Magic Johnson: 22-win team will 'definitely' be in playoffs next season
ESPN analyst Magic Johnson.
Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson posted on social media Tuesday that the San Antonio Spurs would “definitely be a playoff team” in the 2024-25 season.
The Hall of Famer’s bold prediction came amid a flurry of posts in which he was expressing his displeasure with the Lakers’ first-round playoff exit against the Denver Nuggets.
The Spurs (22-60) finished the 2023-24 campaign with the fifth-worst record in the NBA and second-worst mark in the Western Conference, only one game ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers (21-61).
San Antonio made the playoffs 22 straight times (and won five championships) from 1998-2019 once head coach Gregg Popovich took over but has now missed the postseason for five consecutive years.
Johnson’s confidence in the Spurs centers around one superstar rookie: Victor Wembanyama. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick entered the NBA with sky-high expectations and has somehow surpassed them.
Wembanyama finished his rookie campaign by leading the Association in blocks (254) and blocks per game (3.6), while ranking second in defensive rating (105.8) and fifth in defensive win shares (4.4).
“Wemby” was just as impressive on offense.
The 20-year-old won three straight Rookie of the Month honors from January to March and averaged a double-double of 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds across 71 games. Wembanyama added 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals per contest despite playing just 29.7 minutes per game and finished with a .465/.325/.796 shooting line.
In any other season, Oklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren would be an easy choice for the Rookie of the Year Award, but Wembanyama seems like a lock for the hardware.
With Popovich expected to return in the fall, the Spurs likely landing a lottery pick in the NBA Draft and plenty of pending free agents rumored to be interesting in joining Wembanyama, the Spurs should be much improved next season.
The play-in tournament has also breathed new life into the chances of mid-tier squads making the playoffs, so perhaps Johnson’s prediction isn’t too far-fetched.
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