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Throughout most of this NBA season, the San Antonio Spurs have hovered around the .500 mark. But since the start of February, they've dipped to their worst mark of the year a couple of times.
Past the midway point of the 2024-2025 campaign and as we approach the All-Star break, Victor Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox and company find themselves outside of Western Conference's Play-In Tournament. Most of the way, they've had one of the top 10 records in the West before the recent slip.
Still, it's a far cry from just a season ago when the Silver and Black went 22-60. They won their 22nd game this year on Feb. 5. Last season, their 22nd w came in their final game.
“This is factual progress. Those 22 wins should've come earlier,” Wemby said of this year's victory total.
Victor Wembanyama focuses on progress
It's not a coincidence that the Spurs have improved as Wemby has. The generational talent has raised his scoring average by a full three points per game from his Rookie of the Year campaign when he averaged 21.4 points per outing.
“Every year, we have to step up,” the 7-foot-5 center said. “Almost all of us are really young on the team.”
Not including the recently added De'Aaron Fox, who himself is only 27, the oldest member of the core that the Spurs envision long term is 24-year-old Devin Vassell. Key rotational piece Keldon Johnson is 25, but belief is that because of a friendly contract he might be as valuable as a potential trade piece as he is off the bench for San Antonio. Johnson essentially served as the club's elder statesman last season.
“Last year, we couldn't think of the playoffs. We had to think about the instant because saying we want to go to the playoffs would've been going too quick because we weren't there yet,” Wembanyama said.
Prior to trading for Fox in early February, the Spurs dealt for another former Sacramento King, Harrison Barnes, in the summer when they also added future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul.
“I agree with Chris.” Wemby continued. “The facts are, yeah, we're a young team. We've got H.B. [Harrison Barnes] and Chris now, but we're still a young team. But, using that as an excuse, for me, is like pressing the brake. It would show a bad mentality if we use that as an excuse.”
The top overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft hasn't been shy about letting Paul's influence be known.
“Chris said something very interesting that I really agreed with. We're not here to play good games, we're here to win games,” Wembanyama said.
That's been the somewhat tricky reality for Wembanyama and the Spurs. They are very young, and they're tired of struggling. Their leading scorer says that reality should change soon.
“There's no other way to get better than to go up,” Wembanyama said.
That hasn't been the case at every step of the way this season. But Wemby and the Spurs are entering a stretch run that will determine how this year will be viewed.
