Spurs Aim for Historic 5-0 Start Behind Wembanyama’s Leadership

The San Antonio Spurs are on the verge of achieving their best start in franchise history, aiming to open the season with a 5-0 record. This remarkable feat would mark the first time in the team’s 53-year history that they have won their first five games. The Spurs will host the Miami Heat on March 7, 2024, after dominating their first four matches by an average of 16.5 points.

Historically, the Spurs have been a powerhouse in the NBA, boasting five championship titles and a league-record 22 consecutive playoff appearances. Despite their storied success, their best season start to date is 4-0, a record they have matched four times. “The Spurs never went 5-0? I’m surprised,” said Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, who is a key player in the team’s current success. “I’m really surprised because the Spurs have the highest winning percentage in the last 30 years or whatever. Wow. Let’s beat that record.”

The Spurs, along with the Miami Heat and Sacramento Kings, are among the few franchises that have yet to achieve five consecutive wins to start a season. Wembanyama, a 7-foot-4 center from France, has been instrumental in the Spurs’ undefeated start. He was named the season’s first Western Conference Player of the Week and made history by scoring over 100 points and blocking at least 15 shots within the team’s first three games.

“He’s been amazing,” said Sandro Mamukelashvili, a forward for the Toronto Raptors and Wembanyama’s teammate during his initial seasons. “He’s using his size a lot more, driving harder, using his length, (and) that extra step. Wemby is Wemby. Fearless.” At just 21 years old, Wembanyama has become the leader of a young Spurs roster, setting high standards for his teammates.

“My goal is to set standards,” Wembanyama stated during training camp. “(Defense) is non-negotiable. It’s not something you can’t do. If you want to be a part of our team, and we’re going to hold each other accountable, we know the coach is going to hold us accountable, and it doesn’t matter your status — defense is non-negotiable.”

As a direct result of this mindset, the Spurs currently lead the league with an average of just 104.5 points allowed per game. This figure is 3.3 points lower than the second-best team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Spurs roster averages 25.6 years old, dropping to 24 if veterans Harrison Barnes, Kelly Olynyk, and Bismack Biyombo are excluded.

The team has transitioned away from the veteran leadership of players like David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, who led the franchise to 18 consecutive seasons of at least 50 wins from 2000 to 2017. Currently, the Spurs’ lineup features ten players aged 25 or younger, many of whom have yet to experience a winning season, with no player winning more than 34 games in their careers.

The Spurs faced challenges in recent years, suffering through multiple lengthy losing streaks, including a franchise-record 18 consecutive losses during Wembanyama’s rookie season in 2024. This difficult period allowed San Antonio to secure recent top draft picks, including the last two Rookie of the Year winners, Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. Consequently, the Spurs have now gone six straight seasons without making the playoffs, leading to a strong desire for improvement.

“We’re not hiding our expectations,” said Keldon Johnson, a forward for the Spurs. “Our expectations are to win. We’re not running away from that. We’re not avoiding it.” With the franchise’s history and a promising young roster, the Spurs are poised for a breakthrough season, igniting excitement among fans as they chase that elusive 5-0 start.