NBA Power Rankings 18: A new top team as the playoffs approach

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30-29. Previous: 16th. San Antonio Spurs. 17. team. 29.

Last Week: Beat Indiana Pacers 109-94, Lost to Miami Heat 107-87, Beat Detroit Pistons 106-91, Beat New Orleans Pelicans 110-108

This Week: 4/26 at Washington Wizards, 4/28 at Miami Heat, 4/30 at Boston Celtics

Firmly ensconced in the play-in tournament, the young San Antonio Spurs will get a chance to get back to the postseason to restart the streak that was broken just last season. The two Spurs that stood out the most this week were Derrick White and Jakob Poeltl. Neither are the names that fans necessarily come to see on a nightly basis but they are ultra-effective in their own ways.

White was the second-leading scorer on the team this week at 21.5 points and added in 5.3 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. He does everything for the Spurs, much in the same way DeMar DeRozan does while trading a little of the playmaking responsibility for elite defensive potential.

Poeltl is the only real center prospect on the roster and keeps possessions alive for the Spurs. Over the course of the week, he averaged 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 2.3 assists per game. He fits in well as the last line of defense for a young Spurs squad and is making progress every game. It is easy to overlook him as part of the future with so many young wings on the roster but Poeltl is still just 25 years old. The future is still bright for him too.