NBA can’t afford to see Spurs turn into the one things they’re not supposed to be

The NBA should already be afraid of the San Antonio Spurs. This team is one of the best in the league. Full stop. They’ve made a rapid and massive ascension to get here, and much of the growth has been on the back of two things: Victor Wembanyama and an elite defense.

Don’t look now, but things are about to get spookier. The Spurs are turning into an offensive juggernaut right in front of our eyes.

Early reports of a weak Spurs offense were greatly exaggerated

Despite the ease with which they’ve run through the NBA with this season, the Spurs haven’t been getting enough love as true contenders. Critics have poked holes in their offense, questioning how a unit with so many shaky shooters will be able to function in the half court in a playoff setting. San Antonio is putting those worries to rest.

The pure offensive output for the Spurs can’t be denied. They’re averaging 118.7 points per game, good for fifth in the league, and their offensive rating of 117.6 ranks fourth. The Silver and Black have hung some huge scoring totals on good teams recently: 145 points against Houston on March 8th, 136 versus the Lakers on February 10th, and 121 on the Pistons on March 5th, for example.

Their attack is fueled by genuinely dominant interior finishing across the board. Wemby, of course, is a force to be reckoned with, but De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and Keldon Johnson are all formidable slashers who lacerate the lane relentlessly. As a whole, the Spurs place third in the association in two-point percentage, lagging behind only the Thunder and the Lakers.

Spurs' offensive dominance will spell trouble for the rest of the league

It’s true that San Antonio isn’t the best from beyond the arc—they're 17th in percentage right now. But they're finding ways to fill up the scoring column despite that weakness.

It’s really hardly a weakness, though, as many of their rotation players are at least solid shooters, namely Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes, and the Alien. Mitch Johnson should undoubtedly be able to assemble lineups with proper spacing in the postseason.

Regardless of if you’ve believed in this San Antonio offense or not up to this point, all signs still say they’re one of the three best teams in hoops. They’ve passed every test handed to them so far, notching wins over all of their biggest threats, including a handful of convincing victories over the Thunder. 

If they’ve been able to do everything they’ve done without having a great offense, then the NBA should be petrified of what this team would look like with one. Becoming an offensive tyrant would make San Antonio truly unstoppable.