The San Antonio Spurs are positioned to go on a deep playoff run this season, but they're far from perfect and one key area could come back to bite them in the postseason.
The San Antonio Spurs are returning to Texas after their annual Rodeo Road Trip and will play their first game at the Frost Bank Center since February on Thursday. The return home marks the last push before the postseason, and most experts expect the Spurs to stay in second place.
After a successful regular season, the playoffs are a different beast. While Victor Wembanyama is a game-breaker, Stephon Castle is a defensive stud, and Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson are two of the better role-players in the league, the Spurs have no postseason experience as a collective.
Recently, one NBA expert outlined how teams will attack the Spurs in the playoffs, and if they can overcome one weakness, he expects them to be just fine.
San Antonio Spurs Must Fix 3-Point Shooting
Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Julian Champagnie are all above-average shooters, especially for their position. However, De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Luke Kornet, and Carter Bryant really aren't threats from distance.
In some games, especially recently, the Spurs have shown some prowess, but unless they can be a league-average shooting team, putting points on the board in a more physical postseason environment will be a challenge.
"They are 20th in the league in 3-point shooting," said ESPN's Brian Windhorst. "I will say, a few weeks ago, it was like 24th or 25th, and when they beat Detroit last week, one of the big factors in that game was their excellent 3-point shooting."
In that win, the Spurs went 18-of-40 from deep, led by Champagnie and Vassell who shot a combined 63% from behind the arc.
"When you're already having a tough offensive night, when you're relying on those 3s, it's going to be an issue," he added. "When we get to the postseason, teams that set up their game plans against San Antonio, they've got to try to get them to shoot 3s, right? And that is going to be a trap, and either they'll overcome that, or it'll end up being something they fall into. That's got to be one of the things we'll be watching."
Of course, it's a balance. If teams don't pack the paint, Wembanyama should be able to score with ease at the rim. If they force the Spurs to shoot, San Antonio has proven that it can overcome lackluster perimeter defense.
In a seven-game series against quality opponents, the Spurs will have to be at their best, but that should be enough for them to make a deep run.