NBA Playoffs 2018: Power ranking all 16 playoff teams

SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 8: Zaza Pachulia #27, Stephen Curry #30, Kevin Durant #35, Klay Thompson #11 and Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors face off against the Sacramento Kings on January 8, 2017 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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DALLAS, TX – DECEMBER 12: Head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs talks with LaMarcus Aldridge /

14. San Antonio Spurs

It feels outright disrespectful to rank the San Antonio Spurs this low. But barring a surprise return from Kawhi Leonard (which isn’t going to happen), San Antonio has the least amount of talent among any playoff team, doesn’t it?

The fact the Spurs aren’t last here is a testament to two men: Gregg Popovich and LaMarcus Aldridge.

Outside of Aldridge, who had a resurgent All-Star campaign following two frustrating seasons in San Antonio, the Spurs’ second-leading scorer was Rudy Gay at 11.5 points per game. With all due respect to future Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili, no playoff team should be relying upon a 40-year-old as one of its main contributors. The ability to coax nearly 50 wins out of this group speaks to why Popovich will be a perennial Coach of the Year candidate until he retires.

Aldridge, meanwhile, used a preseason heart-to-heart with Popovich to turn around his disappointing tenure in San Antonio. Whereas he shrank from the opportunity to carry the Spurs once Leonard went down in last year’s Western Conference Finals, he openly embraced it this season, setting new career-high marks in player efficiency rating (25.0) and box plus/minus (3.4).

Barring a surprise return from Leonard, the Spurs will face an uphill slog to advance past the Golden State Warriors in the first round, even though Stephen Curry is likely to miss the entire series. If last season’s Western Conference Finals are any indication, the Leonard-less Spurs lack have the firepower to keep up with the defending champs.

Next: 13. Miami Heat

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