Spurs are quietly sitting on a future game changer and the NBA has no idea

The San Antonio Spurs are brimming with young talent, but one continues to fly under the radar nationally. Rookie Carter Bryant has started to attract attention with his recent strong performance.

His recent play is made all the more impressive by the fact of how lost he looked to start the year. Young players can obviously develop rapidly, but Bryant is proving to be an unusually quick learner,

That makes his ceiling an intriguing one. In fact, Bryant has a chance to make a huge impact on the Spurs going forward. Three-and-D wings are in high demand, and Bryant is rapidly developing into one.

Carter Bryant may be the missing piece to a possible Spurs dynasty

San Antonio thought they had one when they drafted Jeremy Sochan with the ninth overall pick in 2022, but he never developed enough as a shooter to fill that role. Fortunately Bryant has already shown more in that regard than Sochan ever did.

Over his last 18 games, he is shooting 40.3% from three on 3.4 attempts per game. That is encouraging, to say the least, and suggests that he could be a terrific high-volume three-point shooter.

He also has eye popping athleticism that should allow him to attack closeouts and get out and transition. Of course, he will need to improve as a finisher. We've all seen him miss plenty of dunks, but that is hopefully something that can be easily corrected.

Defensively, he has "wingstopper" written all over him.

The Spurs' starting lineup of the future may already be set

Bryant is already above average at fighting over screens, preventing his man from getting separation. Taking away that space, combined with his physical tools and tenacity, makes it tough for an opposing wing to score over him.

Particularly as he's become more disciplined defensively, not biting on every pump fake or recklessly jumping passing lanes. Therefore, pairing him with two elite defenders in Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama would spell disaster for other teams.

Good luck scoring against the Spurs if Bryant continues to improve defensively and is soon starting. But what should the Spurs' starting lineup of the future be?

Carter Bryant may be key to the Spurs' championship goals

De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Castle, Bryant, and Wembanyama should be San Antonio starting five of the future. That is, of course, dependent on Harper and Castle improving as shooters. There are signs that they are, making that hypothetical lineup a possibility.

If that lineup has enough spacing, then it could be elite offensively. They'd have three slashers in Fox, Harper, and Castle; a shooter and transition threat in Bryant; and a 7'4" alien in Wembanyama.

Equally as important, they could be dominant defensively with no weak links and at least three above-average defenders.

Ultimately Bryant's shooting ability and defensive potential seemingly make him the perfect fit for the Spurs starting lineup of the future. If he continues to rapidly improve, he could be the missing piece needed to help the Spurs win multiple championships.