4 Burning questions the Spurs must answer this season

3.) Can tall-ball really work for San Antonio?

The Spurs' tall-ball lineup is likely the most intriguing lineup in all of the NBA, given just how unorthodox it is. Two 6'4 guards, a 6'9 power forward moonlighting as a point guard, a 7'4 big man, and a 6'11 center make the Spurs' starting five massive but they are still figuring out how to use that size.

In the preseason and in the team's first regular-season game against the Mavericks, the Spurs struggled to get Wembanyama the ball, which is almost too ironic to discuss. To be fair, it's been a while since the team had a post option, and throwing entry passes is tougher than it gets credit for. As Wembanyama gets stronger, defenders won't be able to push him from his spots so easily, and as teammates get more accustomed to him, they'll be able to throw the ball into spaces that only he can get to.

Once that happens, it might completely cover for the Spurs' starting lineup not having a traditional playmaker. Collins is clearly the best passer of the group, and having a big man who can pass has almost always been a staple of the Spurs' offense, but there have been a number of plays where Sochan gets the ball, pushes in transition, and passes to a shooter on the perimeter for a quick shot.

It works when it goes in and it allows the Spurs to play fast even with two big men but if those shots don't fall, can they create consistently in the halfcourt? Probably not, at least not yet. Even if the starting lineup doesn't score consistently in the half-court, it might not be a big issue for coach Gregg Popovich. The goal was probably partly to see if the lineup worked but also to give minutes to his five best players.

This way, he can give Sochan, Vassell, Johnson, and Wembanyama all at least 30 minutes per game. That should accelerate their development and their familiarity with one another. Despite that, Pop will likely keep tall-balling to six-minute bursts to start each half unless it can prove itself to be more than a novelty.