Young Spurs hope NBA Cup run could propel return to league prominence

The San Antonio Spurs’ NBA Cup semifinal win over the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday wasn’t just an upset that propelled them to Tuesday night’s championship game.

It was a statement to the rest of the league that the Spurs are officially relevant again.

“I think we’re on the right path,” said star center Victor Wembanyama, who had 22 points and nine rebounds in his return from a calf injury. “For the first time in my career, we’re winning much more than we’re losing.”

It’s the culmination of a slow rebuilding process for one of the league’s most successful franchises that had been on a historic run of success.

The NBA Cup title game against the New York Knicks is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.

Rise and fall

San Antonio (18-7) won at least 50 games in 19-straight full seasons before taking a step back and sneaking in the playoffs in 2017-18 and 18-19.

Last year marked their fifth-consecutive losing season. The Spurs, however, have used the time to stockpile several first-round picks, including Wembanyama, and added star guard De’Aaron Fox to go along with a couple veterans to lead a young group coached by Stanford alum Mitch Johnson.

The vision has started to take shape despite some early season injuries.

Saturday marked the first time all season the Spurs were fully healthy and the result was a victory over the league’s best team on a neutral floor in a one-and-done setting.

“I think our franchise is used to and committed to winning, and that’s not a knock to any other franchises, but some people that have been with our franchise for a very long time have set a foundation and embedded principles that has allowed that to happen over time,” said Johnson, who took over as interim coach for Greg Popovich last year and earned the full-time job. “I think when we have not been winning as recently, a lot of those principles and ways we operate have not changed or wavered.

“We just needed to continue to grow with this group.”

Work in progress

The team may not be fully developed, but they definitely put their best foot forward against the Thunder. Now they have another chance against the Knicks (18-7) with the winners taking home a trophy and $530,000 per player.

The game will not count in the standings, but it has plenty of meaning for a team looking to prove it’s ready to take a big step forward.

“It’s a high-stakes game that both teams are going to be very invested in winning,” Wembanyama said. “It just shows that we are preparing and we will pass the next step for more significant games in the playoffs. As competitors, we want to win every game, and this one brings something new on the table, so we want to win it even more.”

The big man’s presence is a major factor in San Antonio’s revival, though he’s not alone. The Spurs went 9-3 in his absence as other players took on expanded roles that has brought added confidence now that they add a dynamic alien on offense who is also the league’s most impactful defensive player.

Dreaming big

Fox, Stephon Castle and rookie Dylan Harper — the No. 2 pick in the draft — also have missed time. The only time the entire roster has been available was Saturday, when they handed the Thunder their second loss of the season.

“I think it showed we’re going to be really scary and we have the potential to be really good,” said Devin Vassell, the team’s first-round pick in 2020 who has never been to the playoffs. “We just have to stay with the little details and stay getting better each game.

“We’re so connected. We’re talking all the time. We all know how good we can be. It’s just a matter of reaching that potential.”

Before the year, that would possibly have meant just making the playoffs. But with a potential trophy in their grasp Tuesday, the Spurs may now be dreaming of a deep run in the postseason.

“I don’t know the last time a team has gone from not making the playoffs and then winning a championship the next year,” Fox said. “For us, we know that this is a process, though. We’re going day by day, step by step to try to win a championship. If we can do it this year, that would be fantastic, make history.

“But like I said, we know this is a long process. We’re continuing to get better. Some would say we’re a little bit ahead of schedule, but I think we’re right where we need to be.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.