Spurs' shooting is all that stands between Mitch Johnson’s monster and his masterpiece

We're days away from seeing Mitch Johnson's baby in regular season action. So many are invested in the Spurs that this point-guard-heavy lineup will be considered his creation, as critics will look for reasons to scold and believers will tout every success. However, whether we're actually talking Frankenstein's monster or Iron Man's Vision will depend on shooting, and De'Aaron Fox knows it.

This starting five goes as far as its 3-point shooting

"When we're making shots, it allows other guys to be able to get downhill. We can spread the defense out, and teams know what we want to do. There's no secret about it. So, a lot of our season, a lot of how special that first group can be, it's going to be predicated on how we shoot the ball." - De'Aaron Fox (credit Matt Guzman)

That's what we call saying the obvious part out loud. It's the whole key to the unit. San Antonio is uber-talented, allowing them to play their own game to an extent, but spacing is still as important as ever. Preseason gave us the smallest of sample sizes, showing Spurs Nation what could be in store, and early returns are positive.

Preseason point guard 3-point shooting

De’Aaron Fox — 4-7 from three (57.1%) in two games
Dylan Harper — 8-14 from three (57.1%) in four games
Stephon Castle — 3-8 from three (37.5%) in four games

If the Spurs are going to get a combined 51.7% from deep from their point guards, they may never lose a game. It's safe to say Fox and Harper won't shoot over 50% for the entire season, but they don't have to. That's tremendous, unbelievable shooting, but good-to-great shooting will do just fine.

The glass is the part Fox didn’t mention

The players know better than anybody that the preseason is not the regular season. OKC is first up on October 20. They'll bring a swarming defense designed to challenge both shooters and drivers. Success or failure on opening night won't give us a final answer on the lineup, but it will be a significant data point.

What Fox didn't discuss is the rebounding factor. Guarding on the perimeter shouldn't be an issue for this team, but can they hold up on the glass against bigger teams? They'll get away with playing small during much of the regular season, but in a seven-game series, it could bite them.

Here's the rub, though. Mitch Johnson gets to pull the strings. He's already shown that he's not afraid to change the lineup. Harrison Barnes went from starter to bench player during the regular season last year. As long as he's still willing to take advantage of the chameleon-like build of this roster and make changes to the rotation when necessary, the Spurs will be fine.

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