NBA Power Rankings: Spurs' Small-Scale Consistency Not Enough to Crack Top 20
For a struggling team like the San Antonio Spurs, a little bit of consistency goes a long way — but not necessarily on a broader scale.
After starting the season with a pair of wins against the Phoenix Suns before spiraling down on a franchise-worst 18-game losing streak that eventually ended with a home victory over LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, the Spurs have begun to find a groove.
A small one, but a groove nonetheless.
Part of that has stemmed from a starting lineup that's finally begun to compete on a consistent basis, while the other piece has come from Victor Wembanyama's continued excellence — the latter especially being more prevalent over the last couple of games, which the rookie is well aware of.
“I don’t even have to look at numbers to know it and to notice it," Wembanyama said of his recent on-court success. "I feel it. Since it’s happened, I feel like it’s opened up way more stuff for my teammates. So, it’s good.”
Jan 20, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) dunks the ball over Washington Wizards forward Marvin Bagley III (35) prior to being called for an offensive foul in the second half at Capital One Arena.
© Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Wembanyama has opened the floor for his teammates just as they've opened it up for them, but without him, the team was downed by the Charlotte Hornets — the team one spot ahead of them in the NBA's latest Power Rankings.
The Spurs sit at No. 28, which was one spot below where they were in the last iteration of the list, with their recent losses taking more precedence than their wins.
"The Spurs being a much more competent team in 2024 may have something to do with the younger Jones moving into the starting lineup on Jan. 4," NBA.com wrote. "The Spurs’ two most-used lineups since his first start — their regular starters and a lineup with Keldon Johnson in Julian Champagnie’s place — have outscored their opponents by 17.3 points per 100 possessions in 96 total minutes in that stretch."
Different lineups and rotations have paralleled San Antonio's ups-and-downs throughout the season and certainly have caused the uptick in production and competitiveness, as the Spurs collectively outscored their opponents in the first month of the new year.
"The Spurs still have a positive point differential in the month of January," NBA.com wrote. "And they got their third win of 2024 on Saturday, coming back to beat the Wizards."
Three wins doesn't sound like many, but considering that adding one more makes up half of the Spurs' total victories halfway through the season, it's a milestone.
And again, that milestone is more easily felt internally than externally. To the outside the world, the Spurs are still bad. But to the team and its players, they're learning, growing and improving.
That's what they're focusing on.
