The 2019-20 NBA season will begin on October 22 and it won't be any easier for the San Antonio Spurs than the last one. In fact, the team will have to make a decision either before or during the season: What should they do with DeMar DeRoZan?

DeRozan is a good player, but…

First thing first, DeRozan is a good player and he made good contributions to the Spurs last season. Having averaged 21.2 points, six rebounds and 6.2 assists per game, he was the team's best orchestrator considering that Dejounte Murray could not play and Derrick White was way from being able to deliver steady performances.

However, do not forget what an incredible scorer DeRozan was with the Raptors and when he was needed. He could become that scorer again. On December 17, 2018, at the AT&T Center, DeRozan put down 36 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, helping the Spurs claim a comeback victory after trailing by 15 points. On January 3, he led the team to beat the challenging Toronto Raptors with a triple-double of 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists.

However, DeRozan's problem for San Antonio was not that he's not good, but he's not good enough. His playing style is the most embarrassing part of his game. DeRozan has been a classic swingman who works in the middle range. That means his focus is on production, not efficiency and thus he needs to take a large number of shots.

Nonetheless, as the team's best orchestrator, DeRozan needs to handle the ball in most possessions. As a result, when he tries to take over the game, the rest of the team will have nothing to do because they can rarely touch the ball. That will make the opponents' defense easier because the only thing they need to pay attention to is DeRozan's isolation play. Moreover, DeRozan's passing ability under double-teaming has been a weakness.

An offensive defect is not DeRozan's only problem. His defense has often become a flaw of the team in the playoffs since his time with the Raptors. Unlike many swingmen in today's league, DeRozan cannot switch to defend bigger players in screen play because that will be a disaster for his team. When he could not contribute continuously in offense and became a liability in defense, it's not surprising that sometimes he ended scoring single-digit points in the playoffs.

There are solutions to this, but Spurs don't have them

Of course, no player is perfect – even Michael Jordan needs Scottie Pippen. The truth is, DeRozan is not built to lead a team but he can make a perfect second fiddle who can focus on scoring. That means if DeRozan can play along with a playmaker who is able to change the opponent's defense with his individual attack and pass the ball out under double-teaming, Spurs' firepower can be hugely enhanced.

Then which players are qualified for this task? LeBron James, James Harden, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo (in one or two years) … well, none of them is with the Spurs and the team are unlikely to introduce one.

As a duos team, the Spurs also have LaMarcus Aldridge to count on as the solution other than DeRozan. Nonetheless, Aldridge is a traditional big man who needs others to pass him the ball, not the other way around. Besides, he's already 34 years old and is not threatening enough in offense to attract double-teaming so his teammates can find open shots.

Adding shooters to the franchise can also help improve the individual offensive efficiency of the playmaker. LeBron James and his "King's shooter squad" in the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2015 to 2018 are the best example. Nonetheless, the Spurs cannot copy that either for two reasons. First, the team's shooters – Patty Mills and Marco Belinelli – are even worse defensive loopholes than DeRozan; second, DeRozan does not share James' destructive assaulting ability towards the rim.

Then what should they do?

The first idea coming to mind for most people is to improve the franchise via landing new players but it won't work for San Antonio. Quality 3D players are in great demand. San Antonio is only a small market that can offer neither better business opportunities nor juicy contracts. Furthermore, DeRozan and Aldridge are not attractive enough to draw others to join the team.

Young teams can seek talents from the inside but the Spurs cannot because they are not young anymore. Meanwhile, since the team have not missed the playoffs for over 20 years, they seldom got any good pick for the draft, which made it hard to get promising young men.

Though there is always the option of trade, the Spurs are unlikely to get any good deal. Aldridge is a veteran big man whose forte is isolation inside the 3-point line. DeRozan poses no threat from the outside and requires certain usage to contribute to the team. Neither can be a good team leader but it will also be a waste to use them as role players. No team will be willing to make a generous offer for the two.

Therefore, the best choice for San Antonio may be to keep DeRozan. It's true that he is unlikely to create miracles in the playoffs, but at least he can lead the team to the playoffs. San Antonio's front office has never tanked or made any big bet since they got Tim Duncan in 1997. Moreover, the team have been well-known for the human touch. Giving DeRozan a proper deal and watching him take the team to the playoffs for the next three or four years does not sound so bad.