SAN ANTONIO — Coming off a 22-win season, there is no place else to go but up for the San Antonio Spurs this upcoming season.
But expectations are set a bit higher.
With the additions of veterans Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, Victor Wembanyama's steady rise, and players set to have an even larger role than last season, many feel this Spurs team could be a sneaky team and one not to sleep on.
And that does not mean there is any pressure on the team to meet outside expectations, says third-year pro, Jeremy Sochan.
"I don't think there's pressure. I think as a team, we put pressure on ourselves," Sochan said.
San Antonio was the NBA’s youngest team last season, and it showed on the floor.
The Spurs blew multiple leads throughout the season and still showed that their learning curve might take longer to curve in the right direction—specifically, more wins than losses.
But for Sochan, the younger Spurs got precisely the right injection of veteran presence: Chris Paul.
With Paul, Sochan believes the leadership department, which was sorely lacking last season, will aid in their growth this season.
"That's one thing. We realize we're just growing," he said. "Especially the leadership and communication of Chris Paul."
Not surprisingly, Sochan, who is arguably one of the better defenders on the roster, points to the defensive end to get things going in the right direction (wins), which begins at training camp
"If we stay together, play the best defense we can, anything's possible. I think we're not going into season thinking we're going to be losing. I think we're going into the season trying to win as much as we can."
By winning as much as the Spurs can, Sochan wants the team to reach the lofty goal of entering the playoffs as soon as this season.
"Make the playoffs and see what we can do," he said.
A playoff spot is a high bar to set, but the Spurs have nothing to lose.
They're not expected to make the NBA postseason according to Vegas oddsmakers or NBA analysts.
But with the additions of veteran leadership, chemistry with the core players, and Weembanyama's dominance on the court, there might not be any surprise if this team does make a run at the postseason or (a bit more realistic) a shot at an NBA Play-In spot.
"Playing hard is a talent, but it's not enough," he said. "So this team here didn't already show the ability to play hard and compete night in and night out, but now we got to figure out how to translate that."
Make no mistake, the team is ready to win and eyeing to show doubters how "scary" this roster can be.
"We're looking to do better this season. We got vets," guard Blake Wesley said to Locked On Spurs. "I feel like we're going to be a scary team this year. Everybody is committed. Everybody is locked in."