The San Antonio Spurs are currently enduring their longest playoff drought in franchise history. It’s been five seasons since they last reached the postseason. Before this stretch, the Spurs had missed the NBA Playoffs just four times since joining the league in 1977 and never in consecutive years. The postseason-less streak may come to an end in 2025.
Led by superstar center Victor Wembanyama (24.7 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 3.7 APG, 4.0 BPG, 1.1 SPG), the Spurs are firmly in the Western Conference Playoff race halfway through the season. They sit at 19-20 after 39 games and are just three wins away from tying their total in each of the last two seasons.
Back-to-back 60-loss seasons have shaped this Spurs team into what they’ve become. The Spurs tied for the worst record in the NBA during the ’22-’23 season, and they ended up winning the Draft Lottery which allowed them to select a transformative talent in Wembanyama.
It was the first 60-loss season for the Spurs since 1997 — which led to them drafting Tim Duncan. He immediately turned the franchise around, as the Spurs went on to win 56 games in his rookie year.
Wembanyama didn’t have the same impact in the win column during his first year. The Spurs won 22 games, again, during Wembanyama’s Rookie of the Year campaign. Another losing season led to another high draft pick, which granted the Spurs a second building block, Conencticut’s Stephon Castle.
Castle has been a bright spot early on for the Spurs. His minutes have bounced around, but he’s performed when called upon. In 21 games as a starter, Castle is averaging 14.8 PPG, 4.3 APG, and 2.6 RPG. He’ll only get better as the season wears on.
With Wembanyama, Castle, veterans Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, and other intriguing youngsters like Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan, this Spurs team appears ready to compete now. They’re currently the 11th seed out West, but are just one game in the loss column behind the 7th seed.
Looking at the teams ahead of them in the standings, it’s not exactly an ironclad group. The Los Angeles teams are banking on aging stars. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are both dealing with injuries for the Mavericks. The 8-seed Minnesota Timberwolves have been one of the league’s biggest disappointments. The Kings and Warriors have been wildly inconsistent over the year. The Spurs have the same record as the Phoenix Suns, who just benched Bradley Beal and his $50 million contract while actively shopping him in the trade market.
The Spurs are coming off a dominant win over the Lakers on the road in which they outscored LeBron James and company 73-40 in the second half. They also had the No. 3 seed Grizzlies on the ropes in their last contest but ultimately faltered down the stretch against a more experienced group. Castle poured in a game-high 26 points against a tough Memphis defense, while Wembanyama tallied 8 blocks — all in the first half.
It’s been a rough few seasons for a franchise that had grown accustomed to winning. With a young core in place, and a team that is already beginning to string together strong performances, this Spurs group looks poised to end the playoff drought.
