Simply two weeks into the 2022 NBA season the league feels slightly off. The Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Atlanta Hawks are on the high of the Japanese Convention. That’s plausible. Within the West is the place issues get bizarre. Main the way in which are the Portland Path Blazers and Phoenix Suns at 5-1, and the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz behind them at 5-2. Wait. Are the Spurs a playoff staff?
On the finish of October final yr, all however one of many Western Convention groups that had a profitable report went on to make the playoffs. The one exception was the Los Angeles Lakers. Within the Japanese Convention, the New York Knicks and the Washington Wizards began 5-1, solely to complete exterior of the play-in cutoff. It was related tendencies within the 2020-2021 season too, with the exception being that the pretender within the East was the Orlando Magic, whereas the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings missed the playoffs within the West after every began 3-2.
There are nonetheless 75 video games to go, however there’s sufficient of a cause to consider.
Energy of Schedule
A staff can solely play the groups in entrance of them, and that’s precisely what San Antonio has achieved. By way of seven video games, the Spurs have performed two playoff groups from a yr in the past. In these video games, they’re 4-1, defeating the Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers, and taking two of the three video games in opposition to the Minnesota Timberwolves. San Antonio entered the season with the hardest schedule within the affiliation and was projected within the preseason to complete with the worst report. With a talent-depleted roster attributable to numerous transactions, no one was relying on the Spurs to win video games. Nicely, no one exterior of the locker room at the least.
The primary stretch of video games hasn’t been a cakewalk, that includes three video games on the street, together with two consecutive contests in Minnesota. Nonetheless, the silver and black rank seventh within the NBA in each factors per recreation (118) and three-point capturing share (39.4 p.c). What’s extra, they’re doing it with one of many youngest rosters within the NBA at an common age of 23.84 years outdated, trailing solely the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. They’re doing it with none All-Stars or top-five picks too.
In November, the Spurs will see the Bucks, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, Lakers, and Pelicans. That can enable followers to gauge whether or not the second-hottest beginning streak in franchise historical past is a trick or a deal with.
How Are the Spurs Profitable?
Youth in skilled sports activities is usually a double-edged sword. On one hand, a younger squad lacks expertise and options uncooked abilities. However, nevertheless, a younger staff is of little else however potential and, oftentimes, lots of vitality. It wasn’t way back that criticisms about San Antonio had been that the staff was too gradual to stand up and down the ground, and the offense may stagnate. The 2022 iteration of the staff couldn’t be farther from these previous critiques.
Per 48 minutes, the Spurs are third in scoring, pushing the tempo for 91.6 shot makes an attempt. They’re scoring 118 factors on common in regulation, trailing the Indiana Pacers and Grizzlies by lower than some extent. Which means they’re additionally forward of high-octane offenses just like the Warriors and Hawks. The tempo of play hasn’t robbed San Antonio of its pass-heavy id, nevertheless, because the staff leads the NBA in assists per recreation at 31.1. Based on StatMuse, that’s Showtime Lakers-level ball motion. Main the way in which for the Spurs is the duo of Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell, two former first-round picks who’re getting the room to shine.
In seven video games, Johnson is averaging 23.9 factors per recreation and averaging 43.5 p.c from the perimeter, making an attempt almost 9 per recreation. Regardless of taking part in in simply 4 video games, Vassell is correct behind him with averages of 19.8 factors per recreation and capturing 39.4 p.c from deep on eight makes an attempt per recreation. They’re two of 4 gamers capturing above 39 p.c from three-point vary and averaging greater than 5 makes an attempt per recreation, joined by veterans Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott. In brief, they’re capturing the ball so much and connecting, notably from deep.
So, Can They Preserve Up This Report?
San Antonio has gone by way of lots of adversity over the past eight months, a few of it self-inflicted. Their sizzling begin could possibly be a younger group {of professional} gamers refusing to be counted out. With the “outdated guard” formally gone because the staff moved on from Dejounte Murray and Derrick White who performed alongside Spurs legends, the stress of expectations feels gone internally as it’s externally, given the aforementioned projections.
Wholesome, the Spurs are a troublesome matchup for a lot of rosters throughout the NBA. They’ve lots of measurement between 6’4” and 6’9”, with 13 gamers becoming inside that vary. Solely Tre Jones is an outlier on the shorter finish of the spectrum, measuring 6’1”. This offers San Antonio lots of versatility to compete in any respect 5 positions with out compromising athleticism or size. The staff is taking part in effectively given the current knee harm to Vassell, and releasing Josh Primo does them no favors both
The Spurs’ wins by way of seven video games have come in opposition to high abilities in Joel Embiid, James Harden, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Karl-Anthony Cities, Rudy Gobert, and Anthony Edwards. Nonetheless, deeper groups are on the horizon with the world-champion Warriors and contenders like Ja Morant’s Grizzlies and Zion Williamson’s Pelicans. One must assume too, that these three groups and the Lakers will appropriate their season trajectories. A loss right here and there in opposition to these groups is greater than excusable – it’s an extended season. The true check might be how San Antonio fares in going through these superstars evening in and evening out, and forestall one loss from shortly changing into 4 or 5.
Are the Spurs a Playoff Workforce?
Whereas current tendencies would possibly give hope to the prospect of San Antonio taking part in within the postseason and profitable a spherical, the make-up of the roster is extra much like the tips quite than the treats the final couple of years. Merely put, the Clippers (2-4), Warriors (3-4), and Dallas Mavericks (3-3) have higher days forward of them.
Because it stands now, with the roster and model of basketball San Antonio is taking part in, the Spurs are a playoff staff – actually. Injured, they made the changes essential in opposition to a wholesome Minnesota squad in a three-game collection, exhibiting they might win a play-in collection. Nonetheless, it’s laborious to see them profitable in seven, essential to advance previous the primary spherical. Although the longer term appears shiny, San Antonio nonetheless appears like it’s lacking that dominant third choice behind Johnson and Vassell, offered they are surely who they look like thus far. Rookie Jeremy Sochan reveals lots of promise to suit that mould, although he could be too inexperienced proper now.
To be a playoff staff isn’t sufficient, and although enjoyable, this roster doesn’t have the make-up of a contender. San Antonio could be caught in the identical rut that it has been for the previous few years. The staff additionally has to determine in the event that they wish to spend money on bringing Richardson and Jakob Poeltl again subsequent yr, or transfer them now for draft picks. San Antonio wants a jolt, and the entrance workplace is aware of it. Count on them to tighten the purse strings and be lively “sellers” on the commerce deadline in hopes of title pushes and never simply playoff appearances within the years to come back.
All participant stats, staff information, and playoff information are from NBA.com.