The San Antonio Spurs have been one of the best teams in the NBA this season. Led by the brilliant Victor Wembanyama, they’re currently 57-18 on the season while holding the 2nd seed in the Western Conference.
The reigning champs in Oklahoma City appear to be the favorite to go back to the Finals, but there are a few reasons that the Spurs may surprise the world in the postseason.
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The Balanced Attack
The Spurs have been terrorizing teams on both ends of the floor this season. As a top five team in both offensive and defensive rating, they’ve combined a relentless defense with a fluid offense.
With Wembanyama on the floor, opposing teams have to deal with a menacing defender that looks more like a video game character than a human being sometimes. He leads the league in blocks per game, but makes a bigger defensive impact than just rim protection.
His speed and explosiveness allows to him to keep up with smaller players on the perimeter. As a result, San Antonio has arguably the best defense in the league when Wembanyama’s on the floor.
On the offensive end, his fast-tracked development has helped the Spurs reach the next level. With his improved feel for passing, screening and facilitating, their entire offensive system is much stronger than last season.
The Well-Rounded Supporting Cast
Basketball is a five-on-five sport. As great as Wembanyama is, the level of production from his teammates will be a major factor in San Antonio’s postseason success.
Luckily for Spurs, the entire team is playing at a high level. De’Aaron Fox has established himself as an All-Star while averaging 18.6 points per game and over six assists a night.
Keldon Johnson has emerged as a strong candidate to win Sixth Man of the Year. He’s averaging 13.1 points per game while shooting a blistering 53% from the floor.
Guard Stephon Castle has quietly become one of the league’s elite perimeter defenders while also putting up 16.7 points per game.
With veterans like Harrison Barnes and Luke Kornet bringing championship experience to the locker room, this young Spurs team appears to have all the tools needed to make a deep playoff run.
The Matchup Advantage
It seems like no matter who the Spurs are playing, they always have a major advantage somewhere, even against the best of the best.
One of the most exciting storylines of this season has been the Spurs’ matchups against the OKC Thunder.
Wembanyama and the Spurs have had the Thunder’s number this season, winning four of their five battles. While the reigning champs have had their way with the rest of the NBA, the Spurs have been their biggest threat by far.
One of the Spurs’ offensive strength plays right into one of OKC’s defensive weaknesses.
While San Antonio takes more corner threes than anyone else, the Thunder give up more made corner threes than any other team.
If the Spurs maintain their current level of play, they could certainly see themselves in the Western Conference Finals. If that matchup happened to be against the Thunder, they could be the team that moves on to the NBA Finals.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
