LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 02: Keldon Johnson # 3 of San Antonio Spurs protects Ja Morant # 12 of Memphis Grizzlies during the first half of an NBA basketball game at the Visa Athletic Center at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 2, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. USER NOTE: You expressly acknowledge and agree that by downloading and / or using this photograph, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images license agreement. (Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool / Getty Images)
Playoffs or not, the odds of the San Antonio Spurs pulling out a rollover in the first round are slim and a lottery win is more valuable these days.
Tradition has become the way of organizing the San Antonio Spurs. Playing for your teammates and striving to be your best is the Spurs way and that won’t change anytime soon. Coach Gregg Popovich built this modern era of Spurs basketball by bringing the same methodology to every group he leads.
That said, is it really a big deal if the San Antonio playoff streak comes to an end this season? Entering the play-in tournament and earning that seeded eight gives the Spurs a first-round rendezvous with the Los Angeles Lakers, a team they have lost against by a larger margin in each of three fights this season. Silver and Black have no one to effectively fight the 2020 version of LeBron James. Four games of Jakob Poeltl who fouled Anthony Davis don’t seem like much fun.
However, playoff experience would be invaluable to young Spurs. Getting their feet wet and watching the energy shift would prepare them for when they are a real contender for the playoffs. The most pressing question is not whether or not it matters that Spurs play the playoffs, but what is more valuable: the Spurs playoff series or a lottery?
If San Antonio loses the following season, they can choose from a 2020 NBA Draft lottery with a greater chance of jumping into the top four. Last season, we saw unlikely leaps from the New Orleans Pelicans and the Memphis Grizzlies that each brought in players who changed the franchise. Should Spurs lose the postseason, there’s a chance the same could apply to them.
Betting on such small odds would be ridiculous, but the security of a top 12 pick in the draft still gives Spurs a better chance of rolling the dice than in the late 1990s. If Spurs can pick a great talent in the late 1920s for nearly two decades, they should be able to do some damage when picking in that range.
San Antonio’s 22 years of post-season series is the most precious aspect of the Spurs playoff dilemma. Currently drawing the longest playoff series in NBA history is incredible, but setting it in these conditions would be an incredible story. Defying the odds and returning to play in the bubble to break this record would add another level of excellence to the Spurs dynasty lore.
For me, breaking the record would be a great feat with minimal impact on improving the team for the future. The difference between eleventh pick and sixteenth pick could be huge in a draft class with players who can make an immediate impact for silver and black.
In any case, the Spurs will compete with the intention of winning a championship. It is simply the way the team operates, whether the goal is achievable or not.
You can’t blame a team for giving their all every time on the pitch and these latest matches will have a dramatic impact on the history of the league.
