Offensive firepower or defensive grit: Spurs’ most dominant lineups

Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes and Stephon Castle give San Antonio several dimensions they desperately needed heading into the offseason. More playmaking, shooting, defensive presence and versatility were traits the roster was severely lacking and they made it a point to address those issues without sacrificing the future. Now comes the part where Coach Popovich gets to play with lineups to see what works and which players can build the most chemistry together.

Last season, the rotation was all over the place. Pop's point guard experiment with Jeremy Sochan had players in spots they shouldn't be in. The aspiration was fine, but it didn't work out, and before he put Tre Jones back in the starting lineup, he tinkered still. Spurs fans are thrilled that the point-Sochan era is past, but the desire for a big guard was still realized when they drafted Stephon Castle.

Chris Paul and Tre Jones will have primary duties as the point guard, but it's not hard to envision lineups with Castle running the show his rookie season, especially if the plan is that he prepares to take on the role long-term. There will always be an overall best lineup, but there are also combinations that lean more heavily toward offense or defense.

The Spurs' best defensive lineup takes advantage of San Antonio's length

Stephon Castle, Blake Wesley/Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Jeremy Sochan, Victor Wembanyama

The decision on whether Blake Wesley or Devin Vassell would be better defensively depends on who the opposing team's point guard is. Vassell has Wesley by 2 inches in height at 6'5" compared to 6'3" but less than an inch in wingspan, with Dev recorded at 6'10" as opposed to Wesley's 6'9.25". Castle can challenge larger point guards like Luka Doncic, while the Notre Dame product may be better suited to defend smaller quick players like Jalen Brunson.

If Castle ends up being to guard them all, then Wesley's place in this unit becomes obsolete, leaving Vassell as the best option considering how far advanced he is offensively in comparison. Champagnie and Sochan were two of the Spurs' best perimeter defenders last season and will only improve.

This lineup gives San Antonio the versatility and length to disrupt passing lanes and switch almost every position on the floor. It's a potential headache for every offense in the NBA this season if Coach Pop chooses to use it.

San Antonio's best offensive unit has playmaking and shooting at every position

Chris Paul, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes, Victor Wembanyama

When the Spurs won the championship in 2014, they showcased what was affectionately referred to as 'The Beautiful Game.' Now, this iteration of San Antonio won't be replicating that to the same degree, but the fundamentals of the system mandate quick decision-making from every player on the floor, all possessing the ability to dribble, pass or shoot. They have a semblance of capacity again with this lineup on the floor.

Julian Champagnie has the least amount of NBA playmaking experience, but he's not bad at it. He's a similar archetype to Danny Green in that his primary functions are to space the floor and play defense, but if you run him off the three-point line, he has no problem attacking the basket. He's been trying to posterize someone since he put on a silver and black uniform. He'll get someone eventually.

Every single one of these players shot about 37% or higher from distance except Wembanyama, but he's the Alien, and the Alien is great in every lineup. If San Antonio finds themselves in one of their offensive droughts, this could be the best unit to pull them out of their funk.

Which units play together will still depend on several factors. It still remains to be seen how much, if any, the guys have improved. Different combinations may end up being better based on that growth, among other things like chemistry, but these projections are based on what we know right now.