The Spurs had a massive 2025-26 season, but one ugly habit kept showing up when the games got tight: they gave the ball away too often. That flaw came back hard in the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks, who closed the door on San Antonio in all four of the Spurs’ losses and used those extra possessions to win the championship.
There’s reason to think that problem can shrink next season. Young teams usually cough it up more than veteran groups, and the Spurs’ core just got a full dose of playoff pressure during a long run. Add Tobias Harris to the mix, and San Antonio has a better chance to steady things when possessions start to matter most.
The turnover numbers were never catastrophic across the full season - the Spurs ranked 12th in turnovers - but there were stretches when they were loose with the ball. Stephon Castle was the biggest issue early, leading the NBA in turnovers over his first 20 games. He did settle down as the season went on, and sharing the floor with De’Aaron Fox helped him play with more control.
Victor Wembanyama had turnover issues of his own. He was one of the least efficient post players in the league last season, and a big reason was an 18% turnover rate on post-up possessions.
He also gave the ball up when trying to attack smaller defenders off the dribble. Those are the kinds of mistakes that can be cleaned up, but they have to be cleaned up.
Harris should help there. He’s been a low-turnover player for most of his career and can score without making things messy. He also brings more than double the combined experience of Wembanyama and Castle, which matters on a young roster that still has room to grow.
That growth needs to show up in the turnover column. Castle and Wembanyama finished first and second on the team in turnovers last season, and the Spurs paid for it in the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. San Antonio had 42 combined turnovers in Games 1 and 2, with Castle responsible for 20 of them.
If those games had been cleaner - if the Spurs had trimmed that number to something like 15 in each - they would have created 12 extra possessions. Maybe they wouldn’t have needed double overtime to win Game 1.
Maybe they wouldn’t have worn down in Games 2 and 3. Instead, the series stretched to seven games, the Spurs entered the Finals banged up, and the Knicks finished the job.
That’s the lesson here. Turnovers don’t just cost one night.
They can change an entire playoff run. If San Antonio cuts those mistakes next season, it gives itself a real chance to be even more dangerous - and maybe good enough to win it all.
In Other News...
Stephon Castle Is Suddenly In The Middle Of A Spurs Power Shift
Victor Wembanyama is still the Spurs clear centerpiece heading into next season, and he is widely viewed as a near certainty to give San Antonio at least one All-Star. But the more intriguing internal conversation now is about who might join him, because Stephon Castle has put himself into that discussion with the kind of growth that tends to change a teams pecking order.
Castles rise has been fueled by the traits the Spurs value most in a young guard: defense, athleticism and a track record of holding up when the games get bigger. With DeAaron Fox also in the mix, the question is no longer just whether San Antonio has another All-Star candidate, but which direction the Spurs ultimately lean as their next layer of contention starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Fans Will Circle One Blazers Game For Tiago Splitter
The Portland Trail Blazers are expected to release their 2026-27 schedule soon, and a few dates already stand out for reasons beyond the standings. Memphis fans will be watching for Ja Morants first game back at FedEx Forum after his trade, while the Spurs will have their own interest in how they line up against a Portland team that will again be part of Victor Wembanyamas growing profile across the league.
For San Antonio, the most intriguing thread may be less about the matchup itself and more about who is no longer on the other sideline. Tiago Splitters move to the Chicago Bulls gives one Portland game a different kind of edge, since his short stint as Blazers interim head coach linked him closely to a season that is already being framed by change, familiar faces, and the kind of dates fans circle the moment the schedule drops. [Read more 🡒]
Dylan Harper Is Already Chasing One More NBA Sign Of Respect
Dylan Harpers rookie year gave the Spurs plenty to feel good about, but the 2025-26 conversation around him has already moved beyond box scores and awards. After earning All-Rookie First Team honors while coming off the bench, Harper talked about the jerseys that have meant the most to him, pointing to gifts from LeBron James and Kevin Durant as keepsakes that still carry real weight.
The next one he wants is simple enough on paper: a Stephen Curry jersey. Harper and Curry have kept missing each other in games, and Currys extended absence because of injuries has only pushed that matchup further down the road. For San Antonio, it is another small reminder of how quickly Harper is climbing in the league, even as the Spurs have been busy elsewhere with long-term commitments to Victor Wembanyama and Tobias Harris. [Read more 🡒]