Who Will San Antonio's Most Impactful Sharpshooter Be This Season?

Between two veteran additions and an already established 3-point scorer, the San Antonio Spurs could improve from behind the arc.

Apr 5, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (40) shoots the ball against the Boston Celtics during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

One of the biggest struggle points for the San Antonio Spurs in their 22-win campaign last season was from behind the arc.

The Spurs finished as the second-worst 3-point shooting team in the league by percentage (34.6), only in front of the Portland Trail Blazers (34.4). Players shooting above-average from 3 were few and far between, and two of them — Doug McDermott and Cedi Osman — are no longer with the organization.

McDermott was the most impactful 3-point shooter by a long shot last year, recording a 43.9 percent clip on 3.8 attempts per game. Osman, the other man, shot 38.9 percent on 3.1 attempts per game. And on an already poor shooting team, losing those two players in that area leaves a gap to fill.

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Luckily, San Antonio's additions of Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes both bring ample 3-point shooting production to the roster.

Paul may not be quite the scorer he once used to be, but the future Hall-of-Famer was still able to put up a 37.1 percent from 3-point range on 3.6 attempts per game. Shooting at the point guard position severely lacked for the Spurs last season, so adding Paul will help bring balance.

Although, the latter new acquisition of Barnes will likely be the more impactful player from behind the arc. The forward shot 38.7 percent on 4.7 attempts per game last season, serving as a solid 3&D player for the Sacramento Kings. It's not quite McDermott's level of specialty, but Barnes can also impact the games in more ways than he did.

READ MORE: Harrison Barnes' Experience A Likely Boon For Young Spurs

Barnes' fit with in San Antonio will be seamless, and receiving catch and shoot opportunities from Paul or a kick-out to the corner from rookie Victor Wembanyama will help give him easy looks from deep, setting him up for what could be an even more efficient year.

It'd be a mistake to forget Devin Vassell in the conversation, who is primed to have an even better campaign in his fifth year with the Spurs. He's coming off shooting 37.2 percent from 3-point range, but what makes it more impressive is his 6.6 attempts per game.

Mar 29, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) shoots over New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) during the first half at Frost Bank Center. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Vassell is a high volume shooter who averaged nearly 20 points per game last season, so having the ability to finish with a good percentage on top of that instantly makes him one of the most important players on the roster. He'll be a top target for Paul and Wembanyama, so the expectation should be similar production — if not a higher percentage.

Between Paul, Barnes and Vassell, San Antonio has a solid trio of sharpshooters in its lineup. It'll ideally help it improve as a collective from 3-point range, and if it wants to make a push at the Play-In Tournament, 34.6 percent just won't be acceptable.