3 NBA teams primed for a second-half playoff push

3 NBA teams primed for a second-half playoff push – San Antonio Spurs

Much of what I just wrote about the Pelicans is also true about the San Antonio Spurs. Both teams entered the NBA All-Star break with identical 23-36 records after shaking off a rough start. San Antonio lost 13 of their first 17.

They’ve turned the corner, however, and in February, they’ve averaged the league’s ninth-most points. Dejounte Murray, evidenced by his selection to the NBA All-Star Game, is emerging into a franchise cornerstone. The team around him is full of a mix of veterans and youngsters who can get hot in a flash.

The franchise hasn’t missed the playoffs in three consecutive seasons since… ever. They’re in danger of doing that this season, but have enough skills to at least land in the play-in tournament. If they make it there, they can certainly eke out a win and land as the Western Conference’s 7th or 8th seed.

The team still has a below-average defense, but if they manage to go over .500 in the second half of the season, they can certainly, at the very least, make things interesting. Adding Goran Dragic or another veteran playmaker in the buyout market would certainly help their cause, too.