​The success of the San Antonio Spurs depends on Victor Wembanyama.At just 22 years old, he’s already in the running for Best Player Alive and led the Spurs to the NBA Finals. Sure, having young players like Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell, and others helps, but the Spurs wouldn’t be near the top of the league without Wembanyama.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs much as the Spurs would like to, though, they can’t trot Wembanyama out for 48 minutes a game with little to no help. Those depth pieces and stars in the making like Castle and Harper, are crucial to the team’s success.One overlooked player isn’t “critical,” per se, but his improvement will take the Spurs to the next level.READ MORE: NBA Players Not Happy With Victor Wembanyama’s New ContractREAD MORE: Team USA to Rely on Four Centers to Stop Victor Wembanyama in LA OlympicsREAD MORE: The Moment Victor Wembanyama Decided to Pass Up $50 MillionIt’s a rather stupid (or simple, at least) idea: if a certain young player becomes a star, the team that employs him will be better off.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementObviously.However, Carter Bryant is a special case. The Spurs used a first-round pick on him, but it was 14th overall, not exactly a premier asset. Even with him playing a limited role in his rookie season, the Spurs were very, very good. Their success doesn’t hinge on him breaking out, but if he does, then they will improve.Plus, he fills a key area of need. Wembanyama will lock down the paint for the next decade-plus, and Harper and Castle have the backcourt under control. Bryant is the only wing on the Spurs with even an ounce of All-Star potential. That’s not to discount Vassell or Julian Champagnie, who are really good, but they will never be the best of the best.”Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs are loaded with young talent, and they’ll be cooking with gas if Bryant can develop into more of an offensive threat as a sophomore,” wrote ESPN’s Ben Golliver. “While the Spurs also have Tobias Harris, Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes in their frontcourt rotation, their best-case scenario involves Bryant showing enough progress to claw more minutes away from the veterans. Bryant has ‘indispensable role player on a title team’ written all over him.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThink Derrick White in 2024, Jason Terry in 2011, and Bruce Bowen during the Spurs’ dynasty. Those guys came out of nowhere, took over, and played key roles on title teams. Would their teams still have been great even without them? Yes. But would they have been the juggernauts that won titles? Maybe not.The Spurs’ success isn’t contingent on Bryant being an All-NBA or All-Defensive player, but his ceiling could determine just how good the Spurs can be.