Regardless of coping with accidents to key gamers, the Spurs stay within the playoff image. Can they maintain on to a top-6 till they get wholesome, or ought to followers be comfortable if they’re within the play-in spots when Wembanyama returns?
Mark Barrington: I feel that staying inside the highest six is type of a giant ask. If the Spurs can play one thing like .500 ball with three of their finest 4 gamers unable to swimsuit up, it will likely be extraordinarily spectacular and may hold the workforce in an awesome place to have the ability to lock up a playoff spot early and get that additional week of relaxation earlier than the true video games begin.
It actually will depend on how quickly the roster is at full energy. If everybody returns by mid-December, the Spurs ought to be capable of keep their present playoff standing, but when the workforce doesn’t come collectively till January, there may very well be a bit extra work to do.
Invoice Huan: The Spurs are presently the fifth seed, a sport forward of Minnesota, two forward of Phoenix, and three forward of Golden State. Now that the Wolves are absolutely wholesome I count on them to go San Antonio, however Phoenix shouldn’t be a risk provided that they’ve overperformed and their schedule is about to get a lot harder. The one different workforce that might knock the Spurs into the play-in can be the Warriors, who I argue have underachieved so far. Whether or not that occurs comes right down to how lengthy Harper, Citadel, and Wemby can be out for, and we’ve solely been given very imprecise timetables so far. I’d say that it’s a coin toss whether or not Golden State knocks San Antonio into the play-in, and the extra vital factor is how the workforce performs when everybody comes again. It looks like the West can have seven reputable groups vying for prime six seeds with three locks in OKC, Denver, and Houston, so the Spurs might want to keep wholesome the remainder of the season to safe a type of ultimate playoff spots.
Devon Birdsong: Mark’s not flawed. Prime 6 is a troublesome ask in a loaded Western Convention. Apparently, although, the West isn’t as deep as it’s robust this season. There are solely eight groups within the west enjoying .500 ball or higher, and the Spurs have but to lose to a workforce underneath that line. I feel the East is the a lot harder place to carry place proper now with 11 groups at .500 or higher, so the Spurs have a shot. Apart from video games in opposition to the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Magic, and Cavaliers, the Spurs have a reasonably simple schedule, and I may see them going 2-2 in opposition to that group. If they will do this, I feel they’ll be capable of maintain on till reinforcements arrive.
Jeje Gomez: A top-6 seeding appeared unlikely earlier than the season, so nobody needs to be too heartbroken concerning the Spurs discovering themselves within the play-in vary with so many accidents. That stated, if San Antonio drops out of the highest eight, it may very well be robust to claw their manner again into playoff territory with as many good groups as there are within the West. Hopefully, they will benefit from a considerably weak schedule and likewise get Wemby again quickly, in order that they don’t face an uphill battle the remainder of the way in which.
A month into the season, the Spurs aren’t the one ones who’ve outperformed expectations. Which workforce is probably the most nice shock to this point?
Barrington: Within the East, I just like the Bulls. They’re going to be in the course of the playoff pack, and will make a number of the contenders uncomfortable within the first and/or second rounds of the playoffs. I additionally just like the Path Blazers within the West. They’re going to wrestle to make the playoffs, however their degree of play actually is much better than you’d count on from their roster. You’ve bought to like {that a} workforce that’s beginning Sidy Cissoko as their level guard can upset the Nuggets and Thunder and be aggressive in opposition to prime groups. Yang Hansen is a very attention-grabbing rookie participant. Who is aware of what they’ll be subsequent 12 months when Lillard returns from harm?
Huan: Phoenix within the West and Detroit within the East. I believed the Suns may shock and end with a document just like the one they’d final 12 months, however to be above .500 is sort of a shock. They’ve overperformed and have performed a simple schedule so far, so it’s unlikely Phoenix will keep their document, but it surely’s good to see that they’ve discovered their pleasure once more, even when the workforce isn’t a contender.
In the meantime, I used to be a skeptic of the Pistons heading into the season and wasn’t certain if they’d be capable of enhance drastically on their document from final 12 months, however I’ve been useless flawed about that. Jalen Duren has taken an unimaginable leap and appears like a possible All-Star, and the depth they’ve is one thing I didn’t see coming earlier than the season began. On condition that Ausar Thompson improves each sport and Jaden Ivey hasn’t performed a single minute to this point, it’s attainable that we haven’t seen the ceiling of this workforce but. I nonetheless wouldn’t put them forward of the Knicks or Cavs, but when Detroit makes an in-season transfer for a shooter, they might completely grow to be a finals contender.
