Spurs' young core faces defining test in Game 7 showdown vs. OKC

The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are set to square off in an epic Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. That high-stakes game provides a perfect test for the Spurs' young core.

Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper are all just 22, 21, and 20, respectively. That means they have little in the way of playoff experience and no experience playing in Game 7 on the road.

However, it's not fair to say that those players are untested. Wembanyama made it to the Olympic gold medal game, and France went toe to toe with Team USA, which features the best of the best American players.

Meanwhile, Castle won a national championship at UConn, and all three players appeared in the NBA Cup Finals earlier this season. Even looking back to earlier in the series, that trio pulled off an incredibly impressive Game 1 double overtime victory.

The Spurs' young core will be battle tested in Game 7

The only way to truly test a player's greatness is to see how they perform on the biggest stage. Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals should be more than big enough.

Wembanyama, Castle, and Harper will all be able to play all out knowing this could be the final game of their season. Hopefully that means they will be playing at their absolute best against the absolute best.

We can even see spot minutes from rookie Carter Bryant, who had a strong showing in game 6. He helped clamp down on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, allowing the Spurs to cycle through defenders without worrying about foul trouble.

Castle and Bryant will be key to San Antonio's defensive approach, while Wembanyama, Castle, and Harper will be key to their offensive attack.

Win or lose, Game 7 will help the Spurs in the long run

Without De'Aaron Fox to help them in Game 1, Castle and Harper were forced to play against the best defense in the NBA on the road. It wasn't always pretty with them combining for 12 turnovers, but they could be better for it in the long run. With Fox back, San Antonio's turnover issues have begun to evaporate.

He doesn't seem likely to have a big game given that he's playing through an injury. Nevertheless, he has proven to be a calming effect on the Spurs' offense and their young guards.

Castle and Harper playing both unleashed and under control could both help the Spurs and damage the Thunder. Then there is Wembanyama.

If he can outduel the reigning MVP, which he has done three times this series, then the Spurs could topple OKC. Were it to happen, it's hard to overstate the confidence this young team could get from that win.

In fact, were they to beat the Thunder, they could very well defeat the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. However, first things first, beat OKC.

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