No shade goes unpunished: Spurs must spank OKC once again after coach's insane take

A mystery coach in the Western Conference is choosing OKC's crew over San Antonio's as the more complete roster. "The Spurs have great young players, but no one is more complete than the Thunder,” the anonymous figure said.

That would have been a no-brainer statement in August 2025. The Thunder were fresh off an NBA title, and the Spurs were coming off a lottery season. However, things have changed significantly in a year.

The Silver and Black have added to their depth, while Oklahoma City lost Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe. So instead of just comparing superstars, let's compare the first nine rotation players on each team based on their pecking order, since beating OKC 8 out of 12 times wasn't convincing enough.

San Antonio has the better top half of its rotation

Victor Wembanyama vs. Shai Gilgeous Alexander

- SGA has the MVP resume, and is the better offensive initiator
- Wemby is the more complete two-way force and the reigning unanimous DPOY
- Both players make their teammates better, but Vic's impact on defense creates a separation Shai can't make up, and we saw that play out in the Western Conference Finals

Stephon Castle vs. Jalen Williams

- JDub is a bona fide two-way guy with a stronger offensive game right now
- Stephon Castle is a better defender with a growing offensive game, and he is already a better passer
- The gap is smaller than you think. Jalen Williams just has a longer reputation.

De'Aaron Fox vs. Chet Holmgren

- Fox gives San Antonio an explosive creator who can carry an offense. When Wemby and Castle missed 9+ games last season, Swipa took the reins.
- Chet is a solid two-way big, but Wembanyama's existence makes his defense less unique in the Spurs/Thunder matchup.
- Fox's ability to create his own offense gives SA something OKC doesn't get from Chet

Devin Vassell vs. Jared McCain

- Dev is one of the best role players in the league. He does his job on both ends of the floor.
- McCain can shoot, but he's small and can't defend very well.
- The edge here is obviously in the Spurs' favor.

Julian Champagnie vs. Isaiah Hartenstein

- I'll give OKC the nod here. Hartenstein's size, rebounding, screening, and passing are all impactful.
- Champagnie is a floor spacer, but if his shot isn't falling, he can disappear.
- These two provide different types of value, and on any given night, one could be worth more than the other.

The Spurs' depth is just as fierce

Dylan Harper vs. Ajay Mitchell
Tobias Harris vs. Cason Wallace
Luke Kornet vs. Jaylin Williams
Carter Bryant vs. Alex Caruso
Keldon Johnson vs. Kenrich Williams
Harrison Barnes vs. Bennett Stirtz

Don’t get me wrong, the Thunder have a ton of talent, and they’re probably second on a list of most complete teams, but they’re not first. The Spurs took that from them pretty aggressively. I didn’t even list Keldon Johnson until I got five players down and that’s the reigning Sixth Man of the Year.

Both teams have players on their bench who could start on other teams. The difference is that a couple of SA’s guys would be first, second, or third options on those squads. Put Harper on a handful of rosters, and he’s their best player. No athletes on OKC’s second unit could say the same. That makes a huge difference, and the Thunder will find that out yet again on October 20.

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