Some sports teams are seemingly always competitive, and the San Antonio Spurs are one of them. As a notably well-run franchise with good decision-makers, they are frequently in the championship picture and always seem to luck out when it comes to picking the right players in the draft.
The 2026 team, while they didn’t win the title, put the whole world on notice with an unexpected Finals run. With limited playoff experience, nobody was expecting them to get as far as they did, but this group may be a cut above the average young team. For NBA agent Rich Paul, their current situation is reminiscent of what they had during the Tim Duncan era, which was enough to earn five championships.
“I wouldn’t make one change,” said Paul on the Spurs, via ‘Game Over’. “When you really take a step back, and you blink for a second: Fox-Parker, Castle-Leonard, Harper-Ginobili, Wembanyama-Duncan. It’s that framework all over again in a way. When you take a step back from that, this is what it could be a glimpse of.”
There’s no question the Spurs have something special, and it’s built to last for many years with Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and De’Aaron Fox all being under 30. This season, when the world counted them out of the title picture, the Spurs finished second in the West at 62-20 (second-best record in the NBA). Then, en route to the Finals, they beat several elite opponents, including the Timberwolves and Thunder. Still, comparing this Spurs team to the iconic “big four” dynasty might be premature, even though there are some stark similarities.
The easiest comparison is between Victor Wembanyama and NBA legend Tim Duncan. Just like Duncan was in the 90s and 2000s, Wemby is a star in the frontcourt, boasting a major size advantage (7’4″) and elite defensive skills. While Wemby is not nearly as accomplished as Duncan is (five-time champion, two-time MVP, 15x All-Star), he put up better numbers at 22 with averages of 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 3.1 blocks per game this season on 51.2% shooting and 34.9% shooting from three. Wembanyama has a completely different personality from Duncan, but he has a similar influence and role as the foundation of their entire identity.
It’s still too early for point guard De’Aaron Fox to be in the same conversations as some of the best Spurs ever, but if he’s anyone from the Duncan era, it’s arguably Tony Parker. The French star was never the main attraction in San Antonio, but he provided steady and reliable contributions, averaging 15.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game on 49.1% shooting and 32.4% shooting from three. Like Parker, Fox is also a shifty, paint-penetrating guard, and his leadership will be crucial for their future success.
In 2014, Kawhi Leonard was arguably the most important player of that championship Spurs team, and he was even named Finals MVP for his efforts. Stephon Castle hasn’t yet matched Kawhi’s resume (two-time champion, two-time Defensive Player of the Year), but he’s a mirror to his game in many ways as a disruptive defender who can play multiple positions. In 2025-26, in 68 games for the Spurs, he averaged 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 47.1% shooting and 33.2% shooting from three.
Off the bench, Manu Ginobili made things happen for the Spurs, and he remains one of the best Sixth Men in NBA history with averages of 13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game on 44.7% shooting and 36.9% shooting from three. With just one year of experience, Dylan Harper is still finding his place in this league, but his impact on the second unit is undeniable, with averages of 11.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 50.5% shooting and 34.3% shooting from three. As Manu used to, he provides that crucial scoring spark while never forcing shots and playing within the flow of the game.
Ultimately, when you compare the 2026 Spurs to the Duncan-era Spurs, there are plenty of things they share in common, but only time will tell if they can achieve similar success. As good as this current Spurs team is, they are missing one key ingredient that the old team had: Gregg Popovich, who was widely regarded as one of the best coaching minds in the sport.
With no way to replace Pop’s influence, the Spurs have to trust that Mitch Johnson can fill his shoes, but the job is easier said than done. After a humbling loss in the Finals, this team still has a long way to go, and it’s best if they focus on self-improvement before getting caught up in comparisons to past legends.
