Harper, Castle, and Fox must absolutely adore Spurs' offseason mindset

When looking at the moves the Spurs have made in the offseason so far, they've clearly continued to build around their 7'4" superstar, Victor Wembanyama. Adding frontcourt depth through the draft with Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. directly benefits Wemby for several reasons discussed ad nauseam.

Securing Julian Champagnie and Harrison Barnes keeps the floor spaced for The Alien to do immeasurable damage to the opponents' psyches because they're generally helpless when he has room to work. But their three-headed monster will appreciate these moves just the same. This supporting cast plays to their strengths just as much as they do Wembanyama's.

The Spurs brought in guys to do the dirty work

Because there was usually one big man on the floor at a time, the guards were forced to help on the boards a little more than they should. It's always cool to watch someone like Stephon Castle leap into the air and snatch the rock away from the opposing center. But I'd much rather have him save some of that energy and, quite frankly, reduce some of the wear-and-tear on his ever-so-explosive knees.

More rebounding is just one benefit, but it's nothing compared to what a Quaintance or Reed screen will provide. De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Castle all thrive when they can get into the paint, and it's made easier when they can shed their man with a good screen. The Spurs did fine scoring off of picks last year—they were 10th in screen assists per game (8.1).

Wembanyama has many strengths; setting screens is not one of them. He worked harder on them during the playoffs, but his slender frame makes it more difficult to block off these high-level athletes. That won't be a problem for the rookies. Quaintance weighed in at 253 pounds and Reed at about 260.

That's plenty of mass to put between the guards and their defenders. The more space created off a screen, the more defenses have to help until their guy can get back into position, if he can at all. It puts the opposition in an even more compromising position where they're forced to make decisions when rotating. Theoretically, they should empower the offense to be more dynamic.

Now, re-enter the shooters.

The spacing makes it all work for the Spurs

We know what Champ and HB bring. They space the floor so guys can dominate inside and provide outlets to cash in on opportunistic three-pointers. That benefits them just as much as it does Wemby. Opponents will be forced to constantly pick their poison, and with a team as unselfish as this one, it won't matter what they choose.

Whether death by 1,000 threes or domination in the paint, the results will be the same. Winning. Because the Spurs haven't just been making life easier for Wembanyama, they've been building an offense designed to amplify the strengths of all their playmakers. And with money still left to spend and free agency just beginning, they may not be done yet.

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