Review of last season
The Spurs' 24-25 season can be divided into two stages. The first stage is the first 52 games. During this stage, Wenban was healthy, and the team had 23 wins and 29 losses, with a winning rate of 44.2%. Wenban was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder in late February and was reimbursed for the season. This was a turning point. Then came the second stage, with 11 wins and 19 losses, and a winning rate of 36.6%. At this stage, the Spurs had no intention of making the playoffs. Fox also began to prepare for the 25-26 season. In March, he underwent surgery to repair the tendon of his left little finger, which was reimbursed for the season.
In the end, the Spurs ended the season with 34 wins and 48 losses, ranking 13th in the Western Conference.
The main operation during the offseason is
to become Mitch Johnson. Popovich was unable to continue coaching last season due to physical reasons. The Spurs thus completely bid farewell to their previous era. GDP is a thing of the past, and now Pop has also retreated behind the scenes. After Bobo became ill in November last year, assistant coach Mitch Johnson took over as the interim coach and led the team through the remaining 77 regular season games of last season. Before Wenban was reimbursed for the season, he led the team with a good record of 21 wins and 26 losses.
In May of this year, the Spurs chose to make Mitch Johnson a regular player and signed him to a multi-year contract.
Selected two first-round picks, Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant. In this year's draft, the Spurs selected Dylan Harper with the second pick and Carter Bryant with the 14th pick. The team already had two excellent point guards in Fox and Castle, but after Flagg was selected by the Mavericks with the No. 1 pick, they chose the best among the remaining players. Harper is 1.94 meters tall and is modeled after Harden, Brunson and Cunningham. He is considered the second strongest player in the 25th draft. The Spurs certainly have no problem selecting him. However, he, Fox, and Castle are all players who can exert great power when holding the ball but are not good enough in outside shooting. How Mitch Johnson uses the three of them will be a highlight of the new season. Last season, Fox shot 31% from three-point range, Castle shot 28.5% from three-point range, and Harper shot 33.3% from three-point range at Rutgers.
Carter Bryant is a 1.99-meter striker with excellent physical talent and athletic ability, and a high defensive ceiling. He shot 37.1% from three-point range at the University of Arizona last season. His future development is relatively clear, that is, a high-end 3D player. The Spurs are not crowded at the forward position, and he will get some opportunities in the new season.
Signed Cornet for 40.7 million in 4 years (final year team option), and traded to introduce Olynyk. These two operations are aimed at strengthening the inside line, so they can be reviewed together. After Cornet joins the team, he will obviously be a substitute for the center position. He performed well last season. He played 73 games with the Green Army, averaging 18.6 minutes per game, scoring 6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1 block. His shooting percentage was 66.8%. Paying him an annual salary of 10 million is not expensive. Moreover, except for the team option in the last year, the salary in the third year of the contract is currently only 2.55 million guaranteed, which further reduces the risk of the Spurs' signing.
Olynyk can switch between the center and power forward positions. He has this ability, and Johnson can use him according to actual needs in the game. The Canadian insider is 34 years old this year, and may not have much gas in the tank, but the Spurs paid a small price in exchange for him. They sent away Branham and Wesley, who failed to win the lottery, and a second-round pick. Moreover, he only has one year left on his contract of 13.45 million.
In the 24-25 season, Olynyk played 44 games, averaging 20.3 minutes per game, scoring 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists, shooting 50% from the field and 41.8% from the three-point range.
Signed McLaughlin (a one-year contract extension of 2.87 million) and Lindy Waters (one year of 2.46 million) with a minimum salary. After the lineup construction was basically completed, the Spurs signed two players with minimum salaries, renewed McLaurin's contract, and signed Lindy Waters in the free market. McLaughlin came to the team in the middle of last season and played in 18 games, averaging 6.9 minutes per game, 2.5 points and 1.5 assists. His statistics are nothing to mention, but he has 6 years of NBA experience and is a relatively mature player. His three-point shooting percentage has been good in the past two seasons, although he has taken very few shots. The Spurs' backcourt is currently on the young side, so it makes sense to reserve an experienced player with a minimum salary.
Lindy Waters is a forward with a certain three-point shooting ability. Last season, he averaged 3.6 three-pointers per game and shot 34.4% from the field. After being traded to the Pistons by the Warriors in the middle of the season, he played 14 games, averaging 2.7 three-pointers per game and shooting 39.5% from the field. His contract currently only has 500,000 guaranteed, and the date to switch to full guarantee is January 10 next year.
