San Antonio Spurs Starting Lineup an NBA 'Playoff Lock'?

The San Antonio Spurs had one of the busier offseasons in the NBA this summer, as they added three players who could, theoretically, be starters from day one. They traded for veteran wing Harrison Barnes, signed all-time great Chris Paul, and drafted a promising defensive stopper in Stephon Castle.

While Castle is expected to be Victor Wembanyama's running mate of the future, he will likely come off of the bench in his first season, as the Spurs favor the more experienced Paul. With those offseason additions, paired with the existing core of starters of Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan, the 2024-25 Spurs should be poised to take a leap.

While conventional wisdom tells us that the Spurs will have to take some time before they see winning success, this Spurs' roster, led by 'The Alien,' is anything but predictable. While we here at Inside the Spurs think the Spurs' over/under of 36.5 expected wins will keep them out of postseason contention , other outlets are a bit more optimistic.

Robert Zschoche from GIVEMESPORT ranked the Spurs' starting lineup as the 20th-best in the NBA, one step ahead of the Houston Rockets and just behind the Los Angeles Clippers. Both of those teams will be competing for a playoff spot, while the Spurs will likely be chasing the Play-In, but you can't write off a team anchored by Wemby.

"Guaranteed to be one of the most fun NBA League Pass teams in the league this season, the San Antonio Spurs might also be surprisingly competitive," he wrote. "Wembanyama might become a top-five player in year two, which could somehow make the Spurs a playoff lock."

Related: It's Too Early to Write Off Underrated San Antonio Spurs Duo

If Wembanyama is a bonafide MVP candidate at only 21 years old, it would be hard for the Spurs to find themselves out of the playoff race. A middling roster is heavily boosted by Wembanyama, who is expected to be the face of the NBA before he can even order a Shiner.