The NBA could be in for a nightmare with Jayden Quaintance-Victor Wembanyama duo

The San Antonio Spurs are just over a week away from their first preseason matchup, and their next great duo hasn't played a single minute together yet. The Spurs overhauled their big man rotation over the summer, adding two centers from this year's draft to play behind Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet.

Adding Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. was intriguing for several reasons. One being that they doubled down on youth over experience by having two rookies replace three 10-plus-year vets at center.

Another being the prospect of Quaintance and Wembanyama playing together. San Antonio hasn't had Wembanyama with another center full-time since early in his rookie year, but they may end up making an exception for Quaintance when he returns.

Quaintance and Wembanyama have yet to play together

San Antonio experimented with double-big lineups last season, namely French Vanilla. However, that lineup played virtually no minutes together in the playoffs. That suggests that coach Mitch Johnson doesn't have faith that Wembanyama and Kornet can survive playing big minutes together.

San Antonio's defense was elite with them paired together, but their offense was a struggle at times. However, Quaintance has skills that Kornet doesn't, possibly making a pairing with Wembanyama far more potent defensively.

He's a better athlete when fully healthy, making him an even better lob threat than Kornet. He is also more mobile and switchable defensively while still being able to challenge shots at the rim, with him and Wembanyama possibly shutting down the paint.

Basically, a more athletic Kornet, which may possibly lead to Quaintance eventually replacing him. The Spurs can't afford to keep Kornet for the three remaining years of his contract. Instead, they may hold onto him for a couple of seasons and trade him with two potential replacements waiting in the wings.

Quaintance and Wembanyama could be a perfect long-term pairing

Quaintance was the team's swing-for-the-fences pick, with him having lottery-level potential but also injury concerns. That resulted in him dropping to 20th, and the Spurs wisely scooped him up.

What's more, they traded for Reed Jr., who is the safer prospect, helping to mitigate the risk of drafting Quaintance. The best-case scenario is that he can stay healthy and eventually thrive playing alongside Wembanyama.

That pairing is dependent on spacing, but Stephon Castle improving as a shooter could alleviate those concerns. As would Wembanyama playing the four along with another shooter such as Devin Vassell.

Spacing would be crucial to making a Quaintance and Wembanyama pairing work. As would finding ways to make Quaintance fit offensively.

The Spurs may be banking on the Quaintance and Wembanyama duo

Focusing on offensive rebounding, setting hard screens, and rolling to the basket are tried and true ways for double-big lineups to work.

Even a merely good offense could be more than made up for with two dominant rim protectors, both of whom can guard away from the basket. The Spurs' endgame could be a Dylan Harper, Castle, Carter Bryant, Quaintance, and Wembanyama starting five, though that could be years from happening.

Yet, if Harper and Castle are both future stars and Wembanyama is still improving, San Antonio would have more than enough offense. Having players such as Bryant and Quaintance chip in offensively while doing the dirty work defensively could be the perfect recipe for long-term success.

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