Spurs' largest burning offseason question effectively doused by Mitch Johnson

All Spurs fans have heard all offseason is that the combination of Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox, and Dylan Harper can't work together. The critics have been so convinced of this nonsense that they've gone the extra mile to continuously craft trade proposals that send one or two of them away. San Antonio's head coach, Mitch Johnson, doesn't believe any of that.

“We’re never going to shy away or avoid having too many good players. Especially with the amount of versatility and variety of strengths they have. We believe that’s something they have; that they can play together and complement each other.” - Mitch Johnson

Johnson went on to remind everyone that many of the most successful teams recently have had several ball handlers on their rosters. He's exactly right, and you don't even have to go back far to see it. The most recent NBA Finals participants, the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder, both fielded teams that attacked you from various angles because they had multiple playmakers on the floor at once.

The Spurs are building their roster the right way

Most number one overall picks turn out to be very good players, but there are certainly a fair share of busts or guys who end up just being solid role players. A more reliable indicator of whether a young athlete will become a star is winning Rookie of the Year. If you look down the list, there is a Malcolm Brogdon here or there, but for the most part, you have your Paolo Bancheros, Kyrie Irvings, and Derrick Roses.

Stephon Castle winning that award in his inaugural season is about as close to a guarantee that he's going to be a special player as you're going to get. The notion of trading away what's almost a sure thing for "fit" is the wrong way to add to your team.

During the offseason, multiple rumors indicated that teams were offering hauls for the number two overall pick. Harper is widely regarded as an elite prospect with franchise-changing potential. The same thing applies to him as it does to Castle. You don't trade that guy away because you're uncertain about how he may fit with another amazing basketball player.

Fox is a former all-star and Clutch Player of the Year award winner. He's averaged 25 points or more in consecutive seasons before coming to San Antonio, and he's entering his prime. Victor Wembanyama is ready to compete for the playoffs, and having a running mate like Swipa will increase their chances of success.

It's why you need him now. Talk of trading him over some arbitrary perception of what the team's timeline is misguided.

You want as many top-tier players in your lineup as possible. The better the player, the higher the IQ. This leads to greater flexibility in their understanding of the game and how they can influence it. Those guys figure out how to play together. They're not going to win a championship this year, but they'll win a bunch of games and grow together. That's what you want.