San Antonio Spurs Must Shed This Label Next Season

The San Antonio Spurs, as soon as they drafted Victor Wembanyama, were given a label they are yet to shed.

Signing Chris Paul last offseason and drafting Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper in back-to-back drafts only cemented their status, but trading for De'Aaron Fox should signal that they are getting ready to move on from their unfortunate title.

"Sleeping giants."

The Spurs, with a young Wembanyama in town, were expected to eventually take the league by storm. By all metrics, they are right on time, but San Antonio and its young core need to play meaningful basketball. In the NBA, Wemby is yet to even compete for a postseason appearance. 

While the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Houston Rockets are all easily ahead of the Spurs, they have the reigning Rookie of the Year, an All-Star point guard, and a top-five player in the world all rostered. It's time to move on from being a "sleeping giant" and become a real contender. 

Most of that responsibility falls on Fox and Wembanyama, of course.

With the hype surrounding both Castle and Harper, it's easy to forget that Fox is expected to sign a massive contract extension next month, cementing himself in San Antonio long-term. Trading for him was the win-now move the Spurs have been waiting for, and with a healthy Wembanyama on the roster, expect them to hit the ground running this season.

Anything short of a playoff appearance would be a failure. It's time to win, not focus on development. 

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