The San Antonio Spurs cemented themselves as the best team in the Western Conference last season, and experts around the league think they're just getting started.
Last season, the San Antonio Spurs won 62 games, dethroned the OKC Thunder as the best team in the West, and ran through the NBA playoffs en route to their first Finals appearance since 2014.
It's hard to imagine a much better season.
Of course, the general consensus around the league is that the Spurs are just getting started. Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper are the best young trio in the league, and all of them are on rookie contracts. On top of that, the Spurs boast an elite supporting cast.
Spurs Got External and Internal Improvements
It might seem too good to be true, but the Spurs don't really have a glaring area of weakness heading into the season. If anything, they got better, adding Tobias Harris in free agency while losing not a single rotational player.
"Where are the Spurs’ weaknesses?" asked SI's Chris Mannix. "They have the NBA’s best player, arguably its best guard trio, and added everyone’s favorite veteran, Tobias Harris, to boost the frontcourt and locker room. Even in a loaded conference, it would be unsurprising to see a healthy San Antonio team flirt with 70 wins."
In 2016, the Spurs won 67 games. It remains a franchise record. Heading into this season, the Spurs are expecting their 62-win roster to have gotten even better. Remember, Wembanyama is just scratching the surface, even if that's impossible to believe.
"San Antonio will be exceptionally motivated to avenge its painful Finals loss, and leaps can be reasonably expected from the various young contributors who made last year’s deep run possible—even from Victor Wembanyama, who is already a top-three player in the league," added Liam McKeone.
Wemby seems to have added to his game this summer, focusing on strength and conditioning. Harper and Castle both showed improvement as shooters later in the season. Veterans like Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, De'Aaron Fox, Luke Kornet, and Julian Champagnie remain solid, and the Spurs added high-value rookies in the draft.
Add in Harris, and the Spurs from last season should be just a taste of what the team can achieve this year. Buckle up.