Renewed Fox contract in advance for 222 million for four years. Fox was traded by the Spurs at a huge price in the middle of last season, so it is logical to renew his contract in advance this summer. The defender originally had one year left on his contract, but after the early extension, the total length of the contract reached five years. The average salary of the new contract renewed this time is 55.5 million, which is not cheap, but starting from the new season, the NBA will enter an 11-year new TV broadcast contract cycle of 76 billion. The salary cap will continue to rise, and Fox is only 27 years old and can still use it for many years. The contract given by the Spurs is not very expensive..
Current lineup:
Guards: Fox, Vassell, Dylan Harper, Castle, McLaughlin, Garcia (two-way)
Forward: Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, Sohan, Carter Bryant, Julian Champany, Lindy Waters, Minix (two-way), Harrison- Ingram (two-way)
Insiders: Wenbanyama, Olynyk, Kornet
Umde (guard), Flagler (guard), Micah Porter (center) is currently on an EXHIBIT-10 contract. Biyombo is currently on a non-guaranteed contract. It is still unknown which players will stay on the team or not.
Prospects for the new season
Can Wenban enter the ranks of superstars?
Among the top 100 players selected by ESPN last month, Wenbanyama ranked fifth, second only to the hot super giants such as Jokic, Alexander, Doncic, and Antetokounmpo. This shows that they are very optimistic about Wenbanyama and have great expectations. Can the literary class turn this expectation into reality? This is one of the highlights of the new season.
Bunbanyama has proven his strength. In his rookie season, he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.6 blocks per game. He won the Rookie of the Year award, ranked second in the Defensive Player of the Year selection, and was selected to the All-Defensive First Team. Last season's journey was interrupted by injuries, but in the 46 games he played, his data further improved, averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.8 blocks per game. His field goal percentage increased to 47.6% and his three-point shooting percentage increased to 35.2%. The new season will be his third year in the NBA. Can he take it to the next level and become a first-team center? Jokic's position is currently difficult to shake, but Wenban can play a center-level performance, which makes fans sigh: But Teacher Jokic is too strong, otherwise Wenban, a young man, deserves to be selected for the first team.
How to achieve Fox&Harper&Castle
Having three excellent point guards at the same time is a happy trouble for the Spurs. How to make these three players perform well and form a synergy is a topic worthy of Mitch Johnson's consideration.
Among the three players, Fox is already a well-known star. The team spent 222 million for four years to renew his contract in advance this summer. Therefore, he should be the Spurs' starting point guard. How to arrange the other two depends on Johnson's coaching ability. Harper has just entered the league, so it may be a better choice to let him start from the bench and slowly adapt.
Everything is ready, can the Spurs blow up a youthful whirlwind and hit the playoffs?
Looking forward to the new season, the Spurs' goal is definitely the playoffs. The team's trade for star guard Fox in the middle of last season was a signal to switch from training mode to winning mode. The Spurs now have two stars, and the depth of the lineup is also good. They have Fox and Vassell on the back line, two young talents in Harper and Castle, and Keldon and Sohan on the forward line are no longer rookies. They also have Barnes on the line. They also have two strong signings in Olynyk and Kornet this summer. They definitely have a chance to create a youth whirlwind in the league.
Although the competition in the Western Conference is fierce, the Spurs have a chance. The Thunder, Nuggets, Rockets, and Timberwolves are all superior in strength and maturity. The Spurs may not be able to compete with them, but the Lakers, Clippers, Warriors and other established teams are now suffering from the aging of their core players. The Grizzlies, Kings, Mavericks and other teams are not guaranteed to enter the playoffs in the new season. The Spurs have a chance to compete for a playoff spot.
Record & ranking prediction
The Spurs are now a very energetic team, mostly young people, but they are not a team composed of recruits. Wenban has two years of NBA experience, Fox has 8 years of NBA experience, Kelden has 6 years, Vassell has 5 years, and Sohan has 3 years. These young people can already take the lead. Supplemented by Kornet with 8 years of NBA experience, Olynyk with 12 years, and Barnes with 13 years of NBA experience, this Spurs is likely to achieve results in the new season. The team's development trajectory last season was changed by Wenban's season reimbursement, but it still won 12 more games than in the 23-24 season.
In the author's opinion, the Spurs have a chance to win around 45 games in the new season and at least get a play-off spot.