8. San Antonio Spurs
It’s always tempting to bet against the San Antonio Spurs and suggest that perhaps this season is the one where they fail to make the postseason. But with Gregg Popovich at the helm, that’s simply an assumption that is never safe to make. The Spurs were a dang good team last year, overcoming some ups and downs in the regular season to nearly knock off the two-seeded Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.
They should be much-improved in 2019-20 as DeMar DeRozan now has a season of Coach Pop’s system under his belt and continuity playing alongside LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Gay. Not only that, but the formerly injured defensive ace Dejounte Murray should be back in action and guys like Derrick White, Lonnie Walker and Bryn Forbes should only continue to improve.
If they all mesh nicely and continue their internal improvements, selecting the Spurs to finish eighth could end up being a disrespectful projection as, especially under Popovich’s leadership, they’ll have a chance to finish much higher. Nevertheless, given some of their team’s shortcomings, particularly when compared to the star-studded groups surrounding them throughout the conference, I’d say the eighth seed and a playoff spot are very justifiable predictions.