NBA Power Rankings: Spurs Rise Further From Bottom After Solid Stretch

After two back-to-back wins for just the second time this season and a pair of close losses on either end, it's clear that the San Antonio Spurs have begun to find their groove, which was enough to bump them up a couple of spots in the league's latest power rankings.
In this story:

Things have looked a lot brighter for the young San Antonio Spurs lately.

With a pair of wins in their pocket and a six-game road trip ahead of them, finding a somewhat-consistent rhythm couldn't have come at a better time. And while not every game has been a win, they've all felt winnable. 

It's a start – one that the team has desperately needed, especially with Victor Wembanyama playing as well as he has been. In fact, not only have games felt easier for the Spurs, but they've appeared that way across the league, too.

That's why San Antonio moved up two more spots to No. 27 in the latest NBA.com power rankings.

"Your best argument for the West being much better than the East might be that the Spurs beat the Pistons and Hornets by a combined 58 points last week," the site wrote. "Those were, easily, their two most dominant wins of the season."

Jan 4, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts during warmups prior to facing Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks / © Matt Guzman-InsideTheSpurs.com

That's exactly it. San Antonio has looked stronger, even against weaker teams. And being one itself, blowout wins are never expected, but it delivered anyway. Between Wembanyama's consistency and Tre Jones' facilitation as a starter, the Spurs won back-to-back games for just the second time this season. 

And then it almost made it three.

Jones, Wembanyama & More: 3 Takeaways From the Spurs' Home Back-to-Back

"With the two wins and a narrow loss to the Bulls on Saturday, the Spurs have climbed from 30th to 26th in point differential per 100 possessions," NBA.com continued. "They rank 10th in January because all six of their games have been wins by more than 20 points or single-digit losses. 

"The last five games have, easily, been their best stretch of offense this season."

The Spurs still has work to do before they can truly ride a momentous win streak. In fact, it might not even happen this season, but any wins they can get are beneficial to their effort, whether they be at home on the road or on a back-to-back.

That's why they're going to continue to take the season game-by-game, moving up the power rankings one spot at a time.


Published
Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.