Spurs' rapid success presents an emerging threat they must prepare for

It's been quite a rollercoaster ride for the Spurs since drafting Victor Wembanyama in 2023. They made a rapid transition from being a rebuilding group to becoming a championship contender in the competitive Western Conference. You can't write stuff like this. In just a year, they went from scrapping for playoff positioning to being the ultimate team to beat.

Front offices across the NBA will be gearing up this summer to counter San Antonio's elite two-way play, whether that's adding experienced perimeter scorers to the mix or tacking on bigger bodies to compete with Victor Wembanyama on the inside.

It's a blessing and a curse. The Spurs drastically altered their reputation, going from a subpar team to a potential dynasty. But at the same time, the rest of the league is going to get even tougher to compete with, and San Antonio has a bigger target on their back than ever.

Wemby must be prepared for an even tougher path to greatness

While I don't want to pile on Victor Wembanyama for his underwhelming NBA Finals performance, one thing is true: the Knicks gave the rest of the league a blueprint on how to slow him down. Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, and others did an amazing job using their physicality to push him out of position, limiting his offensive impact.

Other teams will follow suit. Front offices will look to add big men to their rosters through the draft, free agency, or the trade market to replicate New York's defensive impact on the Frenchman. That means Victor must be able to adjust accordingly.

It's been discussed ad nauseam: Wemby needs to get better at finding his spots as a scorer. The Knicks found success keeping him out of the lane, which in turn forced him to settle for three-point shots. Sharpening up as a shot creator will go a long way in keeping him up to speed with the rest of the league, staving off any regression from last season to next.

Several other Spurs players need to make key improvements

San Antonio's nightmare scenario is a rapid decline from last season. And we've seen things like that happen before; teams make these amazing runs to the Finals one year, but they're unable to stay consistently great afterwards. Think about the Suns after their 2021 postseason run. After making it to the championship round, they haven't come close since.

The Spurs need to make sure the rest of the league doesn't surpass them. This means several players on their roster need to get better. Stephon Castle must grow as a decision-maker to limit turnovers and fouls. Dylan Harper has to keep honing his three-point shot. Carter Bryant needs to fine-tune his offense. The list goes on and on.

Don't get me wrong, this team has the talent right now to repeat its 2026 success. They will need to add some pieces to the margins, of course, but on paper, they already have great weapons. But their players must improve in certain areas so they're not easy to game plan against next season.

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