We can return our focus to the San Antonio Spurs now that the NBA All-Star break is over. They are only 2-3 with star De’Aaron Fox, despite acquiring him prior to the trade deadline, and his arrival has sparked concerns about the team’s future rotation. Mitch Johnson, the interim coach, has drawn criticism for his perplexing rotations.
Among these are starting Chris Paul even after Fox rendered him unnecessary in the starting lineup and starting Stephon Castle off the bench despite the fact that he is starting to look like the Spurs’ third-best player.
For the Spurs to succeed after the All-Star break, Mitch Johnson needs to make changes to their rotation.
It probably wouldn’t take much to resolve San Antonio’s rotational problems. Paul can be moved to the bench and Castle moved into the starting five for Johnson to start. With Fox, Castle, Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, and Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio will have a much better starting five.
With Fox and Castle able to attack the rim and force turnovers on the other end of the court, that unit would possess both speed and athleticism. Castle also fits in more easily playing off-ball while Fox or Wembanyama creates because of his improved shooting over the past 12 games. There used to be a question mark around that.
A bench unit of Paul, Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, and spot minutes from Charles Bassey when he gets healthy or Bismack Biyombo would make more sense. That would give the second unit a playmaker who can set up players who can’t necessarily create their shots for easy opportunities, ensuring the Spurs don’t blow leads.
Overall, the Spurs need Johnson to adjust his rotation to give them the best chance to win. Starting Castle, having Paul run the second unit, and having either him or Fox on the floor at all times would be a great start. The Spurs need to make up ground in the standings, and these adjustments could help them do just that.
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