The Spurs made the NBA Finals last season, way ahead of schedule. Now they are considered a championship contender, the 2026-27 season will play out a lot different as the Spurs go from the underdog to the favorite. Here are five storylines to watch as the Spurs begin what they hope will not only be another run to the NBA Finals but to a championship:
1. What is Wemby's next act?
At 22, Victor Wembanyama has already reached heights most NBA players never approach. He is coming off an All-NBA season in which he became the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in league history and helped propel the Spurs on an unexpected march to the NBA Finals.
Now comes the next challenge for the 7-foot-4 phenom on the cusp his fourth NBA season - making sure his his imprint felt not just in highlight reels or individual stretches of dominance, but on every possession, in every quarter and deep into another hoped-for playoff run.
Can Wembanyama become a more consistent offensive closer when opponents load up on him late in games? How much can improve as a playmaker passing out of double teams? Can he continue his defensive dominance while shouldering an even bigger offensive burden?
Wembanyama has already established himself as the Spurs' centerpiece. The next step is figuring out just how much more he can do from there.
2. Will the three-guard experiment blow up or pay off?
Mitch Johnson appears ready to roll the dice on a three-guard starting lineup, with sophomore sensation Dylan Harper joining incumbent starters De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle.
Harper has earned the promotion after a stellar All-Rookie campaign coming off the bench. The question is whether the 20-year-old can make an already potent backcourt even better without throwing its chemistry out of whack.
The three talented guards spent little time on the floor together last season. The early returns were not great, albeit in a limited sample size. Johnson is betting more minutes together will help the three talented guards figure out how to coexist - and complement one another.
The upside is tantalizing. With Harper joining Fox and Castle in the backcourt and Victor Wembanyama serving as the offensive hub, the Spurs could have a group capable of overwhelming opponents with speed, playmaking and scoring.
The downside? Johnson would be tinkering with a starting five that ranked among the NBA's best over the second half of last season. If the new-look lineup sputters, he will have to decide whether to stay the course or rethink a formula that was already working.
3. What did Mitch Johnson learn from his Finals exam?
Much was made of the crash course in experience the young Spurs made on the way to last season's NBA Finals.
That was true of their young coach as well.
The 39-year-old Johnson, in his first full season at the Spurs' helm, received deserved Coach of the Year consideration for guiding the team to a 62-20 campaign.
The Finals, however, offered a sobering counterpoint to that breakthrough, as Johnson drew criticism for slow adjustments while New York rallied from double-digit deficits in all four of its victories.
Throughout the season, Johnson leaned hard on associate head coach Sean Sweeney, a noted defensive guru who helped fashion the Wembanyama-led group into one of the league's most ferocious defensive teams.
Sweeney is gone now, having taken the head position in Orlando.
Johnson's newest assistant is no coaching neophyte. Billy Donovan brings 11 seasons of NBA head coaching experience and two NCAA national championships from his days at Florida, along with a bust in the Naismith Hall of Fame.
With a Finals run behind him and Donovan by his side, Johnson has an opportunity to showcase how much he has learned - and whether those lessons can help the Spurs take the next step.
4. Can Tobias Harris push the young core higher?
The Spurs' front office was content enough with its Finals roster that general manager Brian Wright and crew decided to bring in one and only one free agent during the offseason.
Tobias Harris may be a newcomer to the team, but he is no NBA newbie.
At 34, Harris is entering his 16th professional season with a résumé built on the kind of experience the Spurs' young core can use.
The 6-foot-8 forward spent last season in Detroit, starting 63 games for a Pistons team that won 60 games. Now he arrives in San Antonio hoping to help turn a talented young group into a more battle-tested, dependable playoff outfit.
Harris missed his first preseason with the Spurs while nursing a calf injury, but he is expected to slide into the starting lineup once he is healthy and up to speed.
The Spurs are confident he will be worth the wait. The club signed Harris for his work in April, May and June, not in October.
5. Who is ready for an unexpected close-up?
Championship teams are powered by their stars, but they're often defined by the guys nobody saw coming.
The Spurs got contributions from all over the roster on their run to last season's Finals. Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie each had their moments, establishing themselves as reliable pieces of the rotation.
Now comes the hunt for the next out-of-nowhere difference-maker.
It could be Carter Bryant, whose elite athleticism and defensive motor give him a case for a bigger role in his second NBA season.
It could be rookie Tarris Reed Jr., the hulking backup center from UConn whose toughness and rebounding have already earned rave reviews in training camp.
Or perhaps David Jones Garcia, just eight months removed from surgery to repair a broken right ankle, can conjure another "DJG game" or two.
The Spurs know what their headliners can do. The question is who else will step forward as the stakes begin to rise.
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There’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Five storylines to watch as Spurs enter a new season.