The San Antonio Spurs will soon enter the third year of Victor Wembanyama’s career. The young French center has shown enough in the last two seasons that he can be a leader of a championship-contending team. Last season, he made his All-Star debut and was a leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year before his injury. This offseason, the Spurs made a series of moves to boost their team and add depth. With the latest signing, the Spurs are bringing back a familiar face in Bismack Biyombo.
Spurs Quietly Add Depth; Can They Contend in the West?
This offseason, the Spurs already signed two centers to provide backup minutes for Wemby or possibly play alongside him. They added Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk. Now, they are bringing back Biyombo, who played for the Spurs last season. Known for his defensive presence, Biyombo averaged almost a block last season in less than 20 minutes of action.
According to the report by Shams Charania, Bismack Biyombo has agreed to a one-year deal to return to the San Antonio Spurs. He appeared in 28 games last season, averaging 5.1 points and 5.6 rebounds. Biyombo is also a 15-year-old veteran who has some playoff experience. With this signing, the Spurs have four centers/forwards and can essentially play two big men at all times.
Will Biyombo Get Minutes?
It is always a good idea to have depth in the NBA. But it is hard to see Biyombo getting minutes this upcoming season, unless there is an injury to one of their big men. The league is quietly moving back to playing more centers, but that doesn’t mean having four bigs on a roster is the right move. Kornet was the Spurs’ big offseason signing, someone who should play alongside Wemby and stretch the floor for the Spurs. Biyombo is not a good shooter; he gets his points mostly from putbacks, dunks, and alley-oops.
Apr 6, 2025; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Dalano Banton (5) shoots over San Antonio Spurs center Bismack Biyombo (18) during the second half at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images
If the Spurs elect to play two bigs, which means there should be 96 minutes between the four, Victor will play between 33 and 35 minutes. The remaining three bigs should get between 16 and 20 minutes. That is, of course, if the Spurs play two bigs at all times. That wasn’t the case last season, when they played Harrison Barnes and Jeremy Sochan at the four. They also have a couple of rookies that need playing time.
Spurs Following the Latest NBA Trend
This offseason showed an obvious trend among NBA teams: go big or go home. Here are some teams with two or more great centers in the Western Conference:
Those are all potential playoff teams, and teams that the Spurs will have to battle for a playoff spot. They haven’t made the playoffs since 2019. Can they break that streak next season? Time will tell. But one thing is certain, they are adding depth for a long season.
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