First 2026 power rankings update proves the NBA thinks Spurs are the real deal

If you had asked me to put money on San Antonio being removed from the top spot on the NBA's power rankings list this week, I would have. Writers can be fickle, and since the Spurs' core is primarily composed of young players, it would have been understandable had they been dropped after going 2-2 over their last four games. However, they're still number one, and it's right where they belong.

The truth about this season is that nobody is heads and shoulders above the pack. I know OKC got out to a big lead over everyone with that 16-game winning streak, but their schedule was absurdly easy to start the year. Now that their competition has gotten tougher, their flaws are on display. That yesterday's loss to Phoenix keeps them behind the Silver and Black at number two.

Everything is as it should be, and NBA writer John Schuhmann hit the nail on the head when he described why.

The Spurs are better at beating the NBA's best teams than anyone else

Schuhmann astutely wrote, "With their win over the Knicks on Wednesday, the Spurs are 7-1 (not including the Emirates NBA Cup final) against the other six teams that have won at least 65% of their games this season."

Before SA's recent hiccups, they were unblemished against teams under .500, cleaning up inferior opponents consistently. That's what a good ball club does. Dropping a few doesn't negate that. Everyone loses games they shouldn't in a long season. So, more importantly, they've dominated the best at a rate nobody else has matched.

This team needs to get and stay healthy. That's their biggest issue. Fans have been frustrated by the inconsistency of the offense over the past few games, but Victor Wembanyama has missed time, and so has Devin Vassell.

Vassell is a crucial piece missing from the Spurs' rotation

Coming into the year, Dev may have been one of the most controversial players on the roster after so many felt he didn't live up to expectations last season. Now it's clear how important he is to making everything work. He plays a vital role on offense as a connector, shooter, and bail-out option when the offense gets bogged down, and it does that a little too often for anyone's liking.

San Antonio has been racking up fewer assists than in years past. They have a bunch of guys who can find ways to get their shots in different ways, and Vassell is one of the best at that. The Spurs are missing that and his revitalized defense. There's been a lot to overcome after the slew of injuries they've already dealt with and a cramped stretch of the schedule.

Schuhmann saw it all ahead of updating his power rankings and came to the right conclusion. This team isn't performing at capacity because of reasons out of their control, but they're still firmly in the thick of things. The Spurs beat OKC three times with a compromised roster that has barely played together. That's a damn good team, and it'll take more than a couple of losses to change their mind.