If everything goes well for the San Antonio Spurs this season, then they should challenge for a spot in the play-in tournament. That would be a big deal for a team that is seemingly in the final stages of a rebuild and could be a valuable learning experience for their young players.
That is the goal for this season but there are several obstacles that could prevent them from living up to their full potential. Let’s take a look at 3 doomsday scenarios the Spurs must avoid this season.
Scenario 3) The Spurs try to shoehorn Wembanyama in at power forward
The common consensus surrounding Victor Wembanyama entering the NBA was that he wouldn’t be able to play center to start his career. It turns out that we were all wrong because, in the 52 games he played at center, he dominated, posting 22.4 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 3.9 blocks per game.
He also shot better from three, resulting in increased spacing in the starting lineup.
While coach Gregg Popovich has been known to prefer two big-man lineups, he should steer clear of those lineups if it means playing Wembanyama at power forward.
His playing center is the best thing for the Spurs’ offense given the spacing he provides and the fact that they can add another shooter around him. It also gives them more versatility defensively. Therefore, Pop should avoid Wembanyama playing at power forward if he wants the team to play up to their full potential.
Scenario 2: The Spurs stumble out of the gate and can’t recover
Ironically, despite ending up with the fourth pick last year, the Spurs actually started the season strong, going 3-2 to start before imploding. They dropped 18 straight games and went an unfathomable 2-28 over a 30-game span.
Needless to say, they didn’t sniff the playoffs or even the play-in tournament. Getting off to a better start in 2024-25 would be key if they hope to make the play-in tournament and they already face an uphill battle with Devin Vassell out indefinitely.
If they can be even a few games above .500 through the first 20 games, then they would stand a far better chance of making it, with last season’s 10th seed being 10 games above the same mark. If they can’t, they probably won’t be able to keep pace and may end up back in the lottery.
Scenario 1: Victor Wembanyama can’t stay healthy
The biggest disaster scenario that the Spurs must avoid is a serious injury to Wembanyama, basketball gods forbid. Wembanyama is the team’s sun, moon, and stars, and any hope they have of winning another championship in the next few years involves him.
Keeping him healthy over the long run, considering his size at 7’4, is a major concern. After all, the Spurs don’t want him to become the next Yao Ming, who was actually durable over his first three seasons only for his body to fall apart.
The Spurs can try to mitigate that by strategically resting Wembanyama in certain second halves of back-to-back games. They can also try to limit the wear and tear on his knees and legs by keeping his minutes relatively low.
Instead of playing him 36 minutes, 32 minutes per game would probably be better for his long-term health. If Wembanyama still goes down with a prolonged injury, then it was an absolute disaster.
