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The playoffs are here. After 82 games and 62 wins, the Spurs have an established identity and a set rotation. A big reason for their success has been their depth outside of their main guys. The role players have stepped up, bringing shooting, defense, and playmaking. San Antonio’s top nine is not perfect, but it’s good enough to beat anyone, as they proved in the regular season.
Normally, rotations only tighten up in the playoffs, but it’s not uncommon for someone not in the scouting report to be asked to fill a small role in case of injury or to make adjustments or counters. So let’s see who the Spurs have at the edges of the rotation and what they could do in the playoffs if called upon to contribute.
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The Spurs have some “break in case of emergency” backcourt shooting
Jordan McLaughlin has never really had a rotation spot in the NBA because of his limitations, but early in the season and recently, he has been showing that he can give the team a few solid minutes if needed.
McLaughlin is not particularly big, athletic, or quick, but he has good defensive anticipation and always plays hard. He offers ball handling to start possessions, which helps keep the true initiators fresh, and he can also create in a pinch. But more importantly, he’s been a good three-point shooter.
The former Timberwolf and King shot 42 percent from beyond the arc, continuing a recent trend in his career in which his outside shot seems like a reliable weapon, something that wasn’t true in his beginnings. The volume was small, and not a lot of his attempts came in high-leverage situations because of his role, but it’s safe to say he can make open looks as a spot-up shooter.
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The Spurs also have a more versatile but less efficient shooter on the roster. Lindy Waters III shot 34 percent from beyond the arc this year, but on a lot of attempts per minute. He’s been better in past stops, and he can fire on the move. He doesn’t offer much ballhandling, but he understands his role, which explains his extremely low turnover rate in admittedly low minutes.
Backcourt shooting was projected to be one of the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/spurs-deep-bench-players-help-003512881.html
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Publish date : 2026-04-17 00:35:00
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