The tip-off to the 2024-25 common season is simply three days away, and meaning many retailers are releasing the season previews of each staff, typically within the type of Week 0 (or Week 1, in some instances) Energy Rankings. Whereas that’s normally dealt with in Spurs Week in Evaluate (which will likely be again subsequent week when there’s some precise video games to guage), it’s nonetheless good to get an early have a look at what members of the media consider the Spurs heading into the brand new season.
John Schuhmann, NBA.com — 23 (finish of final season: 23)
It’s Yr 2 for Victor Wembanyama and Yr 20 for Chris Paul, who nearly all the time makes groups higher when he first places on their uniform. However it might be a tricky climb for the Spurs in a deep Western Convention.
Preseason takeaways
1. Devin Vassell (proper foot surgical procedure) has been out and can miss the beginning of the common season, with Julian Champagnie showing to be his alternative within the beginning lineup. He can’t replicate Vassell’s expertise off the dribble (he made seven pull-up jumpers all of final season), however Champagnie shot 16-for-38 (42%) from past the arc within the preseason.
2. The Spurs (who ranked thirteenth in whole zone possessions final season) performed the second most zone within the preseason, in response to Synergy monitoring. Zone, in fact, is a solution to hold Wembanyama close to the basket … on protection, a minimum of.
One thing to observe in Week 1: Wembanyama’s photographs. Within the preseason, the 7-foot-3 man took solely 9 (43%) of his 21 photographs within the paint, a minimum of partially as a result of he settled for jumpers as a substitute of attacking the basket. Final season, that charge was 51%, which continues to be too low. He’s 7-foot-3! Get him the ball close to the ring.
The Spurs had been 1-7 in video games performed between the three Texas groups final season, they usually’ll start this one with three video games towards the Mavs and Rockets (x 2), with a relaxation benefit towards Houston on Saturday.
Week 1: @ DAL, vs. HOU
ESPN Workers — 21 (pre-draft rating: 23)
BPI’s general rating: 28
Possibilities to make playoffs: 1.0%
Projected wins: 31.0
Once we final noticed them: No. 1 general choose and unanimous 2023-24 Rookie of the Yr Victor Wembanyama supplied one of many few brilliant spots for a staff that received three of its first 5 video games earlier than enduring the longest dropping streak (18 video games) in franchise historical past from Nov. 5 to Dec. 13. This summer season, San Antonio added management, and the official starter-level level guard that Wembanyama wanted by signing future Corridor of Famer Chris Paul, along with bringing in veteran and former champion Harrison Barnes. The Spurs drafted Paul’s eventual successor, Stephon Fort, with the No. 4 choose in June’s draft.
Greatest energy and weak point: Wembanyama offers elite rim safety, ending with 254 blocks, which ranked as probably the most in a season since 2015-16 (Hassan Whiteside). Wembanyama erases errors and permits San Antonio’s perimeter defenders to take possibilities. Nonetheless, collective enchancment on protection has been some extent of emphasis for the Spurs all through coaching camp and the preseason. The staff additionally wants to search out extra constant exterior capturing. San Antonio set a franchise report final season for 3-pointers made (1,036), however that ranked simply sixteenth within the NBA. — Michael Wright
Spurs in NBA Rank:
Victor Wembanyama (11)
Chris Paul (99)
Quantity to observe: Wembanyama’s rim safety
Wembayama led the league final season with 3.6 blocks per sport, over a block greater than some other participant. He additionally recorded a 10-block triple-double and completed in whole with 254 blocks, turning into the sixth rookie to achieve 250-plus blocks because the stat turned official in 1973-74
Finest guess: Wembanyama to report 1+ blocks in each common season sport; minimal 40 video games performed (+2000)
This 12 months, we mission Wemby to steer the league with 4.3 BPG in 33.4 MPG. With these numbers in thoughts, this guess is price placing just a few models on. — Eric Moody
Potential fantasy bust: Keldon Johnson
Not that he’s some thrilling choose, however with Johnson going simply previous 100 general in common draft place, he’s going to be relied on in fantasy frontcourts to essentially contribute. The holdup in trusting Johnson is that, in a uncommon case, he noticed fewer minutes, touches and photographs final season after a breakout 2022-23 effort. It’s trying extra like his scoring spike in his fourth season was a part of pacing a lottery-bound staff in offensive alternatives. The Spurs’ rotation is now a lot, a lot totally different, with gifted younger gamers mixing with confirmed late-career vets in a new-look Popovich concoction centered round Victor Wembanyama. Johnson is unlikely to start out or discover a really specialised function for San Antonio, as a substitute shifting to a complementary function that extinguishes any momentum left from his days as a bankable scoring supply. With out very loud defensive charges and subpar rebounding percentages for a ahead, I’d relatively let a competitor take Johnson’s low-ceiling profile. — Jim McCormick
Andy Bailey, Bleacher Report — 20 (final rating: N/A)
I’ve spent a lot of this summer season pounding this quantity into your heads. However since I could not have many extra possibilities to do it, right here it’s yet one more time.
In 2023-24, when rookie Victor Wembanyama was on the ground with Tre Jones (an precise level guard) and Devin Vassell (a reliable three-and-D wing), the San Antonio Spurs had been a whopping plus-10.2 factors per 100 possessions.
Wemby is already an All-Star-level expertise. And when he’s a part of logical lineups (versus experiments intent on turning Jeremy Sochan into some extent guard), the Spurs can compete with nearly anybody.
Now that Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes are round, these logical lineups needs to be extra widespread. And San Antonio would possibly even be within the combine for a top-10 end within the West.
