference, he wasn’t the happiest player coming off the bench in Golden State (just 18 starts compared to 56 the previous season) and he still wants to compete at a high level. He’s also coming off a season in which he posted the highest assist-to-usage ratio of his career (1.68, 98th percentile) and has historically taken care of the basketball (10.6 turnover ratio per Cleaning the Glass in the 2023-24 season, matching his 2017-18 season in Houston). Paul doesn’t tend to waste possession and with Wembanyama as the franchise’s figurehead, Spurs need a steady hand.

I don’t think we’ll see an on-off effect like we saw with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019-20, for example. His splits over the past three seasons suggest time is slowly catching up. But there’s also context – Paul’s teammates at his last two stops are more experienced and talented than those who will surround him in San Antonio, his need wasn’t as great in Phoenix or Golden State. Still, Paul is a positive presence on the court who will help San Antonio organize in the half of the court whether he has the ball in his hands or not.

• Castle’s first two summer league games have been mostly positive — if you look at the right aspects. I’m not thrilled with the overall shooting efficiency (12-of-33 from the field), but this is basketball in July, so it won’t be perfect. He defends well, uses his athleticism and is active on both ends of the court. It’s also quite a jump from college basketball to the pros, even if this is the watered-down version of the NBA.

“I have to understand the speed and physicality of the game and make my decisions,” Castle said of the adjustments he’s had to make. “In the pre-draft process, you don’t get a lot of live game action, so I have to shake off some of that rust.”

What the Spurs are likely looking for is Castle’s playmaking potential, both as an initiator and as a secondary ball handler. So far, Castle has dished out eight assists on just two turnovers and looks confident with the ball in his hands. He doesn’t have to expect to be San Antonio’s primary playmaker on opening night, Paul’s presence takes some of the pressure off him in that regard. Instead, Castle can approach this season almost like a backup quarterback, learning from Paul and making plays when called upon. You can already tell that his ability to put pressure on defenders will pay off, and he’ll be able to use that pull to free up shots for shooters like Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie and Wembanyama.

• I don’t see Jones being moved to the second team as a demotion. Jones represented the Spurs admirably last season and was by and large their best playmaker (1.62 assist-to-usage ratio, according to Cleaning the Glass), but he’s also not as sure with the ball as Paul (12.3 percent turnover ratio) and should bring control and support to the backup lineup. According to Second Spectrum, San Antonio’s best lineup last season had Jones at the helm (along with Keldon Johnson on the wing), but with the roster looking different, he’s best used as an in-game lineup. The Spurs had a whopping 25.6 plus in net rating, but the sample wasn’t as robust, nearly 600 fewer possessions than their most common group of five (Wembanyama, Jeremy Sochan, Champagnie, Vassell, Tre Jones).

• The biggest debate might be at power forward. I suggest Barnes right now for most of the reasons Paul should start, but there are real questions behind him. Where does Jeremy Sochan fit? Last season, Sochan spent most of his minutes as a shooting guard, but I think he’s better off as a backup forward with his size, physicality and defensive versatility. At either forward position with the personnel San Antonio has now, he wouldn’t be tasked with playmaking duties as much as he was last season, where he struggled. Sochan posted a 0.84 assist-to-usage ratio, coupled with a 14.2 turnover percentage. That places him in the bottom quarter of playmakers/creators. That experiment didn’t work, which is a disservice to Wembanyamas Development. Like Paul, Barnes seems to fit better into the Wembanyama environment offensively.

• Champagnie also played power forward last season, but I think that was more out of necessity and I would like to see him in a toned down Vassell role where he can play off playmakers like Paul, Castle and Jones and still create good space. On paper, San Antonio has a very decent 10-man rotation and it’s not inconceivable that they could win 35 games this season – or even a little more.

• Expect San Antonio’s efficiency in the half (26th according to Cleaning the Glass) to increase with the addition of two more three-point shooters, Paul (37.1% last season on 3.6 attempts) and Barnes (38.7% on 4.7 attempts). Factor in Paul’s potential impact on Vassell and Wembanyama’s shot quality/selection, and there’s healthy optimism that the Spurs, who ranked 28th in three-point shooting, will improve quickly.