The San Antonio Spurs will enter Victor Wembanyama’s third NBA season surrounded by a lot of mystery, although at least one expert has them in the running to make a lot of noise in the next several months.
Victor Wembanyama, after missing the second half of last season with blood clots, has been cleared to start next season on time with the San Antonio Spurs.
While Wembanyama is expected to dominate right away as a clear top-ten player in the league, the Spurs are still a team on the rise with more questions than answers.
Will De’Aaron Fox be able to return to form? How will the Spurs manage three point guards? Will Carter Bryant be ready to contribute right away? Does the team have enough star power to compete in the West?
While all those questions are yet to be answered, the Spurs have been urged not to worry.
Last season, Wembanyama broke out as easily the best defender in the league while coming into his own as one of the more versatile scorers. He was touted as a general prospect, an “extraterrestrial,” for a reason, and with an All-Star point guard next to him, he is expected to take the next step.
As expected, the Spurs’ title hopes start and end with him. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps recently ranked the 14 teams that missed the 2025 playoffs, and he has the Spurs in the best position.
“Two words: Victor Wembanyama,” Bontemps offered. “If you have Victor Wembanyama on your team, you have a chance to win a championship. And that’s what this whole list was about, how close are you to winning a title?”
While the fit with Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and Fox will be rocky to start, there is no doubt that the Spurs have added talent around Wembanyama in recent years.
“This guy right here is an alien,” continued Bontemps. “He’s got a chance to be the best player on the planet.”
With the best defender in the world and a well-rounded cast of facilitators around him, the Spurs could finish as high as fourth in the West, or their youth could hold them back in a crowded conference and they could miss the playoffs entirely.
As Bontemps made clear, Wembanyama could very well be the best player in the world sooner rather than later.
For now, however, the best players on the planet are both in the West: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic.
Behind them are the Luka Doncic-led Los Angeles Lakers and the well-rounded Houston Rockets. The Spurs are seemingly a tier or two below those contenders, but they are certainly on the way up.
While it’s time that the Spurs put their foot on the gas and try to compete for the postseason rather than draft picks, the title window might not be open yet.
That said, Wembanyama and Fox shared the court for only five games last season. As far as we know, they could emerge as the best duo in the league. Everything remains to be seen, but it’s only a matter of time before “The Alien” lands.
