The San Antonio Spurs are one of the best teams in the NBA and have dominated their rivals all season long, but not everyone is convinced that they will go on a deep playoff run.
Despite emerging as one of the best teams in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs still have their fair share of doubters.
The Spurs boast the second-best record in the Western Conference and have winning records against the OKC Thunder, Detroit Pistons, and Boston Celtics. However, until the playoffs officially begin, one thing will remain true: the team doesn't have any playoff experience.
Of course, the Spurs have dismissed their fair share of concerns this season, so there's really no reason to believe that their lack of experience will be any different. GHowever, one former player expressed that he has no faith in San Antonio, and managed to dismiss Victor Wembanyama while doing it.
Nick Young Dismisses San Antonio Spurs
Last season, the Houston Rockets surged out to the second-best record in the West, where the Spurs are now, and then promptly lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round.
Apparently, the Spurs are in danger of doing the exact same thing.
“They’re the Houston Rockets of last year," said Nick Young on the Gil's Arena podcast. "They young, stupid, and gonna get they [redacted] whipped.”
Last year's Rockets were talented, sure, but Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox, and Stephon Castle are all better than Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet, and Amen Thompson, who Houston boasted last season. Wembanyama, of course, is the best defender in the league, but "Swaggy P" thinks his offense is lacking, and that will bite the Spurs come the postseason.
“You act like Victor is averaging 30, but he is averaging 24 points,” Young added. “They are not tested, not playoff tested. The only team they’re gonna beat is Phoenix. Everybody else, they're gonna get they [redacted] whooped.”
It's true, Wembanyama is not even a top-ten scorer in the NBA, but when he's on the court, the Spurs outscore their opponents by 16.8 points per 100 possessions. His effective offense and stifling defense combine to impact winning, even if he isn't putting up Wilt numbers on the offensive end.
His 3.1 blocks per game, it stands to reason, erase around six points per contest, and the fear he injects in would-be drivers is immeasurable. Young, of course, was a one-way player who exceled on offense but was never really much of a defender, so it makes sense that he wouldn't look too far into the defensive impact.
The Spurs are inexperienced, and a veteran team might give them fits, but blaming Wemby's offense on any shortcomings in the playoffs is simply foolish.