5 Teams that will give the Spurs the most trouble in 2023–24

3.) Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics might not live up to expectations in the playoffs, but they tend to do quite well in the regular season. Unlike in recent years, the Celtics will look much different without Marcus Smart and Grant Williams, but they have added all-star Kristaps Porzingis to the team. That will give them a different dynamic and make their frontcourt deeper, allowing them to better compete against teams with size like the Spurs.

They also still have superstar Jayson Tatum, who previously dropped a career-high 60 points on the Spurs just two seasons ago. If that weren't enough, Boston also has Jaylen Brown, who's coming off a career year where he averaged 26.6 points per game. With both Tatum and Brown, they have one of the best one-two punches in the NBA, and their talent on the wing easily surpasses that of the Spurs.

Factor in that they have two floor-spacing big men and former Spur Derrick White, and they will have more than enough shooting to surround them with. That worked like a charm last season, with the Celtics posting the third-best offensive rating in NBA history, and there is little reason to expect that they won't be even better next season.

They were also the second-best defensive team and may not take much of a step back despite trading a former Defensive Player of the Year. Neither of those things bode well for the Spurs, but depending on how impactful Wembanyama is out of the gate, he could make an impact on both ends of the floor for the team.

His size and perimeter skills pose unique problems, and while the Celtics can throw Porzingis, Al Horford, or Robert Williams at him, he may not be someone each can guard by themselves. That gives the Spurs an opening, particularly in closing lineups with him playing center and four offensive threats to surround him with. Fortunately, San Antonio only plays the Celtics twice, minimizing the downside of having to play Boston, but the best they can reasonably hope for is a 1-1 split in the season series.