If the Spurs beat the Knicks, there will only be a total of two top teams they haven't beaten in both conferences combined. They've made a habit of rising to the occasion whenever they've had to face the elite of the league. It hasn't been a cakewalk, but a win is a win. The Silver and Black are doing a lot of that this season, but they haven't quite earned the respect they deserve.
Despite their strong start to the season, there are still people who don't believe San Antonio is a true title contender. They just can't wrap their brains around a team going from out of the postseason to hoisting a Larry O'Brien Trophy the very next season. That's a very shortsighted way to view what we've all been witnessing.
The NBA is still where AMAZING happens
I'd argue that one of the reasons we love sports is that we get to see the impossible happen. Michael Jordan wasn't supposed to have two three-peats until he did. Nobody thought Cleveland would ever win anything again until LeBron James, and he did it by leading his team back from a 1-3 deficit—something that had never been done before.
One of my favorite responses to people who claim something is impossible solely because it's never happened before is "until it does." That's the way discovery and uniqueness happen. There was no fire on the rock we call Earth until someone figured it out. Motion pictures weren't a thing until Louis Le Prince introduced the concept in 1888.
Look at it from that perspective, and all of a sudden, you realize that every single thing in this world, including records, had a beginning.
Wembanyama is the ultimate game-changer
Victor Wembanyama is the start of something special in San Antonio, and when you have a transcendent player like the Alien, nothing should be off the table. Let the world tell it: at the beginning of the season, the Silver and Black weren't supposed to be this good this fast. They were wrong about that, too.
Let's be clear: I'm not saying that this team should be favored to win a championship right now. I am saying that they deserve the respect that any other contender not named OKC gets. They haven't been getting that. The NBA power rankings leaving them outside the top five is just one indication of that.
Look at the NBA standings. So far, they've beaten Miami, Toronto, Orlando, Los Angeles, Houston, Denver, and OKC. Each one of those teams are in the top six in their conference. If they knock off New York, that'll add another notch to their contender belt. The Knicks are second in the East. The only squads left to beat would be the Celtics and the Pistons.
Sorry to Timberwolves fans, but I don't consider them contenders. I've actually watched them play basketball this year. That team isn't winning anything.
Crossing all of these teams off should be a wake-up call for the league. That's what it needs to be. The Spurs have a chance to win a game with stakes, and that's very important and impressive. It's what the win means more than anything, though. This team is to be taken very seriously right now. Not later.