The San Antonio Spurs are coming off an impressive season, finishing 62-20 and reaching the NBA Finals. Expectations for the Spurs last year were a play-in, but they exceeded them and showed everyone they are here now. The season may have ended in disappointment with a loss in the NBA Finals, but it was a successful season for the young Spurs team.
Now, with the NBA season just over a month away, the Spurs enter the next season with much higher expectations. The Spurs look to right the wrong of losing in the NBA Finals and show that they are more ready this year. With the addition of Tobias Harris, they hope he can provide additional scoring and shooting to a team that had struggles with consistent shooting.
Spurs Are Even Better Heading Into This Season
Victor Wembanyama Looks for Revenge
We have all seen what an angry, motivated Victor Wembanyama looks like in games and playoff series. For example, in game one of the Western Conference Finals, he watched Shai Gilgeous-Alexander get the MVP award and then went on to put up 41 points and 24 rebounds. I have no doubt Wembanyama is motivated after the NBA Finals loss.
Wembanyama will have a chance to win Defensive Player of the Year and MVP and will be motivated to do so. He feels like he should have won the MVP last season but instead had to watch Gilgeous-Alexander get the award, and he was open about feeling snubbed after the game. Now fueled by the feeling of being snubbed for MVP, combined with the anger of losing in the NBA Finals, he is going into this next season trying to make a statement right away. Who better to make a statement than against the Spurs’ rival Oklahoma City Thunder?
Whenever the Spurs play the Thunder, Wembanyama brings a different kind of motivation and dedication. It’s widely speculated that Wemby doesn’t like Chet Holmgren, and to the average NBA fan, he looks more motivated going against him. He’ll look to dominate Chet again, while Holmgren has something to prove. There is no better way to make a statement about how the season is going to go and to show the league they need to watch out for him than if he has another dominant performance against the Thunder on opening night.
Can Tobias Harris Be the Difference?
The Spurs didn’t make many moves this offseason, but one big move was signing 15-year NBA veteran, Harris. Harris brings another player who can create his own shot and score, especially in the mid-range. He has been a consistent NBA scorer and, over his career, averages 15.9 points per game, coming off 13.3 points for the Pistons in a smaller role.
Harris will be an important piece for this young Spurs team and will take pressure off the other players. He will make the Spurs a much better team with his ability to face up and score mixed with his ability to attack the rim and get shots up over anyone. He makes this team interesting, as he will likely start at power forward alongside Wembanyama, and Julian Champaigne will come off the bench to provide more scoring.
Harris adds experience to a young team, and as a veteran, he’ll teach the young players what he knows. He makes it nearly impossible to double-team Wembanyama or any other players because then he can start scoring. In the past, Harris hasn’t always been great in the playoffs and has struggled, but with this team, he will be in a role where he won’t have to do much, won’t have as much pressure, and can play freely. This is a perfect match for Harris and the Spurs, and both will benefit. Harris brings a high IQ, which will be vital for the Spurs in the playoffs.
The Fox/Harper Situation
De’Aaron Fox struggled in the NBA Finals, and shortly after, a rumor spread that Dylan Harper was mad about not starting. Recently, Harper debunked the rumors, which is a good sign for the Spurs. Fox struggled in the NBA Finals, and Harper outplayed him, with people saying Harper should start and close the game.
Fox, however, dealt with an ankle injury throughout the playoffs and missed a couple of games because of it. You could tell he wasn’t the same. He looked much slower and had no explosion to the rim, but if he is 100% healthy heading into this season, he’ll be playing for something to prove, which could scare the league.
Harper and Fox are both starting-caliber point guards, which puts the Spurs in a unique spot. Fox will probably start this season, but Harper will get more minutes than last season and could be in the closing lineup. In the NBA Finals, Harper showed everyone what he can do and how good he is. At times, he looked like the Spurs’ best offensive player.
With Harper in his second year and Fox healthy, it’s going to be scary; teams will not be able to relax against them when one comes in and the other comes out. They’ll both be playing with chips on their shoulders and something to prove, making the Spurs that much better.
That said, the Spurs are even better than they were last year, which should scare the league. They gained experience last season and added a veteran in Harris, a crucial pickup. They have a motivated Wembanyama, two guards with something to prove in Fox and Harper, Stephon Castle, a great defender, and pieces that fit well. This team is ready to go out there and get it done this time around.
Main Image: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
