San Antonio Spurs
2022-23What were the San Antonio Spurs in 2022-23, and what needed front-office attention?
SAS 2022-23: the clearest roster problems were Shooting and spacing, Defensive event creation, Rebounding. No supported strength was identified. The main rotation-player dependency cases were Doug McDermott, Keita Bates-Diop, Zach Collins, Malaki Branham, Devin Vassell. Structural basketball need, injuries, replacement lineups, and financial constraints are reported separately.
What can be trusted
Supported strengths — production, who carries it, and what money is already committed.No supported team strengths for this season — team picture available; function-level salary mapping incomplete.
What needs attention
The clearest roster problems the evidence supports.Full reading
SAS 2022-23 Shooting and spacing: this was one of the team's clearest roster problems; production ranked at the 13.0 league percentile. Doug McDermott supplied 32.5% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Absences made the problem worse in 9 of the final 10 covered games. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Full reading
SAS 2022-23 Defensive event creation: this was one of the team's clearest roster problems; production ranked at the 17.4 league percentile. Tre Jones supplied 28.7% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Absences made the problem worse in 10 of the final 10 covered games. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Full reading
SAS 2022-23 Rebounding: this was a real roster weakness; production ranked at the 8.7 league percentile. Keita Bates-Diop supplied 35.7% of the team's above-replacement production in this area. Absences made the problem worse in 10 of the final 10 covered games. Function-level salary allocation was incomplete and is withheld.
Every covered basketball function (11)
| Function | Reading | League percentile | Largest contributor | Recent availability | Salary commitment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creation | SupportedStructural team problem | 22nd percentile | Tre Jones · 27.8% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Defensive event creation | SupportedCritical team problem | 17th percentile | Tre Jones · 28.7% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Interior finishing | SupportedMiddle of the league | 35th percentile | Keldon Johnson · 19.5% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Passing connectivity | SupportedMiddle of the league | 26th percentile | Tre Jones · 27.5% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Point-of-attack defense proxy | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Zach Collins | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rebounding | SupportedStructural team problem | 9th percentile | Keita Bates-Diop · 35.7% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rim pressure | SupportedStructural team problem | 17th percentile | Keldon Johnson · 29.8% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Rim protection | SupportedStructural team problem | 17th percentile | Zach Collins · 31.4% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Screening | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Zach Collins | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Shooting and spacing | SupportedCritical team problem | 13th percentile | Doug McDermott · 32.5% | Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
| Switch coverage proxy | WithheldBasketball conclusion withheld | — | Zach Collins | Recent availability conclusion withheld | Salary-to-function mapping withheld — coverage too low |
Who the team depends on
What disappears when a player is removed — and whether an observed replacement five exists.
SAS did not have strong functional backup for Doug McDermott in shooting; removing him cost about 32.5% of the team's production in that area. The next observed option was Keita Bates-Diop.
Replacement evidence
Jakob Poeltl · Keldon Johnson · Devin Vassell · Tre Jones · Jeremy Sochan
shrunk net -0.999 over 363 possessions
on floor 2,402 possessions · off floor 4,963 possessions
SAS lineups performed 4.5 points per 100 possessions better with Keita Bates-Diop than without him. The best supported alternative was [Jakob Poeltl, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Tre Jones, Jeremy Sochan] over 363 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Jakob Poeltl · Keldon Johnson · Devin Vassell · Tre Jones · Jeremy Sochan
shrunk net -0.999 over 363 possessions
on floor 2,704 possessions · off floor 4,632 possessions
SAS lineups performed 4.3 points per 100 possessions better with Zach Collins than without him. The best supported alternative was [Jakob Poeltl, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Tre Jones, Jeremy Sochan] over 363 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Jakob Poeltl · Keldon Johnson · Devin Vassell · Tre Jones · Jeremy Sochan
shrunk net -0.999 over 363 possessions
on floor 2,666 possessions · off floor 4,703 possessions
SAS had an observed replacement lineup for Malaki Branham, but it came with a performance cost. The supported alternative was [Jakob Poeltl, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Tre Jones, Jeremy Sochan] at -1.0 adjusted net points per 100 possessions over 363 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Jakob Poeltl · Keldon Johnson · Devin Vassell · Tre Jones · Jeremy Sochan
shrunk net -0.999 over 363 possessions
on floor 2,901 possessions · off floor 4,468 possessions
SAS had an observed replacement lineup for Devin Vassell, but it came with a performance cost. The supported alternative was [Jakob Poeltl, Keldon Johnson, Romeo Langford, Tre Jones, Jeremy Sochan] at -1.5 adjusted net points per 100 possessions over 217 possessions.
Replacement evidence
Jakob Poeltl · Keldon Johnson · Romeo Langford · Tre Jones · Jeremy Sochan
shrunk net -1.467 over 217 possessions — small sample
on floor 2,236 possessions · off floor 5,133 possessions
Function loss, lineup performance, and replacement-lineup evidence remain separate; none is causal player value.
What injuries change
Recent absences and the basketball needs they created or worsened.Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Tre Jones
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Tre Jones
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Keldon Johnson
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Tre Jones
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Jeremy Sochan
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Keldon Johnson
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 10 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Zach Collins
Absences repeatedly worsened an existing problem
worsened in 9 of the final 10 covered games — mainly Doug McDermott
Where money is tied up
Cap position and salary allocation — shown beside the basketball picture, never blended into it.Most salary is mapped to interior finishing; the highest-need area is shooting and spacing. Salary-to-function mapping covers 62% of charges.
Exact figures
Exact transaction legality withheld — no exception-usage, cap-hold, and transaction ledger evidence.
What the evidence cannot answer
Deliberate abstentions — where the database refuses a conclusion rather than guessing.- Point-of-attack defense proxy: Basketball conclusion withheld
- Screening: Basketball conclusion withheld
- Switch coverage proxy: Basketball conclusion withheld
Exact transaction legality: Exact transaction legality withheld — no exception-usage, cap-hold, and transaction ledger evidence
Team-season situation report. Structural basketball quality, recent availability, player dependence, replacement lineups, and financial position remain separate. No acquisition recommendation, transaction grade, coaching grade, outcome claim, or causal value is inferred.