San Antonio Spurs 2021-22 NBA season preview: Roster moves, starting lineup projection, and training camp storylines to follow
Each year the San Antonio Spurs seem to have the "underdog" tag. This year is no different, as the Spurs will have themselves a roster full of intriguing pieces. After struggling throughout the 2020-21 season, the Spurs made a late run at the end of the year and found themselves clawing into the play-in tournament.
Unfortunately, the Spurs would lose their first play-in game to the Memphis Grizzlies, which meant their season had officially come to an end. They would go on to finish the year with a 33-39 record.
Fast forward to this year and the Spurs will have some new faces on their roster. San Antonio was active in the offseason, making a couple of strategic moves that could shift its focus towards developing the youth on this roster. It's going to be an interesting year for Gregg Popovich and the coaching staff, but NBA fans know they can never count out the Spurs regardless of how things might look.
San Antonio Spurs' roster moves so far in the 2021-22 NBA season
There was a lot of movement for the Spurs this offseason. Veteran guard Patty Mills moved on after signing with the Brooklyn Nets in free agency. The Spurs also made big news when they agreed to trade DeMar DeRozan to the Chicago Bulls.
Full Bulls-Spurs sign-and-trade for DeMar DeRozan on a three-year, $85M deal includes Young, Aminu, the 2025 first-round pick and the 2022 and 2025 seconds to San Antonio.
Rudy Gay also went on to sign with the Utah Jazz, meaning that the Spurs will look to their youth to replace a number of key veteran pieces. That's not necessarily a bad thing though, as the Spurs have slowly been developing some intriguing talent. San Antonio also brought in some intriguing pieces this offseason, including former Portland Trail Blazers big man Zach Collins. San Antonio also brought back a familiar face in veteran guard Bryn Forbes.
Important storylines for San Antonio Spurs' training camp
#1 What will the backcourt rotation look like?
This should be a position of strength when it comes to this San Antonio Spurs roster. Dejounte Murray should be the engine that allows this team to go. After an impressive last season, Murray should be in for another hopefully big year. Derrick White and Lonnie Walker IV should also be key contributors in the Spurs rotation. Keep an eye on second-year guard Tre Jones as well. After spending the majority of his rookie year developing in the G-League, Jones could make a case for a few minutes in the rotation as a backup point guard.
#2 Should we expect a Keldon Johnson breakout year?
There's always been a history with breakout years for young players following some success in the Olympics. That would put Spurs forward Keldon Johnson in a great position for the upcoming year. After impressing with his play for Team USA this summer, Johnson looks poised to become a big part of the Spurs starting lineup.
Johnson is in his third year in the NBA and won't be turning 22-years-old until next month. After seeing a jump in his numbers across the board last year, there's a strong case for Johnson taking a sizeable jump in production this year. He's going to be a big asset for this team with his versatility on both sides of the ball.
#3 Who will step up for the Spurs this year?
As mentioned above, the big contender here to take a step forward for San Antonio is Keldon Johnson. It's always good when a young player has success in the Olympics, as they are usually oozing with confidence for the upcoming NBA season.
Another name to keep a close eye on is Devin Vassell. After being selected with the 11th pick last year, Vassell showed some flashes of brilliance throughout his rookie year and has intriguing two-way versatility. The recently turned 21-year-old is a serious candidate to take a big leap forward with his game, especially as someone who can help out in a variety of positions for the Spurs rotation.
Predicted starting lineup for the San Antonio Spurs heading into 2021-22 NBA season
It seems as if the San Antonio Spurs could have some moving parts throughout the year in the starting lineup. Dejounte Murray and Derrick White should be slotted into the starting backcourt, and Keldon Johnson will most likely be the other starter as well. Johnson could spend some time as the starting four if the Spurs want to go with a "small ball" look. Veterans Thaddeus Young and Jakob Poeltl will get plenty of time in the starting five.
Point Guard - Dejounte Murray | Shooting Guard - Derrick White | Small Forward - Keldon Johnson | Power Forward - Thaddeus Young | Center - Jakob Poeltl
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