Joyous Thoughts about the Spurs and my Over/Under predictions at the End of the Regular Season

After the 2024 Paris Olympics concluded, I wrote a piece entitled “Age does not defeat joy, even in sports“.  I talked about how some of the “senior members” of the USA Olympic basketball teams, and in particular, Steph Curry and LeBron James, had conquered the world joyfully.

For me, that same word “joy” describes the 2025-26 regular season for the Spurs.  Regardless of how the playoffs end, Spurs fans should remember the joy we all experienced watching our team this season, game after game after joyful game.

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At the start of the season, we dreamed of the Spurs getting back into the playoff hunt, if everything went well. We hoped to be one of “those teams” — the lower seeded team that no one wants to play.  Indeed, last September, a Pounding the Rock writer wrote this:

“While the 2025-26 Spurs cannot realistically expect to challenge the top five from last year, they can set their sights on the next three, along with Play-In losers Mavs and Kings.

“Let’s aim for that 6-spot. And maybe face the Clippers in Round One. Does that sound about right?”

That guy’s hopeful outlook seems ridiculous now. The Spurs both challenged and exceeded the top five from last year, even going 4-1 against the mighty Thunder. 62 wins!!  I am sure glad I was not the guy who wrote that the Spurs would be happy with a sixth place finish and a first-round match-up with the third place Clippers.

Oh, wait.  That guy was me. I have only one excuse.  The article was entitled: “The Spurs got better this summer, but so did most of the Western Conference. Wait, did all the good Western Conference teams get better?”

I must have decided my conclusion should match the title.

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However, I did much better on another preseason prediction.  I wrote:

“The basketball universe unanimously approved the Spurs’ selection on Dylan Harper as the clear second best player in the 2025 NBA draft. The only concern I have heard is that Harper’s skills overlap with those of the anticipated starting backcourt of De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle.

“Having coached a bit, I know that having three good…

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Publish date : 2026-04-14 01:30:00

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