The San Antonio Spurs are building a dynasty around Victor Wembanyama, although some of their most important players probably weren't meant to arrive in San Antonio.
The San Antonio Spurs lucked their way into Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper. All picked in the top four, the Spurs had to play the lottery odds for three years in a row.
More often than not, that strategt doesn't pay off.
As soon as the Spurs landed Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA Draft, it was only a matter of time before they blossomed into a contender. Adding Harper and Castle along the way just cemented their chances and lengthened their runway.
While fans of 29 other teams decry the Spurs for being "lucky," the franchise has combined pure luck with years of research and scouting.
'Lucky' Spurs Deserve Their Flowers
Drafting Wembanyama was very intentional. The Spurs were the first team to scout him, all the way back when he was just 16 years old. By the time he was ready to enter the draft, every team knew about him, but the Spurs started their rebuild and tank years in advance.
It was all by design.
"The Spurs are exceptionally well-managed. They are also exceptionally lucky," wrote CBS' Sam Quinn. "If the Spurs do indeed win championships in the years to come, luck will be the single biggest reason. It just won't be the only reason. They've replicated OKC's infinite draft pick scheme better than anyone else in the NBA, altering it slightly by prioritizing first-round swaps to try to set themselves up for as many bites at the lottery apple as possible."
While climbing the lottery to nab a trio of young stars is pure luck, landing overlooked players in the draft like Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Dejounte Murray, and Derrick White had nothing to do with luck. All four players exceeded expectations, and the Spurs turned them into solid players or trade assets.
That's not even to mention undrafted players like Julian Champagnie.
While the Spurs "lucked" their way into their three centerpieces, keeping them in town long-term boils down to organizational structure. Could a different team have made Wemby eager to take a pay cut? Or does that speak to the Spurs' ability to form lasting relationships with their players?
"Of course, that young core figures to be a bit cheaper than it should be," Quinn added. "The core of their last dynasty all took discounts, and, at the very least, the Spurs deserve credit for maintaining a culture in which players are eager to do so."
If Castle and Harper take similar pay cuts, it'll be luck that landed them, but front office skill that kept them in Texas.
