Spurs emphatically answering the offseason's biggest question

All offseason long, we heard people ask the same question about this team: Will they have enough shooting? Most of those haven't even been questions; they've been assertions, limiting the expectations for this deeply talented team. 19 games into the season, the Spurs are in the fifth seed with a 13-6 record, boasting a top ten offense.

Nothing has been perfect for San Antonio this season. They've had to navigate changing rotations with guys in and out of the lineup, and the players who have missed time, or are currently missing time, are not marginal pieces. All three of their best players and the number two overall draft pick have been forced to the sidelines due to injury. Yet they've found a way to thrive.

The reason for that can be boiled down to accountability. Every player has it, and it's showing up on game days.

The Spurs have come of age early

For guys like Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson, you wouldn't label their development as expedited, but the best player and therefore the core of the team is still very young. Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and now Dylan Harper are the future of this ballclub, but they're all playing ahead of schedule.

It's one thing to have the skill to be a lottery pick, but it's another to have the poise and temperament to work on your game like a vet. Harrison Barnes has discussed how he stays ready and how his training is designed to prepare him to make big-time plays in crucial basketball games. We've already seen all three of this team's young stars do things like that. They're fearless.

At the same time, the guys Spurs Nation has been waiting on to pick it up have done just that. Vassell is having his best season, and I would argue that so is Johnson. I know that KJ had a 20-point-per-game season before Wemby got here, but the NBA is the land of skilled hoopers. A lot of guys can put up big numbers when they have the highest usage rate on the team.

He's now reached a point of playing freely while staying within himself. Keldon is making winning plays with more consistency and doing it without stepping on the toes of his teammates or costing the team possessions with unacceptable turnovers and ill-advised shot attempts.

But those are just a few of the contributors. Harrison Barnes is following up a career year with another stellar performance, and Julian Champagnie is doing all the dirty work. You need at least a few guys to dive for loose balls, crash boards, and scramble on defense; Jules checks those boxes.

They've said it themselves; they're tired of losing. They've proved that by the work they've done in the offseason and how it's translated on the court. The Spurs have completely bought into what Mitch Johnson is selling, and it's paying huge dividends. Brian Wright can look for a shooter later if the Silver and Black really need it, but right now, they're crushing it.