Building the Spurs' perfect defensive starting lineup for next season

The San Antonio Spurs are hoping to make another trip to the NBA Finals, with their defense already helping make them title contenders. Next season, they project to be even better on that end of the floor after bolstering their roster.

But what would their perfect starting lineup be if it featured their best defensive players? Building the perfect starting five tailored for defense while also having enough offense to be productive is tricky.

For one, the team's highest-paid player likely wouldn't make the cut. That would mean no De'Aaron Fox, though he was surprisingly good defensively last season.

But would Dylan Harper start in his place in the hypothetical starting five? Next, let's see who would make the cut if the Spurs were picking their starting lineup solely off of defense.

Building the Spurs' perfect defensive starting five for next season

With no Fox in this hypothetical lineup, the most obvious choice is Stephon Castle. After all, he was pretty much the Spurs' de facto point guard last season, and he's already an elite perimeter defender.

Thus, having him start at point guard and defend opposing guards and wings would guarantee that the Silver and Black has no weak links defensively. Shooting guard is much trickier, however, with the two main contenders being Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell. Harper was surprisingly good defensively as a rookie.

Meanwhile, Vassell was great defensively all last season, especially in the postseason, with him making plenty of big plays on that end of the floor. Between the two, I would choose Vassell.

At small forward, Carter Bryant seems to be the obvious choice. He was an above-average wing defender last season, even as a teenage rookie, and that alone is incredibly impressive.

With more seasoning, he could be far better next season and an easy inclusion in a defensive starting five.

Who would round out the Spurs' all-defensive starting five?

As for power forward and center, Julian Champagnie and Victor Wembanyama are the two obvious choices. Champagnie may not be elite on defense, but he is versatile and can capably defend guards, wings, and even some power forwards.

He is also the team's best non-center rebounder, and any great defensive unit must have multiple rebounders. Then, there is obviously Wembanyama, who is far and away the greatest defensive player in the NBA.

Having a starting five consisting of Castle, Vassell, Bryant, Champagnie, and Wembanyama would be a nightmare to score against. They would not only have positional size with a 6'6 point guard, but would also have switchability on the perimeter.

Castle, Vassell, Bryant, and Champagnie are all similarly sized and capable of defending bigger players. Not only that, but they'd have enough spacing around Castle and Wembanyama to thrive offensively.

Ultimately, that may not be the Spurs' starting five for next season. Even still, Castle, Vassell, Bryant, Champagnie, and Wembanyama would be the Silver and Blacks' best possible defensive lineup heading into next season.

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