Spurs fans are catching an early glimpse of next season's top breakout candidate

The San Antonio Spurs' roster has few unknowns, but one breakout candidate is still hiding in plain sight. Guard David Jones-Garcia appeared in just 11 games for the Silver and Black last season before getting injured, but could make an impact next season.

Better yet, we don't have to wait until early October to see him back on the court. He is currently playing for the Dominican Republic in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

Before his injury, he showed promise as a confident scorer and had a knack for forcing turnovers.

In fact, had he not gotten injured, he might have gotten some of the minutes that went to Jordan McLaughlin. No shade to J-Mac.

David Jones-Garcia fits a need for the Spurs

McLaughlin was fine in those minutes, but Jones-Garcia fits a tried-and-true Spurs mold of hot-pocket scorer off the bench. In the same vein as Roger Mason Jr., Gary Neal, and Patty Mills.

Having that player type on the bench could bolster San Antonio's second unit by providing instant offense. Jones-Garcia has certainly shown enough potential to fill that role.

Even so, he didn't shoot the ball particularly well in his first two FIBA World Cup qualifying games. He's shot just 7-26 from the field and 4-15 from three in those two games, though he has found other ways to contribute.

Despite being an undersized shooting guard, he's averaged 6 rebounds, in addition to 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals. Ultimately, it's been a mixed bag, though Spurs fans shouldn't be too concerned.

Remember, prior to the World Cup qualifying games, he hadn't played an actual game in eight months, so he's shaking off some rust.

David Jones-Garcia is a breakout candidate for the Spurs

Jones-Garcia may have competition for playing time next season. However, the path to minutes might not be as daunting as many might expect.

San Antonio still needs a fourth guard to play small but consistent minutes. Even if De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle play around 32 minutes per game, and Dylan Harper averages around 28 minutes off the bench, there will still be playing time left over for Jones-Garcia.

After all, San Antonio might employ more three-guard lineups. That would result in Castle or Harper scaling up to play small forward some next season. Even if Jones-Garcia only averages about eight minutes per game next season, he could still make a small but meaningful impact. He's getting a chance to show that this summer.

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