With hopes of making the playoffs next season, the San Antonio Spurs have quietly assembled a talented roster that could break out. Their success, however, will depend on their defense.
Normally young teams are terrible on the defensive end of the floor, but there are plenty of reasons to expect San Antonio to break that trend. First and foremost is superstar Victor Wembanyama. He was the frontrunner to win Defensive Player of the Year before his season ended prematurely.
If he is back and fully healthy for the duration of the season, then he could anchor a top 10, perhaps even the top five, defense.