Odd Carter Bryant prediction completely misses the point of the Spurs draft pick

The San Antonio Spurs were very intentional this offseason with the additions they made to the team. There was a reason for that. The defense hasn't been what the team or fans have been hoping for, and Brian Wright made it crystal clear that they wanted to fix that.

So, when Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman made predictions for which rookies would likely start, come off the bench, or spend time in the G-League, he was completely off-base with his Carter Bryant assertion. Wasserman predicts that Bryant will both come off the bench and play in the G-League, but that makes zero sense based on what Wright confirmed weeks ago.

Carter Bryant is too valuable to play in the G-League

CB can walk into the league and be one of the best perimeter defenders in the league from day one. You don't send that guy to the G-League. Especially considering how badly they needed defense. That's why they were willing to move up to get him.

The Silver and Black haven't been the defensive force they were once famous for back in the Timmy D days. Victor Wembanyama is the main cog that will change that, but he can't do it alone, and when he went to the bench, everything fell apart. To make it clear, San Antonio's bench ranked 26th in defense last season. That's not going to change very much just because they added Luke Kornet and Dylan Harper.

Don't get me wrong, both of those players will contribute immensely to the ultimate goal of shoring up the defense to make a run for the postseason. You need more, though. A defender as dynamic as Bryant 100% deserves to be on the bench, ready to deploy at a moment's notice.

If the team finds themselves struggling to defend certain teams because of their dynamic wings and/or big guards—something that's bound to happen, since those players cause the most problems—they'd be hamstrung if they don't have their 14th overall pick to call on because he's been assigned to the G-League.

San Antonio has to worry about Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Amen Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, etc. The Western Conference is filled with players who can wreak havoc on the Spurs' defense if they don't have the proper tools to counteract their skills. Bryant is such a tool.

People keep saying that his shooting is a question mark, but that can only be because of his offensive struggles in the Summer League, because he shot 37% from three last year. That's above-average shooting that the Spurs can benefit need. If you're taking your cues on someone's offense from those SL games, you have other issues.

And if the coaching staff were that concerned with Bryant's offensive development, they would have had him suit up for the final Summer League game. They didn't do that because they're already sold on what he'll be able to contribute. You should be, too.