The Spurs have had plenty of time to let the rest of the NBA close the distance. They handed the league six years, and somehow San Antonio still sits out front by a huge margin.
That’s the strange part of this story: the gap wasn’t built only on the Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich years. It survived the post-Kawhi Leonard teardown, and it includes a pair of 22-win seasons, too. Even after all that losing and more than half a decade away from the postseason, the Silver and Black are still the standard.
And now they’re back to looking like the Spurs again. San Antonio is coming off a 62-20 season that ended with a Finals run through Portland, Minnesota, and Oklahoma City. If Victor Wembanyama and the Slash Bros keep looking like the real thing, the chase for everyone else gets even uglier.
Last season made it clear the Spurs weren’t easing back into relevance. They opened with five straight wins, a franchise record, and never really let go. Outside of a brief dip in the middle of the year, they sat near the top of the West from start to finish.
That’s why the usual line about a team “sneaking up” on the league doesn’t fit here. San Antonio didn’t slip in through the back door. They kicked the front one in.
Wembanyama changes the entire dynamic, too. When there’s a 7'4" extraterrestrial waiting at the rim, nobody is taking a night off. Opponents have been bringing their best since he arrived, and Nikola Jokic averaging 37 points against him is part of that picture.
So the Spurs aren’t some hidden threat. They’re just good - and they’ve got the numbers to prove it. The current winning-percentage gap between San Antonio and runner-up Boston is about the same as the gap between second and fifth, and that margin looks ready to grow again.
In Other News...
Tobias Harris Could Fix A Spurs Problem That Ruined Big Moments
Tobias Harris arrives in San Antonio with a skill set that should fit neatly beside what the Spurs have been trying to build. He does not need many touches to make an offense work, and his scoring versatility gives the team another dependable option without forcing the ball to stick. For a group that has long valued clean, efficient basketball, that kind of profile matters.
The bigger appeal is how Harris handles possessions. The Spurs have had stretches where turnovers undercut promising moments and turned manageable games into self-inflicted trouble, and Harris offers a steadier kind of answer on the wing and in the frontcourt. If he can give them offense while keeping the ball moving and the mistakes down, he could end up solving one of the franchises more frustrating recurring issues. [Read more 🡒]
Austin Spurs Face Big Development Test With Their Next Coach
The Austin Spurs are turning a developmental page with Chris Kent taking over as head coach, a move that fits the franchises long-running role as a proving ground for talent within the San Antonio system. Kent arrives with a rsum built around player growth, having worked as an assistant coach and director of player development at Florida State, along with G League experience with the Windy City Bulls and Rip City Remix.
His hiring comes after Jacob Chance moved on to Melbourne United, leaving Austin with another important leadership transition to manage. For a team where coaching is as much about refining prospects as chasing wins, Kents blend of college development work and pro-league background makes him an intriguing choice as the Spurs continue shaping the next wave. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Face A Big Wembanyama Decision As Markkanen Buzz Returns
Lauri Markkanens name has started circling back into the Spurs conversation, and for good reason. San Antonio is still working through the bigger picture around Victor Wembanyama and the roster it wants to build around him, which is why any real conversation about adding another high-end piece naturally draws attention. Markkanen has long made sense as the type of versatile scoring forward who could ease some of the burden on the Spurs young core, and the fit is the part that keeps this idea alive.
For Utah, the discussion comes with a different set of incentives. The Jazz are rebuilding, but Markkanen remains one of the most valuable players on the roster, so there is no sense of urgency around moving him just to move him. That leaves the Spurs waiting on a situation that is still more buzz than substance, with possible trade frameworks and strategic fit doing most of the heavy lifting while an actual deal remains out of reach. [Read more 🡒]