After the big-time star participant, what issues most within the fashionable NBA? Billy Crystal may say that “is a query for the ages,” but the image will get clearer when reviewing a number of the confirmed groups or those which have ascended at fast velocity.
The San Antonio Spurs’ construct matches the latter class due to their expertise, plus they’ve had somebody dedicated to doing the toughest jobs: Stephon Fortress. Anybody who watched him at UConn in 2023-24 in all probability knew he was sure to have an important professional profession due to his abilities and the particular one thing beating in his chest. And they’re appropriate up to now.
Fortress wasn’t setting the league on fireplace out of the gate, being an ineffective 3-point shooter and being not sure of when to say himself offensively at occasions. But his worth illuminated just like the lights popping out of Marsellus Wallace’s briefcase in Pulp Fiction 10 video games into his profession when he dropped 10 factors within the fourth quarter of a one-point loss at dwelling in opposition to the Utah Jazz.
That was his first time scoring in double figures late and it felt like a glimpse of the long run. Then inside a handful weeks, it felt like he ought to have been beginning regardless of being inexperienced, however the Spurs don’t normally hand issues over rapidly. On some nights, it could have been troublesome to see his full worth when he scored in single digits or missed straightforward ones on the rim, however for this reason one should be entrenched of their basketball philosophy.
He got here into the league with grown-man energy, so it was straightforward to inform, even then, that offensive shortcomings could be corrected with added reps and improved mechanics. On prime of that, he had Chris Paul’s approval and the long run Corridor-of-Famer had mentioned they share the identical aggressive nature. Notably, Fortress inherited a few of Paul’s greatest qualities the subsequent 12 months, exhibiting them early because the group waited for De’Aaron Fox to rehab from his hamstring harm.
A part of the rationale I assumed so extremely of Fortress as a rookie was that he discovered a strategy to make the remainder of the Spurs’ season enjoyable by taking up an even bigger position after Victor Wembanyama went down with a blood clot. Thank goodness Fortress did as a result of there’s solely so a few years followers can take of not being aggressive. His late-season push secured his Rookie of the Yr award, too.
At the moment, one of many indicators that he was enhancing rapidly was that his utilization was larger and so was his efficient subject purpose proportion (barely) than when Wemby was enjoying. Moreover, plenty of unfinished enterprise was left on the desk in 2024-25 as that they had each assisted one another 60 occasions. When followers look again on it, they noticed the rise of Space 51, which hit the bottom working the subsequent season as each gamers elevated their move frequency to one another. Every of them began scoring extra simply with assist.
Fortress, notably, as a rookie was not very environment friendly when scoring on passes from Wemby as a result of he would rush some photographs, boldly attempt to maneuver via visitors and he hadn’t gotten utterly snug in opposition to quicker coverages. None of that’s irregular for a teenager.
Nonetheless, I didn’t suppose he’d be that good the subsequent 12 months and that’s a part of what made the 2025-26 season so particular. His points-per-game common elevated by two, his EFG proportion went up by 4.5 factors, and he recorded 80 % further assists. One of many methods he was capable of elevate his deep-shooting proportion was by taking extra photographs off the catch but it surely nonetheless wants extra work.
Within the playoffs, he was seen guarding up in opposition to Julius Randle in spherical two in addition to being on the perimeter. His versatility makes him a cellular sentry.
The typical dedicated NBA fan is mostly sharp. Outdoors of San Antonio, it’s exhausting to say how he’s seen by them, however I took the freedom of rating him. The method included reviewing the rosters of each group and writing down the names of the gamers I might take earlier than him. Take into account how each championship group wants somebody like him to defend the opposite group’s greatest perimeter participant and that there aren’t 20 ballers within the NBA who will try this and rating 15 factors nightly. Fortress is a kind of guys, and there have been solely 25 names earlier than his on the checklist (see on the backside).
It issues little that 39 gamers scored extra per recreation (minimal of 65 video games) in 2025-26 and that he’s nonetheless a below-average 3-point shooter (33.2). Profitable requires having an all-round recreation and that’s what the Spurs are molding.
My basketball philosophy states that protection and rebounding are an important substances to profitable a championship, and that’s why I’d decide Jrue Vacation earlier than Damian Lillard. That’s additionally the identical cause why Fortress, who’s type of like an upgraded model of Vacation, is extra of a profitable participant than a whole lot of in style guys. Take into account that he was 4 factors shy of being on second group All-Protection in 2025-26.
Regardless of his recreation’s imperfections, he’s not far off from being an All-NBA-level participant. When coach Mitch Johnson praised him as a rookie, saying he “embraced every part we’ve thrown at him,” it jogged my memory of the occasions struggle promoters, proclaimed their prospect could be champion, and I believed them.
