Carter Bryant's speedy development is about to get a serious jolt

It's February 11th, 2026, and the Spurs are in the early stages of an all-out rout against the Lakers. In the second quarter, they run a beautiful set that gets Devin Vassell cutting to the middle of the paint off a Wemby screen, driving to the rim, and spraying it to Carter Bryant in the left corner as his man leaves to help on the drive.

Bryant drains the jumper, making it his second of three makes from downtown. This wasn't the most box office play of the game, but it was a glorious sight for Spurs fans.

Bryant has already gotten comfortable in the Spurs offense

Bryant scored 16 points in that win against LA, which stands as his current career high. He's largely shown some promising growth on the offensive end through the Spurs' six-game winning streak.

The rookie from the University of Arizona logged three games with at least three 3-pointers made, which is an amazing sign for a first-year guy who was a bit of a project out of the draft due to his rawness on the offensive end.

This offensive growth from Bryant is important for both his individual development and the Spurs' aspirations to stay within that top three out West through the home stretch of the season.

The ability that Bryant has shown as a floor spacer makes him the perfect complementary piece around San Antonio's guard attack. Fox, Castle, and Harper each like to get downhill and create opportunities with their gravity.

For Carter Bryant individually, there is a ton of benefit for a rookie who is forced to develop while still having to contribute towards winning. There's been a theme of this through the last decade or so.

Talented players thrive after playing high-stakes ball early

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander clocked 26 minutes per game for the eighth-seeded Clippers in his rookie year. Jayson Tatum played 30 per game and started in his debut season for a Celtics group that made the Eastern Conference Finals. Surprise, surprise: they became NBA champions and top-five-level players.

This isn't to suggest that Bryant is going to end up at an MVP level in his career like an SGA or a Tatum, but the point still stands. There can be real, tangible results, both short and long term, that come with throwing a young player into the fire.

Whether that's inserting him in the lineup in key moments next to starters or asking him to take tough defensive assignments, the growth potential is massive for a player in Bryant's shoes.

The key for Bryant is his consistency as a shooter. As stated earlier, the spacing that he could provide will be imperative when he shares court time with Spurs guards or others like Keldon Johnson, who create a ton of gravity.

He is trending in the right direction, shooting 44% from distance through the Spurs' six-game winning streak. For a team that's just 22nd in 3PT%, his shooting is going to be key through this home stretch.

His signature offensive strength is his cutting, and the Spurs will also need that in bulk, especially as opposing defenses have elected to throw multiple bodies at Wemby. He's great when it comes to sneaking behind lackadaisical off-ball defenders and getting easy finishes at the basket. We've even seen him have these opportunities playing off of downhill drives from guards.

There is a reason Mitch Johnson has trusted Bryant in the lineup, and he's been proving him right through these last six games. But consistency in his role is going to be key as the Spurs look to stay afloat out West and gain even more momentum as we creep towards the postseason.

It isn't enough for him to just be a rookie getting clock for a playoff team. The Spurs really need his skill set as a complementary piece around their key creators.