The San Antonio Spurs Futures Odds (BetDSI Sportsbook)
San Antonio to win the Southwest Division: +120
San Antonio to win the Western Conference: +700
San Antonio to win the NBA Championship: +1100
San Antonio Total Win Prediction: Total 54.5 (Over -115, Under -115)
The San Antonio Spurs had an excellent regular season in 2016/17 as they recorded 61 wins and clinched the Southwest Division title ahead of the Houston Rockets. The Spurs defeated the divisional rivals the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets in the first two rounds of the playoffs, winning both series in six games. However, the eventual champions the Golden State Warriors were ruthless in the Western Conference Finals and swept San Antonio in style.
This summer, San Antonio decided to keep the core of the team and added a high profile player to the squad – Rudy Gay. Although they still depend on senior players who past their prime, the Spurs are the force in the West, nonetheless, and Kawhi Leonard is going to lead them in a pursuit for the NBA title.
However, they aren’t the biggest favorites to win the Southwest Division as the Houston Rockets strengthened their squad, and now, the San Antonio Spurs are the third team in the West, according to the latest rankings. Anyway, San Antonio is always in the frame to battle for the NBA trophy and this year it’s not going to be any different, so their rivals should be aware of the immense quality and Gregg Popovich’s mastermind.
Read on to find out more about the San Antonio Spurs offseason moves and the 2017/2018 futures and props brought to you by BetDSI Sportsbook. Also, don’t forget to visit our Get More Sports website for more NBA teams season previews.
The 2017/2018 San Antonio Spurs Roster
Arrivals: Rudy Gay, Joffrey Lauvergne, Derrick White, London Perrantes, Jaron Blossomgame, Matt Costello, Brandon Paul.
Departures: Joel Anthony, Dewayne Dedmon, David Lee, Jonathon Simmons.
The San Antonio Spurs selected Derrick White with the 29th pick overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, and the point guard signed a contract this July. White spent 2016/17 with the Colorado Buffaloes, averaging 18.1 ppg, 4.4 apg, and 4.1 rpg, earning the place in the First-team All-Pac-12 along the way. The 23-year-old can play at both point guard and shooting guard positions, and Popovich will use him at SG. White is listed behind Danny Green, Manu Ginobili, and Bryn Forbes on the depth chart, but ahead of another rookie, Brandon Paul. Paul was undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft, and after unsuccessful tryouts with several teams, he left for Europe, where he represented Nizhny Novgorod, Canton Charge, FIATC Joventut, and most recently, Anadolu Efes. He participated in the 2017 NBA Summer League and averaged 15.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.7 apg, and 1.7 spg, which was enough for the Spurs to secure his services.
Another undrafted player who struck a deal with the Spurs is London Perrantes. The 22-year-old point guard spent the previous four years with the Virginia Cavaliers, tying a program record with 138 matches played, in which he scored 1,225 points. Perrantes averaged 12.7 ppg and 3.8 apg in 2016/17 and will serve as a backup PG to Dejounte Murray, Patty Mills, and Tony Parker. San Antonio selected Jaron Blossomgame with the 59th pick overall in this year’s draft, and the small forward is joining the Spurs following his four-year stint with the Clemson Tigers. In 2016/17, Blossomgame averaged 17.7 ppg and 6.3 rpg and is listed as the No. 4 option at the SF position behind Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Anderson, and Davis Bertans. Finally, Matt Costello signed a two-way contract with San Antonio and their G-League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, and the 24-year-old power forward will likely be out of the rotation for the 2017/18 campaign.
Joffrey Lauvergne came to San Antonio after spending the previous year with the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 5.4 ppg and 3.6 rpg in 70 matches. The Frenchman had his best time while in Denver in 2015/16, and now he has an opportunity to flourish as Pau Gasol’s backup. The Spurs lack big guys as they currently have Gasol, Aldridge, and Lauvergne so the former Nugget could get around 20 minutes per contest.
