3 reasons the San Antonio Spurs improved and can compete in 2023-24

The 2023-24 NBA season is less than two weeks away and teams are slated to report to training camp next week. One team to keep an eye on as they rebuild their way to relevancy is the San Antonio Spurs.

San Antonio finished the 2022-23 season No. 15 place in the Western Conference with a 22-60 overall record. However, the franchise won the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes as they drafted him No.1 overall.

This summer, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich signed a five-year extension to remain as the head coach and president of the franchise. Although San Antonio has not made a postseason appearance since the 2018-19 season, this year's team shows promise.

San Antonio will be a team to watch out for this season as they look to return to playoff form. Here are three reasons the Spurs improved and can compete this season.

Reasons the Spurs improved and can compete this season: 3. Strong backcourt

The first reason why the Spurs have improved and can compete this season is their young backcourt. As of now, the projected starting backcourt is Tre Jones and Devin Vassell.

Both guards fit the mold of a typical Popovich system, they can move without the ball, run the offense, and get others involved. Vassell played just 38 games because of injury last season but impressed when he was on the court. He averaged 18.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals, shooting 38.7 percent from beyond the arc.

He's still developing but he's a solid complementary scorer and could be a centerpiece of the offense moving forward.

Jones on the other hand comes from Duke and the Mike Krzyzewski system (former head coach). He can be a player that Popovich develops over time and can help this offense settle in adverse situations.

Jones is not a strong outside shooter but he's a good point-of-attack defender, takes care of the ball and knows how to distribute. Both players will be able to improve this roster because of their ability to feed off one another.