Spurs should improve but could struggle to live up to high expectations

The betting market has the Spurs' over/under at 36.5 wins. Do you think they will make the over and fight for a play-in spot?

Marilyn Dubinski: The optimist in me wants to say it's the end, but it's hard to imagine at this point if for no other reason the West will be a gauntlet. How many times has the No. 13 seed achieved 36 wins in a conference where the Spurs hold the over/under rating? Without research, my guess is that there are very few, possibly none. The Spurs definitely have the potential to surprise, push for 40 wins and get into the play-in, but if I had to actually put some of my hard-earned money on the line, I'd bet on the under. If they were in the East, it would be a different discussion…

Mark Barrington: I think the Spurs will be much better than last year's 22-win team. But not much better. Chris Paul will be great at teaching the young guys how to play successful basketball, but in limited minutes he won't make much of a difference on the court. Harrison Barnes will need to play much better than he did last season to move the needle. I think the Spurs could win up to 33 games, which is a huge 50% win increase. I just don't think they can get to the play-in tournament with a roster that's still a work in progress.

Jacob Douglas: No. That's too big of a leap for a team that hasn't accomplished all that much this summer. Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes and Stephon Castle provide a talent upgrade, but not big enough to be in the play-in conversation. The Spurs need more advantages on offense in order to be a successful team. I have about 30 wins this year.

Jesus Gomez: Just like everyone except the eternal optimist among me, I doubt it. The Spurs won 22 games last year. A 15-win margin seems like a lot in a season where there aren't many bad teams, especially in the West. If you look at the first ten games, the only opponent that is expected to be really bad is the Trail Blazers. The Spurs have the talent to beat good teams, but they are still young despite adding some veterans and will likely still be inconsistent. I think a win total in the low 30s seems more realistic and would still be a step in the right direction.

JR Wilco: I'm the only one, right? OK, then. I'll hit the shameless home run. Only I don't play. I admit that last season's club was better than its record. So when we assume Chris Paul will stabilize his clutch-time offense (the team's biggest problem last year, in my opinion), we take full note of that half of their games last season qualified as deciding games (within 5 points and 5 minutes left), then…then I wouldn't be surprised at a .500 season. I'm not predicting any, but I'm at least ready to take the lead!

Bill Huan: 36.5 for Spurs might be the craziest over/under this year, and I'm the best Wemby homer out there! He will enter the season as a top 10 player and could finish in the top 5, but even that won't catapult the Spurs to 37 or more wins. JR is right when he says this team played better than their record last year, but keep in mind that the West is deeper than ever and there are 12 teams that are clearly better – in my humble opinion. With that in mind, I think an over/under of 32.5 is much more appropriate (please don't ban me, Mr. Wilco).

Do you think Victor Wembanyama will be named Defensive Player of the Year? Will any other Spurs come close to an award?

Dubinski: If he's at all the same defender he was last season, he should win it. I believe Rudy Gobert won based on his performance more than anything, and some voters just couldn't bring themselves to vote for a rookie defenseman in the bottom 10, regardless of his individual accolades. If Spurs can reach at least the middle of the league in defense then there will be no qualms about voting for Wemby. Plus, Stephon Castle has as good a chance as anyone in his class at winning Rookie of the Year if he gets enough playing time, and I could even imagine a world where Keldon Johnson is fighting for the sixth man spot . If he can do that, it will significantly increase Spurs' chances of winning.

Barrington: If he stays healthy, that is very likely. Some teams send people at him to draw fouls and use physical inside play to neutralize his length. It will be interesting to see how Spurs react. The only other Spurs who could compete for individual honors this year would be Stephon Castle, who could be in the running for Rookie of the Year if Pop gives him a full-season regular rotation spot. I think that's definitely possible because Castle has proven that his defensive game is already NBA-worthy and his shooting coming out of the draft is better than expected. There are several other rookies who would provide strong competition, but it could be a hard-fought race.

