4 Biggest Disappointments for San Antonio Spurs up to this point

Coming into this season, everyone knew that the San Antonio Spurs faced a difficult path to relevancy. Sure, they had drafted a franchise-altering, world-bending superstar in Victor Wembanyama, but that alone wasn't going to turn around a team that was one of the worst in the NBA last season.

Still, improvements, no matter how marginal, were expected. So far, we've yet to see them. There have been bright spots, for sure. On a nightly basis, Wemby does a few things that redefine what we thought was possible from the center position. But jaw-dropping highlights are only a temporary reprieve from the brutal onslaught of losses that the Spurs have racked up.

Heading into the All-Star break, the Spurs have barely managed to crack double-digit wins. They're 11-44, the worst mark in the Western Conference. They also face the second-toughest rest-of-season schedule, according to Tankathon. Even if the Spurs somehow maintain their pace, they'd still be on track to win just 16 games this season. That's six fewer than last season. There's a very, very real chance that they will have added a generational superstar and somehow finish worse than they did last season.

From stagnating player development to frustrating minutes restrictions, there has been plenty for Spurs fans to poke at this season. Here are the biggest disappointments we've seen from the Silver and Black up to this point.

The Spurs porus defense is the biggest disappointment of the season

By far the biggest disappointment of the season has been the San Antonio Spurs horrendous defense. You would have thought that adding a player with as much defensive potential as Victor Wembanyama would have improved the team's overall standing on that end of the floor, but that hasn't been the case thus far. In fact, they're getting blown out more than ever.

To be fair to Vic, this isn't all his fault. Even just 49 games into his rookie year, he's established himself as one of the league's most dominant defenders. He leads the league in blocks, is 6th among centers in total steals, and is a dark horse candidate for DPOY. The problem isn't with Victor. It's what happens when he steps off the court.

With Wembanyama on the floor, the Spurs give up 115.3 points per 100 possessions. It's not an overly impressive mark, but it'd be good enough for 16th in the NBA. After where the Spurs were last season, they'll take the middle of the pack. But when he's not on the court San Antonio allows 121.5 points per 100 possessions, a figure that would rank dead last in the league.

It's not surprising that the Spurs would be worse on defense without Vic, but they've got to find someone, anyone, who can help them stop the bleeding when Wembanyama steps out for a breather.

A significant driver of the Spurs' poor defensive performance has been their inability to defend the three-point line. When the Spurs trio of Wemby, Devin Vassell, and Jeremy Sochan share the floor, opponents shoot just 32.7% from three. That'd be the best rate in the NBA if it held, but break that trio up by even a little, and their opponent's three-point efficiency skyrockets.

Whether it's bringing in a playmaker who can shoulder some of the playmaking burden and allow Vassell and Sochan to expend more energy on defense or drafting another defensive-minded wing, the Spurs need to prioritize exploring every option on the table for improving their porous three-point defense this summer.