From Robinson's Turnaround to Wembanyama's Arrival, Spurs…

By the Spurs Nightly Desk · Wednesday, October 7

San Antonio's championship years rested on continuity: David Robinson's 1989-90 turnaround and Tim Duncan's run of 50-win seasons both followed the culture Gregg Popovich built and Mitch Johnson now runs. That same stillness shows in a camp roster that has not changed since September 25, returning a nearly intact 62-20 team toward unfinished business with the Thunder and the Knicks.

Spurs Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Has a Spurs roster ever carried this much expectation into a camp?

The last time San Antonio arrived at camp with this much anticipation, David Robinson had just finished his Navy service. Paired with Sean Elliott and Terry Cummings under Larry Brown in 1989-90, he drove the biggest one-season turnaround in NBA history, a 56-26 record. This year's group needs no turnaround: Victor Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell and Stephon Castle return from a 62-20 season and the franchise's first Finals since 2014.

Why has the camp roster gone quiet since late September?

San Antonio's 18 straight 50-win seasons under Gregg Popovich, from 1999-2000 through 2016-17, were built on continuity rather than turnover. The same instinct shows now: R.J. Davis signed September 25, Jon Elmore and Malik Williams joined that same week, and the roster has not changed since. Short-term adds Jayden Nunn and Miles Barnstable each left within days, a sign of how little room this camp leaves for players who do not fit.

Why do the Thunder and the Knicks matter more than Thursday's opponent?

San Antonio upset Oklahoma City in the 2025 NBA Cup semifinals, beat the Thunder again in a seven-game Western Conference finals, then lost to New York in five games in the 2026 Finals after also losing to the Knicks in the Cup championship game. Thursday's preseason trip against the Hawks is just the first tune-up before that unfinished business with Oklahoma City and New York resumes in the regular season.

Can six unproven rookies fit into a defense built on rim protection?

Wembanyama anchored a defense that ranked third in the league last season, part of a 62-20 run under Mitch Johnson, who took over permanently in May 2025 after Gregg Popovich stepped back to focus on basketball operations. Six rookies are on the roster with no game action yet to show how their minutes fit around that defense, the same question the Spurs faced when Robinson's arrival reshaped the rotation in 1989.

The verdictThe Spurs have built every good era on patience rather than urgency, and this one is no different: a camp roster that stopped changing in September, a core returning nearly intact from a Finals run, and a rivalry with the Thunder and the Knicks still unsettled.

When did the Spurs last win an NBA title?

2014, the last of five titles under Gregg Popovich, following 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007.

How did the Spurs reach the 2026 NBA Finals?

They upset Oklahoma City in the 2025 NBA Cup semifinals, then beat the Thunder again in a seven-game Western Conference finals, before losing to the Knicks in five games.