Spurs Teammate's 'Best Team in NBA' Claim Just Got Hit With Reality After Victor Wembanyama’s MVP Race Slide originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
San Antonio entered the postseason carrying confidence, yet recent league results painted another picture entirely after Oklahoma City dominated awards voting and strengthened arguments against exaggerated championship expectations this spring.
Keldon Johnson recently claimed San Antonio believed it remained basketball's strongest roster. He praised Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and De'Aaron Fox while describing the Spurs as serious contenders.
“We think we’re the best team in the NBA,” he said. Let’s go down the list… [Wemby] is the league’s MVP this season — no question.”
Johnson also declared Wembanyama deserved this season's Most Valuable Player award without debate. That prediction quickly collapsed after Shai Gilgeous Alexander secured another MVP trophy Sunday evening.
League voters favored Gilgeous Alexander after Oklahoma City captured another dominant regular season. The Thunder guard averaged 31.1 points while leading another deep postseason run.
Wembanyama produced elite defensive numbers throughout another impressive individual campaign for San Antonio. However, his strong statistics never convinced enough voters above Gilgeous Alexander's complete leadership profile.
Stephon Castle’s steady growth has been a major bright spot for San Antonio, with veterans like Keldon Johnson calling him one of the league's best young two-way players. While the Spurs still finished behind several established Western Conference contenders, his evolution into a reliable playmaker and lockdown perimeter defender has cemented his status as a core piece of the franchise's future alongside Victor Wembanyama.
Fox also delivered important leadership after arriving during the season through a major trade. However, Western Conference juggernauts like Oklahoma City, Denver, and Minnesota showed deeper, more cohesive rosters that consistently outmatched San Antonio's playoff rotation in crucial postseason matchups.
The San Antonio Spurs made a big jump this season by pairing up young star Victor Wembanyama with experienced players who have been through the playoffs.
To truly compete for championships, though, they need to turn their regular-season progress into success in the playoffs, keep improving each year, and earn top individual honors for their players.
Johnson's confidence showed that the players in San Antonio had a great connection and teamwork within their young group. However, saying they are the best team right now overlooks the fact that Oklahoma City is still performing very well and consistently dominating in their games.
Wembanyama remains basketball's brightest young superstar entering another important offseason with great expectations. However, Gilgeous-Alexander holds the MVP trophy for now, leaving Johnson's confident statement looking premature today.
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