Despite losing in the 2026 NBA Finals, with plenty of drama and theatrics sprinkled in along the way, I still don't believe you can completely hang your head if you're the San Antonio Spurs.
The Spurs are young, up-and-coming, and have potential for a dynasty once they iron out the kinks and gain more valuable experience. And a Finals appearance against a tough squad like the New York Knicks is certainly just that, even if they fell 4-1 in the series. Now, going into this head-to-head showdown, I'll admit that I was quite high on San Antonio's odds to win it all.
Having a generational superstar like Victor Wembanyama, alongside a wealth of new blood like Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, and the perfect role players/vets in between like Julian Champagnie, Devin Vassell, and De'Aaron Fox — it sold me on the idea of this Spurs youth movement toppling the older Knicks.
But as we saw in the Finals, youth and sometimes the inexperience that comes with it can only get you so far. When you really think about it, the Knicks were perfectly built to win with their roster, while the Spurs were perhaps a few steps behind on some very key components to be truly maximized.
ESPN's Bobby Marks made note of these roster pitfalls on the Spurs' roster, and highlighted the need for San Antonio to be active in the upcoming free agency. Marks said in his recent "Spurs Offseason Guide" (YouTube link here): "I think you need a combo big to compliment Victor [Wembayama]. I think you need some more guard depth. I think you need some veterans with that group. That offense certainly became discombobulated. Certainly in late games, that is why you went out and acquired De'Aaron Fox to basically pick up the slack from a veteran standpoint, and that was certainly a little bit of an, it was an Achilles here. So that is where you are as far as your priority."
Hmm... where have we seen those same problems before?
Spurs' roster needs after the Finals echo the Raptors' own key upgrades
The Toronto Raptors definitely know a thing or two about missing a combo big in their lineup, needing more guard depth, and a dire need for some veterans to round out their young core. Toronto's offense getting discombobulated is certainly no stranger to them either, whether it showed in spurts during the regular season or into the playoffs as the adversity began to show.
And the Raptors essentially have their own version of the De'Aaron Fox acquisition in a way with their Brandon Ingram swing — a move which also became an Achilles heel of sorts for Toronto (though, it might not be entirely his fault).
But at the same time, you can see where a lot of these issues simply come with being a relatively green, developing squad in the NBA. With Victor Wembanyama at the helm, I think a lot of people can gloss over the fact that he's a 22-year-old with only three NBA seasons under his belt — but simply because he's an out-of-this-world prospect, the expectations are maybe too high.
I made the connection when the Spurs clinched this Finals berth, noting how a similar trajectory is lined up for the Raptors to try and mirror their success. Barnes, while maybe not considered the generational talent that Wemby is, is certainly still an anamoly to have on your roster. The same way it should be San Antonio's mission to surround Wemby with the perfect complimentary pieces (they definitely have a great starting point with Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle), the exact same sentiment stands for Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors.
The Spurs saw how important these roster components can make-or-break a title run, and using this sample, another hopeful, rising team like the Raptors must also work to make this a priority moving forward.
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