Last season was another forgettable campaign for the San Antonio Spurs, as the team suffered their second consecutive first-round exit over the past two seasons. The team did well to force their way into a playoffs spot in a ruthless Western Conference, but such is the extremely high standards expected of the Spurs, that an early exit in the postseason is considered to be nothing more than a disappointing season.

While the Spurs front office remained relatively active during the summer, the team did not exactly make a splash in what was a landscape-changing offseason for pretty much the entire league. Nonetheless, there are still a lot of things to get excited about for the Spurs for the 2019-20 campaign.

Offseason Roundup

San Antonio added a slew of young talent via the draft, starting with 19-year-old forward Luka Samanic, who they selected 19th overall. The 6-foot-10 big man is a low-risk selection by the Spurs, and while he is not expected to make a huge splash in his rookie year, Samanic has the makings of a solid rotational guy to add to head coach Gregg Popovich's rotation.

The Spurs also drafted 6-foot-6 guard Keldon Johnson, a former McDonald's All-American, with the 29th overall pick, as well as former Mississippi State standout Quinndary Witherspoon in the second round.

In terms of free agents, San Antonio did not make any big-name signings, because in truth, they didn't really have to. Instead, they brought in guys like DeMarre Carroll (three years, $21 million) and Trey Lyles (two years), both of whom are expected to add depth to the team's current roster.

The most significant offseason signing by the team, however, has got to be the two-year, $32 million extension they agreed with veteran Rudy Gay. At 33, the 6-foot-8 forward is no longer the dominant scorer he once was, but he has certainly played a pivotal role for the team over the past two years. More of the same is expected of Gay this season.

Despite the bevvy of additions made by the Spurs this offseason, perhaps none is more important than the hiring of San Antonio legend Tim Duncan as an assistant coach. While this is the 43-year-old's first foray into the world of coaching, it is without question that his presence in the locker room will provide a tremendous boost for the entire organization. He also knows a thing or two about winning championships, so his wealth of experience will definitely be an asset for the Spurs moving forward.

One to Watch

As with the past couple of seasons, San Antonio's fate will rely heavily on the play of seven-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge. After a bit of a renaissance campaign in 2017-18, the 6-foot-11 big man saw a dip in his production last season. At 34, he is definitely in the twilight of his career, and it will be interesting to see how he will be able to lead the Spurs — alongside four-time All-Star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan — in what should be a challenging season ahead.

It is also worth noting that Aldridge has two more years left in his current deal, and his performance this season will pretty much determine if he will be worth offering another extension.

Season Outlook

While it will be Aldridge and DeRozan who will be leading the pack next season, it is clear that the Spurs are going to be focusing on their youth sooner rather than later. This season might be the year that coach Pop decides to let his young guns shine, and considering how the team does have a very promising young core, this is definitely something worth looking forward to.

Let's not forget that highly-touted prospect Dejounte Murray will be making his return to the court this season following a year on the sidelines, and along with the likes of Lonnie Walker IV, Jakob Poeltl, and Derrick White, the future certainly remains bright for San Antonio.

Nevertheless, despite all the promise, we will also need to be realistic here. The West only got more competitive over the offseason, and by not making vast improvements in their side this summer, it's going to be extremely difficult for the Spurs to go toe-to-toe against the other powerhouse teams in the West.

That being said, we believe that there is a very big chance that San Antonio will miss out on the playoffs this season. They will likely be engaged with teams like the Dallas Mavericks, the Portland Trail Blazers, and even the Golden State Warriors for the final few spots in the West playoffs picture, and odds are, the Spurs might just get the short end of the stick.

However, this is San Antonio we're talking about here, and with Popovich at the helm, we're just not ready to completely count them out just yet.