The betting market has set the Spurs’ over/below at 36.5 wins. Do you suppose they’ll hit the over and combat for a play-in spot?
Marilyn Dubinski: The optimist in me desires to say the over, however it’s simply onerous to visualise at this level if for no different motive than the West can be a gauntlet. How usually has the thirteenth seed in a convention, which is the place the Spurs’ over/below places them, had 36-ish wins? With out researching, I’m guessing only a few, probably none. The Spurs positively have the potential to shock, push for 40 wins and make the play-in, but when I needed to really put any of my hard-earned cash on the road, I’d guess the below. Now in the event that they had been within the East, this might be a distinct dialogue…
Mark Barrington: I believe the Spurs are going to be quite a bit higher than final yr’s 22 win group. However not THAT a lot better. Chris Paul can be nice in instructing the younger guys the best way to play successful basketball, however he’s not going to make that a lot of a distinction on the court docket in restricted minutes. Harrison Barnes goes to need to play quite a bit higher than he did in preseason to maneuver the needle. I believe the Spurs may win as a lot as 33 video games, which is an enormous 50% enhance in wins. I simply don’t suppose they get near the play-in match with a roster that’s this a lot of a piece in progress.
Jacob Douglas: No. It’s too massive of a leap for a group that didn’t add all that a lot this summer season. Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes, and Stephon Fort present a expertise improve, however not one nice sufficient to be within the play-in dialog. The Spurs nonetheless want extra benefit creators on the offensive finish to be a successful group. I’ve them someplace round 30 wins this yr.
Jesus Gomez: Similar to everybody besides the everlasting optimist under me, I doubt it. The Spurs received 22 video games final yr. A 15-win leap looks as if quite a bit in a season with not many terrible groups, particularly within the West. Trying on the first 10 video games, the one opponent anticipated to be actually unhealthy is the Path Blazers. The Spurs have the expertise to beat good groups, however they’re nonetheless younger regardless of including a few veterans and can in all probability nonetheless be inconsistent. I believe a win complete within the low 30s appears extra lifelike and would nonetheless signify a step in the fitting course.
J.R. Wilco: I’m the one one, eh? Okay, then. I’ll play the shameless homer. Solely I’m not taking part in. I’m on file saying that final season’s membership was higher than their file. So if we determine that Chris Paul will regular their clutch time offense (the largest drawback with the group final yr, IMO) and we notice the truth that totally half of their video games final season certified as clutch time video games (inside 5 factors with 5 minutes left) then … then, I wouldn’t be shocked at a .500 season. Now, I’m not predicting one both, however I’m at the very least able to take the over!
Invoice Huan: 36.5 for the Spurs may be the craziest over/below this yr, and I’m the largest Wemby homer on the market! He’s going to enter the season as a prime 10 participant and will end within the prime 5, however even that received’t catapult the Spurs to 37 or extra wins. J.R. is correct when he says that this group performed higher than their file confirmed final yr, however remember the fact that the West is deeper than ever and there are 12 groups who’re clearly higher – in my humble opinion. With that in thoughts, I imagine an over/below of 32.5 is way more applicable (please don’t banish me, Mr. Wilco).
Do you suppose Victor Wembanyama will win Defensive Participant of the 12 months? Will every other Spurs get near getting an award?
Dubinski: If he’s even the identical defender as final season, he ought to win it. I imagine Rudy Gobert received on benefit greater than something, and a few voters merely couldn’t get themselves to vote for a rookie on a backside 10 protection no matter his particular person accolades. If the Spurs can transfer into at the very least the center of the league in protection, there can be zero hesitance to vote for Wemby, Past him, Stephon Fort has nearly as good a shot as anybody in his class at Rookie of the 12 months if he will get sufficient taking part in time, and I may even see a world the place Keldon Johnson contends for Sixth Man. If he does, will probably be an enormous enhance to the Spurs’ successful possibilities.
Barrington: If he stays wholesome, it’s very doubtless. Some groups will ship guys at him in an try to attract fouls and use bodily inside play to negate his size. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see how the Spurs reply. About the one different Spurs this yr who could possibly be within the operating for particular person honors can be Stephon Fort, who could possibly be within the operating for Rookie of the 12 months if Pop provides him an everyday rotation spot for the entire season. I believe it’s positively attainable, as a result of Fort has confirmed that his sport is already NBA-ready on protection and his shot is healthier than anticipated popping out of the draft. There are a number of different rookies that would offer stiff competitors, however it could possibly be a aggressive race.
