San Antonio has steadily climbed towards respectability after a 3-7 start to the season that saw them lose a handful of tight contests in the clutch to several playoff caliber ball clubs. The loss of Jakob Poeltl undoubtedly factored into their faltering defense, and they have unsurprisingly seen a leap in efficiency on that end since the big man returned to the lineup.
The Silver and Black are now in the middle of a season-best three-game winning streak, dispatching the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, and Portland Trail Blazers with relative ease. Although they have piled on the victories against a series of understaffed teams, their newfound ability to blow out beatable opponents is an encouraging step in the right direction.