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Spurs Playing Above Lottery

By: Michael A. Chase Jr.

11/05/2022

The San Antonio Spurs this season were considered by many to be a franchise in the rebuilding phase. They traded away their all-star point guard and selected three players in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft– all within the top 25 picks. These moves were the major signals that this season was going to be a trying one. However, the early returns have shown that this San Antonio squad may for the second straight season be looking to compete once again for a playoff spot.

The Spurs have gotten off to a 5-4 start, picking quality wins over the 76ers, the Bulls, and beating the Timberwolves twice. They did so by beating opponents by an average of 7 points per game. At the same time, they’ve also displayed major weaknesses to improve upon – in their four losses having lost by an average of 22.2 points. These losses came at the hands of the Timberwolves, Hornets, Clippers, and a recent 43-point loss to the Raptors. It’s looking like the Spurs will continue to have their highs and lows in terms of performances this season, keeping San Antonio fans intrigued throughout.

The Spurs offense has been the major catalyst of their success. They currently rank 12th in the NBA in points per game at 114.7 a night. The fact they have been so solid offensively despite having traded their best offensive player in Dejounte Murray this offseason is impressive, and it speaks to the players who have stepped up and the system the team has adhered to under Gregg Popovich. As a team they’ve shot 46.1% from the floor and own the 7th best three-point percentage in the league at 38.4%, with six players are shooting 37.5% or better from three. They have also been successful offensively thanks to their unselfish style of play, leading the NBA in assists per game at 30.0. With no real stars on the team, their ball and player movement style has produced six double figure scorers on the team.

If the Spurs want to sustain this strong start through the rest of the season they will need to improve on the defensive side of the ball. The Spurs are allowing 120.7 points per game, with a defensive efficiency that ranks 29th in the league. They have struggled to defend the paint, allowing the second most points in the paint per game in the league at 56.2. Add in their league-worst 49.5% opponent field goal percentage and the Spurs have much work to do on that end of the floor. It is hard to see the Spurs maintaining their solid start unless their defense picks up. They must do a better job containing penetration to limit paint points, as well as be more aggressive to create more turnovers and generate more possessions for their offense.

Finally, as far as notable players to watch going forward with this team we start with forward Keldon Johnson. Johnson in a further expanded role continues his growth, currently leading the team in scoring at 22.9 points per game. He also is grabbing 4.4 rebounds per night, while dishing out 4.0 assists, and shooting 40.8% from three-point range. Add in the fact he has been tasked with guarding the opposing teams’ best players and Johnson has flourished thus far as the leader of this young group. Then there’s Jakob Poeltl, who has continued his strong play from last year averaging a double-double (12.1 ppg, 10.3 rpg) while shooting 62.2% from the field. Add in other solid performers like second year guard Tre Jones (12.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 5.6 apg, 1.3 spg) and 9th overall pick in this past draft in forward Jeremy Sochan (7.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.8 apg) and San Antonio’s young core is coming into focus. They will need these players along with their other young contributors to build on their Play-In experience from last year and their hot start to continue their upward trajectory.

There’s no guarantee the Spurs still won’t finish the year in contention for a top 10 draft pick, but their start to the season has brought some encouraging signs of progress for their current rebuild. San Antonio may not have come into this season fully expecting to be a playoff or even Play-In contender, but if this young group can continue to grow while having some form of immediate success along the way, I don’t think the Spurs will complain.