Even though the San Antonio Spurs have long since been eliminated from competition in the NBA playoffs, there remains a certain sense of optimism around the team’s ongoing rebuild. Last year’s first-overall pick, Victor Wembanyama, is the main cause of this sense of hope, as he has shined despite his team’s poor performance. With a potential for another high-caliber selection this season, the Spurs are poised to be a threat to everyone in the West.
This season, the Spurs finished with a 22-60 record — the same record as last year. The Spurs were in last place in the West last year, with only one team in the NBA having a worse record than them. This year, they are second to the last, with four worse records around the NBA. This is arguably an even worse season statistically for the Spurs as they got no closer to making the playoffs, finishing with the same record, while also losing ground in the battle for a better draft pick. At a glance, this season for the Spurs seems to have been a disaster.
Nevertheless, many inside and out of the organization saw the potential for something to spark this past season. These individuals remain hopeful for the upcoming years for two reasons: future and past drafts. As far as future drafts go, while the Spurs are not as profitably situated as last year, their poor record still gives them a substantial chance of landing an absolute stud in this year’s draft. There are many talented players available this year in the draft, and many argue that there isn’t even a consensus number-one pick this year.
The Spurs should be grateful not only because there isn’t aan obvious first pick this year because of the spread of talent, but also because there was one last year when they got him. Every few years there is an immediate agreed best player, and last year’s was Victor Wembanyama. Wemby is only 20 years old, and the Spurs not winning games this year is no blemish on Wembanyama.
Wemby’s first season has him as the resounding choice for NBA Rookie of the Year, with some even arguing his case for NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and with good reason. Wemby led the NBA in steals, blocks and deflections per game while having the highest defensive rating on/off difference. Wemby doesn’t just make impressions with these classic statistics; he also dominates in new-era advanced stats.
Wemby’s defensive impact is impossible to ignore. When he is off the court, the Spurs are a team with one of the worst defensive ratings in the NBA. When he’s on the court, they have the second-best defensive rating in the league. Wemby has a better estimated defensive plus-minus than the Defensive Player of the Year favorite Rudy Gobert. However, some of Wemby’s impact doesn’t show up in stats. His pure size and defensive acumen impact teams whether Wemby touches the ball or not, with teams even turning away simple layups to avoid him.
It wasn’t the dream season some optimistic Spurs fans would have wanted, but it was no disappointment either. The Spurs saw Wemby’s potential and now can formulate a plan to draft and build a team around Wemby. Wemby’s potential carried Spurs fans’ moods throughout the season, and he’ll look to carry the franchise back to a championship in the next few years.
