This unorthodox bench lineup could be pure fun for Spurs

The NBA offseason is now in full swing with the 2023-2024 regular season quickly approaching, and while the San Antonio Spurs’ roster has yet to be set into stone, it’s time to start talking about potential lineups and how they could stack up against the competition.

Understandably, many are going to want to talk about the Spurs’ new starting lineup which will surely feature the likes of Victor Wembanyama and Jeremy Sochan (among others), but this time around, we’re going to dig a bit deeper into the Spurs’ depth chart and talk about a bench lineup that has potential to put on a fun show for fans.

So, I won’t mince words: I think that lineup would feature Sidy Cissoko (PG), Malaki Branham (SG), Keldon Johnson (SF), Sandro Mamukelashvili (PF), and Charles Bassey (C). While I doubt this is a lineup we’ll see with regularity—particularly early in the season and early in individual games—I expect this group to be rolled out at some point during the season for reasons I’ll expand on in a moment. And just as importantly, despite being unorthodox and possibly a bit shaky early on, I think fans could come to really enjoy this lineup over time. Here’s why I think that could happen.

Team Defense that Allows the Most Freedom

When it comes to building a championship contender, defensive depth is of the utmost importance. And while the Spurs likely won’t be coming close to a championship this coming season, one of the main appeals of this bench lineup is just that. This group’s defensive efforts will undoubtedly be led by Sidy Cissoko on the perimeter and Charles Bassey as a rim-protecting force around the bucket. Still, Branham, Johnson, and Mamukelashvili shouldn’t necessarily be discounted entirely.

The sheer size of the rest of the players in this lineup will allow Branham to stick to smaller guards and use his size more to his advantage as opposed to having to guard up a lineup. Meanwhile, Bassey’s presence around the bucket could allow Mamukelashvili to act as a secondary help defender rather than a primary rim-protecting center. Lastly, Cissoko’s presence should allow Keldon Johnson to face more favorable matchups on the perimeter and use his strength and motor to his advantage.

In essence, the combination of Cissoko and Bassey should allow the three less defensive-minded players more freedom to take risks, face less daunting matchups, and generally play more to their strengths. So long as Branham, Johnson, and Mamukelashvili can stay disciplined and stick to the fundamentals on that end of the floor, their defensive floor as a unit could be higher than it may appear on paper.

Youth and Athleticism in Excess

There's something utterly contagious about youthful energy, and this lineup has it in spades. Keldon Johnson and Sidy Cissoko are both superbly athletic wings with size and functional strength in excess that could wreak havoc in transition (see below), and even the smaller Malaki Branham has a surprisingly strong shoulder that he uses to create space in the half-court. 

Meanwhile, Bassey and Mamukelashvili are two bigs that possess impressive fluidity and mobility making them both strong rim-running threats. In Bassey’s case, he also has enough vertical pop to be a true lob threat, which could turn out to be a really fun sight to see next to Cissoko’s playmaking ability (which we’ll touch on later).

The oldest player in this lineup by the start of the season will be Mamukelashvili at only 24 years old, and that youth will certainly show. That lineup stands to be durable, highly conditioned, and more fast-paced than many opposing bench lineups.

Team Chemistry and Growing Together

Youth can give a team and its lineups a big advantage, but only to a point. Too much youth can begin to err on the side of inexperience or lack of polish, which isn’t necessarily what you want coming off the bench. But in this lineup’s case, Keldon Johnson and Sandro Mamukelashvili could help to combat that problem. 

Johnson has quite a bit of seasoning under his belt at this point in his career having started 205 games—roughly 2.5 full seasons—for the Spurs. Sidy Cissoko and Malaki Branham are the youngsters that will have the opportunity to soak in some of Johnson’s wisdom in that regard, and yet Johnson will still be able to retain a primary offensive role. 

Sandro Mamukelashvili has far less experience with the Spurs compared to Johnson, but his cerebral, European style of play could be beneficial to the less refined, yet highly athletic style of play that Bassey brings to the table at this point. Dynamics like these foster an environment of mentorship and learning, both of which are key ingredients in the recipe for success.

Scoring From All Angles

This is where things start to really get fun. Defensive aptitude, youth and athleticism, and the ability to grow as a cohesive group are all important components of winning, but ultimately, someone needs to put the ball in the bucket or none of it really matters. Thankfully, this is a group that could have an interestingly high ceiling in that department.

Even if last season’s numbers don’t suggest this, both Branham and Johnson are lights-out shooters that can really pile it on from deep when they’re in a good rhythm, and I’d argue the same for Sandro Mamukelashvili, who averaged 17.5 points on 48/34/71 shooting splits in his final season at Seton Hall. Cissoko, Johnson, and Bassey all have the ability to make poster-worthy finishes at the rim. And as a ball-handler, Branham converted on nearly 60% of his attempts out of the pick-and-roll in his lone season at Ohio State—an absurd number.

In isolation scenarios, space creation could be a bit of an issue. But this group has so much shooting, playmaking, and ball-handling ability that it may not matter. This lineup has multiple scoring threats and I would be surprised if at least one of them didn’t have a good scoring night in any given game.

Unmatched Two-Way Versatility

We already alluded to this in the previous scoring section, but more and more, teams are looking for players with size that can dribble, pass, and shoot. The most advantageous strength of this group is that everyone is capable of bringing at least two—if not all three—of those things to the table in any given game. 

For their size, Branham, Cissoko, and Mamukelashvili are all more than capable of putting the ball on the floor and controlling the offense. Cissoko, Branham, Mamukelashvili, and even Keldon Johnson are all good to great passers. Branham, Johnson, and Mamukelashvili can all shoot from deep, and if Bassey can slowly return to his production from Western Kentucky, he belongs on that short list as well.

That versatility extends to transition and the defensive end of the floor, where this group brings quite a bit of size, athleticism, and feel for the game. Ultimately, with time and more experience playing together, they’re capable of being a unit that will make the game easier for each other while making it as difficult as possible for their opponents. Even if it takes a bit of time and working out a few kinks along the way, that kind of a group has exactly the type of upside you want in a bench unit, particularly when it’s a lineup that doesn’t feature more established veteran players.

As the season approaches and anticipation builds around the Spurs and their new young star, I’d urge fans not to forget about some of the other young pieces they’ll have at their disposal coming off the bench, and I urge fans to look out for this lineup in particular.