The San Antonio Spurs will make their first playoff appearance since 2019, and Victor Wembanyama will be at the center of their success.
The San Antonio Spurs will play their first postseason game in seven years on Sunday, entering the playoffs as heavy favorites against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Spurs dominated the Western Conference all season long, led by stellar play from Victor Wembanyama. It's not often that a third-year player drags a franchise from mediocrity to contention, and there are shades of Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan in Wemby's competitiveness.
Despite his inexperience, the Spurs are fully relying on their best player to set the tone, and they don't shy away from dubbing him the centerpiece of their success.
Devin Vassell Highlights Wemby's Role
Keldon Johnson has been with the Spurs since 2019. Devin Vassell arrived in 2020. Both are among the longest-tenured players on a single team in the league, but neither of them has ever played in the NBA playoffs.
This year, behind Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and De'Aaron Fox, the former franchise cornerstones have both slotted into smaller roles, although individual success hasn't eluded them. They are both among the top role players in the NBA.
They know that the team's long-term success hinges on Wemby, and they want to put him in a position to thrive.
"He seems ready to go, going out there, and I'm excited to see how he handles everything and how we handle everything," said Vassell. "But he's our leader, and everything has just been great, honestly. Like I said, it's a lot of anticipation. I think throughout the team, throughout the organization, of just sitting here waiting, waiting, waiting days and days, but it's only two more days. I'm excited. We're all excited."
When the Spurs drafted Wembanyama, an eventual return to the postseason was promised. Did fans think it would come this quickly? Maybe, but no one expected them to be downright title contenders by Wemby's third season. The Spurs are ahead of schedule, Wembanyama is ahead of schedule, and the entire city of San Antonio has playoff fever, buzzing with anticipation for tipoff on Sunday.