Mitch Johnson says the quiet part out loud about Carter Bryant

Carter Bryant is averaging two points per game in eight minutes of action per night if he even gets a chance to get in the ball game. I've never been more sure of how special a player is going to be in such a limited time, but the former Arizona Wildcat continues to impress every chance he gets. After the win over Utah, Mitch Johnson spoke to his rookie's promise.

He's right about every word, but the approach is what floors me with this kid. He's as patient and humble as they come, but he's hungry to grow, and his confidence is through the roof. "I think I can be the second-best defender in the world," he told reporters, acknowledging his teammate from outer space's abilities on that end may be too tall a task to overcome.

Few things will ingratiate a player into Spurs Nation's good graces faster than putting their all into the defensive side of the ball. But there's also an expectation of humility here, and Bryant has it in spades.

Bryant's growth will give the Spurs the ultimate weapon

When CB claims he can be the second-best defender in the league, I believe him for several reasons. The first one, being the most important, is that he wants it. Playing defense isn't only about giving effort, but it's at least 75% of the job.

Scoring points is usually considered the most exciting part of the game, but if a player with the tools of a Carter Bryant can find just as much excitement in shutting down the opposition, you have something dangerous on your hands. San Antonio has several good-to-great guard and wing defenders, but the 2025 late-lottery steal can pass them all.

He has great size, standing at about 6'7" with shoes on and a 6'11" wingspan, plus he came into the league as a fairly strong player for his age. That allows him to body up guys bigger than him, not ceding any ground without a fight, but his athleticism and willingness to use his explosiveness on defense really separate him from others.

If you've watched basketball for any length of time at all, you've probably wondered why some of the most athletic guys in the league don't use those tools to get stops. If you can make highlight poster dunks over the heads of the NBA's rim protectors, you should be able to sky for a few blocks, right?

That sounds good in theory, but it doesn't often happen that way. At least for most of them, it doesn't. It's different for Carter. He'll reach for the stars on some of his block attempts, and he's not scared to meet guys at the rim. You can't teach players to have that type of fight in them. Either they have it, or they don't.

He's fearless, physically gifted, and smart enough to know he needs a lot more work. When he's a finished product, he'll be one of the league's best 3-and-D wings. By that time, Victor Wembanyama will be the best player in the world, and the Slash Bros will likely be the most feared backcourt. We're talking about a terrifying development for the NBA here. Spurs fans can't wait.