Latest NBA power rankings finally place Spurs where they belong

San Antonio comes in at number five on this week's edition of the NBA power rankings, and it's about time. Spurs Nation has long known that this team is among the elite. It's time for everyone else to catch up. The only teams above them are the Pistons (4), Knicks (3), Nuggets (2), and Thunder (1). That's a strong group, but the upcoming schedule gives our guys a shot to shake up the bunch.

The Silver and Black are 21-7, a third of the way through the season. After 28 games, everyone has a feel for who they are. The season can usually be broken down into three sections for playoff teams. First, you find out who you are as a team, then you sharpen and reinforce your identity before finally putting it all together for the final push for the postseason.

Spurs' push for playoff seeding will be a tough one

We know who San Antonio is. Their identity starts with defense, their offensive strength is depth and versatility, and they're clutch. The team is well-coached, and they fight hard every night. Even if they start slow or have one of their famous third-quarter lulls, they're never out of a ball game.

The Spurs' record has been forged in fire. They've defeated the majority of the league's best teams, but their test is nowhere near over. The Thunder are going to be looking for revenge, and the guys are about to play them twice consecutively. They'll face the Knicks again and the Cavs over the next week alone. All in all, San Antonio has the third-toughest remaining strength-of-schedule, according to Tankathon.

However, the success they've already had against some of the best teams in the NBA should encourage fans to believe they can handle it. Fortunately, the Nuggets and OKC have a tougher path ahead, so that should help SA keep pace. They entered the season with hopes to make the playoffs outright, but now their sights should be set on securing the highest seed possible.

Mitch Johnson has truly been impressive this year. I get fans' frustration with the tactics they deploy in their attempts to keep Victor Wembanyama as healthy as possible for as long as his body permits, but two things can be true at the same time. You can be bothered by how overly cautious they are and still acknowledge how adept the first-year coach has been in his new role as the official leader of this team.

Coach Johnson has dealt with players coming in and out of the lineup all season. Yet he persists. He's finally got all of his players healthy, but his franchise star is coming off the bench in limited minutes. That doesn't stop him from getting the desired results.

The Spurs will be one of the few left standing atop the mountain when the smoke clears at the end of the season. Mitch will be a major reason for that. The only question will be the pecking order because nothing is off the table for the Silver and Black.