Do the Spurs need to shake it up? Why San Antonio shouldn’t overreact to NBA Finals disappointment

San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson laid it plain in his closing press conference: “We weren’t ready to win an NBA championship.”

The New York Knicks certainly were. They took every first quarter, first-half punch the Spurs threw and responded. Jalen Brunson got the buckets he needed; Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby filled gaps on both ends of the floor. Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges were timely; Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet consistently tilted the energy, one drive, 3-pointer, screen, defensive stop at a time. Mitchell Robinson created extra chances, as he always does.

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More bites at the (Big) apple, if you will.

There was a resolve with this group; an unrelenting belief that they could overcome anything thrown their way. There was a tactical comfort from Knicks head coach Mike Brown that screamed, “We may not have the answers right now, but we have a bunch of buttons available to find them.”

That’s the spot, the level of know-how, that the Spurs are trying to get to.

Nobody feels good after losing in five games. These Spurs sure won’t.

Getting this close to the mountaintop, only to see yourself falter in short order understandably leaves a rough taste in the mouth. Losing all three games on your home floor, seeing your season end despite holding a lead for a majority of the series is tough to sit with.

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But that’s the playoffs for you. Cruel. Quick. Humbling, if you aren’t ready.

Instead of jubilation, there’s noise to shuffle through. Noise about Victor Wembanyama’s readiness; he could never consistently ding a Knicks defense that worked to take away the easy stuff, the Knicks put him in action at almost-never-seen volume, and his response to physicality drew questions about his temperament.

Noise about Johnson and his rotation decisions; noise about De’Aaron Fox’s performance and his status in the hierarchy with Dylan Harper’s star ascension feeling more imminent than hopeful.

(Funny dichotomy that is: “F them picks” on one side, “Would the Spurs need to attach picks in a Fox deal?” on the other.)

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There’s room to discuss all of it, but I’d first caution against letting those…

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Author : Nekias Duncan

Publish date : 2026-06-15 20:50:00

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