3 Weird weaknesses besides shooting holding Spurs back from major leap

The Spurs are 3-3, and if they keep playing the defense they've started the season with, they'll be 4-3 by Election Day. They'll have to play a late-night road game against the LA Clippers, who are desperate for their first win in their brand-new arena, and they'll have to do it without Coach Gregg Popovich for the second game in a row.

San Antonio is currently on a two-game winning streak, and there are plenty of things to be encouraged by thus far: the vets have had a positive effect on the young guys, Jeremy Sochan looks better than ever, and the Spurs are playing top-five defense—and those are just a few key improvements.

However, the third youngest team in the league, understandably, still has a long way to go to play the brand of basketball necessary to reach elite status. While they aren't expected to reach that plain this season, there are a few head-scratching problems they should be able to address sooner rather than later.

Spurs should be converting more second-chance opportunities

It would be one thing if San Antonio struggled to get these chances in the first place, but that's not the case. The Spurs are 13th in offensive rebounding across the NBA so far this year, yet they're ranked 29th in second-chance points. It speaks to a larger problem concerning their shooting efficiency, but it also begs to question their decision-making.

Offensive rebounds, generally, provide some of the best opportunities for an easy basket because the defense is usually out of sorts. You often catch players out of position when you can get an extra possession off the glass, but for some reason, the Silver and Black are struggling to put the ball in the basket in this scenario.

It's hard to generate consistent half-court offense in the NBA, so you want to find a way to get as many easy buckets as possible. They've improved their fast-break efficiency from last year to the current season, so that's helped some, but if they can clean this area up and take advantage of their offensive rebounding, it will elevate the team another notch.

The improved defense isn't resulting in enough turnovers

Their own ball security issues aside, SA should be forcing more live ball turnovers on the defensive side of the ball. It may be asking a lot too soon, considering how much they've already improved, but since they do have issues keeping control of the ball on offense, it would help to return the favor by pressing the issue and getting into more passing lanes.

The Spurs average five fewer shots per game than their opponents, despite having a rebounding advantage through the first six games of the season. That's due to the large number of turnovers they've had early on but also because they aren't forcing enough of their own.

With Victor Wembanyama protecting the paint, everyone else should be more aggressive when guarding their man on and off the ball—guys should be getting into passing lanes, too. Every player in the starting lineup has an above-average wingspan. They just need to be more active, and they can help boost their 27th-ranked offensive rating operating at the 26th-ranked pace in the league.

San Antonio must play with more aggression

You can't explain this away by blaming the NBA's new style of ' relentless 3-point barrages.' If that were the case, the Boston Celtics wouldn't be 11th in free throw attempts, regardless of their non-stop distance shooting. The defending NBA Champs are averaging 50 3-point attempts per game, yet they get to the line consistently because they're still an aggressive team that can draw contact.

The Spurs are 21st in 3-point attempts but still only take 21 free throw attempts per game—that's good for 25th in the NBA. What makes this stat frustrating is that they are actually really good at shooting from the charity stripe. Led by Victor Wembanyama at 92%, San Antonio is 5th in free throw percentage by shooting 81% as a group.

Getting to the line is another way the Silver and Black can get some easy points, get opponents in foul trouble, and get into a shooting rhythm, but they aren't doing it enough. They have made several strides in the short time they've played together, so maybe they'll improve in this area, but it's another controllable issue they need to address.

The Spurs will play two games on the road against the LA Clippers and Houston Rockets before heading back home to face the Portland Trail Blazers. Their next five games are much less daunting than their first six; it would be a great time to start ironing out some of these wrinkles.