Spurs’ best playoff lineup becomes crystal clear in NBA Cup Final

The San Antonio Spurs suffered a difficult loss in the NBA Cup final on Tuesday night in Las Vegas. But in the loss, we were shown what will be this team's ideal closing lineup in a playoff setting. San Antonio would do best to roll with Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, and three other guards on the floor.

This approach is the Spurs' best bet because of how it will force opposing teams to stick a larger center on Wembanyama while giving San Antonio a five-out look offensively. It gets their best players on the floor and puts them in the best position to be successful as a unit.

With three guards flanking Wembanyama and Vassell, San Antonio is able to keep the floor spread without sacrificing ball pressure. Defensively, that group can switch across the perimeter, funnel drivers toward Victor, and still recover quickly to shooters. It looks like a group built for success in the postseason.

San Antonio's ideal closing lineup is now clear

The Spurs have spent much of this season searching for the right balance between size and speed. When they lean too big, the offense can bog down and become predictable. When they go smaller, the defense can suffer if Wembanyama is asked to cover too much ground. This closing lineup threads the needle. Victor anchors everything defensively, Vassell handles tough, bigger wing matchups while providing shot creation, and the additional guards keep the ball moving and the tempo high.

Another reason this alignment works is decision-making. San Antonio’s guards have grown more comfortable playing off one another as the season has progressed. They're cutting with purpose, making quick reads, and avoiding the stagnant possessions that plagued the team early in the year. With Wembanyama drawing constant attention, those guards are getting cleaner looks and simpler opportunities, which is exactly what a young team needs in high-leverage moments.

This also reflects how much confidence the coaching staff has in Wembanyama’s versatility. Playing him as the lone big in closing situations asks a lot, but he's shown he can handle it. His rim protection allows the Spurs to stay aggressive on the perimeter, and his shooting and passing make five-out basketball a legitimate weapon rather than a gimmick.

San Antonio may have come up short in Vegas, but the bigger takeaway was this. The Spurs now have a clear blueprint for how they want to finish games when the stakes are highest. As this group continues to mature, that lineup could become one of the most difficult closing units in the Western Conference to deal with.