The 2023-24 NBA season is less than two weeks away and teams are slated to report to training camp next week. One team to keep an eye on as they rebuild their way to relevancy is the San Antonio Spurs.
San Antonio finished the 2022-23 season No. 15 place in the Western Conference with a 22-60 overall record. However, the franchise won the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes as they drafted him No.1 overall.
This summer, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich signed a five-year extension to remain as the head coach and president of the franchise. Although San Antonio has not made a postseason appearance since the 2018-19 season, this year's team shows promise.
San Antonio will be a team to watch out for this season as they look to return to playoff form. Here are three reasons the Spurs improved and can compete this season.
Reasons the Spurs improved and can compete this season: 3. Strong backcourt
The first reason why the Spurs have improved and can compete this season is their young backcourt. As of now, the projected starting backcourt is Tre Jones and Devin Vassell.
Both guards fit the mold of a typical Popovich system, they can move without the ball, run the offense, and get others involved. Vassell played just 38 games because of injury last season but impressed when he was on the court. He averaged 18.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals, shooting 38.7 percent from beyond the arc.
He's still developing but he's a solid complementary scorer and could be a centerpiece of the offense moving forward.
Jones on the other hand comes from Duke and the Mike Krzyzewski system (former head coach). He can be a player that Popovich develops over time and can help this offense settle in adverse situations.
Jones is not a strong outside shooter but he's a good point-of-attack defender, takes care of the ball and knows how to distribute. Both players will be able to improve this roster because of their ability to feed off one another.
Reasons the Spurs improved and can compete this season: 2. Jeremy Sochan and Keldon Johnson's improvement
Last season, San Antonio went through the growing pains of new talent, young talent, and veterans who may have overstayed their welcome. Jeremy Sochan and Keldon Johnson are two players that are going to put the league on notice.
With the recent selection of Wembanyama in this year's draft, it may force a decision to bring Sochan off the bench which is not a bad thing. He finished the 2022-23 season averaging 11 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 45.3 percent from the floor.
Sochan coming off the bench will help him become more assertive and intent to create his own offense. Not to mention, he could position himself to be in the conversation of the Sixth Man of the Year Award.
A bench role for Sochan will help him develop holistically and it creates more effective depth for the Spurs. Johnson, on the other hand, will remain in the starting lineup at the small forward slot and occasionally play shooting guard depending on the lineup.
Johnson will help this team improve and compete because of his constant growth per year. Since being drafted by the Spurs in 2019, he has improved his scoring each year. He finished the 2022-23 season averaging 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists while shooting 36 percent from 3.
Sochan and Johnson will help this team become competitive again because of their youth, skill set, and their desire to be coached.
Reasons the Spurs improved and can compete this season: 1. Victor Wembanyama
The number one reason why San Antonio will improve and become competitive this season is because of Victor Wembanyama. He will be able to provide this team with relevancy and talent to climb the ladder.
Despite Wembanyama's summer league debut being cut short, it was clear to see his control of the game and how he let everything come to him. In his two games, he scored 36 points and had 20 rebounds and eight blocks in 54 minutes.
Wembanyama is a special talent and isn't rattled by much and he will learn to develop his skill set under coach Popovich who has a thing for developing frontcourt greats.
Wembanyama will help this team with their shooting proficiency, rebounding, assist ratio and roster depth. His talent and size will force teams to play a traditional line-up. He will be able to help the team on defense as well. He can put pressure on the opposing teams with his uncanny ability to handle the ball, create his own offense, and run the break.
There will be a lot of pressure surrounding the No. 1 overall pick but he will do just fine with his supporting cast and head coach behind him. San Antonio is set to kick off their preseason against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. EST.
