1 Pivotal advantage the Spurs have over every Southwest Division team
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets tied the Spurs for the worst record in the West last season, but that didn't stop them from making a handful of huge moves this summer. They shelled out a significant share of their salary cap to sign veterans like Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks and hired Ime Udoka as the head coach to lead their ongoing rebuild.
Adding those experienced pieces to their talented young core of Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, and Cam Whitmore has sped up their timeline. Houston has already been more competitive, sporting a 6-5 record one month into the season. It is easy to see why some believe the Rockets can make a play-in push.
With that said, a team as young as the Rockets is bound to make mistakes as they develop numerous prospects. They ranked 29th in the NBA in turnovers per game (16.2) and last in turnover percentage (16.2%) last season. Their veterans may help clean things up, but the Spurs should still be able to disrupt Houston and turn steals into leak-outs and transition opportunities with their size and speed.