NBA Power Rankings Week 19: April review and the rising Phoenix Suns
By Corey Rausch
19. San Antonio Spurs
Last Week: Beat/OT Washington Wizards 146-143, Lost to Miami Heat 116-111, Lost/OT to Boston Celtics 143-140
This Week: 5/2 vs. Philadelphia 76ers, 5/3 at Utah Jazz, 5/5 at Utah Jazz, 5/7 at Sacramento Kings, 5/8 at Portland Trail Blazers
The San Antonio Spurs have essentially been the same team all season. Even across the way, winning about as many games as they are losing and seeing somewhere between eight and 10 players contribute in the scoring column in a balanced way. DeMar DeRozan is still the straw that stirs the drink but the rest of the young core has certainly made progress this season.
Derrick White was solid in April, averaging 18.1 points, 3.9 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game on shooting splits of .437/.360/.865. He is the oldest of the young bunch at 26 and therefore is likely closest to being a finished product. If he can contribute on the defensive end of the floor while seeing his scoring increase with a DeRozan-level usage rate (27.7 percent vs. 22.6 percent this month), he is going to remain a meaningful future contributor.
The only real negative for this month was that rookie Devin Vassell regressed. In March, he shot 46.3 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from distance, showcasing the stroke that pushed the Spurs to draft him. This month, both dropped noticeably to 36.1 percent and 32.3 percent, respectively. There is real potential there, especially as good as Vassell already is on defense. He just needs time.