For the Spurs, improving in 2026-27 means dealing with expectations

Expectations are difficult to deal with. There are many stories of young teams arriving too early and then never reaching the heights they overachieved to get to. Look at Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook’s Oklahoma City Thunder, who lost in the NBA Finals in 2012 and then disbanded 4 years later. It’s hard to keep a linear trajectory that leads to a championship and then a dynasty.

The San Antonio Spurs will be counting on linear improvement after losing to the New York Knicks in last season’s Finals. The Spurs are firmly in championship-or-bust mode, with a roster filled with key players who are barely old enough to order a drink at the bar. Those expectations come with a lot of weight. But Spurs fans think the team can handle that.

According to our last SB Nation Reacts survey, just over half of Spurs fans think the team will improve on their 2025-26 record of 62-20. Every team in the NBA will be pushing harder than ever to make sure they don’t accomplish that. Being the new shiny young team will draw every other franchise’s best effort. And, with fewer teams tanking due to a change in the league’s rules, there will be even more nights where they’ll face a team really going for it.

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Of course, a lot of players will be gunning for the Spurs’ best player, too. Victor Wembanyama drew a lot of criticism for his overaggressive play in the playoffs. Teams are going to be coming at him and hoping they can get under his skin as a way to combat the impact he makes on both ends. It will take a lot of maturity for him and the rest of the team to respond to this onslaught from the rest of the league.

Luckily for the Spurs, they brought in some reinforcements that should help them stay level-headed. Tobias Harris is one of the league’s most respected veterans. While Harris hasn’t necessarily won a lot of playoff series, he has consistently been a member of winning teams. Those are the kinds of players who can raise the floor of a team during the dog days of the regular season, improving the overall record.

San Antonio is also now one of the deepest teams in the NBA. The addition of Tarris Reed Jr. gives them…

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Publish date : 2026-09-01 22:54:00

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