The last two years, this time of year has been nuts for us. It's been so even though we haven't made any moves of significance at the previous deadline. We all fall for it. Splashy huge trades as are fun. Hell, I've certainly made my crazy proposals recently.
All that being said, don't be disappointed if we do nothing. Well, scratch that, I think we should probably (at the least) move some nonessential picks for an expiring big like Bogut to give us a chance to not lose a playoff series to rebounding woes. But nothing big, don't be upset if we do nothing big. That's where I'm starting this rant at.
Because going into this season, we all forgot two things in regards to the hype we set for this team. Most people said we would win 52-53 games and maybe make the ECF. A decent, conservative assessment. But then the 1st thing that we forgot to consider hit us, and that was injuries. I mean, we got all of 22 games with our starting 5 healthy, and went a spectacular (by all accounts) 16-6 in those games. Oh the stupid injuries and how they have screwed us out of seeing our full potential...
But wait, we are still technically on pace to win 52 to 53 games. What gives?
Well, that brings me to the 2nd thing we forgot to consider l. Nearly every single young player on this team has upside they haven't reached. The homers in this case, were/are right about this team's ceiling in that they technically don't have one. Good for them.
Most of us thought that "MAYBE Smart might have a breakout year and force his way into the starting 5," but overall we would be largely the same as last year's team. Well, it turn's out we were very wrong about that. Thomas, Bradley, Smart, and Olynk are reaching new ceilings, and Jaylen Brown is so good he is literally making leaps and bounds IN his rookie year, and not after.
That brings me to the "Consider the following" statement I want to make in regards to the deadline. 22 games healthy.16-6 in those games. A young bench/core that is seemingly getting better every time they get significant minutes. A young coach who has brilliantly balanced these injuries to give us a chance to win every single game. We have gone 22-7 since IT4 came back. We did so with our 2nd best offensive and best defensive player out with an injury. We have kept a 53 win pace through all that bad injury mojo.
But interestingly enough, with 25 games left we STILL don't have a clue how good this team actually is. But we can infer from the flashes we got that we were certainly gonna be better than 53 wins. Hell, maybe we even could have gotten to 60 wins this year. Just being healthy might be enough for a playoff push. Make no mistake, I'd love PG13 or Butler or Drummond. We might make some real noise in the playoffs. But we could also, for all we know, do the same without them.
My ultimate point is, Danny is absolutely trying to have his cake and eat it too here. That's not a criticism, nor should it be. He absolutely SHOULD be trying to do that. He is on the cusp of having a contender, with a bench full of rookie talent that keeps us a contender for years to come.
The fact that he could do nothing right now, still finish 2nd, still make the ECF, then Draft Fultz/Ball/Jackson and sign Hayward in the off-season, is nuts in itself. Considering that pretty much no other team in the league is improving at this rate, it's a big boon for us.
If the absurdity of how much better our core has gotten from last year should teach us anything, it should be that maybe we need to stop thinking we need a Superstar now and come to accept that we can make/draft our own. This is how the Spurs stayed relevant all these years. This is how Pre-Kevin Durant Warriors got to where they are now. The Celtics have the assets, upcoming picks, Coach, and GM to pull of the same kind of development.
So let's sit back and let them. Considering how ahead of schedule we are right now, it will in fact be sooner rather than later that we start to peak. Especially when you watch how fast Brown is developing and that the top 3 in this draft, (especially Fultz) are already near NBA level.
My money is on next year's team getting further than any of us expected them too, and then never looking back from there.
P.S. Obviously if we acquire PG13 or Drummond while keeping the 17 Net's pick, I'll be all for it. Just want to remind everyone the goal is to be the Spurs, not a one and done team that has a short window and no chance to get better after it closes.
Submitted February 21, 2017 at 10:05PM by Yawa306