What positives did you see from preseason that you believe will translate to the games that count?<\/p>\n
Marilyn Dubinski: <\/strong>There were certainly plenty, and just like we have to remind ourselves not to take the preseason too seriously when it doesn\u2019t go well, we still have to do the same when it\u2019s the opposite. Still, some of the positives are things that will carry over, such as the improved depth. Everyone who played contributed, and even players who are likely third stringers coming in looked like they could fill in when called upon. Another thing that you can\u2019t teach is chemistry, and this team has it in spades no matter who is on the court. There are plenty more actual basketball aspects to take away, but those two things will definitely carry over into the regular season.<\/p>\n Mark Barrington: <\/strong>I think last season\u2019s team was pretty thin on talent overall, and missing one of two role players would have a big effect on the team. This team is still going to be in trouble if Wembanyama misses significant time, but there is plenty of depth behind him. Despite missing several starters for the preseason, the Spurs were more talented than all of their opponents, and once the starters rested, they were even more dominant. Mitch is going to have lots of options this season, and we might see lots of different lineups, at least early in the season.<\/p>\n Jacob Douglas: <\/strong>The depth of talent on the roster is much more evident than any season in the Wembanyama era \u2013 and that\u2019s without seeing De\u2019Aaron Fox and Jeremy Sochan. Dylan Harper looks like he\u2019s ready to contribute in a big way now, Luke Kornet is the best back up big the Spurs have had in years, and there seems to be potentially some internal improvement on the wings, especially from Julian Champagnie. On top of that, Wembanyama looks like he\u2019s made another leap, and should be in the MVP conversation this year. San Antonio has had a talent deficiency in recent years \u2013 that is not the case this season.<\/p>\n Jesus Gomez:<\/strong> I\u2019ll go deeper into this soon, as there was a lot to love. Something that flew under the radar a bit was how solid the wing play was from Keldon Johnson and Julian Champagnie. The shooting percentages are not sustainable, but they looked comfortable out there and ready to give solid minutes for a team that is looking deeper than anticipated.<\/p>\n J.R. Wilco: <\/strong>I have three positives I saw. First: Harper\u2019s decision making, first step, and lack of hurry are preternatural.<\/p>\n Second: It\u2019s unfortunate that the team is beginning the season banged up, but they\u2019re so deep this year that we\u2019re not stuck expecting losses until full health. That\u2019s huge!<\/p>\n Third: Wemby\u2019s ability to utilize his body and see the game are likely the transformative forces that will elevate the team this season. When you add his aggression to the mix, it\u2019s a potent brew that I think leads to postseason play.<\/p>\n How much do you think the injuries to De\u2019Aaron Fox and Jeremy Sochan will negatively impact the Spurs in the first few games? <\/p>\n Dubinski: <\/strong>Again, not to take the preseason too seriously, but not as bad as one may have thought going in if the depth they\u2019ve shown was any indication. Do the Spurs need them in the long term? Absolutely, but Stephon Castle is more than ready to fill in and continue his rise, and Dylan Harper looked even more NBA ready than expected. (Who says you can have too much of a good thing?) The Spurs are also going to need Sochan\u2019s intensity and defense in the long run, but Harrison Barnes and Julian Champagnie can fill the hole in other ways in the meantime, especially on offense.<\/p>\n Barrington: <\/strong>The absence of Sochan could be a problem with the Mavericks, because his length and defensive ability could be helpful against a long team like Dallas. Mitigating that is the twin towers lineup with Wemby and Kornet. Fox is going to take a while to get back to full speed, but it looks like Castle is taking a leap in his second year, and I\u2019m not too worried with him playing lead guard. Harper looked fantastic in preseason, but he\u2019ll probably have some growing pains in his rookie year, and it won\u2019t hurt to give him lots of time on the court to work that out. I think it\u2019s more of an opportunity than a problem for the Silver and Black.<\/p>\n Douglas: <\/strong>It will hurt them on the defensive end. Fox and Sochan are two of the team\u2019s best perimeter defenders. San Antonio will face the Mavericks, Pelicans and Raptors in the first four games, likely without Fox and Sochan. On paper, the Spurs should win those games, but those teams are big and athletic, if nothing else. Having another pesky perimeter defender in Fox, and a stout, versatile stopper like Sochan would be helpful tools for those matchups.<\/p>\n Gomez: <\/strong>Fox is a star, the type of guy who can pour in 20 points in his sleep. Sochan is the team\u2019s best defender. It\u2019s not great that they\u2019ll be out. That said, the team\u2019s depth at point guard and the arrival of Luke Kornet can help mask their absences. There will be times when they\u2019ll be missed, but the Spurs should be able to survive without them for a few games.<\/p>\n Wilco: <\/strong>Because the team has had so many changes over the summer, is this something we can discuss with any amount of accuracy before the team plays at full strength for a few weeks? I guess that\u2019s the negative impact: fans have to wait even longer before they can see what the team is capable of doing at full strength.<\/p>\n Prediction time: How many games do you think the Spurs will win and where will they finish in the West?<\/p>\n Dubinski: <\/strong>The West is getting more unpredictable by the day, and the perfect preseason makes it hard not to bump the Spurs up (which I\u2019m starting to see some predictions doing). I would say 50+ wins\/top 4 is their ceiling, and I\u2019m admittedly more positive it could happen now than I was a few weeks ago, especially if they have more injury luck this season while others don\u2019t. A more grounded prediction would have them around 45 wins and in the 5-8 seed range.<\/p>\n