The Spurs may have caught a break at just the right time.
Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz put together a summer rundown of teams that either improved or regressed, and the West comes off looking softer than it did a year ago. Swartz listed the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Lakers, and Warriors among the teams that got worse this offseason. He also left OKC off the list, though there’s no clean argument that the Thunder improved after losing three rotational players.
That matters because the teams that are supposed to be better don’t exactly look terrifying, either. The Grizzlies and Jazz are included as clubs the West should expect more from, but that still leaves a big question: are either of them really a threat to San Antonio? Probably not.
If the rest of the conference is trending down or merely treading water, the Spurs’ route to another serious playoff run gets a whole lot cleaner. And in the NBA, that kind of opening can be every bit as valuable as talent.
You see this all the time in championship conversations. Nobody spends much time talking about the easier roads that helped shape some of the league’s biggest runs; they just remember the result. The point is simple: you play the teams in front of you, and if you’re good enough, you take what’s there.
That’s where San Antonio’s outlook starts to look favorable. There isn’t an obvious Western heavyweight sitting there to block the path. The East, meanwhile, has improved, but it still doesn’t present an unbeatable force.
The 76ers have the kind of star power that demands attention, but Joel Embiid’s health is as reliable as superhero insurance in the MCU. If he isn’t playing at an all-star level, there isn’t much reason to fear Philadelphia. They’d have to earn that respect first.
Beyond that, the Spurs match up well with the rest of the East. If they come in properly focused and avoid beating themselves, they should be favored in a seven-game series against any of those teams.
For now, though, the bigger picture is out West. If the Bleacher Report assessment holds up, San Antonio has been handed a lighter conference and a clearer route.
That’s the kind of opportunity contenders are supposed to seize. Now it’s on the Spurs to do it.
In Other News...
Spurs Face A Big Wembanyama Decision As Markkanen Buzz Returns
The Lauri Markkanen chatter around San Antonio is picking back up, and it comes at a moment when every move the Spurs consider is being measured against the bigger Victor Wembanyama timeline. The idea has obvious appeal on paper: Markkanen would give the roster another high-end scorer and size to pair with the young core, while Utah would be weighing a veteran star against a longer reset and the kind of package that can shape a rebuild.
For now, though, this remains firmly in the realm of speculation, with no deal or official movement to report. The Spurs can keep imagining the fit and the Jazz can keep listening, but the real question is whether San Antonio is ready to turn that buzz into an aggressive push or keep its assets in reserve as the next phase of the roster takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Spurs Face Big Development Test With Their Next Coach
The Austin Spurs have a new voice in charge as Chris Kent takes over the franchises developmental bench, bringing a rsum built around player growth and G League experience. Kent spent time as an assistant coach and director of player development at Florida State, and he has also coached in the NBA G League with the Windy City Bulls and Rip City Remix, a background that fits the Spurs long-running emphasis on turning raw talent into usable pieces.
His arrival comes with the kind of expectations that follow this job in San Antonios pipeline: keep players moving forward while adapting quickly to a roster that can change from week to week. He succeeds Jacob Chance, who moved on after leading Austin, and the next stretch will reveal how Kents mix of college development work and pro experience translates to the day-to-day demands of the G League. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs May Have Found A Real Rotation Question Worth Watching
David Jones-Garcia is back in the mix for a closer look, and for the Spurs that alone makes him worth tracking heading into next season. After appearing in just five games for San Antonio last season before an injury, he has moved on to international duty with the Dominican Republic and is trying to keep building on the flashes that made him interesting in the first place. The appeal is straightforward: he has shown the kind of scoring touch that can translate into a useful bench role if the opportunity is there.
Jones-Garcias path, though, is still a work in progress, which is why his summer matters. The Spurs may have some playing time available for him next season, and a reserve scoring job would be a real opening for a player trying to carve out a place in the rotation. How he looks in the qualifiers will help shape that discussion, especially if he can steady the parts of his game that have been less reliable lately. [Read more 🡒]