The Spurs’ meeting with the Lakers on November 27 comes with a little more bite than your usual NBA Cup game. Victor Wembanyama is still chasing Luka Doncic in the head-to-head column, and this next matchup at the Frost Bank Center feels like a chance to see it unfold with far fewer excuses attached.
Right now, Wembanyama is 1-5 against Doncic overall, and that lone win came last year in a game that was hardly a clean test. San Antonio’s star was still working back from a hamstring strain and came off the bench that night.
The circumstances around that game were even messier than that: LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura were also sidelined. It was not exactly a level playing field.
That’s part of what makes this one interesting. If both teams are close to full strength in late November, Wembanyama gets a real crack at Doncic without the usual asterisk hanging over the result.
And make no mistake, Luka has long been a problem for San Antonio. He’s an offensive savant, the kind of player who bends the pace of a game to his will and forces defenders into bad decisions. His size and skill let him attack almost any matchup, and that has been a familiar headache since his Mavericks days.
The Spurs never beat Doncic after his rookie year while he was in Dallas. After that 2018-19 rookie season, San Antonio managed only two wins over the Mavericks with Doncic in the lineup before he was traded to Los Angeles, and the last one came in 2021.
Now he’s leading his own team again, with LeBron gone and the spotlight squarely on him. Social media photos have shown him in great shape, which only adds to the sense that he’s coming in locked in and ready to punish defenses again.
The difference for San Antonio is that Wembanyama no longer has to win this matchup by trying to smother Luka into submission. That’s not a realistic plan. Doncic is the kind of star who can make a defensive scheme feel useless.
So the Spurs may need to beat him the old-fashioned way: score more.
And this is where the roster around Wembanyama matters. San Antonio now has enough across the board to make that approach work.
The team has shooters, drivers, defenders, and lob threats - basically the full package. That gives the Spurs a better chance to make Doncic work on the other end and force the Lakers to keep up.
That’s the real shift here. Wembanyama finally has enough help to put the pressure back on Luka instead of absorbing it. The November 27 matchup should be a much better measuring stick for where that rivalry stands now.
In Other News...
Stephon Castle Is Giving The Spurs A Second All-Star Dream
Stephon Castle has already pushed himself into the center of the Spurs future plans after two strong NBA seasons and a notable run in the 2026 playoffs. For a team that has been building around its young core, Castles rise has been one of the clearest signs that San Antonio may not have to wait long for another genuine centerpiece to emerge.
Richard Jefferson recently pointed to the next step as the one that could really change the conversation, suggesting Castle is positioned for a larger role and more confidence going forward. Coming off a second season in which he averaged 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.4 assists, Castle is no longer just a promising piece for the Spurs - he is starting to look like the kind of player who could force an All-Star debate as soon as next season. [Read more 🡒]
Tony Parker Just Put Real Pressure On Victor Wembanyama And Spurs
Victor Wembanyamas ascent already has the Spurs talking like a contender, and Tony Parker is adding a little more fuel to the expectations. The former San Antonio star recently backed Wembanyamas future in a big way, pointing to the young centers ability to anchor a championship run while the Spurs keep reshaping the roster around him with additions like DeAaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and Tobias Harris.
That kind of confidence comes with a hefty standard attached, especially after Wembanyamas breakout season, when he put up eye-catching numbers across the board and helped push San Antonio all the way to the NBA Finals. Parker also sees the pressure extending beyond the Spurs, with Wembanyama positioned as the kind of player who could lead France to the top of the international game, which only raises the stakes for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Gave Spurs Fans One More Reason To Be Excited And Concerned
Victor Wembanyama wrapped up his stint with the French national team by helping Team France to an 84-69 win over Team Sweden in the FIBA qualifiers, a performance that gave Spurs fans plenty to enjoy. The 7-foot-4 centerpiece was active on both ends, showing the kind of inside presence and overall influence that makes him such a unique force as he heads toward the upcoming NBA season.
There was still a familiar wrinkle attached to the outing, though, as his free throw shooting remains something to watch. For San Antonio, that blend of dominance and unfinished polish is part of the Wembanyama experience, and it leaves the next stage of his development feeling both encouraging and a little bit unresolved. [Read more 🡒]