How far can the San Antonio Spurs go in the 2021-22 NBA season?
The 2021-2022 season will be crucial for the San Antonio Spurs' future. For many seasons, the San Antonio Spurs have been seen as one of the cornerstone NBA franchises. But over the last two seasons, the Spurs have missed the playoffs for the first time in consecutive seasons in franchise history.
Future Hall-of-Fame coach Gregg Popovich will look to get the team back to its winning ways around his young, talented roster. The Spurs also used this offseason to take chances and re-tool with veterans that fit the Spurs mentality.
The young core of Derrick White, Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and poeltl" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Jakob Poeltl all have five or fewer years of NBA experience. On top of that, the additions of mcdermott" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Doug McDermott, aminu" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Al-Farouq Aminu, and Thaddeus Young this offseason will be teachers for the young core and help the team win.
The Spurs did take two chances this offseason. They drafted Joshua Primo 12th overall in the 2021 Draft. Primo is raw and has the ceiling to be an excellent 3-and-D player but will need time to develop. The second chance the Spurs took was signing Zach Collins. It has been underwhelming since being drafted 10th overall in the 2017 Draft, with injuries playing a role. If Popovich can figure out how to reach Collins's full potential, Collins could be an impact player late in the season.
Predicting the Spurs floor for the 2021-2022 NBA Season
Last season the Spurs managed a 33-39 record, making it into the final play-in spot by just two games. The Spurs' floor for the 2021-2022 season might be a repeat of last season, having been in the hunt but missing out on the playoffs.
Making a play-in game on its own will be a challenge this season. The Western Conference is a battle every year, and many teams have improved, and they will be looking to take the 10th place spot from the Spurs.
Letting DeMar DeRozan go in a sign-and-trade will hurt the Spurs in the short term. DeRozan was the go-to option on offense, and finding a replacement for his 21.6 points per game last season might be difficult. Murray and White could step into that role, but they are both still young NBA players. It could take some time for them to be completely confident with more on their plate offensively.
ESPN has released the first half of their Top 100 NBA list and only one San Antonio Spurs player has made the list #GoSpursGo
83. Dejounte Murray https://t.co/z5mf04ahRr
The Spurs could have a slow start due to being a young team, but as the season goes on and the team grows, they could push for a play-in spot. The team's defense will keep them in many games, letting them maybe steal some wins. Just about every player on the roster can make impact plays on defense, possibly except White, McDermott and Bryn Forbes.
The Spurs 2021-2022 record might look very similar to the 2020-2021 record, but it will have a different feel. The team will be young and growing together as a group, as Popovich looks to break back into the playoffs.
Predicting the Spurs ceiling in the 2021-2022 NBA Season
After missing out on the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, the 2021-2022 Spurs will be back. They would most likely have to enter through a play-in, winning one or two win-or-go-home games, but this team is talented enough to do so.
Murray, White and Walker have the chance to have break-out seasons. With DeRozan now with the Chicago Bulls, at least one of these three players will step up to take more of an offensive role. White and Walker are the front runners for this, as they both shoot over 35% from beyond the arc. Murray has struggled from three but has improved every season as a shooter.
Lonnie Walker EXPLODED on this dunk 😳#SCtop10 https://t.co/ScJSitAlNY
The Spurs defense could end up being in the top ten of defensive rating with the additions of Young and Aminu as solid wing defenders. Murray has already shown himself to be one of the best point guard defenders in the league, while Poeltl has become a decent rim protector.
Once again, the defense will keep them in games, but if the offense can get on a roll early, the Spurs could be a sleeper playoff team.
Realistic Prediction for the Spurs 2021-2022 Season
The Spurs are still a young team that is more focused on the future than the now. However, the history of this team shows that they will find ways to win consistently. Making it into a play-in game, but losing might seem disappointing, but the future is what matters for the Spurs.