SAN ANTONIO — After the 2022-23 season, there was nowhere to go but up for the San Antonio Spurs' defense.
San Antonio owned the worst Defensive Rating in the entire league at 119.6, gave up 19 opponent points off turnovers good for 28th, and gave up 123.1 opponent points per game.
That had to change immediately.
Heading into the new season, a better effort on defense is a high priority for the Spurs, and through three preseason games, the team likes the direction team defense is taking.
"Every game we're getting better on defense and trying to make the right plays," Keldon Johnson said. "Our intensity has been there."
Despite not having a trio of the better defenders - Victor Wembanyama, Tre Jones, and Devin Vassell - Monday night against Houston, the Spurs recorded nine blocks.
The team also held the Rockets to under 50 points heading into halftime which sat well with Zach Collins.
"We still held them under 50 for the half in the first half. So that was really big. And did that with Devin out and Victor out, Trey out, really good competitive defenders," said Collins. "So that was a really good sign and that's going to be the key for us this year."
Since the start of training camp, the Spurs have not been shy about admitting the team was not great defensively last season.
Perhaps admitting there was a problem was the first step in correcting the issues.
And unlike previous seasons, the Spurs don't want to just talk about being a better defensive team, they want to show it on the floor.
"I feel like every year, we talk about how we bond and how we connect as a group, but I feel like the defense, and that's the starting point," Johnson said. "I feel like everything else we can figure out, but as long as we lock in on defense and have that effort every night to stop the person that's in front of us and help each other out, then I think we'll be in good shape."
The Spurs will improve defensively next season.
The addition of Wembanyama and just his defensive presence alone (2.0 blocks per game in the preseason) will boost the team's goal of an improved defense.
But outside of the rookie phenom, the team boasts quality defenders like Jones, Vassell, and Collins, and shot-blocking bigs like Charles Bassey.
Everyone will be key to stopping opposing teams and the preseason is a good indication San Antonio won't be at the bottom of the NBA defensively again.
"I think we're competing more defensively," Collins said.
Said Johnson, "Every game we're getting better on defense and trying to make the right plays."
It will still be a work in progress.
There's integrating Wembanyama, and the Spurs did give up 100-plus points in their first preseason games against the Thunder (122) and allowed the Rockets to outscore them in the fourth period, 36-13, at home.
"Obviously, we're not going to be perfect, but being in the right rotation, being in the right shift, trying to make the right plays, helping each other out, things like that," Johnson said.
The good news is that the Spurs did not wait until the official start of training camp 2023 to correct defensive woes.
Collins was joined by his teammates in voluntary mini-camps where the defense was in focus.
The Spurs center says it was "huge" for their defensive development.
"It's been huge. It's no secret. We just weren't very good defensively last year and we got to correct that and we've taken steps to do that," he said.
Twitter: @KENS5, @JeffGSpursKENS5
