There is a lot of buzz around the San Antonio Spurs heading into the 2023-24 season. Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has fans excited for the future. Meanwhile, San Antonio features a young and developing core with potential. Today, we will be revealing four bold predictions for the Spurs' 2023-24 NBA season.
Most people around the NBA world are not expecting San Antonio to compete just yet. Their inexperienced roster has question marks. However, can the Spurs surprise the NBA world? Just how good will Victor Wembanyama's rookie season be? Which players will step up around him?
Without further ado, let's answer those questions and more in our Spurs' bold predictions.
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Spurs' Victor Wembanyama receives strong MVP consideration
I'm sorry, but saying “Victor Wembanyama will win the Rookie of the Year” is not a bold prediction. He's the favorite to win the award as arguably the most exciting prospect since LeBron James.
Tying Wemby's name into the MVP conversation, however, is a much more bold thing to do. Now, we aren't saying Wembanyama will win the award. But don't rule him out from finishing within the top 10.
Staying healthy will obviously be of the utmost importance for this to come to fruition. If Wembanyama avoids long injury absences then the only question is whether or not he will live up to his lofty expectations. He's performed well so far during the preseason, but the regular season will obviously prove to be more of a challenge.
Still, based on Wembanyama's incredible talent and athleticism, there isn't any reason to doubt him. Look for Wembanyama to receive strong MVP consideration.
Devin Vassell, Zach Collins make All-NBA Teams
If the Spurs are going to find success then they will need other players to step up around Victor Wembanyama. Gregg Popovich recently revealed that Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson, and Zach Collins will start Opening Night for San Antonio. Those five players are all young but will receive plenty of opportunities during the 2023-24 campaign.
“They better play well or we are in trouble,” Popovich said of the Spurs' starting lineup, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “Those are the big guys. They are tall, they are big, they are going to start.”
Johnson and Sochan will be good players, but Vassell and Collins are players to watch closely.
Vassell, 23, already had a breakout year of sorts in 2022-23, averaging 18.5 points per game on 43.9 percent field goal and 38.7 percent three-point shooting. He still has room to grow but has consistently found the bottom of the net from beyond the arc so far during the preseason.
Vassell appears to be a star in the making. Consistency will be key, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him emerge as a tremendous player in 2023-24.
Collins is on the older side of things, at least for this Spurs squad. He's 25-years old and has been in the league since 2017. It wasn't until 2022-23, however, that Collins truly began to make a significant impact.
Collins may not be a star but with defenses focusing on Wembanyama, Collins should be able to boost his scoring average. He also may see an uptick in assists and possibly even rebounds with defenses boxing Wembanyama out of the paint.
Vassell and Collins are on the verge of breakout seasons.
Gregg Popovich wins Coach of the Year
The Spurs may have difficultly upsetting the odds with so much pressure on them. It isn't often that a young and rebuilding team has the spotlight on them, but such is the Victor Wembanyama impact.
Thus, Gregg Popovich's presence will be more important than ever for the Spurs.
If San Antonio shocks the NBA world and makes a competitive run (more on that later), Popovich will receive a lot of credit. Guiding this young group of players is going to be a challenge, but Popovich won't back down. Having Wembanyama on the roster helps matters for Popovich as well.
Popovich should be in a position to take home 2023-24 Coach of the Year honors at season's end.
Spurs sneak into play-in tournament
In order for Popovich to win Coach of the Year, the Spurs need to play a competitive brand of basketball. With Wembanyama leading the charge and players such as Vassell and Collins also performing well, San Antonio will have a chance to sneak into the play-in tournament.
And as every lower seed knows, all you need is a chance. Perhaps the Spurs could continue to surprise people in the postseason. At the very least, San Antonio will get to showcase their young roster in the 2023-24 play-in tournament.
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