Tobias Harris' injury may provide Spurs an early look at their most intriguing lineup

Tobias Harris' calf injury may delay his regular season debut for the San Antonio Spurs, but his possible absence opens the door for an exciting lineup. The Spurs have yet to play their most intriguing lineup combination of De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, Carter Bryant, and Victor Wembanyama.

However, that five-man unit could now be in play with Harris possibly out to start the season. In that case, Julian Champagnie and Bryant will likely pick up the slack.

Champagnie can more than hold down the fort, but Bryant could get more playing time if Harris is out for a few games to start the season. That could gift him the perfect opportunity to earn more playing time.

Tobias Harris' injury may give Spurs' most intriguing lineup a chance

If Harris is out for a few games, the Spurs should consider experimenting with Bryant as the backup power forward. He held up surprisingly well in the NBA playoffs on both sides of the ball. He shot respectably well from three and played solid defense when it mattered most.

That's a rarity for a 20-year-old and suggests he has a very high ceiling. He is currently buried in the depth chart, but San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson has been smart about feeding him minutes in hopes that he can eventually play a much larger role.

Hopefully, he can emerge as an above-average two-way wing this season, giving San Antonio a second point-of-attack defender. He could also be a long-term answer at power forward.

Therefore, experimenting with playing him next to Fox, Harper, Castle, and Wembanyama now could be the perfect audition for him.

The Spurs must do more lineup experimentation

For all of the injuries the Spurs had last season, they didn't experiment with what could be their future starting five. That must change this season, even if Harris isn't out for an extended period of time.

After all, they aren't only playing for this season; they are playing for the future too. Seeing how the point guard trio plays with Wembanyama is crucial, as is how Bryant factors in. After all, that potential five main unit has incredible two-way potential.

Of those five players, Fox is the worst defender, and even then he's actually pretty good on the end of the floor. Better still, having Fox, Castle, and Harper be between 6'4 and 6'6 gives San Antonio switchability, especially with Bryant at the four.

Carter Bryant could help unlock the Spurs' best lineup

That would make it tougher for defenders to get open shots on the perimeter or attack the basket. Even if a player were to beat their man, San Antonio would still have Wembanyama to shut down the paint.

Offensively, that lineup would have a wealth of ball handling and playmaking. That would allow them to get great shots in both the half court as well as effortlessly push the ball in transition. They'd also have no problem finding Wembanyama for lobs or Bryant for open threes or on cuts to the basket.

The possibilities are endless. Overall, if Harris is out for the first few games of the regular season, San Antonio must see if that lineup is as good in reality as it is on paper.

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