The San Antonio Spurs started the season on the right foot. They emphasized on winning more ball games early and they have.·Nine games into the season, and the Spurs are off to a great start.
The Spurs have won seven straight, and have surpassed their longest winning streak·from last season. However, with the exception of the Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder, the quality of opponents they defeated along the way is in question.
At 8-1, the Spurs are currently second in the league, but there could be a bit of fool’s gold in their near perfect record.·After Sundays’ 117-104 victory over the Thunder, the Spurs have defeated teams with a combined record of 23-42.
Their lone loss came at the hands of the New Orleans Hornets who remains the only unbeaten team in the NBA.
Now, they will face a stretch of games against four playoff teams from last season that will start against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
Their upcoming games will definitely provide·the Spurs a better gauge on how they measure up against the league’s better teams. But this is for sure, the Spurs are playing good basketball early this season especially on the offensive end.
In nine games, the Spurs are currently 5th in assist-to-turnover ratio and offensive efficiency rating and are also using their running game more than ever. They are averaging 99.2 possessions per game, good for 6th in the entire league.
It looked like the Spurs are mixing it up more on offense and are not relying heavily on their “grind-it-out” type of play which is a good thing. They are now using varied offensive sets, plays and pacing to keep the opposing defense guessing.
On the defensive end, the Spurs aren’t that bad either. They are currently ranked 8th in defensive efficiency rating and 5th in effective field goal percentage.
The Spurs took advantage of thier easy early season schedule and that will help them in the long run. Considering how close the Western Conference has been in previous seasons, it’s always a good thing to pile up some early season victories.
This team is taking care of business so far and a win is a win. With the way things go in the NBA, especially in the West, every win counts. The Spurs may not be playing great basketball yet, but they are playing good enough to win ball games and that is the most important part — winning.
What are your thoughts? Are you impressed with the Spurs’ play early on?
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