Insane Western Conference trend is perfect proof of mountain Spurs must climb

The Spurs have had somewhat of a miracle start to their season. The team fell into what felt like the worst-case scenario when both Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle missed multiple weeks. And even before that, De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper had missed time as well. With all of that going on, no one expected them to be where they are now

The Spurs now sit at 17-7 and look poised to make the playoffs for the first time in six seasons. Their success so far is a revelation, and things are only going to go up from here. But stop right there. You would think that this team would be towering over the competition and in a position to win the conference. That is not the case.

The Spurs still have a massive hurdle to conquer

Despite their raging success to start the season, the Spurs are still a step behind the rest. Sitting at 10 wins over .500, ranking at a staggering fifth place in the Western Conference. Even with all of the improvements, upgrades, and displays of greatness, the Silver and Black are still trailing behind.

For one, the Spurs will need to deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is a task that nobody, and I mean nobody, wants to take on. If you want to have a chance of making the finals, you have to go through this absolute god squad. What they are doing over there is utterly insane and is truly history in the making.

It doesn't get any easier from there. With the Rockets, Nuggets, and Lakers sitting ahead of the Spurs, San Antonio has some ground to make up. Luckily for them, and impressively, the Silver and Black have taken down each of the teams in 2025. Still, just because Alamo City has beaten them this season, that doesn't mean they are to be ignored.

Going even further, you can't count out the Minnesota Timberwolves or Golden State Warriors either. The Spurs have lost to both teams this season, and there is a chance they could face one of them in the playoffs. Despite their concerning starts, these squads still add to the endless hell that is the Western Conference.

No matter how you shape it, the Spurs have a long way to go before they can reach the ultimate goal. Unfortunately for them, they really wish they could be playing on the other side of things. The Eastern Conference would be a lot more attainable than the gauntlet in the West right now. On the bright side, they will be fully toughened up by the time they get to the playoffs in April.