2 Polarizing Spurs' players are holding their young core back in NBA rankings

We're less than a week from the start of the preseason, and as the new year draws closer, more lists are released from the usual suspects ranking different aspects of the 30 NBA teams. The latest from Bleacher Report named the best young cores in the league, and San Antonio landed in third place behind the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Now, I can abide being behind the Thunder because they just won a championship, and their general manager, Sam Presti, has done a fantastic job of stocking young talent. The Spurs will very likely end up being better than their rivals one state to the north, but they'll need to prove that first.

But I can't accept the Rockets' pick. However, when trying to understand why that decision was made, there can only be one explanation.

Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan are bringing down Spurs' perception

Only one of the two Texas teams has the pleasure of deploying a 7'5" extraterrestrial with the potential to be one of the greatest players we've ever seen. That fact alone should be enough to place the Silver and Black ahead of Space City. But you have to list out each group to get a full picture of who we're talking about, and when BR's Grant Hughes did that, it made their view clear.

Hughes listed five teams on his list, and the outline for each section identified the "core" players before discussing each member of the aforementioned core. There was also a list at the end of almost every section for the guys who are young enough for a mention, but not good enough to be mentioned in the "core."

Devin Vassell was mentioned in San Antonio's core, but I noticed that there wasn't a single word about him in the paragraphs for the Spurs' players. Every single other athlete mentioned in their team's core had something nice written about them, except for Vassell. Is that a coincidence? It's highly unlikely.

Jeremy Sochan is younger than Dev. He's only been in the league for one year longer than Victor Wembanyama. He was mentioned in the "others" category. This guy was a lottery pick. He should definitely be included as a core member, but since he's not, it's an indication of a lack of confidence in his potential.

I don't know if we blame the development staff or the players themselves, but they can both change the narrative this season. Sometimes what's not said is just as telling as what is. Their omissions are loud. They certainly have the physical tools to be impactful contributors. Let's hope they show it this season.