The San Antonio Spurs have perhaps the most high-profile center in the entire NBA in Victor Wembanyama, but his minutes restriction and the general care put into his development have led to increased minutes for his backups.
Zach Collins was signed to an extension this summer with the expectation that he would space the floor on offense and provide some physicality on defense. He has not made a three-pointer in any of his final eight games before the All-Star Break (15 attempts) and has been average on the defensive side, 11th on the team in defensive box plus/minus, and sixth in defensive win shares.
While Collins has been disappointing, the young duo of Dominick Barlow and Sandro Mamukelashvili have thrived, albeit in limited roles.
Barlow, in his second season with the Spurs, has dominated the G-League and has emerged as a viable backup center. He provides elite athleticism and is solid on both ends of the floor, easily surpassing the expectations set at the start of the season.
In his nine games where he played more than 15 minutes, he has averaged 7.1 points and 5.5 rebounds on solid shooting numbers, even if he is reluctant to shoot from deep. Still only 20 years old, his continued development could result in him becoming a bonafide rotation player, especially with Collins' struggles.
Mamukelashvili, on the other hand, has hardly played outside of garbage time but has shown flashes of offensive promise. At 24 years old, there is less optimism that he will develop into a solid player, but he is a locker-room guy and could have a career similar to Boban Marjanović.
On Dec. 23, he did manage to score 14 points against the Dallas Mavericks and knocked down a three. While he is not as good on defense as Barlow, he has better court vision and can shoot, but with a much more limited ceiling, the Spurs are reluctant to give him that much playing time. However, as faith in Collins dissipates, having Mamukelashvili as a last man off the bench has its merits.
Neither Mamukelashvili nor Barlow will develop into stars, but as the Spurs continue to rebuild, finding players who can offer some support will be key to building a winner.
More must-reads: