So far as rebuilds go, the Spurs have managed a comparatively fast turnaround. From tearing issues all the way down to the studs in 2023, to reaching legit contender standing, it’s been a fast three years. At the moment, San Antonio sits poised and firmly cemented within the two seed of the Western Convention, on a 58-win tempo, which might be fairly the bounce from 34 just one season in the past.
However that is the NBA. There’s the common season, which is all high-quality and good, however what issues is the playoffs. And there’s a generally held perception that with the intention to really contend for a championship, a crew must style defeat within the playoffs first. They want these “playoff scars.”
So how true is that? For these groups that managed to invert their regular-season standing, what does historical past say about doing the identical within the postseason?
Looking on the fashionable period, for the reason that flip of the century, historical past tends to favor groups knocking on the door of the Finals to only barging in. Only a few groups have gone from not making the playoffs to even making the Convention Finals the very subsequent 12 months, however it does occur.
The prime instance is the 2008 Celtics. Boston hadn’t entered the postseason in two years, however basic supervisor Danny Ainge managed to place collectively what many name the primary super-team of the period—including the abilities of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett alongside Paul Pierce. It not solely ended the Celtics playoff drought, however it introduced them their first championship since 1986.
Then there are the 2021 Phoenix Suns. Phoenix hadn’t sniffed the playoffs since 2010, however then managed to make the finals in 2021. This was following an undefeated run within the Orlando bubble, which nonetheless didn’t grant them a playoff delivery. Within the offseason, they traded for Chris Paul, Monty Williams coached his ass off (ending 2nd in Coach of the Yr voting), they usually went on a run.
Subsequent are the 2020 Lakers. They flipped a six-year playoff drought right into a championship within the bubble. This was their second 12 months with LeBron James, and their first 12 months with Anthony Davis.
James provides to the checklist with the 2015 Cleveland Cavaliers. After including him in free company and buying and selling for Kevin Love, the Cavs kicked off a four-year run of assembly Golden State within the Finals. This, after they hadn’t even gained greater than 33 video games since 2010.
Lastly, the 2024 Indiana Pacers spherical out the checklist. The Pacers had been absent from a postseason look for 3 years till making a leap to the Convention Finals. This new success was attributable to the event of star level guard Tyrese Haliburton, in addition to the addition of star ahead Pascal Siakam.
And that’s the checklist. General, there’s a small pattern. All of those groups have added main expertise and are often constructed round a generational nice.
Whereas historical past reveals us that almost all deep playoff runs observe at the least a primary or second spherical exit the 12 months prior, the precedent is there for a deep run, offered the crew has the correct items.
This Spurs crew has the correct items. They’ve a generational nice in Victor Wemanyama and have the brand new addition of De’Aaron Fox. That is on prime of the gifted position gamers constructed round them. It gained’t be straightforward, however it’s fairly doable that San Antonio breaks the pattern and provides itself to the above checklist.
