Strike up the band. The San Antonio Spurs are back to where they used to be – at the top.
Not only are the Spurs undefeated in the Western Conference with a 4-0 record, they also have the best net rating in the league, at +15.6. This puts them ahead of the Denver Nuggets (+14.4) and Miami Heat (+13.7), both of whom have dropped a game so far this season – and quite a long way ahead of the only team better than them, the 5-0 Oklahoma City Thunder, whose close margins of victory see them sport only a +6.8 net rating, behind even the Chicago Bulls.
Obvious shortcomings of a mere four-game sample size notwithstanding, the results tell the story of a Spurs team that are playing the best standard of basketball seen in San Antonio for some years. And the signs suggest it is not a mere fluke.
Fun With Sample Sizes
Per the figures of NBA.com, the Spurs’ net rating figure combines a 120.4 offensive rating and a 104.8 defensive rating, reflecting both their high scoring output and stingy all-around defense. The offensive rating is sixth in the league, and the defensive rating is as high as second. After a 121â103 win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, the Spurs secured their first 4-0 start to an NBA season since 2016â17. The vibes are good.
So, too, is the potential for more. Victor Wembanyama is transcendent, the primary driver of both the offensive and defensive spikes the Spurs are posting, and the future face of the NBA. His rim protection directly correlates to the teamâs defensive rating – opponents are converting less at the rim, and the team is generating more transition opportunities off of his defensive stops.
The net-rating, though, is not only about one player. San Antonioâs supporting cast has produced, too: the teamâs assist-to-turnover profile and fast-break scoring are efficient, and the bench has contributed sizeable scoring bursts that reduce reliance on a single scorer. The Spurs are generating high-percentage looks both at the rim and from three- point range, and converting enough of them that the offensive rating sits among the league leaders. They are a fun watch, particularly for their own fans.
Spurs Still Have Plenty To Come
Context matters, inevitably. Four games is a particularly limited sample size, and any and all advanced metrics will normalize over larger stretches. Opponent quality, scheduling quirks and small-sample variance can push net rating in either direction over a week; by this time next week, it could be very different.
Nevertheless, the Spursâ +15.6 net rating is large for any stage of a season, including this one, and indicates both a high offensive ceiling and a measurable defensive improvement compared with recent years. If those metrics stabilize, they point to the Spurs being among the better teams in the regular season standings, rather than an early outlier.
The Spurs have benefited from a clean rotation, good health, and more clearly defined roles than in previous years. Their minutes distribution shows nine players receiving significant playing time, and the teamâs lineup combinations have produced a high offensive rebounding rate with above-average shot creation.
Of course, the Spurs also have Wembanyama, who is already playing like an MVP, breaking all manner of records in only his third NBA season. The net rating and the unbeaten record will end eventually, but Victor is just getting started. For now, the net-rating lead is strong objective evidence that this Spurs group is performing at a higher level than many preseason projections expected, and, if you want it to be, enough evidence to rashly claim that the Spurs are the best team in the NBA.
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