How Real Are The San Antonio Spurs?
There weren’t many pundits that had a 5-2 start for the Spurs in their preseason predictions–Gregg Popovich probably didn’t even foresee this start. However, three weeks into the season, here we are: The Spurs are currently 5-2 and are tied for third in the West. They’re scoring 118 points per game (which is good enough for seventh in the league) and passing the ball better than anyone else in the NBA, averaging just over 31 assists per game.
The once-great organization has seen some tough times as of late and was expected by many to tank for Victor Wenbemyama–but now, after a start like this, they may want to reconsider.
The Youth Movement in San Antonio
The oldest player on the Spurs, Gorgui Dieng, is 33 years old. Other than him there is only one player above the age of 30, and that is Doug McDermott (31). The six Spurs with the most minutes played per game are all under the age of 29, and four are under the age of 24. It’s clear what the Spurs are doing here–just as any rebuilding team should, they are relying on youth.
And it’s working.
The Spurs are playing at a pace that many teams are struggling to match. Led by 23-year-old guard Keldon Johnson, the Spurs are averaging 91.6 attempted field goals a game and, as I mentioned before, 118 points per game. They are only shooting around 46.8% and are getting to the line at about the average rate of the NBA, but it doesn’t seem to matter. The Spurs are still winning–but how real are they?
Will The Spurs Success Continue?
I sure hope so–this is a fun team with some great young talent that would be exciting to watch make a run late into the season. However, their defense is definitely lacking, allowing an average of 118.6 points per game (which is the eighth worst in the league).
They’re committing the second most turnovers per game (16.6) and are in the bottom half of the league in both steals and blocks. They’re not a necessarily scary team to face…they just keep winning.
San Antonio Spurs Future Bets
According to DraftKings sportsbook, the Spurs' win total is set at 27.5 games (-125). The under, set at +105, might be calling your name considering the preseason speculations around this team. However, I believe in this young squad and think they’ll surpass the 27.5-game threshold.
Now, do I think they’ll make the playoffs? Probably not. Their odds of doing so right now are set at +1600, so it’s pretty clear that Vegas agrees with me. However, if you don’t, then those are some great odds to get in at.
If you think the Spurs are realer than real, then why don’t you take them at +100000 to win the NBA Finals? Talk about a long shot.
