The San Antonio Spurs did numerous dropping to get Victor Wembanyama. After the Spurs’ dynasty collapsed following the Kawhi Leonard commerce in 2018, San Antonio constantly traded their prime gamers on the peak of their worth in order that they wouldn’t get caught on the treadmill of mediocrity. The Spurs traded Derrick White to the Boston Celtics, Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks, and DeMar DeRozan to the Chicago Bulls as they hunted for a brand new franchise star. Their foresight was ultimately rewarded within the 2023 NBA Draft lottery by profitable the rights to Wemby.
Wembanyama’s rookie season was so electrical that it looks like solely a matter of time earlier than the Spurs begin one other dynasty. In actuality, the Spurs haven’t been good in a very long time. Listed here are San Antonio’s win totals during the last 5 seasons, beginning in 2019-2020: 32 wins, 33 wins, 34 wins, 22 wins, and 22 wins. The Spurs have the second worst document within the NBA over that five-season timespan with 143 wins — solely the Detroit Pistons (94 wins) have been worse.
What’s outstanding is that regardless of being so unhealthy the final 5 seasons, the Spurs nonetheless have extra wins than any NBA franchise since 2000.
Right here’s a take a look at the NBA’s win leaders since 2000. Just one franchise has received greater than 60 p.c of its video games, and that’s the Spurs. Their 63.4 p.c profitable percentages towers over the No. 2 Dallas Mavericks at 59.6 p.c. Right here’s the complete checklist by way of Stathead:
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Hat tip to NBA Reddit for the stat. Don’t ever let anybody inform you the Spurs weren’t a dynasty simply because they by no means received back-to-back titles.
The Spurs received 5 championships behind Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich: 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014. Solely the Los Angeles Lakers have extra titles over that timespan with six. Throughout the dynasty years, the Spurs did a tremendous job of continually discovering new expertise to construct round. As David Robinson aged out, Duncan got here in. Tony Parker and Manu Ginóbili have been the proper co-stars, and Kawhi Leonard carried the torch till he demanded a commerce.
Wembanyama now carries the San Antonio legacy, and there’s no higher participant within the NBA to construct round. The Spurs are flush with future draft picks and decide swaps. They aren’t an amazing group but, however they don’t appear in a rush to get there both after a quiet offseason. The Spurs may be affected person with Wembanyama as a result of the outcomes converse for themselves. Even after a horrible final 5 years, San Antonio are nonetheless the NBA’s finest since 2000.
