The Spurs' rapid surge and Wembanyama's unique dominance prove premature "runner-up" talk is missing a crucial, evolving narrative.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the team to beat in the NBA, as well as the Western Conference. They won the NBA Finals last season, and have the best record in the NBA.
But that absolutely does not mean that they are the only team that matters.
In a recent article by Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley, he gives one word that he thinks describes every NBA team at this point in the season. For the San Antonio Spurs, that word is "silver", as he thinks that they will come up second in everything that matters this season.
"Maybe if the Spurs climbed to No. 1, then Wembanyama would wrestle away control of the MVP award from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But without that, SGA has the best-player-on-the-best-team argument," Buckley writes. "San Antonio isn't without a pulse in the race for No. 1, but it has to be questioning just what it would take to close the gap."
Yes, the San Antonio Spurs have been chasing the Oklahoma City Thunder in the standings. And yes, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has built a strong MVP case on a top-seeded team. But reducing this race to "best player on the best team" ignores the bigger picture—and what’s actually unfolding in San Antonio.
Start with the numbers. Since the All-Star break, the Spurs have gone on a blistering run, enterning this weekend winning 18 of 20 games. That’s not just good—it’s dominant. The problem, if you can even call it that, is that Oklahoma City has been nearly just as hot. But matching a conference leader stride for stride isn’t evidence of limitation—it’s proof San Antonio belongs at the very top.
And it feels like BR is not even giving the Spurs a shot.
More importantly, momentum matters. The Spurs aren’t peaking early or plateauing—they’re surging at exactly the right time. This is a young team that’s learning how to win, and doing so quickly. Writing them off as a "runner-up" ignores how dangerous that trajectory can be heading into the postseason.
Then there’s Wembanyama himself. Framing his MVP case as dependent solely on seeding undersells his impact. He isn’t just putting up elite numbers—he’s redefining how defenses operate. His presence alters every possession, whether it shows up in the box score or not.
And that is not even taking into account the absolutely stellar season he has been having on the defensive side of the ball.
Declaring San Antonio second-best at this stage feels less like analysis and more like assumption. The gap is razor-thin, the momentum is real, and the most unique player in the league is leading the charge.