FireBirdFilm, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The Spurs went on an 11-game win streak before having it snapped by the New York Knicks. But during this streak, they proved they’re a legitimate contender to not only make some noise in the playoffs, but to win it all. While on their hot streak, they beat elite teams like the East-leading Pistons and a fully healthy Pistons and Raptors.

At the top of the helm, it’s Victor Wembanyama. He’s played like an MVP throughout their stretch. He’s averaged 22.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.5 blocks, and 1.4 steals in only 29 minutes a night. But it’s not just what’s in the box score that makes him so impactful. He’s one of the most unselfish players in the entire NBA. Always doing whatever it takes to help his team win. And when your best player has that mindset, it infects the rest of the team, and everyone else gets on the same page.

That’s what makes the Spurs different from any other contender. On teams like the Thunder, Pistons, or Nuggets, you know that if you lock down their best player, you’re going to have a great chance of winning because their whole offense is built around one player. It’s why the Thunder have struggled recently without Shai-Gilgeous Alexander. Their whole offense is developed around SGA’s isolation and driving ability, then getting players involved from there. But without him, they don’t have someone to fill that role, so they’re playing a completely different brand of basketball. But on the Spurs, the offense isn’t built around Wembanyama; it actually isn’t focused on any particular player. It’s what makes the Spurs so dangerous. One day, it can be Wembanyama dominating. Another day, it can be Stephon Castle or De’Aaron Fox. Even guys like Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson know they’re going to have their moments because they know the ball will find them.

When it comes to doing whatever it takes to win, they’re always hustling in transition, passing the ball to a teammate with a better shot, getting rebounds etc. That brand of basketball is contagious, and it has bled into the rest of the team. In February, the Spurs were second in the league in assist ratio (assists/100 possessions) at 21.1 and they were fifth in rebounds per game at 48.1 a contest.

After the Spurs lost to the Knicks, Victor Wembanyama said, “We gave them life. We should have been better, especially on that run in the first quarter.” You don’t see many superstars with that kind of maturity, let alone someone who’s only 22 years old. Kevin Durant and the Rockets have had their struggles this year. So instead of Durant taking accountability for them doing poorly. He allegedly decided to bash his teammates on social media; Sengun for not being able to be relied upon on defense, and Jabari Smith Jr. for not being capable of hitting shots at a consistent clip. Or even if we look at Ja Morant, he was another young upcoming superstar supposed to take the NBA by storm. Instead, his off-court antics got in the way; he got into arguments with his coaches, pouted whenever he was on the bench, and blamed everyone else for his fall.

Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The Spurs have every ingredient needed to win a championship. They have an elite superstar who doesn’t cause chaos. They have amazing players around him, including De’Aaron Fox, who was an All-Star, and Stephon Castle, who definitely could’ve been one. They’re one of the best teams in the league on both sides of the floor. On offense, they’re eighth in the NBA, posting an offensive rating of 116.8, and on defense, they’re third with a defensive rating of 110.5. Not to mention they have an amazing head coach in Mitch Johnson who’s done a fantastic job taking over for Gregg Popovich.

The only thing they’re missing is experience. Every great team has failed before reaching the promise land. It took the Bulls four years to beat the Pistons; the Cavs couldn’t win once with Lebron in his first stint in Cleveland, so Lebron had to return to Cleveland for the Cavs to win a championship. It wasn’t until year seven that Jayson Tatum and the Celtics won their first. Even the Thunder had to lose to the Mavericks in 2024 before they won it all. But this is going to be the Spurs’ first year to the dance, having never even sniffed the playoffs thus far in the Victor Wembanyama era.                                

With that being said, there’s been one statistic that’s predicted every NBA champion except for four (1995 Rockets, 2004 Pistons, 2006 Heat, and 2021 Bucks) since the NBA added the three-point line. That being the 40-20 rule, having to win 40 games before you lose. This year, only three teams have met that requirement: the OKC Thunder, Detroit Pistons, and San Antonio Spurs. So if this rule remains this year, then the San Antonio Spurs definitely have a chance at beating the odds and winning their first NBA championship in the Wembanyama-era.