Even the most optimistic of San Antonio Spurs fans couldn't have expected the Spurs to play this well right out of the gate. The Spurs are 11-4, an already dramatic improvement over this time last season and made all the more impressive by the fact that they have been one of the NBA's most injured teams.
The Spurs' depth and next-man-up mentality have saved them as they try to weather their injury storm. Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper are all out, and De'Aaron Fox and company just somehow keep winning and showing that the Spurs are real.
They have a top-five player in Wembanyama, a top-25 player in Fox, and a strong supporting cast that has multiple ball-handlers and just enough shooting to contend. In fact, if the Spurs can get healthy at the right time, they could absolutely be a surprise NBA Finals team.
The Spurs' talent and depth are fueling their success
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The fact that the Spurs have looked this good this soon and are not at full strength suggests that they could contend much sooner than expected. Usually young teams struggle until they get some experience under their belt, but San Antonio, thanks to Wembanyama, has been able to accelerate their rebuild.
Just two years ago they had the third-worst record in the NBA; now they are tied for the fourth-best record in the league. They have even overcome some adversity, i.e., injuries and an early slump by Wembanyama, showing that this team is resilient and ready for whatever the NBA has to throw at them.
Prior to him being sidelined by injury, Wembanyama had begun to figure out how to [overcome double and triple teams](https://airalamo.com/spurs-just-solved-their-huge-wembanyama-problem-nba-should-terrified). By quickly getting rid of the ball in the post and having his teammates swing the ball around the perimeter and seek out the open man, San Antonio was able to get quality looks and make teams pay for loading up against their best player.
The Spurs will only improve on their already strong start
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Wembanyama also began to shoot more threes, making teams pay for leaving him open or defending him with an opposing big man. Still, we have yet to see both him and Fox thrive playing alongside one another.
However, a big silver lining of Wembanyama's injury is that it allows Fox to get used to playing alongside his new teammates and balance being a scorer and a playmaker. Hopefully, once Wembanyama returns, Fox will have found his groove, and the two could form a dynamic duo that could be near impossible to stop.
Factor in the emergence of Castle, the stellar play of Harper—even as a rookie, Barnes shooting near 100% from three, and Devin Vassell's resurgence, and the Spurs could soon be firing on all cylinders. And, given how strong they have already started, that could be a scary thought to the rest of the NBA.