The Spurs are the NBA's biggest threat hiding in plain sight

The more I think about what Brian Wright has put together, the more bullish I am on the Spurs this upcoming season. Victor Wembanyama is the centerpiece that no other organization can say they have. There is only one of him, and he's the most unique weapon in the NBA.

He's been fully cleared to resume all activities, so he can go all in on growing. Knowing what we do about the towering Frenchman, he'll be in the lab religiously, anxious to get back to the court and take the next step in his journey. A recently released projection set San Antonio's win total at 43.5. I've already discussed why I believe that number is too low, but I'd like to expand on that belief.

I present to you, exhibit A:

The Wembanyama threat is not being taken seriously enough

Just lie in wait for those bragging rights, Spurs fans. They're on the way. When you're predicting what a team is going to do next, you have to analyze the players on the roster and do a bit of projecting. So, let's play the 'what if" game.

Wemby went from averaging 21 points in her rookie season to 24 as a sophomore. He improved his field goal percentage from 47% to 48% while taking more shots with more emphasis on threes. His 3pt% increased from 33% to 35%. As hard as he works, it would be silly to assume that he won't continue to get better.

What if he averages 27 points per game on 50% fg and elevates his 3pt shooting another few percentage points to about 38%? He's averaged four blocks in both seasons, too. There's no reason to believe he's going to slow down defensively as he keeps learning how players are trying to attack him.

There has never been a player in the history of the league to average that combination of points and blocks with that efficiency. The funny part about that scenario is that the field goal efficiency is a humble number. As a big man, he has the potential to shoot closer to 55-60% if he starts dominating in the paint more. That could certainly be coming as he adds more weight and muscle.

Now that you're picturing this unbelievable player who's probably a top-3 player in the NBA, remember that he'll have a healthy De'Aaron Fox next to him. He'll have a reigning Rookie of the Year who's hungry for more. This team should have won at least 40 games last year, but a Coach Popovich crisis, Wemby's deep vein thrombosis, and Fox's injured hand prevented that.

40 games should be the starting point, not 34 games. Now, add in the new factors of improvement, a healthy Fox, added depth to the frontline, more shooting, more defense, and a couple of fantastic rookies. This team is being massively slept on, and they're going to shock the NBA when the ball tips off in October.