![\"San](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GettyImages-2255596714.jpg\")
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A bold post-deadline prediction has the Spurs positioned as a real threat atop the Western Conference.<\/p>\n
The San Antonio Spurs<\/a> are no longer just a feel-good rebuild story. They are a legitimate contender for the top seed in the Western Conference.<\/p>\n Riding a four-game winning streak, San Antonio sits second in the West at 36\u201316, just 3.5 games behind the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a>. Despite a quiet NBA<\/a> trade deadline, a bold post-deadline prediction suggests the Spurs may finish the regular season ahead of Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n In a recent piece for Bleacher Report<\/a>, NBA writer Greg Swartz projected San Antonio to claim the No. 1 seed entering the 2026 NBA Playoffs.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Spurs are young, hungry and eager to prove they belong in the playoffs,\u201d Swartz wrote. \u201cThe Thunder are coming off a title and won\u2019t take the remainder of the regular season quite so seriously, using extra caution with their banged-up stars. San Antonio will finish with the No. 1 seed in the West, adding more fuel to the NBA\u2019s hottest young rivalry.\u201d<\/p>\n Scales Quickly Turning in the Spurs\u2019 Favor<\/p>\n That rivalry has tilted San Antonio\u2019s way this season. The Spurs won the season series 4-1, including a 116-106 victory on Feb. 4 in which Victor Wembanyama<\/a> dominated with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks.<\/p>\n That win came against a depleted Thunder lineup missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren. Still, the Spurs\u2019 consistency across five meetings reinforced a growing belief that this matchup is no longer one-sided.<\/p>\n More importantly, San Antonio\u2019s success has not been schedule-driven. According to CraftedNBA<\/a>, the Spurs have faced the third-hardest strength of schedule in the league so far, trailing only New Orleans and Sacramento. Oklahoma City, by contrast, has played the ninth-easiest slate to this point.<\/p>\n Those roles are about to reverse. After the All-Star break, the Thunder are projected to face the seventh-hardest remaining schedule, while San Antonio sits eighth. On paper, that difference is marginal. In reality, it could be decisive.<\/p>\n Gilgeous-Alexander is sidelined until after the All-Star break with an abdominal strain, and the Thunder\u2019s splits tell the story. Oklahoma City is 38-11 with him in the lineup and just 2-2 without him. While Williams is expected to return<\/a> against the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a>, backup point guard Ajay Mitchell remains out<\/a> with a similar injury.<\/p>\n San Antonio, meanwhile, enters the stretch run healthy and confident\u2014two traits rarely shared by young teams.<\/p>\n Built the Spurs Way<\/p>\n The Spurs\u2019 belief is not manufactured. It is internal and consistent, starting with Wembanyama.<\/p>\n \u201cWe trust who we are,\u201d Wembanyama said after San Antonio\u2019s win over the Dallas Mavericks<\/a>. \u201cWe trust the process. What I love is that the front office trusts these guys just like I do. We\u2019re on the same page.\u201d<\/p>\n That trust has translated into results. Through 51 games, San Antonio has already surpassed last season\u2019s win total and eclipsed its mark from Wembanyama\u2019s rookie year by Christmas Day.<\/p>\n Guard De\u2019Aaron Fox echoed that internal standard.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have aspirations of winning a championship,\u201d Fox said. \u201cSome might say we\u2019re a little ahead of schedule, but at the end of the day, we have to continue to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n San Antonio did not flip Jeremy Sochan or Kelly Olynyk at the deadline, nor did it chase short-term floor spacing. That restraint aligns with organizational history. Outside of the Fox acquisition, their most surprising move in two decades, the Spurs rarely swing midseason.<\/p>\n What they have built instead is balance. San Antonio ranks 10th in offensive rating and third in defensive rating, with eight players averaging double figures. Rookie guard Dylan Harper (10.7 PPG) continues to flash alongside Fox and Stephon Castle in a versatile backcourt.<\/p>\n The Spurs may still be ahead of schedule. But schedule, health, and belief are now aligned. That combination makes Swartz\u2019s bold prediction feel less like a reach and more like a warning to the rest of the West.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tJalon Dixon<\/a> Jalon Dixon is a multi-platform sports journalist and content creator specializing in NBA and WNBA coverage. He blends writing, podcasting, and video analysis to deliver accessible, in-depth perspectives on basketball and beyond. More about Jalon Dixon<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Spurs\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty A bold post-deadline prediction has the Spurs positioned as a real threat atop the Western Conference. 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