The San Antonio Spurs could be preparing for a plethora of losses this season as one of the worst teams in the NBA.
The last time the Spurs finished below 30 wins was in the 1996-1997 season, which resulted in the No. 1 draft selection of someone named Tim Duncan. The Spurs could have enough luck with lottery balls to be in contention for another top selection, but hoping for such events could be a waste of time.
Still, the team would be foolish not to at least try and acquire French superstar Victor Wembanyama, who is seemingly the unanimous choice to go No. 1 overall despite the 2023 NBA Draft being a little over 10 months away.
In the meantime, the Spurs, still led by coach Gregg Popovich, are unlikely to intentionally tank games in order to be in the 25 percent range of landing the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery.
But if NBA.com’s latest release of the Western Conference power rankings are any indication, the Spurs may not have to tank on purpose to get close to such odds.
The Spurs landed last in the conference at No. 15 in these rankings, behind teams like the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Houston Rockets, who all ranked 11 through 14, respectively.
Here’s the full rankings:
No. 1 Golden State Warriors
No. 2 Phoenix Suns
No. 3 Los Angeles Clippers
No. 4 Denver Nuggets
No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies
No. 6 Dallas Mavericks
No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves
No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans
No. 9 Los Angeles Lakers
No. 10 Portland Trail Blazers
No. 11 Utah Jazz
No. 12 Sacramento Kings
No. 13 Oklahoma City Thunder
No. 14 Houston Rockets
No. 15 San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs are projected to be led by Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell next season, two talented players who have taken major strides since being drafted.
Overall, there isn’t a lack of talent in San Antonio. But with so much youth and the absence of a true second or even third-rate star, the Spurs’ home at the bottom of the weekly power rankings could become a common residence this season.
The Spurs begin preseason play against the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on Sunday, Oct. 2.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Spurs? Click here.
Follow Inside the Spurs on Twitter.
.