It took one game for Carter Bryant to shut down tired Spurs question for good

For the second time in as many days, the San Antonio Spurs have stomped their archrivals, the Dallas Mavericks. That might have been expected, but what wasn't was the emergence of rookie Carter Bryant.

Bryant has been about as raw as they come but has received steady minutes from coach Mitch Johnson. Props to Johnson for believing in him, even when Bryant was far and away the Spurs' worst rotation player.

Now, we are beginning to see the vision with Bryant becoming what we hoped Jeremy Sochan would be. So much so that we can finally end the questions about why he is playing over Sochan.

In their recent game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Bryant scored 11 points, grabbed five rebounds, and forced two steals in just 13 minutes.

Then came their most recent game against Dallas. He played most of the second quarter and was a ball of energy. When he wasn't flying for rebounds with ridiculous athleticism, he was swatting shots, catching lobs, and hitting threes.

Carter Bryant is the Spurs' Jeremy Sochan replacement

Bryant is still a bit too jumpy on defense, biting on pump fakes and jumping passing lanes. In his defense, he has shown significantly improved discipline since his NBA G League stint. Being more disciplined has helped Spur his rapid improvement.

A couple of times, he was late in challenging a Cooper Flagg shot, but his impact was still noticeable. He had an eye-popping block that he pinned against the glass while his head hovered near the rim.

He also stuffed two jumpers, including one where he completely shut down Caleb Martin's drive and returned his shot to sender in impressive fashion. His energy can swing games, even in short stints, and Bryant is figuring out how to impact the game in real time.

We've seen him more active on the offensive glass of late, swooping in and snatching rebounds as well as getting out in transition. When in doubt, play hard, and he certainly has. However, this undersells Bryant's abilities.

Carter Bryant is the Spurs' ultimate wildcard

His shot is beginning to come around and trending upward. Remember, he was actually a good shooter at Arizona and even showed an ability to create on-ball. Given the Spurs' recent shooting struggles, Bryant knocking down threes has helped him earn more minutes.

Yes, even at the expense of Sochan. He's already a better shooter than the Polish Prince, giving him far more upside. Yes, Sochan is a much better finisher around the rim and is still better defensively, but that's moot if he can't shoot.

He probably won't earn as big of a role as fellow rookie Dylan Harper this season, but it's still expanding. He has the size, length, and athleticism to play both small forward and power forward.

The end goal should be for him to ultimately replace Harrison Barnes and Sochan. Imagine him eventually starting at the four, next to De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and Victor Wembanyama.

He could give San Antonio a versatile player who can absolutely wreak havoc on defense while also making teams pay if they leave him open on offense. The Silver and Black were hoping that Sochan was that player, but it's becoming painfully obvious that it could instead be Bryant.