Spurs Futures at a Glance

Soobum Im-US PRESSWIRE

The San Antonio Spurs may have the best record in the league, but they are by no means the frontrunners to take home the NBA Finals Championship.

Currently, the Spurs (36-11) have 6/1 odds to win the NBA Finals, which pits them below the Oklahoma City Thunder (4/1) and the Miami Heat (12/5). Though, they are merely just one game ahead of Oklahoma City, but still remain eight games ahead of Miami.

So is it really that far-fetched to see the Spurs as the league’s third favorite to win the title?

Most pundits would say that the regular season doesn’t stack up to much in the face of postsesason play. Or merely blame it on the fact that the season is going through its dog days in the month of January. But it’s hard to put all of that aside and discount the Spurs as the best team in the NBA. Isn’t it?

Head coach Gregg Popovich, which could at this point lead a pee wee basketball team over an NBA team, has reclaimed his team’s spot atop the league’s standings. They’ve even won their last eight games, defeating the Lakers, Timberwolves, Grizzlies and Warriors in the process. They’ve also done a lot of their work without some of their core veterans guys.

On Saturday night, the team was without Popovich and big man Tim Duncan (sore knee) and still managed a 108-99 victory over the Phoenix Suns. The team did it on the back of Tony Parker’s 31-point outburst and some timely baskets by young contributors.

But let’s cut to the chase. The problem with the Spurs is that they will undoubtedly have to face two of the top teams in the Western Conference come the postseason, which at this point could be anyone from the Oklahoma City Thunder, to the Los Angeles Clippers to the Memphis Grizzlies. And that’s just it. The teams stacked against the Spurs road to the championship deter bettors from pouncing on the oddsmakers.

Meanwhile, the Heat have a much easier path to the conference championship. Still, much is unknown about the Chicago Bulls and whether Derrick Rose will return to form. The New York Knicks have struggled over the past ten games (5-5) and the Brooklyn Nets are still finding their form with their new group of All-Stars. The best bet is to give the reigning champions frontrunner status, noting that LeBron James will eventually put on the afterburners.

So while the Spurs are reeling in the benefits of the league’s top team, it still remains to be seen on whether they can handle a seven game stretch of three (let alone two) top teams in the Western Conference playoffs.