It's fair to say that the Spurs are better than many expected this season, so now the question of just how far they can go is a valid one. The postseason is almost a foregone conclusion at this point. Not making it would require a monumental collapse of identity or significant injuries (knock on wood). But their ceiling may come into question strictly based on unfamiliarity and lack of chemistry.
ESPN Insider Michael C. Wright raised the point in an article exploring the chances that the teams that seem to be contenders actually are what they appear to be.
"All the missed time is slowing this team's ability to develop the cohesion it knows it needs to realistically compete in the postseason," he wrote. He's exactly right. The teams that usually make it the furthest play the best together. San Antonio is losing valuable gelling time with so many important players on the bench for extended stretches.
Spurs' Rodeo Road Trip will be the best time to make up lost time
Now, for this to work out, everyone will need to be healthy for this stretch, and we'll just have to see how that shakes out. If you've read any of my stuff before on the Rodeo Road Trip, you know that it's not my favorite thing. It started as something unique and fun, but as time has passed, I view it as more of a nuisance than anything.
Not many teams are forced to spend an entire month straight away from their home arena. As a matter of fact, nobody is, but that's what the Silver and Black have to deal with. But this isn't about my overall feelings about the decades-long tradition, so let's not veer toward that rabbit hole.
Coach Pop was a master at using the time to bring an already close team even closer. That'll be up to Mitch Johnson now. The guys will have nobody else to turn to other than each other, and that has to forge stronger bonds as they dial into the details of their work.
De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama have only played a total of nine games together. Dylan Harper has only played in six games in his young career. The Fox, Harper, and Stephon Castle trio was supposed to be a strength, and there hasn't been a single game that featured all three of them. If they can all get back on the hardwood and stay healthy, the RRT can help San Antonio catch up on missed time.
It's not like the Spurs are going to be anyone's favorite to win a championship this season, but they'll still want to put their best foot forward. How are you supposed to know exactly how far you are from the mountaintop if you don't do everything in your power to reach as high as you can on your first hike?