Victor Wembanyama searching for answers amid Spurs slump
02/19/2025 07:26 AM
As the San Antonio Spurs hovered around the .500 mark for most of this season, Victor Wembanyama’s brilliance carried the day most of the way. On the other spectrum, the team’s youth and lack of consistency dominated other portions of the year. But no matter the specifics, on any given night through the first two months of the season, the Spurs were, for the most part, competitive. As a result, Wemby and company avoided slumps.
Enter the last month and a half.
Sure, they’ve had a glimpse or two, but San Antonio has fallen to a season-low six games under .500 multiple times, including at the NBA All-Star Break.
It’s too early to tell if the trade for former Sacramento Kings star De’Aaron Fox will have an impact on the wins and losses this season. The Spurs are 2-3 since the 2023 All-Star joined the mix. Wemby hopes Fox’s addition helps provide a solution.
Because right now, he has none.
"You’re right. You’re right. I don't have the answer,” the Spurs leading scorer told ClutchPoints when posed with a question about how the team has been on the wrong end of blowouts consistently since the start of 2025.
“I think the idea that it’s our toughest point of the season contributes to that, but I don’t have an explanation for that."
Spurs postgame
Asked Vic about what's now become a #Spurs trend. After a stretch in which just about every game went down to the final minute, every game now is getting away from them in the fourth quarter.
"I don't have the answer…"
Ful thought #GoSpursGo#PorVidapic.twitter.com/gk5ZC68o4z
— Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) January 30, 2025
Spurs slump coincides somewhat with schedule
When the Spurs lost to the Denver Nuggets on January 4, it came after a stretch in which San Antonio had won seven of 11 games. They’ve since faced the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics. All on the road. They met the Indiana Pacers in Paris, France. They’ve played the Grizzlies, Heat, and Los Angeles Clippers at home.
All of those teams would make the NBA play-in today. And all but three of their 18 games leading up to the break came against those squads. In fact, for a month (January 4 to February 3), the Spurs faced teams exclusively on this list. They lost 13 of their 18 games heading into the All-Star Game.
Interestingly, that stint actually continued a stretch of quality of opponents for San Antonio. The difference is that in games against the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Clippers, and Nuggets, they took every one of those contests to the wire and/or won them.
Wembanyama thinks his team can get to that place again.
“I think we’re on the way back from our toughest point of the season. I think we made some efforts against the Clippers to get out of it. I think we’re on the right way,” he said following a 122-86 victory vs. the Clips.
With foes like the Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Grizzlies, and Oklahoma City Thunder lined up for the first week and a half after the break, the Spurs have an opportunity to reverse the troublesome trend.
“As much as I hate losing – losing feels awful, but winning feels so great,” Wemby continued. “Let’s not forget, because it’s easy to forget about winning, but it’s right there, so we’ll get back to it.”
Time — and, perhaps, the quality of opponents — will tell.
The post Victor Wembanyama searching for answers amid Spurs slump appeared first on ClutchPoints.
