Spurs will make the playoffs if they conquer their biggest obstacle

All things considered, the San Antonio Spurs have been as good as expected, especially since they have been mired in a rebuild over the last few seasons. At 13-13, the Spurs are currently 11th in the Western Conference but just two games back from being the fifth seed.

A few minor tweaks could get them back in the thick of the playoff race and even put them in a position to have a home-court advantage in the first round.

However, they have had to overcome several big obstacles, including injuries, poor shooting, and poor health, including their head coach, Gregg Popovich. However, shooting remains their biggest problem, with their starting lineup front-loaded with their best shooters and their bench devoid of any spacing.

The Spurs will make the playoffs if they conquer their shooting woes

There are a few options to solve that problem. One is to continue to start Chris Paul, Stephon Castle, Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes, and Victor Wembanyama, with that lineup having four shooters and enough ball handling to keep things from getting stagnant. That would mean that the Spurs' bench would include Tre Jones, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, and Charles Bassey.

While they would still have some spacing issues with really only Vassell being a good shooter, his aggressiveness in looking for his own shot should draw plenty of attention. Also, Sochan and Bassey are two of the team's best offensive rebounders, and playing them together should lead to more second-chance opportunities to try and offset their lack of shooting.

While there are internal options, the Spurs should at least kick the tires on a potential trade. One potential option is to trade for New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram. Swapping out two non-shooters for Ingram would help to solve that issue and give San Antonio another consistent offensive weapon along with Wembanyama and Vassell.

That would come with drawbacks, such as tying up their future cap space by having to extend him and also giving up at least one first-round pick. The trade-off may be worth it, with the Spurs solving their biggest weakness while taking a meaningful step towards contention.

This season is more of a stepping stone, but after winning 22 games last season, they will need to take a big step forward to be able to set themselves up to contend next season and beyond. That will begin with them conquering their biggest obstacle, shooting.