Identifying the crucial swing skill for each Spurs’ two-way contract player

The Spurs have an intriguing two-way contract room heading into preseason. Maliq Brown, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, and David Jones Garcia all have the chance to become legitimate NBA players. That said, they’re going to face an uphill battle to get minutes this year on a deep and uber-talented San Antonio roster.

Today, we’re breaking down the “swing skill” for each of the two-way guys—the traits they need to improve or showcase if they want to earn playing time in 2026-27. Let’s dive right in!

Maliq Brown: Scoring Aggression

From a defensive and physical standpoint, Maliq Brown is ready to step on an NBA floor and compete tomorrow. He’s a savvy and switchable combo big who should transition into a professional defensive scheme with little trouble.

However, it’s going to be tough for him to stay on the court in the modern league if he doesn’t put points on the board. Brown hasn’t proven to be a threat on the offensive end, and that must change at the NBA level.

In 2025-26 at Duke, Brown averaged 4.9 points on 3.5 field goal attempts per game. According to Synergy, his three most common play types were cuts, “miscellaneous plays,” and putbacks. What that tells us is that he really doesn’t have a way he consistently scores that will definitely translate to the NBA.

Brown logged just 11 possessions as a P&R roll man last season, which stands out as the role he should scale up in for the Spurs if he’s going to succeed. De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle will set him up for easy layups if he screens and rolls hard.

San Antonio won’t need Brown to average 20 points, or even 10, but he has to give defenses a reason to respect him, or he’ll become a liability.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie: Defense

Gillespie is an electric offensive guard. He’s a bomber from deep, and he’s sharp as a handler and playmaker. But small guys oozing with talent are a dime a dozen in today’s basketball landscape, and the NBA is particularly harsh to them if they can’t contribute in other ways

If Gillespie can’t hang on defense, he’ll fall out of favor pretty quickly. The league values two-way capability and versatility more than ever. Anybody who can’t guard their yard is frowned upon by playoff teams unless they’re special on O.

Gillespie has a solid defensive profile relative to others at his size. He gets steals and can hound at the point of attack because he’s fast laterally. The question is, though, will that remain true when his competition is composed of the world’s best athletes? The answer will determine his ceiling as a Spur.

David Jones Garcia: Off-Ball Play

San Antonio is loaded with players who need the ball in their hands. Fox, Harper, and Castle all command high usage in the backcourt, and Victor Wembanyama, of course, also requires plenty of touches. They also have the aforementioned Gillespie, as well as Jordan McLaughlin, two more true point guards.

David Jones Garcia has generally been an on-ball creator in his pro career. In his very limited burn with the Spurs in 2025-26, he registered 10 P&R ball-handler possessions and only two spot-up possessions, according to Synergy. In the G League, 136 of his possessions were of the P&R handler variety, and just 39 were spot-ups.

There simply isn’t room for another P&R guard in San Antonio’s lineup as currently constructed. Jones Garcia will have to shift his approach if he wants to see significant minutes. Luckily, dating back to his rookie year in the G League and his pre-draft college campaign, he’s an excellent shooter. Leaning more into his catch-and-shoot three-ball would go a long way for the Memphis product.

All of these swing skills represent attainable goals for San Antonio’s two-way players this year. If they accomplish them, they could emerge as gems.

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