Spurs’ young core has an underrated trait nobody is talking about

The list of contributing factors to San Antonio’s success this season is longer than Victor Wembanyama’s grocery list in that one H.E.B. commercial. They have star power, an elite defense, an unstoppable interior scoring game, and so much more.

One thing the Spurs have done really well that isn’t getting talked about enough is closing out games. This team is capital-C clutch.

The Spurs have ice in their veins

San Antonio sits near the top of the leaderboard in virtually every clutch stat. They’re third in clutch win percentage, sixth in clutch field goal percentage, fourth in clutch three-point percentage, and fifth in turnovers per game.

The team looks calm and poised in tight games, always acting like they’ve been there before. They’ve consistently shown the ability to execute in big moments, draining clutch shots and coming up with big stops. The serenity and tact the Silver and Black have displayed in crunch time is incredibly impressive, especially when you consider how young they are. 

De’Aaron Fox, the NBA’s inaugural Clutch Player of the Year winner, has been a leader for the Spurs late in games. He ranks 25th in the league in total clutch points. The veteran star is far from the only guy getting it done, though.

The young fellas, chiefly (and unsurprisingly) Victor Wembanyama, have proven to have a knack for the moment as well. Wemby is 20th in total clutch points, ahead of Fox. Stephon Castle is 77th in that category. Keldon Johnson is shooting 63.6% from the field in the clutch, adding another line to his Sixth Man of the Year resume. Even the role players, like Julian Champagnie and Harrison Barnes, have hit plenty of timely jumpers this year.

As a whole, the Spurs look cool, collected and connected during high-leverage minutes many young teams would fold in. That trait is going to be massive for them in the postseason.

San Antonio’s clutch gene bodes well for their playoff success

The lights are brighter than ever in the playoffs. The pressure teams face is significantly higher than that of the regular season. Being able to perform in that type of environment is usually something that comes with experience, but some people are just built for it, and San Antonio seems to be loaded with guys like that.

Some might be worried about how the Spurs will translate their regular season success to their first playoff run as a unit, but their clutch gene puts a lot of that to rest.

If Wemby, Fox, and company are able to deliver crunch time victories without fail in the regular season, there’s no reason to assume they’ll crack in the postseason, even in a Game 7 on the road. This team is just special.