San Antonio's Storybook: Why The Young Spurs Still Have Long Way to Go

The San Antonio Spurs aren't where they had hoped to be at this point in the season, but that's just part of their learning process — though they have a long way to go.

Once again, the same storybook remains open for the San Antonio Spurs.

This particular story — though still in the beginning stages — is about a franchise looking to overcome a completely subpar season with the help of generational talent. 

Uplifting, right?

Maybe in the end, but in order for the Spurs to get their ideal ending, they'll need to tread through the trials and tribulations that come with it. It's isn't a cut-and-dry journey, either. 

And currently, they're stuck on the learning-the-hard-way chapter.

Sunday's loss to the Miami Heat proved that, as San Antonio blew a 19-point lead at home during a very winnable game. It wasn't the first time that it's happened this season either, but that's expected from the youngest team in the NBA.

"[We had] too many mistakes," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich noted of his team's fourth home loss. "A little bit of sloppiness on some passes that created some turnovers and undisciplined fouls and it add[ed] up. ... We want to be more disciplined, which would mean fewer undisciplined fouls, fewer turnovers." 

As the Spurs continue to live and learn, the NBA season carries on. It's up to them whether or not they carry on with it and improve in the process — but Popovich sees early signs of their willingness to adapt and get better.

"The effort is there," he said. "I can see the wheels turning."

Nov 12, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) greets fans before a game against the Miami Heat at Frost Bank Center / © Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

If San Antonio's season is a storybook, it's still within the first few chapters. Flip to the end of the book, and ideally, there's imagery of Victor Wembanyama holding up a Larry O'Brien Trophy — and most likely the Finals MVP trophy, too. 

That's what the Spurs envisioned when they drafted the 7-4 center. That's what they still envision, but more importantly, that's what Wembanyama envisions for himself. 

His goal when he was drafted was to "win a ring ASAP," and he's only backed that up with every postgame press conference he takes. He wants to win, and he wants to win for San Antonio — and according to him, the team is closer to the winning storyline it desires than many might think. 

"We’ve got many things to correct," Wembanyama said. "[But] we’re not far away. It doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy, but we’re not far away. [The loss] just motivates me more. Nobody in the locker room is putting their head down and giving up. We’re here and we’re ready.”

Wembanyama might have spoken for his teammates, but he certainly wasn't proven wrong when it came time for Keldon Johnson to speak his thoughts from a leadership perspective. In fact, he was proven right. 

"We’re getting better, learning more and more," Johnson said. "We had a lead [against Miami], we controlled most of the game. Now, we just [have] to close out. So, we'll continue to grow, continue to learn, go over film and continue to get better on the things that we can control.

"A big part of that is execution.”

As I've mentioned before, building a lead is only part of the equation for San Antonio. It's built a strong cushion during games multiple times — a lot of which was due to hot shooting and Wembanyama's ability to flow with his teammates — but that cushion hasn't held. 

Whether it was the Heat, Raptors or Suns, the Spurs allowed their lead to evaporate, which for the former two, ended in defeat. Dropping two games in that fashion isn't anywhere near where Popovich's squad wants to be.

But the Spurs' story isn't over. Not close. And as it goes with any storybook, there has to be conflict before there can be a resolution. 

They just hope that can happen soon.