The San Antonio Spurs may have started the season a little rough but found their groove as the season went on and have found their way into the backend of the Western Conference playoff picture. Prior to the All-Star break, the team fell to a four-game losing skid before getting a victory in their last game before the festivities.
With the break now behind them, the Spurs enter the last stretch of the season with a 33-26 record and the seventh seed. They have played decent since the start of 2019, having gone 12-9 in their 21 games since, but there are still a few things left to be sorted out between now and when the regular season ends in April.
3. Can they get, and keep, Derrick White on the court?
Losing Dejounte Murray before the season even started has still been a big blow to the San Antonio Spurs rotation. Thankfully, other players stepping up have helped minimize the impact it has had on the team’s success. Derrick White has been one of the Spurs’ key guards when he has been playing and has been having a great second season.
In 25.3 minutes per game, the young San Antonio point guard has been averaging 9.6 points, 3.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.0 steal while shooting 35.6 percent from deep. Their limited depth in the backcourt is apparent when he is missing, as they really only have Patty Mills and Bryn Forbes left to soak up the minutes. Getting White healthy and back in action is key for this team to keep winning down the stretch of the season and into the playoffs.
2. How high can they climb in the West?
As is usually the case, the much of the Western Conference playoff race will be a dog fight in the last portion of the season as teams struggle to get into solid position for the postseason. The Warriors have the first seed all but locked down as they sit at 41-16, and both the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder seem to be pretty cemented at the top of the standings.
However, only two games separate the fourth seeded Portland Trail Blazers from the Spurs. This means they could be only a hot week or so away from working their way higher into the seeding. There is even the chance that San Antonio could fight their way into the fourth seed and claim homecourt advantage.
Just as little space separates them from a higher seed, the same is true on the other side. They are only two games ahead of the current 9th seed Sacramento Kings. With the Kings and Los Angeles Lakers both destined to duke it out for a playoff spot, any missteps the Spurs take could lead to them falling out of the playoff picture entirely. Every game has to count from here on out.
1. Can DeMar DeRozan get to the best form of himself?
Much of the San Antonio Spurs’ ceiling, both in the regular season and the playoffs, depends on what DeMar DeRozan they get. He has led the team in points and field goal attempts so far this season and has at times even been the number one creator on offense for the team. His production has seen a little bit of a dip as of late, however.
From the start of the season to the end of December, DeRozan averaged 22.9 points, 6.3 assists, 5.9 reboudns, 1.0 steal, and 0.5 blocks per game. Since the start of 2019, his numbers have fallen on the offensive end of the ball. In the 16 games the team has played since the start of January, he is averaging 17.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.0 steal, and 0.5 blocks per game. DeRozan has tallied 6 or more assists in 26 games this season, with San Antonio being 19-7 in those games. For this team to win, they will need him to be the engine of the offense.
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