In a game which saw Wemby and CP3 step onto the court for the first time together, it was Castle who led the team in points and hustled on both ends of the floor. We saw a couple flashes last game vs OKC (including a nasty poster) but overall didn’t contribute too much statistically. This game saw what a lot of people were expecting from him: great finishing, pesky defense and hustle, a couple threes knocked down, and overall composure and pace that’s sorely needed for a young Spurs squad still trying to learn how to play together.
I don’t want to jump the gun, but man there is definitely a feeling that this could get out of hand real fast. This is still one of the league’s youngest teams, you really gotta wonder what they’re going to look like just by the end of the year. Individual growth and team synergy changes will be fascinating. I still think mid 30s in the win column for the season, but at the same time I can’t say I would be hugely surprised if that’s a little low.
OKC is gonna be better. They are like the Celtics with multiple great NBA players. Failure if they don’t reach the finals this year. Solved their biggest weakness imo, size with IHart. Caruso is a champion and a great defender. Good number of shooters on the team. Don’t see another great player on the Spurs roster except Wemby.
I had mid to high 20s as a lowball or expected
Ok what teams finish below the spurs this year in the west ??
They won 8 of their last 15 games last season. They clearly took a leap at the end of the year. Now they added CP3, Harrison Barnes, and Castle.
I think their success this year still depends heavily on what kind of jump Wemby takes year two (and maybe Castle based on yesterday’s game).
My homer take is I think they easily have a better record than the tanking teams like Portland and Utah and have a good shot of passing some of these elderly teams like the Lakers, Warriors, and Clippers. Which leaves them in the play-in as a 9 or 10 seed not necessarily because they’re better, but because they’re healthier.
Lakers, Jazz, rockets, warriors, blazers, kings, clippers, wolves, grizzlies, suns. They have the classy goat pop, wemby best player ever, and they just added 2 superstars.
Portland, Utah and I’m calling it right now but Houston. Expectations on HOU are way too premature and I think their talent is still all over the place and they still need at least 2 more years to sift guys through and settle on the 1-2 guys out of that core they’re going to build around.
I also think they could finish above the kings.
Yeah I have a weird feeling about the Kings. On paper I think they’re fine and look like a play in lock, but I get the sense that one thing going wrong could sink the whole ship. And yeah HOU will in my opinion underperform relative to the hype.
If things go bad for the Clippers ie injuries they could be ahead of us too
Honestly could see the Warriors or Clippers go below them too, depending on injuries. Last year the West was exceptionally healthy, but nothing guarantees this year will be the same.
Absolutely
if houston isn’t good by the deadline, i feel like they’d go out there and pull off a big trade with a team that is underperforming and wants to shake things up/is rebuilding