With Tim Duncan announcing his retirement last summer, the 2016-17 season was supposed to be one of transition for the Spurs. They were still expected to make the playoffs as a lower seed and possibly even continue their 50-win streak, but that would be about it. Instead, they have far and away the second best record in the league and own a 10-1 record against the other main contenders, including the Warriors, Rockets, Cavaliers, Celtics and Wizards. (I’ve dropped the Raptors from this category.)
Chris de Silva over at 16 Wins a Ring took a deep dive into what has allowed the Spurs to remain in contention despite such a huge loss, including how Kawhi Leonard has continued to evolve, the different elements players like Dewayne Dedmon and Pau Gasol have brought to the team, and how the Spurs always-excellent bench continues to give opponents fits.