The San Antonio Spurs have gone from an 0-2 start to a nine-game heater, and Victor Wembanyama has been at the center of every bit of it.
He’s piled up numbers that jump off the page and barely feel real: 52 points, 24 rebounds and eight blocks against Dallas in the Spurs’ sixth straight win, then 30 points and 14 rebounds against Sacramento, 29 points against Portland, and most recently 40 points, 11 rebounds and nine blocks in just 25 minutes against Phoenix as San Antonio stretched the streak to nine. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is making a loud case for back-to-back honors.
Wembanyama says the work behind it is just as important as the highlights. “The thing your body won't forgive you for is if you go through a range you've never been before,” Wembanyama said, per San Antonio Express-News reporter Tom Orsborn, “but I've trained my ankles. They've been through these ranges before, so it's not new.”
He hasn’t carried this run alone. Dylan Harper has helped shoulder the offense when Wembanyama sits, De’Aaron Fox has fit smoothly as the pick-and-roll partner, Stephon Castle has been ready for whatever role the night requires, and Devin Vassell has continued to serve as the steadying force. Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson and Luke Kornet have also delivered when called on, while Carter Bryant made the most of extended run against the Suns with eight points in 14 minutes.
That kind of depth is part of why the Spurs have looked so hard to slow down. “The depth is our strength,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said.
“We have a lot of really good players and ... groups and combinations that can play together. It will be a strength for us throughout the season.”
San Antonio gets another chance to show it Wednesday night in Chicago, where the 1-8 Bulls are trying to sort themselves out. A win would push the Spurs to 10 straight and give them a 10-2 start, which would mean two consecutive seasons with a streak of at least 10 games. San Antonio won 11 in a row twice last season.
Chicago’s young roster has had a rough opening to the year, but rookie Caleb Wilson has been a bright spot. The No. 4 overall pick has quickly become one of the Bulls’ key offensive pieces, bringing energy, athleticism and scoring. Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey have also taken on bigger jobs, with Buzelis adding versatility and Giddey helping move the offense and create for others.
Norman Powell has given the Bulls an experienced scoring option, though he is QUESTIONABLE with a shoulder injury. Former Spur Zach Collins is also questionable with an illness, and Nic Claxton is still working back from a hamstring injury after being brought in to help shore up the interior.
The Spurs have injury questions of their own. Devin Vassell is QUESTIONABLE, while Tobias Harris remains OUT and has yet to make his debut. Vassell has been a major part of San Antonio’s surge, so his status matters, but the Spurs have shown they can keep rolling with different combinations.
They’ll need that same focus in Chicago. It’s the kind of game where a strong record can tempt a team into overlooking what a young, desperate opponent can do. San Antonio has handled the early season with maturity and discipline, and that approach will be tested again before the road trip ends.
A victory would send the Spurs back home riding a 10-game winning streak, with the Golden State Warriors waiting next. Steph Curry and the Warriors have won eight straight, and Friday’s matchup could say plenty about where both teams stand.
The Spurs entered the season with big expectations after their loss in the Finals, and they admitted they were “too amped” in the opening-night loss to Oklahoma City. They also fell to Houston. Since then, they haven’t lost again.
“We're playing the right way, we're playing with and for each other, this is the basketball I like,” Victor Wembanyama said.
Early in the season, San Antonio has made its point. The West may have to go through the Spurs.
In Other News...
Wembanyama Just Gave Spurs Fans Another Unreal Moment To Debate
Victor Wembanyama keeps finding new ways to make the ordinary look absurd, and his latest highlight came in the third quarter against the Bulls. The Spurs big man launched into a two-hand dunk from the free-throw line, the kind of play that instantly turns a regular night into another entry in the growing Wembanyama highlight reel.
It also came in the middle of a game where he was already stuffing the stat sheet, with San Antonio ahead in the fourth quarter and Wembanyama sitting on 32 points, eight rebounds, two steals and four blocks. Given the way he has been playing all season, with elite production on both ends and a shooting touch to match, the only real debate left is how many more moments like this he can still create before the league runs out of ways to react. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Have A DeAaron Fox Problem They Cant Ignore
DeAaron Fox has been one of the Spurs most important creators since arriving from Sacramento, and the ball is in his hands more often than ever. He still leads San Antonio in assists, which speaks to how much the offense has leaned on him to organize possessions and get others involved, but the scoring punch that once made him such a difficult cover has not traveled with him.
Fox is averaging 13.9 points per game this season, a steep drop from the level he showed when the Spurs acquired him. The bigger concern is not just the number itself, but the way it has come about: he looks less aggressive hunting his own shot, and that shift has put his offensive role under the microscope while also raising questions about how the league will view his trade value if this version of him sticks around. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Hot Start Still Leaves One Big Tobias Harris Question
Nine straight wins have given the Spurs plenty to like early, but the one major piece they have not yet been able to factor in is Tobias Harris. His absence has left San Antonio to keep sorting through a rotation that is already working, even as the veteran forwards expected return looms as a potential boost in size and shooting.
Harris is the kind of addition that can change the shape of a lineup without forcing the Spurs to tear up what has gotten them off to such a strong start. The open question is where he fits once he is available, since his role could be determined by the coachs decisions and could land anywhere from the starting five to a more defined bench role. [Read more 🡒]