Spurs have one less threat to worry about in the West after surprising twist

After winning the Western Conference last season, the San Antonio Spurs are officially the team to beat in the West. However, despite an increasingly deep West, they may have one less team to worry about next season.

The Golden State Warriors have had a disastrous summer thus far. Practically nothing has gone their way. After all, longtime trade target Giannis Antetokounmpo was dealt to the Miami Heat, while it appears that LeBron James may choose another team over the Warriors.

After years of dominating the West, they missed the playoffs altogether last season and likely won't make it again next year unless something drastic changes. That must be music to the Spurs' ears, with them having one less team to worry about.

The San Antonio Spurs are the team to beat in the Western Conference

The Spurs knocked off the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, signaling a potentially massive shift. Not only did the Spurs go through OKC, but they also beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, forcing them to retool.

The Wolves are likely better than they were before, but perhaps less equipped to go up against the Spurs. They sacrificed their three-headed monster big man rotation to upgrade a point guard by adding LaMelo Ball.

It may make life easier for Anthony Edwards. However, it perhaps makes them more susceptible to the Spurs and even the Denver Nuggets, whom they've previously dominated.

Meanwhile, the Spurs got better themselves, adding Tobias Harris, Tarris Reed Jr., and Jayden Quaintance to the mix. By doing so, they upgraded at power forward and overhauled their center rotation.

The Spurs have more than kept pace with the improving West

Having a deeper frontcourt could make an already terrific team even better next season. That should be a scary thought for the rest of the Western Conference, who were probably hoping that San Antonio won't be this good this fast.

Now, teams will have to contend with both the Spurs and the Thunder, though San Antonio beat OKC eight times last year, including in the regular season. That proves they are in a tier all to themselves and should be seen as the frontrunners to make it back to the NBA Finals.

As for the Warriors, even if they were relatively healthy next year, they still have one of the oldest rosters in the NBA. Worse yet for Golden State, the NBA disincentivized tanking.

That means there will be no easy wins for Golden State—or for the Spurs, for that matter. Moreover, the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz should be much improved, which could knock the Warriors out of the playoff picture entirely and give the Spurs new teams to focus on.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow