The San Antonio Spurs are cruising through the Western Conference, and one thing is apparent as NBA trade season heats up.
The Western Conference was supposed to be a gauntlet this season, and the San Antonio Spurs were expected to have an uphill battle if they even wanted to avoid the play-in tournament.
What do the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, and Dallas Mavericks all have in common? They were expected to be better than the Spurs this season, but San Antonio has beaten each of them at least once.
The Spurs are a remarkable 14-6 in Western Conference play, and a perfect 3-0 against the Thunder. After yet another blowout win over OKC on Christmas Day, fans should be ready to declare the Spurs frontrunners, not just contenders.
The Spurs beat the Thunder in the NBA Cup. They dominated them in San Antonio, and they went north and handed the Thunder a 117-102 loss on their home court.
The Thunder might have the better record, but in a seven-game series? Give me the Spurs! As the NBA trade season heats up, the Spurs have one clear move that they will make.
Spurs to Stand Pat At Trade Deadline
At this point, you don't mess with a good thing. Yes, the Spurs have been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lauri Markkanen, Trey Murphy III, and a few others, but this lineup offers a unique benefit.
Everyone, aside from maybe Jeremy Sochan, has bought into their role. Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson went from being first options on putrid Spurs teams and have now settled in well to a lesser role, knowing that their number could be called at any moment. De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle are perhaps the league's best sidekicks, although they could run a team of their own, and Dylan Harper is the best bench player in the league despite easily being starter-worthy.
Would Antetokounmpo or any other star player be willing to accept a lesser role? That's never a guarantee.
Sure, the Spurs could stand to improve. After all, they don't have the best player at every position, and the fit with three point guards is still questionable, even if it has worked lately.
However, there's simply no reason to mess with a good thing. A team as good as the Spurs needs to look ahead to the postseason. In a seven-game series, if the Thunder aren't a threat, who is? Now is not the time to fiddle with the best team in the league.