By The Numbers: Five Figures From Last Season That Still…

By the Spurs Nightly Desk · Friday, September 18

San Antonio has yet to play a game this season, but the numbers from last year's 62-win run still tell most of the story. Here are five of them, and what each one does and doesn't prove.

Spurs Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

How much did extra bench minutes boost Wembanyama's scoring?

Wembanyama hit 20 points in four of his last five games off the bench last season, scoring above his season pace whenever he saw those extra minutes. That signals the bench stints, not a role change, drove the burst. It says nothing about how Mitch Johnson will use him to open this season, since Wembanyama is set to start games this year.

Did Fox's efficiency really fall off late last season?

Fox's efficiency sank to a 42.7 true-shooting mark over his final 10 games last season, a drop of 13.3 points from his mark for the year. That stretch came late, as the Spurs pushed through the playoffs. It does not erase a season where he ran the offense at 18.6 points a game with 6.2 assists; one cold stretch isn't a trend yet.

Is Keldon Johnson's rotation spot at risk?

Johnson's true shooting dropped to 45.8 percent over his last 10 games last season, 13.4 points below his mark for the year. That decline came late, after Johnson had already logged 82 games at 13.2 points a night. It doesn't settle whether he keeps his rotation spot with rookies Carter Bryant and Dylan Harper now on the roster; that battle hasn't started yet.

How good were the Spurs by the full-season numbers?

San Antonio finished last season with a net rating of 8.4, the second-best mark in the NBA, built on an offense and a defense that both ranked third. That number is why the run to the Finals wasn't a fluke. It says nothing about how a healthy Wembanyama and a full season from Fox change this year's record, since neither has played a game yet.

Where does the payroll actually stand for the coming season?

San Antonio carries $198.3 million in payroll across 15 contracts, over the salary cap but $2.1 million under the luxury tax line of $200.4 million. Fox's $49.8 million anchors that number, with Vassell, Johnson and Wembanyama next. It doesn't answer what a trade would cost against that room, since no deals have been made this offseason.

The verdictNone of these numbers come from a game that counts yet, but they mark where San Antonio proved itself last season and where a late slide could resurface if it isn't addressed.

Has the Spurs' 2026-27 season started?

No. San Antonio opens the regular season on October 20 against the Thunder, so the record is still 0-0.

Is Victor Wembanyama moving to a bench role this season?

There's no sign of that. His strong bench scoring numbers are from stretches last season, not a planned role change for 2026-27.