The difference between Spurs and Blazers was just made painfully obvious

With the first game of the San Antonio Spurs' NBA playoff run now in the books, the difference between the Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers couldn't be more stark. Ironically, both the Spurs and Blazers were in rebuild mode in 2023 prior to the NBA Draft.

Had the Spurs not ended up with the first overall pick that year, they likely would have selected either Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson with the second or third overall pick. Thankfully, San Antonio selected star Victor Wembanyama first overall, and he has transformed the franchise back into a contender.

Meanwhile, Henderson hasn't had nearly the same impact as expected. Yes, the Blazers are in the playoffs for the first time in five years. That being said, this is clearly Deni Avdija's team, and Henderson is still finding his way on it.

The difference between the Spurs and Blazers is Victor Wembanyama

Henderson missed most of this season with a hamstring injury and is still working his way back. After three years with the Blazers, it's still a coin flip whether he will actually be a good player.

Considering he seemed like a safe, albeit weaker, prospect than Wembanyama, that isn't great news for the Blazers. They expected him to be a superstar by now.

Meanwhile, Wemby has been everything the Spurs were hoping for and then some. In just his third season in the NBA, he's led them to a 62-20 record. That is tied for their third-best record in franchise history.

Victor Wembanyama is leading San Antonio into a new era

This marks the first time in team history that they've won 60 games without David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, or Manu Ginobili on the roster. That proves that Wembanyama is leading San Antonio into a new era.

Meanwhile, the Blazers have managed to rebuild without knowing what they have in Henderson. It is true that point guards can take a long time to develop.

But barring a stellar showing from him in this year's playoffs, he will be heading into year four without the Blazers knowing what his future holds. What we do know is that Wembanyama has made the Spurs contenders again.

The Blazers are still an up-and-coming team led by Avdija. However, for them to get to the Spurs' level, they will need Henderson to become a franchise player like Wembanyama already has.

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