The San Antonio Spurs wrap up their preseason with the most unexpected outcome. The crew, filled with the most entertaining and most talented young stars of today, came out on top of the Western Conference standing going undefeated, 5-0, against some of the top contenders of the league. The takeaway? This could be the Spurs’ breakout season, with the deepest roster they had in the past decade.
No Fox, No Sochan, No Olynyk, No Problem!
San Antonio was looking sharp despite not having their second best player, De’Aaron Fox. On top of that, glorified role players like Jeremy Sochan and veteran Kelly Olynyk are also out due to injuries, yet they still manage to go 5-0 in the preseason.
Well, that result could be highly impacted by how deep the Spurs’ bench is right now. Luke Kornet has proven that he’s a nice addition to their frontcourt, while fresh rookies like Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant could further ignite the team.
Castle, Champagnie, Vassell, and Johnson Turning Out to be the Spurs’ Hidden Gems
They weren’t exactly secret weapons from the start since they already showed flashes of greatness last season, but it seems likely that Stephone Castle, Julian Champagnie, Devin Vassell, and Keldon Johnson have turned out to be some of the league’s most underrated players.
Castle moves like a true floor general in his sophomore year, matched with his flashy touch and scary ability to take flight. The 20-year-old may be entering his breakout yet as one of the starters. Meanwhile, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson keeps their momentum from last season, taking turns pouring points off the bench. Although their numbers dropped in the 2024-2025 season, perhaps due to the addition of De’Aaron Fox, they’re still dropping double digits on a nightly basis. Thanks to his versatility, Vassell is also included in ESPN’s top 100 players for the 2025-2026 season at 94, while Castle just barely made the list at 99th.
The most surprising player on that lineup, however, is Julian Champagnie, who’s becoming one of the best catch-and-shoot threats in the NBA right now. His corner three has become deadlier and more efficient since summer.
Wembanyama Ready for his MVP Season
A new and improved Victor Wembanyama is already playing like an MVP, even without his co-star. After working out with legends like Hakeem Olajuwon and Kevin Garnett, it’s obvious that Wemby’s footwork is on a whole new level. He can now score at any level on any part of the floor and his potential is just as high as he is.
In five games, Wemby averaged 17 points, 3.4 assists, 8.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1 steal but he is making almost five turnovers per game, mainly due to him trying out to play point guard at times. He’s still not being serious in the preseason yet he’s already making serious damage.
Overall, the San Antonio Spurs could definitely become the underdogs this season, with a gang comprised of the best guards in the league, and of course, Wembanyama loading up for his MVP year. Heck they could even finally make the playoffs after a 7-year drought!