Douglas: The Defensive Participant of the 12 months award is narrative-based. I believe that performed in Wembanyama’s favor final season. If he has a serious affect season and the Spurs actually are aggressive, I believe the award is his. I simply don’t suppose the NBA may give the award to a participant that doesn’t lead a top-10 protection. He’ll face stiff competitors from Rudy Gobert and Bam Adebayo. I don’t suppose Fort will play sufficient to win Rookie of the 12 months. I do anticipate Wembanyama to make an All-NBA group and the All-Star sport this season.
Gomez: I believe he’ll, however it received’t be straightforward. Wemby can be scrutinized extra this season, which may result in voters overthinking issues. If the Spurs present enchancment on that finish and not one of the different candidates has a profession yr, I believe Wemby has a great probability of getting some {hardware}. Fort may have a shot at Rookie of the 12 months if he will get the minutes, however I’m not as assured as others that he’ll get the minutes and position to get it.
Wilco: I see this award going the best way final season’s ROY went: ESPN crowns him the presumptive favourite for the award whereas promoting bets on ESPN BET. Then, they instruct a bunch of their speaking heads to begin touting another person (or a number of gamers) over him. Then they promote plenty of bets on ESPN BET in opposition to Wemby. Then towards the top of the season, after Wemby does one thing superior in one of many video games ESPN covers, they declare him the winner, whereas promoting tons extra bets on ESPN Wager for Wemby whereas having their writers and announcers all agree that he’s the hands-down winner of this media-based award whereas raking in additional $ from ESPN BET whereas one way or the other persevering with to fly below the radar and undetected for the whole and utter racket they’re.
Huan: He ought to positively be the heavy favourite, though I’m undecided if the Spurs’ protection can be adequate for him to really win. Both means, there’s no query in my thoughts that Wemby is already one of the best defender in all of basketball, and I believe he’ll make 2nd group All-NBA too.
Who do you suppose will come out of every convention and who will win the NBA Championship?
Dubinski: I don’t see anybody usurping the Celtics. The Knicks upgraded a bit with the KAT commerce, however they aren’t very deep, and there’s the Thibs issue to think about. I additionally don’t suppose the 76ers’ stars are able to staying wholesome lengthy sufficient to hold them that far. Within the West, it’s anyone’s sport. The Nuggets will at all times have an opportunity with Jokic however have misplaced a whole lot of depth. The Mavs made it final yr and really effectively may once more, however it’s going to require Klay Thompson to have a greater capturing season than he has had in a couple of years, and it should be carried out on offense. The Thunder are the rapid favorites off the highest of my head as a result of they’re probably the most full group and made some good offseason strikes, they simply have to be taught from final season’s playoffs and overcome the youth issue.
Barrington: The Celtics are going to be the favorites to repeat. There are at the very least six contending groups within the East, however the Celtics are nonetheless one of the best. Lots of people are selecting the Thunder to come back out of the West, they usually definitely have the expertise to do it. I simply don’t suppose they’re skilled sufficient but, I believe they’re nonetheless a yr and a playoff disappointment faraway from a finals journey. I believe that the Mavericks have improved themselves with the addition of Klay Thompson, and perhaps that is the yr we’ll see Luka Doncic begin the season in basketball form. I believe it’s doubtless that we’ll see a rematch of the 20-24 finals, with the identical end result. It provides me no pleasure to say this, however it appears doubtless that the Celtics will increase the trophy once more on the finish of the season.
Douglas: Celtics over Thunder within the finals. They’re the 2 most gifted groups within the NBA. OKC fastened their flaws, and it’s onerous to even discover one on Boston’s roster. I like Philadelphia’s group, however I don’t belief Joel Embiid nor Paul George to be out there, not to mention efficient within the postseason.
Gomez: Repeats are onerous, however I don’t see anybody beating Boston within the East except accidents ravage the Celtics and I’m not shocked to see them get picked unanimously right here. The West is trickier as a result of all of the contenders have at the very least one flaw. I’ll go along with the Nuggets, as a result of they’ve one of the best participant on the earth. And if Denver will get to the Finals, I believe they’ll win the entire thing.
Wilco: So long as Jokic is alive and in his prime, I can’t predict anybody beating them till I see it with my very own eyes. What he did within the Olympics with a couple of guys from his hood was past all superlatives. Serbia had no enterprise being in that sport in opposition to the USA, and he almost took them down. So it’s the Nuggets for me within the West, and Boston once more from the East — and the Celts to repeat. Ugh.
Huan: I’m going out on a MASSIVE limb right here and predicting the Celtics to win over the Thunder. Who noticed that coming, huh? Jokes apart, these two groups must be fairly closely favored of their respective conferences, and their mixture of fireplace energy and depth must be an excessive amount of for different groups to deal with. That’s, except Jokic decides to get some folks from his “hood” to affix the Nuggets, in fact.