Douglas: The Defensive Player of the Year award is based on narrative. I think that was an advantage for Wembanyama last season. If he has a great season and the Spurs are really competitive, then I think the award is his. I just don't think the NBA can give the award to a player who doesn't lead a top-10 defense. He will face stiff competition from Rudy Gobert and Bam Adebayo. I don't think Castle will play enough to win Rookie of the Year. I expect Wembanyama to make an All-NBA team and an All-Star game this season.

Gomez: I think he will do it, but it won't be easy. Wemby will be under greater scrutiny this season, which could lead voters to think too much. If Spurs improve in this regard and none of the other candidates have a career year, I think Wemby has a good chance of getting some hardware. Castle could have a shot at Rookie of the Year if he gets the minutes, but I'm not as confident as others that he'll get the minutes and role to do it.

Wilco: I think this award will go in the same vein as ROY from last season: ESPN crowning him the presumptive favorite for the award while also selling bets on ESPN BET. Then they instruct some of their talking heads to recruit someone else (or several players). Then they sell a lot of bets on ESPN BET against Wemby. Then, towards the end of the season, after Wemby does something great in one of the games ESPN is covering, they declare him the winner while selling many more bets on ESPN Bet for Wemby while their writers and announcers all agree are that he's the real deal- winner of this media award while raking in more dollars from ESPN BET while somehow continuing to fly under the radar and undetected despite being such a complete thug.

Huan: He should definitely be the clear favorite, although I'm not sure Spurs' defense will be good enough to actually win. Either way, there is no doubt in my mind that Wemby is already the best defender in all of basketball, and I think he will make the All-NBA second team as well.

Who do you think will emerge from each conference and who will win the NBA Championship?

Dubinski: I don't see anyone taking over the Celtics. The Knicks improved somewhat with the KAT trade, but they aren't very deep and there is the Thibs factor to consider. I also don't think the 76ers' stars are capable of staying healthy long enough to make it this far. In the West it's everyone's business. The Nuggets will always have a chance with Jokic, but have lost a lot of depth. The Mavs did it last year and could do it again, but for that to happen, Klay Thompson needs to have a better season than he has in recent years, and that needs to happen on offense. In my opinion, the Thunder are the immediate favorite because they are the most complete team and have made some good moves in the offseason. They just need to learn from last season's playoffs and overcome the youth factor.

Barrington: The Celtics will be favorites to repeat. There are at least six contending teams in the East, but the Celtics are still the best. A lot of people choose the Thunder coming out of the West, and they certainly have the talent to do it. I just don't think they don't have enough experience yet, I think they're still a year and a playoff disappointment away from a Finals appearance. I think the Mavericks have improved with the signing of Klay Thompson, and maybe Luka Doncic will start the season in basketball shape this year. I think it is likely that we will see a repeat of the 20-24 finals with the same result. It doesn't make me happy to say this, but it's likely that the Celtics will be hoisting the trophy again at the end of the season.

Douglas: Celtics defeat Thunder in finals. They are the two most talented teams in the NBA. OKC has addressed its deficiencies, and it's hard to even find one on Boston's roster. I like Philadelphia's team, but I don't trust Joel Embiid or Paul George to be available in the postseason, let alone be effective.

Gomez: Reps are hard, but I don't see anyone beating Boston in the East unless the Celtics suffer injuries, and I'm not surprised they get a unanimous pick here. The West is more difficult because all competitors have at least one mistake. I will choose the Nuggets because they have the best player in the world. And if Denver gets to the Finals, I think they can win the whole thing.

Wilco: As long as Jokic is alive and in his prime, I can't predict anyone will beat them until I see it with my own eyes. What he achieved at the Olympic Games with a few people from his surroundings exceeds all superlatives. Serbia had no place in this game against the USA and almost beat them. So for me it's the Nuggets in the west and Boston in the east – and to repeat: the Celts. Pooh.

Huan: I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that the Celtics will beat the Thunder. Who saw this coming? All joking aside, these two teams are likely to be fairly heavily favored in their respective conferences, and their combination of firepower and depth may be too great for other teams. That is, of course, unless Jokic decides to get some people in his “environment” to join the Nuggets.