Spurs already have major Jayden Quaintance decision before he's even played a game

San Antonio Spurs first-round pick Jayden Quaintance could be a potential game changer but first has to get healthy.

After having knee surgery earlier last month and potentially being out the next six months, there is some question about whether he will play next season. The six-month timeline would place his return around January.

However, many Spurs fans believe he will not play at all next season. That might be due to an abundance of caution and giving him more time to recover after having two surgeries in less than a year.

The decision whether to have him sit out next season or return mid-year and get playing time is a huge one for the Spurs.

Will the Spurs have Jayden Quaintance redshirt his rookie year?

The Spurs have historically been very cautious with injuries, though I suspect holding him out for all of next season won't happen. Instead, he will probably play in the NBA G League and earn spot minutes in blowouts.

The sooner he gets accustomed to the NBA, the better. Waiting a full season for that to happen might give him more time to recover physically, but if he is medically cleared, then they shouldn't wait to play him.

I don't expect him to play a major role next season, but the goal should be to get him to where he can in Year 2.

Interestingly enough, the Spurs picking two centers in the first round of the NBA draft could lead to a logjam at center, at least temporarily. The second apron could result in San Antonio having to move Luke Kornet in a couple of seasons.

In that case, both Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. will still be cheap center alternatives. In fact, Reed Jr. seems to be an insurance policy for Quaintance. They acquired him from the Denver Nuggets on draft night, knowing that Quaintance may not be the most durable player.

The Spurs can afford to be patient with Jayden Quaintance

Quaintance has been compared to Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams due to both his defensive potential and his injury concerns. It's a fair comp with Williams being an elite defensive player when he was fully healthy but was almost never healthy.

The Spurs are gambling that Quaintance will be Williams 2.0 in terms of talent while being healthier. If he evolves into that player, then he'll be a steal after having been taken 20th overall.

That seems like a reasonable gamble for the Spurs to take. If he pans out, then the Spurs will have gotten a Defensive Player of the Year caliber prospect with offensive upside. If Quaintance doesn't, then they will still have Wembanyama, Kornet, and Reed Jr.

If it takes him a season or even two to emerge as a legitimate rotation piece, then the Silver and Black can afford to be patient. Of course, the Spurs are clearly hoping for him to quickly develop into a game changer, but that begins with him first getting healthy.

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