The Spurs’ biggest addition this summer is without a doubt Rudy Gay, who joined in order to win the NBA ring and play for the contenders. Gay represented the Sacramento Kings in the last three years, and in 2016/17, he averaged 18.7 ppg and 6.3 rpg in 33.8 mpg but played in only 30 games because of an injury that forced to miss most of the campaign. Although he is a small forward, Gay is listed as Aldridge’s backup at power forward position, but there is no doubt he will get plenty of minutes and will serve as the sixth man.
| PG | SG | SF | PF | C |
| Dejounte Murray | Danny Green | Kawhi Leonard | LaMarcus Aldridge | Pau Gasol |
| Patty Mills | Manu Ginobili | Kyle Anderson | Rudy Gay | Joffrey Lauvergne |
| Tony Parker | Bryn Forbes | Davis Bertans | ||
| Derrick White | ||||
| Brandon Paul |
Joel Anthony became a free agent this summer, and his presence will certainly not be missed in San Antonio, as he appeared in just 19 games in 2016/17. Dewayne Dedmon, on the other hand, was pretty useful last year, averaging 5.1 ppg and 6.5 rpg in 17.5 mpg, but he left and joined the Atlanta Hawks instead. Jonathon Simmons left San Antonio after two years and moved to the Orlando Magic, while David Lee declined a player option to extend the contract with the Spurs for another year, so he became an unrestricted free agent. The two-time All-Star power forward averaged 7.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, and 1.6 apg in 18.7 mpg in 2016/17, and the 34-year-old is now looking for a new team.
San Antonio managed to keep Pau Gasol, Manu Ginobili, and Patty Mills. Gasol signed a new, three-year deal and will likely end his NBA career with the Spurs. The 37-year-old averaged 12.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, and 1.1 bpg in 25.4 mpg, and although he failed to average a double-double for the first time in last three years, Gasol still has a lot to offer, and his experience is extremely important for the team. The two-time NBA champion and six-time All-Star, Gasol will likely receive around 25 minutes per match, and he is listed as starting center ahead of Joffrey Lauvergne in the pecking order.
Ginobili is returning to the San Antonio Spurs for the 16th season and will become one of the players who spent an entire career with one team (16+ seasons) along with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, Reggie Miller, John Stockton, and John Havlicek. The 40-year-old averaged 7.5 ppg, 2.7 apg, 2.2 rpg, and 1.2 spg in 18.7 mpg, and will continue to help San Antonio off the bench as the second option at the shooting guard position, behind Danny Green.
Patty Mills also decided to stay with the Spurs for the 2016/17 campaign, and it will be his seventh year with the team. He averaged 9.5 ppg and 3.5 apg in 21.9 mpg and will split playing time with Murray and Parker at the point guard.
The starting lineup with Murray, Green, Leonard, Aldridge, and Gasol has a lot of potential, while Gay, Ginobili, and Parker will also play a significant role throughout the season, so the Spurs are ready to fight for the championship once again. Leonard is destined for great things, and I anticipate another fantastic season for the 26-year-old forward.
The Bottom Line and Total Win Prediction
It is going to be harder than the previous season to win the Southwest Division, as the Rockets emerged as the favorites to clinch it, but the experience and quality of this San Antonio Spurs team cannot be underestimated. The Golden State Warriors are the best team in the NBA, no doubt about it, but the Spurs are seeking revenge this time around following painful defeat in the Western Conference Finals in 2016/17. I expect another great year for Kawhi Leonard, who was the MVP finalist last season, and one of the most versatile players in the league is the candidate to take the MVP title out of Russell Westbrook’s hands in 2017/18. The Spurs recorded 61 victories last term, but the bookies think they cannot repeat that success, and the BetDSI Sportsbook set the number of season wins at 54.5. I am sure the Spurs are capable of winning at least 55 matches, so I would recommend you to take the offer and opt for over on this one.
Season total wins: 54.5 Over (-115)
