The Spurs must have one goal for the first month of the season

The Spurs have their work cut out for them during the first month of the season with marquee matchups against the Thunder, Rockets, Timberwolves, and Pistons. It'll be a challenging start, but it gives them a perfect opportunity to accomplish an early goal: showcasing their clutch improvements.

During the regular season, San Antonio was one of the best late-game teams in the NBA. They ranked fourth in clutch offensive rating, posting 122.6 points per 100 possessions. It was quite an impressive mark for such a young team.

But their clutch gene was put to the test in the NBA Finals, where they struggled to close games out against the Knicks. There's clearly still room for this team to grow in this area, and their early regular- season battles will allow them to show how far they've come.

The Spurs should expect to have some close games in their first month

San Antonio should be ready for some close matchups during the first month of the season. They're set to face the Thunder, Pistons, Timberwolves, Rockets, Trail Blazers, and Warriors in that stretch, and each of them is equally hungry to make a strong early impression in the 2026-27 campaign.

The Thunder will be back and healthy with Jalen Williams by SGA's side. Detroit should be tough on defense with Cade Cunningham leading their scoring attack. Minnesota features a new, elite backcourt of Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball. The Rockets, Trail Blazers, and Warriors didn't do much in the 2026 playoffs, but they're coming back with healthier, revamped rosters.

The Spurs will be tested from the get- go. They shouldn't expect to walk out of these games unscathed (although it would be nice). Instead, they must be ready to execute in late fourth-quarter stretches against teams featuring elite two-way talent.

The spotlight is on the Spurs' core to dominate in the clutch

While Victor Wembanyama was amazing in his first NBA Playoff run, he didn't find any rhythm in the clutch during the Finals. That was also the case for De'Aaron Fox, whose Game 4 blunders were some of the darkest memories for Spurs fans in recent history.

Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper had good moments, but they also have room to grow in their late-stretch execution. The pressure is on San Antonio's core to show some tangible improvements in that area of the game. They're the four best players on the team, so how well they play is the driving factor behind their clutch performance.

There's nothing better than facing some tough games early in a season. It gives teams a chance to challenge and push themselves, and that's especially true for San Antonio. Right now, they can't get complacent with their newfound success, so putting their clutch gene to the test is the best thing that could happen to them.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow