San Antonio Spurs: 3 takeaways from the 2018 offseason

3. This is not a rebuild season

Once it became clear that Kawhi Leonard would be leaving San Antonio, many of us assumed it signaled the start of a rebuild. It’s a thought that’s hard to believe, seeing as how this team has made 21 straight playoff appearances.

No team in the league has been as perennially good over the last two decades. Sure, the Golden Warriors are the league’s new dynasty and one of the most dominant teams ever to play, but the Spurs are still the ultimate example of sustained basketball excellence. It would just feel wrong to see them at the bottom of the league instead of competing in another postseason.

Luckily for Spurs fans, it doesn’t look like that’s what we’re going to see from this team next year. The decision to trade Leonard for another All-Star in DeMar DeRozan instead of trying to amass draft picks is a sure sign that the Spurs intend to remain competitive.

And why shouldn’t they? They have two All-Stars in DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge, coincidentally two of the best mid-range players in the game. This fits perfectly with head coach Gregg Popovich’s system.

They also have a collection of very talented young players that they are have acquired through a combination of the draft and their G League affiliate. If we break down next year’s roster, it’s not hard to imagine the Spurs making the playoffs for yet another consecutive year:

• PG: Dejounte Murray
• SG: DeMar DeRozan
• SF: Marco Belinelli
• PF: LaMarcus Aldridge
• C: Pau Gasol

This lineup features one of the best defenders in the league at the point guard position in Murray, All-Stars at the shooting guard and power forward spots, shooting and floor-spacing from an experienced veteran in Belinelli, and a former All-Star at center in Gasol. It’s certainly not the most talented starting five in the league, but it’s definitely enough to stay competitive.

As for the bench, this is where the Spurs will really have an edge over the competition. Derrick White looks to be blossoming into a really good backup point guard. Jakob Poeltl, who came over from Toronto as part of the Leonard trade, will be able to play meaningful minutes at either the center or power forward position.

The Spurs can also turn to draft pick Chimezie Metu, who is still raw but has a lot of upside as a big. Last but not least, they have Lonnie Walker IV, who has already won over the hearts of the fans with his play and personality. If he can stay healthy, he should have a big role to play off the bench as a scorer.

Last but not least, we have to remember that this is still Popovich’s team, and for as long as that remains the case, we should probably know better than to count the Spurs out. They are very well coached, and things have come together for them this offseason to give them a chance at hanging with the best of them in the West.