NBA's latest power rankings revealed one Spurs superpower they must lean on

The Spurs are in their ping pong era as they bounce back and forth between the top spots in the NBA's power rankings and land in the third spot in the latest installment of John Schuhmann's weekly report. San Antonio was fourth last week, so they got a slight boost, but there are a couple of interesting notes to take away now that we're past the midpoint of the season.

San Antonio's offense is the key becoming unstoppable

In Schuhmann's article, he highlighted how impactful San Antonio's offensive production is to almost guaranteeing wins when he wrote, "With that win, the Spurs are 21-1 when they’ve scored at least 116 points per 100 possessions." So, in layman's terms, victory is almost certain when the offense is humming because more times than not, the defense will be strong.

The average offensive rating around the league is about 115. The Spurs have a 116.8 average offensive rating on the season, so they're slightly above these lines, but just barely. It's good enough for eighth-best in the league, but they still have some head-scratching moments to work out of their game. That's what the regular season is for, though.

This team went through a really rough stretch offensively, and it was hard to watch at times. There was a bunch of missed open shots, smoked layups, ugly turnovers, and missed defensive assignments. Victor Wembanyama and Keldon Johnson were pretty much the only two players not going through it.

However, things changed when they started giving the ball to De'Aaron Fox a little more in the first quarter. It's a natural adjustment that puts the guys back in their natural positions, allowing Swipa to put pressure on the defense and Stephon Castle to beat their backs in as an off-ball guard.

All of a sudden, they're off to the races again. Dealing with them in the playoffs is going to be a nightmare as long as they lean into those offensive strengths.

The Spurs are not an early-season fluke

Nobody can call the Silver and Black fraudulent with so many games in the rearview mirror. Mitch Johnson's team has been tried and tested time after time. They keep coming up smelling like roses. If they stumble, they bounce back, not allowing bad stretches to cascade into extended losing spirals. It's a sign of maturity and good coaching. They'll need both to win a playoff series.

San Antonio's resume speaks for itself. They've beaten almost every single good team the league has to offer. Detroit is the last team fitting that description needing a loss, but the Spurs just haven't had a chance to see them yet. They'll get their first crack at the Pistons on February 23 in Motown.