Spurs Improved Roster More Than Just Victor Wembanyama
It's no secret that the San Antonio Spurs improved this offseason.
In just a few months, the young squad won the NBA Draft Lottery, drafted one of the greatest prospects of all time in Victor Wembanyama and added veteran leadership to round out its roster in addition to retaining coach Gregg Popovich for five more years.
After finishing 22-60 on the season, San Antonio has a lot of room to get better. Injuries hindered what little success the Spurs found on the court, but while there wasn't a plethora of wins for them, there was a great deal of individual development.
That, combined with the San Antonio newcomers, certainly make for a stronger roster overall next season. And according to Bleacher Report, it was even enough for the Spurs to make the list of the top-6 "most improved" NBA teams for next season.
"[San Antonio's improvement] isn't just about the arrival of Wembanyama," the site wrote. "The Spurs used their cap space to take on real basketball players. Reggie Bullock is a legit 3-and-D wing. Cameron Payne adds half-court wiggle and playmaking, [and] Cedi Osman will space the floor."
That covers the bases on the Spurs' newest veterans. Bullock has been around high-performing teams throughout his 10-year career, most recently with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. What he brings is talent without needing the ball. He can hit his spots and deliver a deep-ball when needed — allowing him to help San Antonio's offense flow and still center around Wembanyama.
Payne has earned a "pestering" reputation by teams and stars around the league, which is a bad thing for every team but the Spurs. He brings energy, leadership and NBA Finals experience with him from Phoenix — something that San Antonio just doesn't have. That alone makes his presence matter, which is also true of Osman, who played alongside LeBron James in Cleveland during his rookie season.
But while the Spurs have obviously improved with their additions, a few players that were in San Antonio last season also stand-out as improvements for the young roster.
"Signing Julian Champagnie to a regular NBA contract will matter," Bleacher Report continued. "The Spurs [also] have Dominick Barlow, coming off a two-way, in restricted free agency. They aren't immediately playoff-bound, but they've improved enough, in more ways than one, to ensure the West is devoid of pushovers."
Making the West devoid of pushovers. That's exactly what the Spurs hoped to accomplish for themselves, especially after the lack of success they've seen over the past few seasons. Victor Wembanyama will absolutely help their case, but it's not just him. Adding other players will prove to be crucial to San Antonio next season.
Luckily for them, they've already done that. And now they will look to make some noise in the Western Conference and in the NBA.
You can follow Matt Guzman on Twitter and Instagram.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Spurs? Click Here.
Follow Inside the Spurs on Twitter.
Follow Inside the Spurs on Facebook.
Want even more San Antonio Spurs news? Check out the Si.com team page here.
