The Spurs’ growth in the NBA Playoffs: signs of a true contender

Maybe they needed one more statement – and if so, it certainly arrived – because the San Antonio Spurs, who at one point looked shaky against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, closed out the series with authority and in highly convincing fashion, seemingly erasing any lingering doubts.

Sure, Portland may have looked like a team with limited ambitions, but in terms of roster makeup and style, they represented the ideal first test for these young Spurs as they try to establish themselves in the Western Conference.

The turning point came in the second half of Game 4. After surviving Victor Wembanyama’s absence in the previous matchup, San Antonio came back from a significant deficit and overtook Portland without looking back, cruising to a 114-93 win.

They allowed 58 points in the first half while scoring just 41 themselves, then gave up only 35 after halftime while putting up 73. Transformation complete. While waiting to learn their second-round opponent, let’s break down what we learned from San Antonio through these first five NBA Playoff games.

Depth is the Spurs’ true weapon

It was far from guaranteed that a potential 10-man rotation would hold up in the postseason, but coach Johnson has every reason to smile after reaching some early but solid conclusions.

The first concerns the young players: Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant have shown they can stay on the floor while contributing on both ends. The fact that Stephon Castle isn’t grouped with them says more about how established his offensive impact already is.

Of course, it’s no certainty that he and Harper will keep shooting above 40% from three (especially considering volume, particularly for Harper), but if early signs mean anything, maintaining that level would make them harder and harder to ignore game after game.

That said, the confirmation of Champagnie in the 3-and-D role within the starting lineup has been important, as has the less surprising – but never guaranteed – impact of De’Aaron Fox. It’s easy to miss when looking at the team as a whole, but having a player with his talent and ability to create points on his own during offensive droughts is a luxury few teams possess.

The Spurs defense makes attacking the rim nearly impossible

More than any advanced metric, the eye test says enough: scoring at the rim against San Antonio is difficult, and once you get there, it becomes even harder.

Donovan Clingan had the size to battle with Wemby in the post, while Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe, and Scoot Henderson had the physical tools and athleticism to attack the paint off the dribble. Even Holiday brought experience and versatility that could have challenged defensive coverages on both ends.

In reality, none of it worked. The secret isn’t just Wembanyama’s obvious dominance defensively, but also the perimeter integrity of a system built with athletes who are rarely at a physical disadvantage in one-on-one matchups (Fox perhaps being the exception, though manageable because of other benefits).

Pressuring ball handlers, switching pick-and-rolls, taking away space off the ball, and obscuring the rim – attacking against all of that can be overwhelming for many teams.

Perhaps, considering OKC’s tendency toward a one-dimensional offense, only a red-hot Mazzulla Ball style barrage from deep looks effective on paper. Slightly more so than Denver’s offense at its best with Jokic and Murray, though the Nuggets currently trail the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Spurs are legitimate NBA title contenders

As mentioned, we saw them handle the French star’s absence in Game 3, with Harper and Castle stepping up, before responding emphatically in the second half of Game 4.

The mentality with which Mitch Johnson’s group took the floor in the closeout game was that of a legitimate contender, consistent with what they showed during the regular season. With a locked-in Victor Wembanyama energizing the home crowd, the Spurs attacked from the opening tip all the way through the Defensive Player of the Year’s spectacular block on Deni Avdija in a key moment.

At the start of the season, there may have been doubts about sustainability, roster fit, and the inexperience of Castle and Harper. Now, barring a dramatic turn, those concerns no longer seem valid.

Just look at the scoring distribution in Game 5: Keldon Johnson only partially involved throughout the series, yet the entire starting five reached double figures, plus a 17-point effort from Harper in 26 minutes off the bench.

The San Antonio Spurs leave the first round confirming themselves as the first true alternative to the OKC Thunder, both in the West and across the league.