Do San Antonio Spurs Have Reason to Fear Up-and-Coming Teams in the West?

The San Antonio Spurs dropped three out of five games to open the 2014-15 regular season, and a sensible—yet not panicked—question rose from the string of losses.

Without four key members of their rotation, would the Spurs flip the proverbial switch to stop from faltering too far in the Western Conference?

Other franchises improved their personnel significantly during the summer, and a 50-win squad missing the eventual playoffs is a conceivable notion.

Since the 42-win ninth-place finish by the Houston Rockets in 2009-10, the victory total required for the eighth seed has risen every year, reaching 48 last season. Considering the league-wide improvement, there's little reason to believe that trend won't continue.

Consequently, should the reigning NBA champions start to fear those up-and-coming teams in the conference?

San Antonio knew Patty Mills would be sidelined following shoulder surgery, but Kawhi Leonard was unavailable due to an eye infection. Tiago Splitter and Marco Belinelli both sustained injuries, so Austin Daye was suddenly pushed into meaningful minutes for three contests.

Gregg Popovich's team is certainly deep when healthy, but Daye and Jeff Ayres aren't exactly outstanding second-unit assets.

Yet when Leonard returned, road victories over the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors on back-to-back nights soon followed. The shorthanded Spurs swiftly reclaimed their spot as the preeminent force in the West.

Though fear is probably too strong a word, heightened respect is definitely necessary for the silver and black.

Of course, San Antonio won't hold itself on the irrelevant reigning champions pedestal, especially while Popovich is running the show. Following the resounding win over Golden State on Nov. 11, he was asked what consecutive victories over two of the conference's top teams said about the Spurs.

According to Yahoo's Marc Spears, the longtime coach responded, "That's your job. I will find something to get on their a— about."

Perhaps Popovich addressed the Dubs' 54.3 percent shooting percentage, despite Stephen Curry and Draymond Green combining to knock down just 9-of-25 attempts. Maybe his gripe focused on allowing 20 free throws since Golden State buried 17 from the charity stripe.

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Or, it possibly centered on recognizing the Warriors were without David Lee, so their second unit was completely outmatched and overpowered by the Spurs. When Lee is back, that feat won't be ridiculously easy to repeat.

Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes calls Golden State the West's biggest threat to the champs since it has "the most balanced roster in the league. Already affirmed as an elite defensive team after ranking third in defensive efficiency a year ago, the Warriors have untethered their offense."

Instead of the Mark Jackson-led isolation-heavy offensive look, Curry and Klay Thompson are working the ball around to create open shots.

"Remember," Hughes said, "This is a brand-new offense under head coach Steve Kerr, which means the Dubs haven't even come close to mastering the nuances of the scheme. It's hard to imagine, but Golden State is going to get better on offense."

The Spurs have no reason to fear Kerr's squad; they just beat the Warriors. But they sure as heck must respect the Warriors.

And the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans—teams that have a little extra motivation to upend San Antonio. Besides, what better way to solidify yourself as a conference contender than to defeat the champs?

"I understand a year after winning the championship you're going to get everyone's best shot," Popovich said following a one-point loss to the Pelicans on Nov. 8.

Dallas boasts the three-headed scoring machine of Dirk Nowitzki, Monta Ellis and Chandler Parsons, while Tyson Chandler protects the rim. Parsons was frankly terrible, yet the Spurs clipped their in-state rival with a late three-pointer.

Phoenix features the three-headed point guard attack of Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas. Opposite San Antonio on Oct. 31, the triumvirate tallied 45 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists on a mediocre night, yet the Suns still won by five.

New Orleans showcases Anthony Davis, who basically has three heads because he's an absolute monster. Davis netted the game-winner during that recent matchup, finishing with 27 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks and four steals.

Eventual meetings will have different circumstances, but each team proved itself capable of battling the Spurs. Two earned a victory, one demanded attention and all three gained respect.

Now, it's simply a matter of time before the rest of the Western Conference does the same. After all, the Rockets, Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies and when-healthy Oklahoma City Thunder are still around, too.

Pressing the panic button following a slow start wasn't a viable response for San Antonio, especially considering its history and current hardships.

"The track record is too good, the extenuating circumstances too serious," said Grantland's Zach Lowe.

Popovich's crew remains the premier team in the conference, and a healthy roster will present more evidence to defend its place at the top.

But that doesn't mean San Antonio should ignore the obvious upgrades throughout the West. The mid-tier rosters of the conference are undoubtedly rising, so the Spurs must continue elevating their own game to hold off Golden State, Dallas and the like.

Fear of the improving franchises is not mandated, but a healthy respect certainly is.

All stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference unless otherwise noted.

Follow Bleacher Report NBA writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.