These early Spurs predictions make the 2027 season feel like a foregone conclusion

If you were reading the tea leaves last summer, there were signs that the Spurs were going to be a force in Victor Wembanyama's third campaign. It was a time for bold predictions, and so I made three of them. Two were correct (Spurs with a top-10 offense and top-4 seed), and I had a near miss on the third (Wemby for MVP).

That's pretty damn good if you ask me, so I'm going to take another crack at this. But it will be a little harder this time, since they were already showing signs that they could do pretty much everything on the floor. They forced turnovers, made shots, ran the break, protected the rim, assisted well, and grabbed rebounds.

So, what could I project bold enough for it to matter? For it not to feel obvious?

Spurs will win 70 games next season

Walk with me down memory lane for a second, and give me grace. Some of this might be painful: In the 2012-13 season, the Spurs finished second to Oklahoma City in the Western Conference with 58 wins. They then made their way to the NBA Finals for the pleasure of experiencing an excruciating loss to the Miami Heat.

The following season, the Silver and Black dominated the entire season with nothing but vengeance on their minds. They took the number one seed in the entire NBA with 62 wins. It was their highest win total since they went 63-19 in 2005-06. You all know how the story ended after that. With San Antonio's fifth championship.

62 wins were a lot for such a young group. It's fair to acknowledge that. But the success of the Spurs wasn't just lightning in a bottle. They have an extremely talented group around an already legendary superstar, and they just had a possible championship snatched from their grasp. It will motivate them to be even better. More driven. More focused.

Not to mention, an already stacked roster is improving. De'Aaron Fox will actually get an offseason to work on his game. Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle will both take leaps. They just re-signed their 25-year-old sharpshooter.

San Antonio's continuity will naturally make them better. Every major piece of the core is either entering its prime or has yet to reach it. That's a terrifying thought for the league. And Victor Wembanyama is coming to deliver the pain. He's driven by destiny. You can't underrate the value of that.

Mitch Johnson, Wembanyama, and Harper will sweep NBA awards

The same motivation that will drive the players will light a fire under Mitch Johnson. He had a Coach of the Year-worthy season as a rookie head coach, but he won't be satisfied with how it ended. Just like players, coaches don't get to skip steps either. The NBA Finals were a learning experience, and the pain of that loss should give Coach Johnson the extra edge he needs to up his game.

A stronger Western Conference will make a 70-win season even more impressive. The usual suspects will be formidable again, and there will probably be a team that surprises everyone aside from Utah. You can see them coming a mile away. The West will be as strong as ever.

Reaching 70 wins will come down to winning a few more close games, but we should expect an unbelievable season from Victor Wembanyama in his fourth year. The Alien gets another injury-free summer to work on his game, and the results are going to be frightening. He'll have double the chip on his shoulder after losing in the NBA Finals and falling short of the MVP trophy he coveted.

Another Defensive Player of the Year win is easy to see, but he'll secure the Most Valuable Player honor, too. His added fire is now mixed with the understanding that the voters require higher counting stats, no matter how transcendent his defense is or how powerful his offensive gravity. There's no choice but to oblige if he wants that award, and we know Wembanyama wants that award.

Harper was a monster in his reserved role as a rookie. He proved his mettle in the playoffs from the first round to the NBA Finals, earning the right to take a step forward in the rotation. He'll likely be San Antonio's true sixth man next season. The ex-Rutgers star is as much a competitor as Wembanyama or anyone else. We saw it in his emotion every time he made a big play.

We should expect him to improve his jump shooting and playmaking. He's going to terrorize secondary units, giving opposing coaches headaches as they try to decide where to allocate the most defensive resources. If Harper takes the leap that Spurs fans know he's capable of, he'll be a strong candidate to win the award Keldon Johnson took home this year.

Of course, the cherry on top of this majestic season would be a championship, but that's not a bold prediction anymore. The Spurs are already favored to take home the Larry O'Brien trophy next year, according to several sportsbooks. They know what we know. San Antonio will be back with vengeance fueling them the same way it did the 2014 squad, but the revenge will be even louder.

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