Playoff Prospects: Is Victor Wembanyama On The Verge Of Starting Another Spurs Dynasty?

In this series, we’ll take a look at each NBA team that’s gunning for a deep playoff run. We’ll try to predict the players that will have the biggest impact, as well as the ceiling for each squad in the 2026 postseason.

Recently, Danny Green compared the 2025-26 San Antonio Spurs to a squad he knows well: the Tim Duncan-led crew that won multiple championships in decades past.

Comparing MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama to the Big Fundamental is a lofty compliment, and so is likening Wembanyama’s current team to the dynasty bannered by Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. For the most part over the past 10 years, the Spurs mightily struggled to live up to the standards of the Duncan era. But now, it’s not a stretch to say that the team in San Antonio can eventually get there.

The parallels are hard to miss. Like the Spurs of yesteryear, the 2026 San Antonio squad has exemplary shot-makers (Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper), a sweet-shooting big man with championship experience (Harrison Barnes), and a no-nonsense head coach who has found a winning formula that he keeps perfecting (Mitch Johnson).

In the Western Conference, there are two teams that can claim to be the most feared: the defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder, and the well-balanced, 60-win Spurs. It’s not hard to see where this is going.

2024 was a turning point in the rich history of the Spurs franchise. That year, a so-called alien stepped on their turf and changed the landscape forever.

The hype leading into Victor Wembanyama’s debut reached a fever pitch not seen since the rookie year of LeBron James. As the French phenom showcased his eye-popping, physics-defying skills, analysts debated when the Wembanyama takeover would commence in the NBA.

It took all of two years for the invasion to begin. Throughout the 2025-26 campaign, Wemby has figured in the MVP conversation. Eventually, the 22-year-old decided to shoot his shot and publicly state why he should be this season’s recipient of the Michael Jordan trophy.

A team with a 7-foot-4 center figures to have some sort of direction in the NBA. If that 7-foot-4 center happens to be extremely prolific and supremely confident, that team has the potential to rise to elite status.

It wasn’t too long ago that Devin Vassell was one of the youngsters on the Spurs lineup. Now, Vassell is in his sixth season with the team and in great position to go on a deep playoff run for the first time ever.

On a loaded team, what can Vassell bring to the table? Aside from veteran know-how, Vassell also happens to be one of the best three-point shooters in the lineup. If the 6-foot-5 guard can get his outside shots to fall, playoff opponents will have to pick their poison between Vassell’s perimeter prowess and the incessant paint touches of Wembanyama, Castle, and Fox.

As the presumptive second seed in the Western Conference standings, the Spurs are likely set for a reunion with their former Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who will be bringing his LA Clippers to town. As talented as Leonard is, the collective power of the Spurs will be too much for his Clips to overcome.

It’s possible that the Lakers will be waiting on the Spurs’ side of the semifinal bracket. Without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to boost their offense, the LeBron James-led Lakers could very well run out of steam against the well-oiled machine that is the Spurs.

Reaching the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs will find themselves in a heavyweight matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. This series could go seven games, and in the end, the uncanny poise of the defending champions could prevail, leading to the end of the Spurs’ 2026 playoff run.