On the same day the Spurs got Doug McDermott back in their starting lineup, they lost Jakob Poeltl. McDermott only missed three games, and Poeltl will probably only lose a handful, but those two absences have made clear something that everyone suspected: San Antonio’s depth is more theoretical than practical.
With McDermott out, Lonnie Walker IV had to step into the starting lineup, which shook up the entire rotation. Bryn Forbes, who averaged around eight minutes with McDermott, saw his playing time jump to over 20, as the Spurs scrambled to get more shooting. Keita Bates-Diop went from 10 minutes (mostly coming in a single game) up to 20, even though the Spurs had every forward available.