Spurs' rise in NBA's power rankings tells ominous story at this point in the season

San Antonio moved up one spot in this week's NBA Power Rankings, from third to second. There's only a little more than a third of the season left, and this team has maintained their spot at the top of the Western Conference—a place not many expected them to be when predictions were being made before the league's October tip-off.

Like players, coaches get better as they gain experience. At least, the good ones do. Mitch Johnson is already proving he fits that billing. Look at the team and how well these guys are playing, including the young athletes.

When Victor Wembanyama was a rookie, you often heard people say, "This is the worst he'll ever be, and that's scary." Well, I'd like to ask you to extend those thoughts and feelings to this entire team.

The Spurs' young core is deeply talented

Usually, when you think about a core of young players, you're talking about two or three guys. San Antonio has more than that right now. We're talking about Wemby, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and, of course, Carter Bryant. I may be playing a little fast and loose with the word "young" in regard to KJ and Dev, but they still haven't hit their prime yet, so sue me.

When they were rising through the ranks a couple of months ago, the Spurs were doing it on both sides of the ball. They quickly established themselves as a top-tier offense and defense, making them a problem on a nightly basis. After experiencing some midseason woes on the scoring side of the game, they've righted the ship.

The season has sort of been like the Iron Man movie series. Part one is tremendous, as was the early part of San Antonio's campaign. The second Tony Stark installation left much to be desired, and we'd compare that to the Silver and Black's January. It wasn't the worst thing ever, but it definitely could have been better.

Now that we're entering the third act, things are looking up again. Iron Man 3 was a fantastic film, and I think the Spurs are headed for a similar finish. The All-Star break will give everyone a chance to rest up and get ready for the final push. That's when NBA teams really start bringing their best, as they jockey for playoff position and work out as many kinks in their strategies as possible.

The best this squad has to offer is an explosive offense and stifling defense, led by one of the most special, competitive players we've ever seen. This is really just the beginning. As all of those young players grow, the Spurs are going to be an absolute force, and when all is said and done, they'll make OKC's run a distant memory.