It took less than 10 seconds for Carter Bryant to show why the Spurs chose him

Carter Bryant's claim to fame is his defense, and he's proud of that. Listen to just about any interview with the kid. He always emphasizes defense. He thrives off of it. So, it should be no surprise that less than 10 seconds into his minutes, he steals a pass while rotating to what should have been an open man in the corner. It's an early demonstration of his defensive range.

Recently, ESPN's Tim Legler made a bold claim when he predicted that Bryant would win a Defensive Player of the Year award in five years. That is already a difficult accomplishment to achieve without having one of the greatest defenders we've ever seen on your team. Playing next to Victor Wembanyama will make it hard to pull that off, but the compliment is enough right now.

Bryant is the X-Factor for Spurs' future

Not just because of the defense, either (although that's a huge part). Not too long after he made a play on defense, he ran a one-man fastbreak and bullied his way to an easy bucket. He has all of the tools to be a menace in this league for as long as he wants. He just has to work hard enough to reach his ceiling, and he knows it.

"I'm grateful; you don't get that compliment without any reason. I think for myself, just understand what it's going to take to get there every day. It's a ton of work I'm going to have to do." - Bryant on Legler's DPOY comment

The ex-Arizona star has everything you want from a basketball player. He plays hard on both sides, has great measurables, and he's coachable. His athleticism will place him in a tier above others, though. We've already seen what some of that looks like tonight.

He's covered large gaps in the first half alone to get in position to contest shots. What's also been impressive is how much strength he's already shown and he's nowhere close to his grown man body. He is, however, 220 pounds, and he throws it around well.

On offense, he's spacing the floor well, making good reads, and taking advantage of his opportunities, knowing the coach isn't about to run any plays for him.

It's easy to see why Brian Wright and the staff were so excited about adding the 6'7" youngster to the team. He's the prototypical three-and-d player with a hell of a motor, and not to mention, he's a really good kid. Carter will be a star in this league with hard work and the right guidance. Bryant finished the game with 15 points, one rebound, one assist, and two steals.