The Spurs have gained 15 of their final 16 and are solely two video games behind the Thunder on the loss column. Can they take the highest seed within the West? And will they go for it even when it means enjoying their starters extra?
Mark Barrington: I don’t assume they ‘go for it’ within the sense that they modify their technique for the ultimate stretch of video games going into the playoffs. They’re comfortably within the high 4 and could have a minimum of one house playoff collection. They’re going to focus on persevering with to enhance and staying wholesome. It’s fully potential that that might end in a first-place end within the west, however that’s not the first purpose.
Invoice Huan: I can’t see that taking place. The discourse concerning the Spurs doubtlessly securing the highest seed over a dominant regular-season workforce is paying homage to the 2016-17 season, after they had been inside a recreation or two of the Warriors earlier than Golden State pulled away. Oklahoma Metropolis has held its finest punch for months now, prioritizing well being. They’re nonetheless forward, and I totally count on them to begin rounding into playoff type and dominate video games once more earlier than the postseason.As for the minutes, the one participant I’ll be monitoring for that’s Wemby. He wants to have the ability to deal with a load within the low-mid thirties for the Spurs to maximise their potential this season, and everybody else on the workforce appears to be in a great place already.
Devon Birdsong: I believe if there’s something we’ve realized during the last a number of seasons, it’s that the Spurs have their timelines and guardrails in place, and so they’re not going to deviate from them except they see a transparent (risk-limited) benefit in doing so. Except they’re inside a recreation of the Thunder within the ultimate weeks of the stretch run, I simply don’t see them making a particular effort to take action from a front-office/teaching perspective. Nonetheless, you possibly can by no means rely out what the gamers and their on-court performances would possibly result in. They clearly have their very own wishes and targets, and the best way they’re pursuing them has already put them in a spot that has (on some degree) surpassed even essentially the most optimistic of the entrance workplace’s projections. I believe the most definitely state of affairs is that they’ll begin resting gamers as soon as/if their place as a 2nd seed is solidified down the house stretch. Nonetheless, if this sizzling streak retains up, I’d not be shocked to seek out them combating for the #1 seed, which actually says every little thing about this workforce.
Jeje Gomez: If the highest seed is attainable in the previous few video games, they need to in all probability go for it. The play-in video games imply extra relaxation earlier than the beginning of the playoffs, so just a few additional minutes shouldn’t matter that a lot. A number of the previous couple of video games could possibly be robust, however they’re at house. The highest seed would assure that they wouldn’t should face the Thunder till the convention finals and would pit them in opposition to the lesser of the play-in groups, however, extra importantly, taking these previous couple of video games as must-wins may put together them for the postseason. It might make no sense to danger damage, however tightening up an already shrinking rotation much more may put them in a playoff mindset, which may assist such a younger workforce.
The Spurs have misplaced to the Knicks twice this season. Unhealthy luck, or is there something about them that makes them a foul matchup for San Antonio?
Barrington: The Knicks are a veteran workforce with an unimaginable on-court chief in Jalen Brunson. Brunson can impose his will, and his workforce has the dimensions and capturing to trigger the Spurs issues, with KAT limiting the technique of getting Wemby lay off of his man and defend the rim. I believe the Spurs are studying on the fly to realize the psychological resilience to tackle the veteran management of Brunson, however they nonetheless don’t have an enormous ahead to counter Cities, who is just too fast for a French Vanilla lineup to work. If the Spurs meet them within the playoffs, will probably be a tricky matchup, however I’d take it, as a result of that will imply that the Spurs had been within the NBA finals, about 2-3 years earlier than I’d have predicted that in my most optimistic eventualities.
Huan: Two video games are too small a pattern dimension to come back to definitive conclusions, nevertheless it does seem like OG’s protection on Wemby is the x-factor. In a 7-game collection the place the Spurs can give you a greater gameplan, I believe issues can be quite a bit nearer, and it could clearly imply that they made it to the finals. I’m not frightened concerning the matchup within the slightest, and if I should be sooner or later, it could imply that this Spurs workforce is 4 video games away from a championship.
