Spurs’ monster roster overhaul proves Brian Wright’s doubters wrong

Do you remember what the Spurs were putting on the floor the year before they drafted Victor Wembanyama? If you do, one thing you can't say about Brian Wright is that he's sat idly while the franchise deteriorated. He went to work, aggressive in certain spaces, while exercising patience where necessary. He's been opportunistic, and as a result, San Antonio is poised for another dynastic run.

I get it. When you're in the eye of the storm, it's hard to see the sunshine on the horizon. You can't see past the endless downpour drenching the hope from your soul with each drop of water. Fans live and breathe this stuff, and all anyone wants is an entertaining team to root for with a real shot at postseason success. It was always going to take time to fix what Kawhi Leonard broke, though.

Now, look at this roster.

The Spurs have upgraded at the right pace

First and foremost, we have to remember the pitfalls of last season and what they did to the promising potential that the team had. There was a very real possibility of making the play-in/playoffs, but it's hard to overcome losing your head coach of 29 years because of a health-related problem and your franchise star for the back half of the season due to another health-related issue.

But I digress.

Spurs' roster to start 2022

Tre Jones (Starter)
Devin Vassell (Starter)
Keldon Johnson (Starter)
Jeremy Sochan (Starter)
Jakob Poeltl (Starter)
Josh Primo
Josh Richardson
Doug McDermott
Zach Collins
Gorgui Dieng
Isaiah Roby
Romeo Langford
Keita Bates-Diop
Malaki Branham
Blake Wesley
Dominick Barlow
Jordan Hall

There are only three players left on the current roster from the team that started the pre-Wembanyama campaign. Out of those remaining, only one (Vassell) is projected to make the starting lineup this season, and they all have been included in trade speculation over the past year at a minimum.

Personally, I'd prefer that Sochan and Vassell stay on the roster, but that requires them to live up to their billing. Both players were first-round picks you'd like to see carve themselves out a long-term spot on the roster because they bring something that the team needs, and they're homegrown.

Vassell is a three-level scorer with the skills to defend at a high level but he hasn't done the defending part lately and his scoring efficiency took a step back last season. We know the reason for the shooting inconsistency is tied to his lack of training after his foot surgery, but the facts are the facts.

Sochan is one of the best defenders in the league, and he's been instrumental in slowing down some of the NBA's most prolific scorers. But if they can't get it together, there's no doubt that Wright will move them. He's done the same with everyone else, and it's brought us to the brink of bursting through the playoff wall like the Kool-Aid Man. That's a man fans can trust.