There are 15 players on each NBA team, and there are 5 players in any given lineup (unless you are good enough to be the Warriors). Buckle up and grab a snack, because we are going to investigate each one of those lineups for your San Antonio Spurs! *Crunches the numbers* Okay... maybe not. There are 3003 possible lineups if I indeed used the binomial coefficient correctly. Perhaps we will only investigate the most interesting lineups; some realistic, others not so much. Either way, we will try to have some fun with it. Lineup 1: A Sensible Starting Five PG: Dejounte Murray SG: Derrick White SF: Keldon Johnson PF: Doug McDermott C: Jakob Poeltl This feels appropriate, right? This would be the most straightforward lineup for the Spurs to start next season. The basketball gods would finally allow us to see the long-awaited pairing of Dejounte Murray and Derrick White in the backcourt. I will avoid walking under any ladders and petting any black cats until this reality comes to fruition for an extended period of time. Keldon Johnson fills the small forward role, providing boundless energy and building on his Olympic experience. He might hoist the heaviest expectations among any Spurs' player next season. Dougie McBuckets and Blockob Poeltl feel like the ideal frontcourt duo for the Spurs. Keldon Johnson and Doug McDermott both have the size to play power forward, and whoever is designated to play that position is probably more a formality than anything. Nevertheless, McDermott's size and three-point shooting prowess are perfect complements to Poeltl's interior presence and defensive capability. They should occupy different areas of the court and free up each other's game. This lineup feels like it is perfectly balanced. White and McDermott should be able to provide spacing, with Murray and Johnson also able to knock down the occasional three. The defensive potential of this lineup is also exciting. Murray and White have the potential to be among the premier defensive backcourts in the league, Big Body can throw his weight around at opposing star wings, and Poeltl can take care of any drives funneled his way. McDermott may be a weak link in this regard, but it should not be too difficult to hide him among 4 above-average to elite defenders. Johnson also supplies slashing ability on the wing. The only real question on my end is who will be the primary playmaker between Murray and White. I like White off-ball more than Murray. For this reason, I hope to see expansions to Murray's playmaking next season as the preferred primary ball handler. Lineup 2: The Foreign Legion 2.0 PG: Joshua Primo (Canada) SG: Luka Samanic (Croatia) SF: Jonathan Kasibabu (DRoC) PF: Jock Landale (Australia) C: Jakob Poeltl (Austria) Have you heard of the Spurs prized free agent signing of the summer, Jonathan Kasibabu? No? Okay, me neither, and probably because he was not signed as a free agent. However, he does play for the Austin Spurs. I say we give him a contract to make this lineup possible. The Spurs only have 4 foreign players on their official roster, just a small amount relative to years past. Does anyone remember the killer bench squad from the 2014 championship era, dubbed The Foreign Legion? Everyone in that lineup was from somewhere other than the USA. It consisted of Patty Mills, Marco Belinelli, Manu Ginobili, Boris Diaw, and Aron "Big Banger" Baynes. It was so much fun to watch that lineup swing the ball around endlessly, fire up threes, and run opposing teams out of the gym after our starters established a modest lead. How does the second version of this legendary squad compare? Well, Luka Samanic would have to run shooting guard, so there is that. ...I never said all my ideas had to be good. Lineup 3: The Youth Movement PG: Joshua Primo SG: Devin Vassell SF: Keldon Johnson PF: Luka Samanic C: Jakob Poeltl Almost any lineup the Spurs throw on the court could be considered a youthful lineup. Real GM suggests the average age of the Spurs to be 25, good for a tie at sixth in the league for youngest team. For this entry, I went with the youngest of the young. At point guard, I selected Primo. I prefer Primo's upside as an off-ball guard for now. However, Primo apparently turned heads among NBA scouts with his passing ability. Perhaps it wouldn't be bad to allow Primo to be the primary ball handler from time to time to aid in his development. Devin Vassell had some stand out performances in the summer league. He looks like a more mature player, and I am excited that there should be some minutes opened up for him this year in the rotation. For Keldon Johnson, this could be the season that determines his career trajectory. Johnson established himself as an NBA-level starter last season, and this could be the year that puts him closer to being an all-star caliber player. Johnson certainly has many years to vault into superstardom if the jump is not quite there this season, but a player's second year of consistent minutes is often looked at as a guide to a players career trajectory, for better or worse. In regards to Samanic, I hope to see him as a rotational piece this season. Like Primo, the Spurs drafted him at a very young age. If this season does not turn out well for Samanic, then Spurs fans, myself included, may become a bit more weary of his future role with the team. Lineup 4: A Competent Backup Squad PG: Tre Jones SG: Lonnie Walker SF: Devin Vassell PF: Al-Farouq Aminu C: Drew Eubanks / Zach Collins I think this might be what the Spurs backup five may look like for the upcoming season. Often, the starters minutes are staggered in a way that there is at least one starter in the lineup, so this lineup may not actually play a ton of minutes together. However, this lineup alone looks pretty good on paper! The Spurs depth this year should be one of their greatest assets. Tre Jones provides a steady presence at point guard. He plays a classic version of the position by taking care of the ball, getting teammates in their sets, picking his spots to score, and providing good-enough defense. I like his game a lot. He reminds me of what Cory Joseph used to provide to the Spurs. Lonnie Walker could be the primary scorer in this lineup, and I think that is something we have all been waiting for. Walker has displayed his potential as a primary scorer at times, leading an exciting comeback against the Rockets sometime ago, where this also happened (It gets funnier every time I watch it). Unfortunately for us, it has yet to be on a consistent basis. Aminu is a solid veteran for the Spurs at a position of need. Hopefully he can do what he is known for and play some tough defense while also serving as a great example for the young players. At center, I think Drew Eubanks proved his worth as a backup big last season. He is more than capable of holding down the fort. In the long run, I like Zach Collins there more for his upside. Here is to hoping for a speedy recovery from him. Lineup 5: Athleticism PG: Dejounte Murray SG: Lonnie Walker SF: Keldon Johnson PF: Luka Samanic C: Jakob Poeltl There would be plenty to be entertained by with this lineup. Perhaps it is not the most balanced, but we should be treated to some dunks, blocks, and physicality when this lineup is on the court. We all know Lonnie can jump out of the gym. Samanic has a sort of sneaky athleticism. He is capable of taking defenders off the dribble and dunking on them. Johnson may not be able to jump quite like Lonnie, but he can catch some contact and move people like no other. Sometimes, it is okay to have some fun with it. I think that is going to do it for now with my recommendations. It is a fun exercise to think of potential lineups, and I recommend anyone to participate and leave their suggestions in the comments. Here is the Spurs most up to date roster for those interested.
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