If the NBA ever trims games from 48 minutes to 40, the San Antonio Spurs could be sitting on a major advantage.
Commissioner Adam Silver may be open to the idea, according to Sport Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, and no team stands to gain more from it than San Antonio. Victor Wembanyama already has plenty of experience in 40-minute games from his international background, which would give him a head start over many of the league’s biggest names.
That matters because Wembanyama is already on the floor for a huge chunk of games. He’s averaging around 31 minutes now, which works out to about 64.5% of a 48-minute night. In a 40-minute format, 30 minutes would push that number to 75%, and even 28 minutes would still mean he’s playing roughly 70% of the game.
That kind of workload would make the Spurs even tougher to handle. Wembanyama already carries one of the best net ratings in the NBA, and getting him on the court for a bigger share of the action would only amplify that edge.
It’s not just about the French star, either. San Antonio has one of the youngest rosters in the league and is playing faster than it did last season. A shorter game would suit that style, letting the Spurs keep the pressure on at both ends without as much wear and tear.
The idea also has broader league appeal. NBA games have been 48 minutes for decades, but 40-minute contests are already the standard in FIBA and college basketball.
Still, the real motivation may be financial. The league is unlikely to shorten the season, so cutting eight minutes from each game is the more realistic path.
That could also help with television. If games run under two hours more often, there’s a better chance of landing more broadcasts on ABC, NBC, and ESPN. The Spurs already have 25 nationally televised games this season, and a shorter format could put them in front of even more viewers.
There’s one more factor driving the conversation: health. The NBA needs its stars available, and Wembanyama is one of its biggest. Shorter games could help protect players like him, even if it also makes San Antonio even more dangerous.
Silver may only be considering the change, and nothing is guaranteed. But if it happens, the Spurs could become a whole lot harder to stop.
In Other News...
Dylan Harper Said What Spurs Fans Are Starting To Believe About Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyamas latest night was the kind that forces even hardened NBA observers to stop and reset their expectations. He put up 52 points, 24 rebounds, eight blocks and two steals in 34 minutes, a line so rare it put him alongside Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to ever reach at least 50 points, 24 rebounds and eight blocks in a game. It also kept the Spurs rolling, pushing their winning streak to six and lifting them to 6-2.
For a young roster trying to find its identity, the bigger takeaway may be how quickly Wembanyama is turning awe into routine. Dylan Harper was among the teammates who came away sounding like fans, praising Wembanyamas dominance and drawing the Chamberlain comparison himself, which says plenty about the standard being set inside the locker room. The question now is less about whether Wembanyama can take over a game than how far San Antonio can ride nights like this while the rest of the league keeps trying to catch up. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Is Putting Dallas Through The Exact Show Spurs Fans Dreamed Of
Victor Wembanyama made the Spurs matchup with Dallas feel like a showcase from the opening tip, and by halftime he had already piled up a line that looked more like a full game than a first half. The rookie center scored 29 points on 7-for-12 shooting and added 16 rebounds, two assists, three steals and six blocks, giving San Antonio exactly the kind of two-way dominance its fans have been imagining since he arrived.
The Mavericks tried to keep pace through Kyrie Irving, who had 17 points and four assists, but Wembanyama kept bending the game in San Antonios favor on both ends. For a Spurs team still building around its new centerpiece, nights like this are a reminder of how quickly he can change the tone of a game, and how uncomfortable he can make even a veteran opponent look when the matchup tilts his way. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyamas Historic Night Still Left Him Frustrated With One Thing
Victor Wembanyama delivered the kind of performance that can reshape a game and a conversation at the same time, piling up a career-high 52 points with 24 rebounds and eight blocks to lift the Spurs past Dallas, 112-111. It was the sort of night San Antonio has been waiting to see from its franchise centerpiece, especially with the rest of the roster struggling to keep pace offensively while the Mavericks kept clawing back into it.
Even after all that, Wembanyama did not sound like a player fully satisfied with the finish. He pointed to a few late-game details he wanted back, including missed free throws and the way he handled some screen-setting sequences, a reminder that his standards are already set well beyond a box score that most players would celebrate for weeks. For the Spurs, the win mattered most, but the frustration attached to it may be just as telling about where their star thinks this group still has room to grow. [Read more 🡒]