Birdsong: Powerful query as a result of there have been a good few surprises for me. I knew the Pistons can be fairly good, however not leading-the-Jap-Convention-good. When a workforce breaks by, like Detroit did final 12 months, there’s at all times a hazard of regression, however the Pistons appear to be they’re constructing one thing particular up there simply in time for the Spurs to be good once more too (cue flashbacks of 2005). I’ve additionally been shocked that the Hawks and 76ers haven’t cratered regardless of notable accidents, however they do each have good coaches in Nick Nurse and Quin Snyder. So I feel for me the true shocker this season needs to be the Suns. I absolutely anticipated them to be within the backside 5 after Durant’s exit (and principally their whole offseason) however first-timer Jordan Ott has bought all of them offered on enjoying basic basketball, they usually’ve been a troublesome out for a lot of the groups they’ve confronted. They’re tenth in internet ranking, and rock stable on each ends of the court docket, quite than being carried by offense or protection. It’s actually type of wonderful.
Gomez: The Raptors entered the season as a little bit of a thriller, a workforce with an costly roster that includes a bunch of wings that appeared to have overlapping expertise, and never plenty of confirmed depth. I doubt anybody thought {that a} month in, they’d have the second-best document within the East and the fifth-best internet ranking within the league. Additionally they appear to get pleasure from enjoying collectively and have discovered contributors in Jamal Shead, rookie Collin Murray-Boiles, and our outdated good friend Sandro Mamukelashvili. They don’t appear to be an actual contender, however nobody actually does of their convention, so they need to make the playoffs and will make a run given the precise matchup. I don’t assume many anticipated that from Toronto.
However, some groups have upset. Who do you assume is the principle candidate to blow it up, or at the least commerce one star?
Barrington: It’s exhausting to name out the Kings for being disappointing, as a result of that’s simply their id. Kangz gotta Kangz. I don’t like to select on backside dwellers, however the Pelicans have gotten to be the worst-run franchise within the league. Nearly yearly you hear that Zion Williamson is lastly going to begin the season in form, and inside two weeks, he’s sitting out video games. The franchise has grow to be a graveyard for younger coaches’ careers, and Willie Inexperienced deserved higher. They drafted rather well this offseason, getting Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, who’ve each appeared actually good to this point. Let’s hope that their careers don’t get caught within the Smoothie King Heart quicksand like so many different Pelicans gamers over the past decade or so.
Within the East, it’s gotta be the Pacers. After a visit to the finals final 12 months, they’ve fallen on exhausting instances. They misplaced their finest participant, Tyrese Haliburton, within the finals, and Myles Turner to free company, however they nonetheless have Siakam, Nembhard, and Mathurin. I suppose it is a tank 12 months for them, however they actually have an excessive amount of expertise to be 2-13.
Huan: Memphis, and it’s not significantly shut. Even with all of the turmoil final season and them buying and selling away Bane, I nonetheless believed of their infrastructure. Going above .500 and being a lock for the play-in appeared practical, however they’ve now dropped to 5-11 and sit eleventh within the West. A Ja commerce feels prefer it may very well be proper across the nook, and even when he performs, it looks like he actively hurts the Grizzlies (and my fantasy workforce) as a lot as he helps. Memphis is really at a crossroads and a possible hearth sale from them may alter the playoff image in each conferences.
Birdsong: I had a sense the Pacers have been going to have a tough go of it, and knew the destiny of the Bucks depended nearly completely on Giannis, however I simply didn’t anticipate how dysfunctional the Grizzlies would look. There’s nonetheless some expertise on that workforce, however they appear rudderless and leaderless, and the teaching change seems to have been a mistake as nicely. Except one thing drastically adjustments, or their entrance workplace makes some unimaginable strikes, I feel Memphis is again to sq. one once more, and may need to have a hearth sale. Honorable point out is a tie between the constantly controversial and injured (however often feisty) Clippers and the underperforming Magic. These don’t really feel as ‘stunning’ to me, although.
Gomez: I feel disappointing groups just like the Clippers and Magic may nonetheless proper the ship to an extent, so I don’t count on them to blow it up. The Mavericks and Grizzlies, alternatively, appear to be prime candidates to do one thing drastic quickly. Ja Morant appears to be enjoying his manner out of Memphis or seeking to get one other coach fired. His low market worth may make discovering an excellent commerce tough, and the followers received’t be comfortable to see him go if that occurs, but it surely could be time to hit the reset button. Dallas controls its decide this 12 months, and whereas they are saying they received’t transfer Anthony Davis, the prospect of preserving him and signing him to an enormous extension subsequent summer time ought to scare them. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see what these two groups do.
