Spurs' perfect playoff path is aligning for a historic championship run

These next few days are going to be fascinating for Spurs Nation. Depending on what happens in tonight's games and the Play-In Tournament, San Antonio could be looking at facing the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. That would be the most preferred matchup out of any of the four teams sitting in that current 7-10 range in the standings.

Denver has decided to rest the vast majority of their rotational guys, and the Lakers are facing Utah. The right outcomes in those games put the Nuggets on OKC's side of the bracket, ensuring the Silver and Black will only have to face one of the two.

Now, that also means that the guys will likely have to face Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves in the second round, but that's a much more managable matchup. I'll tell you why.

Anthony Edwards' offensive approach will cost them in the playoffs

San Antonio plays a connected brand of basketball on both ends that will thrive in a postseason setting. Anthony Edwards is a high-usage player, and he loves to play ISO basketball. He'll have his moments because he's a great athlete with elite skills. They make it difficult on the biggest stages because guys like him are built for it.

Unfortunately for him, the Spurs have guys like that, too. The difference is the Silver and Black have led the NBA in assists per game since February 1. They trust each other to get the job done, and their selflessness has elevated their offense to the highest rating in the league over the past two and a half months.

The Timberwolves are 25th in assists over the same span. They play a more selfish brand of basketball. Their defense is fleeting, and while we can expect they'll lock in during the postseason, it's hard to just break out of bad habits when the playoffs roll around.

This is a team that has made it to the Western Conference Finals in two straight years. That may be considered an advantage in the eyes of some. However, it's difficult to make it that far three consecutive times. That's especially true when you don't have the right structure in place, and Minnesota is a very flawed team.

The Spurs should make it to the WCF with this playoff bracket

As for Portland, they haven't even had a chance to see Victor Wembanyama since December 2024. Seriously. He's missed all four matchups between the two ball clubs since then. Their roster isn't built to handle him, so containing him was going to be a problem already, but it's going to be even more difficult without much experience against him.

The Warriors, Suns, and Clippers have all put up tough fights and/or won games against the Spurs at full strength or close to it. The Trail Blazers are the clear choice if we were to rank the "easiest" options among the four. The truth of the matter is that in the postseason, every series has the potential to pose immense challenges. There are still levels to this, though.

There's a timeline where the Spurs will face Kawhi Leonard or Devin Booker in the first round and Nikola Jokic in the second before having to face off against OKC if they make it that far. I'm sure as competitors, the players would embrace all comers, but fans would much rather their path go through Deni Avdija and Anthony Edwards instead.

Winning two series could give them the momentum they need to take down the Thunder in a seven-game series. Their confidence would likely be through the roof at that point. It's still unclear who would come out of the Eastern Conference, but I'd like San Antonio's chances no matter who it is, and the Spurs can finally complete the Race for Seis.

Winning a championship with a first-year head coach and a core this young would also be a first in NBA history, rubber-stamping one of the greatest seasons we've ever seen.