Birdsong: There’s definitely some dangerous luck concerned, nevertheless it actually comes down to 3 components. 1. The Spurs are nonetheless inconsistent defending the three, and the Knicks have a roster that may actually pour them on. 2. Jalen Brunson is without doubt one of the few guards who has sufficient savvy and grit to efficiently struggle by means of and counter Stephon Fortress’s protection. 3. And most significantly, Karl-Anthony Cities is without doubt one of the few huge males whose long-distance capturing can warp San Antonio’s most well-liked defensive schemes. That capturing forces the Spurs to both let Wemby pursue him to the perimeter, opening up the publish for exploitation, or keep house and permit Cities to profit from the Spurs’ weak spot at energy ahead. Cities has shot 40% from three in 3 of their final 4 video games in opposition to one another, and there’s no different participant on the roster large enough and quick sufficient to hassle Cities, which has been making him (and the Knicks) a matchup nightmare for San Antonio.
Gomez: It’s a foul matchup. Groups with stretch bigs and large wings have a tendency to provide the Spurs hassle as a result of they expose the shortage of size on the ahead spots and pressure Wemby to both step exterior or roam, which surprisingly confuses him at instances, as he appears at his finest when he’s instantly concerned in performs. However what makes the Knicks a worse matchup than most is their offensive rebounding. Cities isn’t solely an elite shooter, however he has been crashing the glass properly, and Mitchell Robinson is arguably one of the best offensive rebounder on the planet. Worrying about New York doesn’t make a lot sense since they gained’t be a playoff rival except the 2 groups make the finals, however they do provide others a blueprint on tips on how to beat San Antonio.
Assuming the Spurs keep in one of many high two spots, which potential play-in workforce would you want them to face within the first spherical?
Barrington: I believe I’d be pleased with a Suns matchup. The Spurs have misplaced two video games to them, however I believe that might work within the Silver and Black’s favor, as they’ll be motivated to play with most effort from the beginning. Additionally, the Suns appear to be having a little bit of inside dissension, and that may make them just a little simpler to beat.
The opposite possible matchup for the Spurs can be the Warriors, and I believe they is likely to be a more durable out, particularly if Steph Curry is wholesome. Actually, the dream state of affairs for the Spurs within the first spherical is a sweep with everybody wholesome, and a very good relaxation earlier than the second spherical begins, and that will be extraordinarily unlikely in opposition to a wholesome Golden State squad.
If I had been simply in search of a enjoyable collection, I’d ask for the Path Blazers, who’re punching above their weight within the Western Convention Standings. However I don’t see them profitable two play-in video games in opposition to any of the potential opponents. The Clippers are in all probability one of the best workforce within the play-in vary of any of the present 4, however by the tip of the season, I count on that they’ll be both within the high 6 or out of the play-in event utterly, relying on Kawhi’s well being. There’s no center floor for them.
Huan: Out of all of the choices, I’d really feel one of the best going through Portland. Deni is their lone dependable creator, and he’s having again points. Frankly, I don’t wish to see a red-hot Clippers workforce or a possible Warriors squad getting again a refreshed Steph. Phoenix can be a tricky out too, given how a lot hassle they’ve created for Wemby this 12 months, and the West is all of a sudden trying a lot deeper than it did earlier within the season.
Birdsong: I actually would favor for them to keep away from the Warriors and the Clippers, so that basically solely leaves Portland and Phoenix, and out of these two, I believe Portland can be the higher choice. The Spurs would in all probability have to land the #1 seed for that to occur, although. By default, I believe it’s going to be Phoenix. And truthfully, that is likely to be a very good first-round matchup for the Spurs, as a result of that’s not a workforce they will succeed in opposition to in the event that they get sloppy. Additionally, I like the chance the Spurs must make Phoenix followers depressing. Sorry, can’t train this outdated canine new methods (or get him to let outdated rivalries go).
Gomez: The apparent reply is Portland. They simply don’t have sufficient shot creation to win a playoff collection except every little thing breaks proper for them, however that’s additionally the explanation why they’re unlikely to come back out of the play-in. Out of the opposite three groups, the Warriors give the Spurs hassle as a result of they will play five-out and lure opponents into capturing contests, and the Clippers have a stretch huge and the kind of perimeter size that the Knicks even have. So the popular choice can be Phoenix, which has Spurs-killer Jalen Inexperienced, but in addition conventional bigs for Wemby to protect.
