The San Antonio Spurs have officially arrived - and they’re not just knocking on the door of NBA contention anymore. They’ve kicked it in.
Over the past month, San Antonio has put together the kind of stretch that turns heads, silences skeptics, and earns respect across the league. Playing 12 of their last 14 games on the road, the Spurs didn’t just survive the grind - they thrived in it, going 12-2, the best mark in the NBA during that span. And they didn’t just beat up on struggling teams - they took down the league’s top dogs, including three wins over the team that previously held the league’s best record.
That’s not just impressive - that’s statement basketball.
And here’s the kicker: those two losses? They came without Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama in the lineup.
That’s your starting backcourt anchor and your generational big man both sidelined. The only game the full-strength Spurs have dropped recently was the Emirates NBA Cup Final against the Knicks - and even that came with some mitigating factors.
When they’re healthy, this team is a force. When they’re not, they’re still a problem.
Since November 26, San Antonio has checked off wins against some of the league’s most respected squads - the defending champion Nuggets, the surging Magic, the always-dangerous Lakers, and a Thunder team that’s been one of the West’s most consistent threats. They also handed Atlanta a blowout loss and swept OKC three times. That’s not just a hot streak - that’s a résumé.
And people are finally starting to notice.
The Spurs now sit atop Bleacher Report’s latest power rankings, ahead of Oklahoma City (2), Denver (3), Detroit (4), and New York (5). It’s a long-overdue nod to what this team is doing on the floor night in and night out.
Rankings often lean on legacy and reputation, but what San Antonio is doing in real time demands attention. They’re not just winning - they’re dictating the terms.
This is a team that’s forcing everyone - fans, analysts, and even fellow contenders - to reevaluate what a young core is capable of.
Victor Wembanyama continues to be the centerpiece, but he’s far from alone. Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, and Wemby make up a trio of rising stars who are still in the early stages of their NBA journeys - first, second, and third-year players, respectively - yet they’re already playing with the poise and chemistry of a veteran core.
That’s the scary part. This version of the Spurs?
It might be the worst this group will ever look together.
And even now, they’re elite.
Over the last five games, San Antonio has posted the league’s highest offensive rating and the second-best defensive rating. That kind of two-way dominance isn’t supposed to come from a team this young, but here they are, rewriting the timeline.
The usual rulebook says young teams don’t win titles. But the Spurs are making a compelling case to throw that rulebook out the window.
Championships aren’t handed out in December, but this team isn’t just building for the future - they’re competing in the now. If their chemistry keeps developing at this pace, it’s not a matter of “if” they’ll contend, but “how soon.”
The NBA has been put on notice. The Spurs aren’t just coming - they’re already here.